Thread: Latino group seeks tolerance from Hazleton area

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Latino group seeks tolerance from Hazleton area
Sunday, 23 July 2006
By AMANDA CHRISTMAN
achristman@standardspeaker.com
One week after the Concerned Latino Citizens Group met with Luzerne County officials during a town hall meeting in Hazle Township, the group went back to the drawing board trying to find solutions to other problems.

Dr. Stan Hamilton of Hands of Hope Ministries in Wilkes-Barre, who assists the group, said the weekly meetings began with because of numerous complaints from members of the Latino community in Hazleton.
He said he and other leaders in the organization were going to court five days a week and to schools in the Hazleton area five times a week for the past six months to represent Latinos.

“The children were being abused,” he said, noting that some of the abuse was intentional while some was not.

When asked what type of abuse children are dealing with, a young boy wearing a dress shirt and pants told a reporter that he was called racial and ethnic slurs in school, such as “***” and “****.” The boy didn’t specify who called him the names.

Another woman complained that she and her children were treated unjustly by law enforcement and Hamilton said that people who posed as “INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services) agents were asking
young children questions about themselves.”

“All we’re asking the community to do is to treat the Latino community with the respect and dignity they deserve as American citizens,” he said.
He said he hopes that people in the Hazleton area will not continue to deny “the children what is rightly theirs,” citing the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

He said the Latino community is hardworking and gives respect, but also needs to have respect in return.

“Let it be understood that we are willing to work with any other group for the betterment of Hazleton and the country,” Hamilton said. “We want to make the world a better place. There is violence all over the world and it is not the world our children should grow up in.”

Hamilton said Luzerne County and Pennsylvania harbor some bigoted people, and that the rest of its residents cannot stand for that ignorance to continue.

“There are those who want to make life miserable for members of the Latino community,” Hamilton said, noting that the mayor, city leaders and church groups need to speak out against bigotry.
He said Latinos or any other group should not be treated as second-class citizens.

Hamilton, 72, said he could easily understand what it meant to be a second-class citizen, as his grandfather was a slave in the United States.
He said in the 1990s, a leader of the local Democratic party used the nickname “***,” which Hamilton found very offensive. He said the man still uses that nickname.

“I was insulted,” Hamilton said.
Hazleton-area resident Phil Kaufman attended the meeting to field questions from Latinos about the area.

One woman asked if a story she heard regarding a former mayor’s hanging of a sign on the “Washington bridge” asking Hispanics to come to Hazleton because the town was economically dead was true. Kaufman said the story has been circulating for years; however, it was never proven.

Kaufman then said that Hispanics were invited into the community for a labor force “with no regard for your lives, just like the coal miners were…”
Group leaders are expected to research what Kaufman told them during the meeting.

Ron Kripp and another man who did not want his name published attended the meeting to offer their help as well.

Hamilton said there are groups calling him from Iowa, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Allentown that are offering help to stop bigotry.
Hamilton also made it clear that the group was not going to speak about the Illegal Immigration Relief Ordinance passed by Hazleton City Council earlier this month.

The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday.

That is ridiculous! This did not happen because anyone was a bigot, it happened because an illegal shot a guy right between the eyes and because off all the drugs and crime by illegals in the city of Hazelton. Why can't they just tell the truth and understand that Hazelton does not want drugs in their town and they do not want their citizens being shot between the eyes. This just ticks me off!

I got this letter of thanks from Mayor Barletta, in response to my email of support and congratulations to him last week:

Dear Friend,

This is Mayor Lou Barletta from Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support regarding the Illegal Immigration Relief Ordinance, which City Council passed on July 13.

As you can imagine, my office has been inundated by thousands of e-mails, letters, and phone calls of support - from coast to coast and border to border.

I am grateful for every sign of support. You have my personal thanks because we have accomplished this together.

Soon, Hazleton will implement the ordinance, which intends to make my city one of the toughest places in the country for illegal aliens by fining landlords who rent to illegal aliens and companies who knowingly hire them.

After suffering through several high-profile crimes involving illegal aliens, we've sent a clear message that we've had enough. Hazleton is working to take back our streets, our neighborhood, and our community.

Many people have asked for copies of the Illegal Immigration Relief Ordinance to present to their own elected officials.

Others have asked to be updated on our progress here in Hazleton.

I have created www.smalltowndefenders.com, a website that will be updated as events happen to keep you informed of our progress.

On www.smalltowndefenders.com, you will be able to find copies of the Illegal Immigration Relief Ordinance, as well as postings from me regarding the implementation of it and our responses to any legal challenges.

I invite you to take a moment to log on to www.smalltowndefenders.com. I encourage you to bookmark the page and visit it often.

Together, we can make a difference in America.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Louis J. Barletta
Mayor, City of Hazleton, Pennsylvania

It is as important to keep sending words of continuing support as it is to speak up when they achieve their first victory or failure. Especially, actually, when an effort gets defeated. Little by little, we are getting our country back, so we mustn't relax.

I got the same e-mail from Mayor Barletta Bottom line, if you are here legally, you have nothing to fear.

Originally Posted by sawdust

That is ridiculous! This did not happen because anyone was a bigot, it happened because an illegal shot a guy right between the eyes and because off all the drugs and crime by illegals in the city of Hazelton. Why can't they just tell the truth and understand that Hazelton does not want drugs in their town and they do not want their citizens being shot between the eyes. This just ticks me off!

I believe, Illegals use the words "Bigot, or racist" to make White people feel guilty, and to inflame the emotions of Blacks.

It's manipulation,and mind games, to get Americans to back off !
Those types of words doesn't effect me one bit. Infact it makes me want to fight even harder to send them back home to where ever they came from.

If they want tolerance of criminals they can go back to their own countries.