Hispanic-Americans

10 Discriminatory/prejudice acts against Hispanic-Americans

January 12, 2007, construction worker, Javier Dominguez-Rivera is killed by Border Agent Nicholas Corbett. Dominguez-Rivera was crossing the border with his two brothers and sister-and-law. Autopsy reports show that Dominguez-Rivera was shot from between three inches and 2 1/2 feet away, and that it entered below Dominguez-Rivera's armpit and traveled down through his heart, stomach and liver into his lower abdomen. Cochise County Attorney Edward Rheinheimer tells reporters: "The evidence shows that at the time he was shot, Mr. Dominguez-Rivera presented no threat to Agent Corbett." ("Southern Poverty Law Center." Hate Crimes Against Latinos Rising Nationwide. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.)
Members of the Minutemen vigilante group murdered Raul Flores and his 9-year-old daughter Brisenia. In May 2009 Shawna Forde, along with two other men, broke into the Flores home in Arivaca, Arizona. The group shot Brisenia, despite her pleadings for her life, after shooting her father. Brisenia was shot in the face at point blank range. (Sterling, Terry Greene. The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.)

25-year-old Luis Ramirez of Shenandoah, Pennsylvania and father of two was murdered by four teenage high school football players. Ramirez was repeatedly punched and kicked. The teenagers yelled, "This is Shenandoah, this is America, go back to Mexico" and "Tell your [expletive] Mexican friends to get the [expletive] out of Shenandoah or you'll be [expletive] laying next to them." Two of the teens were convicted of simple assault, a misdemeanor. One of the teens faces counts of aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation in juvenile court. The other has had all charges dropped against him. ("The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights." The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.)
Gary Kelley shot Juan Varela in the neck after Kelley yelled “Go back to Mexico or Die!” Varela was shot in his front yard in front of his mother and his brother. Varela was a fifth generation American. ("Hate in Arizona: Two Mothers Mourn Their Murdered Children - New America Media." Hate in Arizona: Two Mothers Mourn Their Murdered Children - New America Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.)

In San Francisco a group of white men brutally assaulted cousins and Mexican nationals Alex Cauich and Jose Omar Cauich. The men yelled such things as "run like you ran across the border" during the beating. ("Guilty Verdicts on Assault of Two Mexican Nationals by Individuals Linked to Organized Racist Skinhead Group." San Francisco District Attorney :. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014)
Founding member of the Border Guardians, Laine Lawless, calls for the white supremacist group the National Socialist Movement to, “Steal the money from any illegal walking to the bank or check cashing place. … Discourage Spanish-speaking children from going to school... Be creative. … Make every illegal alien feel the heat of being a person without status.” ("Once More, Border Vigilante Laine Lawless Flirts With Nazi Enthusiasts | Hatewatch." Hatewatch. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.)
Mark Gautreau shoots two men from El Salvador in the legs while they were fishing. Witnesses say they Gastreau said that he was going to “shoot some Mexicans” before firing at them. ("Southern Poverty Law Center." Hate Crimes Against Latinos Rising Nationwide. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.)
Three Latino teenagers are baited into a shed where they are held by members of a skinhead group. The Skinheads shouted "This is how you run across the border," as they chased the Latino teenagers with chainsaws and machetes. ("Southern Poverty Law Center." Hate Crimes Against Latinos Rising Nationwide. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.)
Housing Discrimination. A new NCLR and Equal Rights Center (ERC) report, "Puertas Cerradas: Housing Barriers for Hispanics" Used a "matched pair" methodology, Hispanic and White non-Hispanic testers with identical profiles contacted housing agents. They conducted phone tests and in-person tests. Latino testers experienced at least one type of adverse, differential treatment in 42 percent of the tests, and two or more types of adverse treatment in 16 percent of the tests when compared to their White counterparts. Housing agents were less willing or receptive to schedule an appointment with Hispanic testers than they were with their matched White testers. In sales tests, agents provided White testers with lender recommendations or other advantageous financing information that was not provided to their matched Hispanic testers. In rental tests, agents quoted higher fees, costs, and/or more extensive application requirements to Hispanic testers than to their matched White testers. (Raza, National Council of La. "New Report Uncovers Housing Discrimination Against the Latino Community." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.)
Frequently dehumanized by the media and others. Lou Dobbs of CNN frequently refers to undocumented immigrants as an "army of invaders." He also frequently refers to the children of undocumented immigrants that are born in the United States as "anchor babies." Dobbs has linked illegal aliens to tuberculosis, malaria, and leprosy, a claim which the Centers for Disease Control disputes. ("The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights." The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.)