http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/ ... 719078.htm

Posted on Fri, Sep. 23, 2005



Wreck's fallout: Harassment of Latinos
'Go home while you can'
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ
Staff Writer

The death of a Mount Holly teacher killed in a crash with an illegal immigrant later charged with drunken driving has triggered a rash of harassing phone calls, e-mails and letters sent to Latin advocacy and religious groups.

One such letter sent to the Latin American Coalition, which warned, "Go home while you can," caught the attention of Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

Sgt. Chris Couch, head of the department's International Relations Unit, said that because of the threatening letter, he will increase police presence at the Oct. 2 Latin American Festival, which is expected to draw a crowd of 15,000 people to the Mint Museum of Art.

"We don't think there will be a problem, but we want to be safe," Couch said.

Latino leaders said public outcry against illegal immigrants has left the community bruised and feeling vulnerable.

"I have never received those type of calls before," said Maudia Melendez, head of the Jesus Ministry, formerly the United Latin Americans, who said she's received dozens of messages citing the tragedy. "He doesn't represent our community. And it's unfair for people to blame the whole community because of one person."

Scott Gardner, a teacher at Highland School of Technology in Gastonia, died in July, and his wife, Tina Gardner, was left in a coma critically injured when their car was struck by a truck driven by Ramiro Gallegos, an illegal immigrant now facing his fifth impaired driving charge in five years.

The 26-year-old Mexican sits in the Neuse Correctional Institution awaiting trial on second-degree murder and drunken driving charges.

The tragedy focused attention on the ineffectiveness of federal immigration laws. It became the source of multiple news articles and hours of discussion on radio and television.

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, R.-N.C., of Charlotte, cited it as an example of why state and local law enforcement should be authorized to enforce immigration laws. She introduced the Scott Gardner Act, a bill that would make driving while impaired an automatic deportable offense.

"The fact is we've had an increase in illegals who are drunk and causing accidents," said Myrick, citing statistics compiled earlier this year by the Observer showing the number of Hispanic drunken drivers had more than tripled in the past seven years.

(The statistics did not discern whether the drivers were illegal.)

The Rev. Maria Hanlin of the Mecklenburg Ministries, which also received angry e-mails, said the debate has focused less on drunken driving and more on ethnicity.

Angeles Ortega-Moore, executive director of the Latin American Coalition, said she's received so much opinionated mail that she's begun filing them into two folders: hate mail and love mail.

"Unfortunately, the hate mail folder is thicker," she said.

Ron Woodard, director of N.C. Listen, an immigration reform group, said he condemns the use of hate mail, but said it's likely the result of individuals frustrated with people breaking federal immigration laws.

"I certainly wouldn't suggest that every illegal immigrant is a drunk," Woodard said. "But the fact of the matter is there are a lot of nice people who want to work hard. But that doesn't mean you can come to America."

Pedro Vazquez, an assistant butcher at La Comercial Mexico, said there are too many misconceptions about immigrants. "The majority of us are honest, good people."