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Speakers denounce attack on immigrant, urge tolerance

Community leaders denounce killing of Latino immigrant

BY DAVE MARCUS | dave.marcus@newsday.com

8:50 PM EST, November 12, 2008

A woman sends her message on the lawn of the American Legion on South Ocean Avenue in Patchogue as politicians addressed the killing of Marcelo Lucero.
(Photo by James Carbone / November 12, 2008)

Hours after forgoing a rally of politicians and religious leaders denouncing a fatal stabbing of an immigrant in Patchogue, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy Wednesday night issued a plan "to fight hate."

At the morning rally on the lawn of the American Legion Hall in Patchogue, most of the 15 speakers asked the crowd to avoid blaming politicians. The seven teenagers accused in the assault Saturday night on Marcello Lucero, 38, "attacked all of us, and they attacked our right to live in a diverse, law-abiding community," said Galen Kirkland, commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Late in the afternoon, and in his strongest words since the killing, Levy issued a statement saying, "The white supremacists who allegedly committed this crime will be brought through the justice system swiftly and those responsible will be punished to the fullest extent of the law." County police have never characterized the suspects in the case as white supremacists.

He announced five measures, including the creation of a Hispanic liaison at the Suffolk Police Department and a request that religious leaders "preach the need for greater tolerance" this weekend.

But at least one immigrant advocate denounced Levy's plan as too little, too late. "He seems to ignore the primary problem in Suffolk County, which is the county executive using his bully pulpit to rally people against immigrants," said Pat Young, program director of Central American Refugee Center in Hempstead and Brentwood.

At the rally, Luis Valenzuela, executive director of the Long Island Immigrant Alliance, also faulted Levy - and Legis. Jack Eddington (I-Medford) - for stirring up hostility toward Hispanics as they backed "anti-immigrant" legislation.

"We challenge the legislator from this community not to ever introduce another anti-Latino bill," said Valenzuela, his voice rising in anger.

Eddington took a different approach, calling for the state to spend more on anti-bias programs in schools. He said he was unfairly labeled anti-immigrant for sponsoring legislation to limit day laborers gathering on street corners.

"That was about public safety and all of a sudden it became characterized as an anti-immigration bill," he said.

Levy decided not to attend the rally, though organizers said he was invited. Since Saturday night's killing, he has denounced the teens who were charged with the crime while saying that his measures against undocumented workers did not create hostility toward Hispanics.

Levy didn't go because "it's not about him," said a spokesman, Mark Smith.

Levy, whose aides said would not take questions about the meeting, convened his Hispanic advisory board, the county's anti-bias task force, religious, school and human rights officials for an "emergency" meeting at his Hauppauge office. Ecuador's consul general to New York, Jorge Lopez, also attended but declined to comment after the meeting.

On Tuesday, Levy angered Hispanic activists by saying Lucero's killing "would be a one-day story" if it occurred in Nassau County. Yesterday, Smith said Levy is trying to focus coverage of the story on ways to enhance tolerance.

After the rally, Lucero's younger brother, Joselo, met with Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota to arrange the shipping of Marcello's body to family members in Ecuador.

Residents said they will hold a vigil tomorrow in Patchogue at 7 p.m.

Michael Mostow, superintendent of Patchogue-Medford Schools, said students went to assemblies yesterday to talk about the crime, and for the rest of the week teachers would devote class time for discussions about race relations and tolerance.

The speeches attracted about 80 onlookers, including two dozen immigrants from Ecuador, who said they work minimum-wage jobs washing dishes and cleaning houses and often feel in danger from hostile residents.

One of the most moving moments of the morning came when Joselo Lucero spoke to the audience in English and Spanish. "I felt so alone," he said, "but seeing all of you here makes me feel like I have a big family in Patchogue."

He continued, "I feel so bad for the kids who are in jail now. I don't hate them, but I want justice."

Sponsored by the American Jewish Committee and the Latino Jewish Council of Long Island, the rally represented a stark contrast to a news conference Tuesday, in which Hispanic activists demanded Levy's resignation. Still, as the rally broke up, several participants said they believed that Levy has created divisions in Suffolk.

"I don't blame Levy for this crime, but what he has done is to polarize the community," said Suffolk Legis. Vivian Viloria-Fisher, who was born in the Dominican Republic.

Nassau County Legis. David Mejias, whose mother is from Ecuador, said the murder of Lucero made him wonder "what would have happened if that was my mother walking on the streets." Yet he urged the crowd "not to match angry rhetoric with angry rhetoric."

The audience was also outraged because one of those charged, Christopher Overton, 16, pleaded guilty to burglary in a fatal attack on Carlton Shaw of East Patchogue last year when a group of teenagers robbed his home. Listening to the calls for tolerance, Shaw's widow, Griselda Amaya, had tears in her eyes. "How can that boy be back on the street so quickly?" she asked.

Staff writer Bart Jones contributed to this report.