Mexicans Death Bares a Towns Ethnic Tension

By SEAN D. HAMILL Published: August 5, 2008 SHENANDOAH, Pa. Crystal Dill an !nows that "o#r teena$ers ha%e &een char$e' in the 'eath o" her "ianc(, )#is *a ire+, that the Ci%il *i$hts Di%ision o" the ,#stice De-art ent is onitorin$ the case an' that ost -eo-le in this s all town in the A--alachian Mo#ntains &elie%e it was a horri&le cri e.

Enl !ge "his I# ge

$ %&ueline D'!#e!("he P'tts)ille *e+ubli% n nd He! ld, )i Ass'%i ted P!ess

,!yst l Dill# n -ith +h't'g! +h '. he! nd he! .i n%/, Luis * #i!e0, n illeg l i##ig! nt be ten t' de th in Shen nd' h, P .

"he Ne- 1'!2 "i#es

Enl !ge "his I# ge

Andy M ts2'( P'tts)ille *e+ubli% n nd He! ld, )i Ass'%i ted P!ess, le.t nd !ight3 nd "i# Leedy(*e ding E gle, )i Ass'%i ted P!ess

B! nd'n Pie2 !s2i, 45, le.t, nd ,'llin 6 lsh, 47, !ight, -e!e %h !ged -ith h'#i%ide, nd De!!i%2 D'n%h 2, 48, %ente!, -ith lesse! %'unts in the be ting de th in Shen nd' h, P . '. Luis * #i!e0, n illeg l i##ig! nt. B#t Ms. Dill an, the will -re%ail. /0 thin! they other o" Mr. *a ire+s two yo#n$ chil'ren, is not s#re .#stice

i$ht $et o"",1 she sai' o" the "o#r teena$ers, /&eca#se )#is was an

ille$al Mexican an' these are 2all3A erican &oys on the "oot&all tea who $et $oo' $ra'es, or whate%er theyre sayin$ a&o#t the . Theyll "in' so e way to let the $o.1 The case has raise' si ilar concerns a on$ )atinos across the co#ntry. /4or any )atinos, this is a case o" eno#$h is eno#$h,1 sai' 5la'ys )i 6n, a sta"" lawyer "or the Mexican A erican )e$al De"ense an' E'#cational 4#n'. /An' it can hel- #s $et attention to the wi'er iss#e that this is ha--enin$ all o%er the co#ntry, not .#st to ille$al i i$rants, &#t le$al, an' anyone who is -ercei%e' to &e )atino.1 Mr. *a ire+, 78, who ha' &een in the co#ntry ille$ally "or six years, -ic!in$ cro-s an' wor!in$ in "actories, 'ie' ,#ly 9: "ro hea' in.#ries recei%e' two 'ays earlier. 0n%esti$ators sai' he ha' $otten into a "i$ht with a $ro#- o" teena$e &oys ost or all o" the e &ers o" the towns hi$h school "oot&all tea , the Bl#e De%ils who le"t hi #nconscio#s in a resi'ential street, "oa in$ at the o#th. Exactly what ha--ene' '#rin$ the "i$ht is still hotly 'e&ate' on 0nternet essa$e &oar's in Shen'oh, as the town is calle', with so e sayin$ it was .#st a street "i$ht that went &a', an' others clai in$ the teena$ers sin$le' o#t a Mexican i i$rant "or a &eatin$ an' a'e anti3Mexican re ar!s. Since Mr. *a ire+s 'eath, this town o" 8,;<< has &een &itterly 'i%i'e' o%er the case, ill# inatin$ ethnic tensions that s#r-rise' town lea'ers.

/0%e hear' thin$s li!e, 2=e 'ont want to sen' o#r !i's &ac! to school &eca#se were a"rai' -eo-le 'ont li!e Mexicans, 1 Mayor Tho as ONeill sai'. /Thats shoc!in$ to e. That is not the Shenan'oah 0 !now.1 Prosec#tors ha%e char$e' Bran'on Pie!ars!i, 9;, an' Collin =alsh, 9>, with ho ici'e, ethnic inti i'ation an' other co#nts in a'#lt co#rt, tho#$h their lawyers are tryin$ to ha%e the case o%e' to .#%enile co#rt. Derric! Doncha!, 9?, was char$e' with a$$ra%ate' assa#lt, ethnic inti i'ation an' other co#nts, incl#'in$ -ro%i'in$ li@#or to the other &oys on the ni$ht o" the con"rontation. All were e &ers o" the "oot&all tea A Mr. Doncha! was its startin$ @#arter&ac!. A 9>3year3ol', whose na e has not &een release', was char$e' in .#%enile co#rt with a$$ra%ate' assa#lt, ethnic inti i'ation an' other char$es. They ha%e all -lea'e' not $#ilty. A"ter anthracite coal was 'isco%ere' near the town in the late 9?<<s, i i$rants -o#re' in, ainly "ro E#ro-e. The ha let $rew to a &oro#$h o" 78,<<< &e"ore the ines starte' to close. The i i$rant $ro#-s lar$ely $ot alon$, &#t they also "elt the nee' to ethnically 'i%i'e not .#st their ch#rches so e o" which are still consi'ere' /the 0talian ch#rch1 or /the 0rish ch#rch1 &#t also the towns %ol#nteer "ire co -anies. The towns &i$$est "esti%al e%ery year is Herita$e Days near the en' o" A#$#st, when the a.or ethnic $ro#-s, a on$ the the )ith#anians, 0rish, 0talians, 5ree!s an', ore recently, Mexicans, -#t "loats in a -ara'e an' sell ethnic "oo' "ro &ooths. Mr. *a ire+s 'eath has also rei$nite' a re$ional 'e&ate o%er i i$ration that &e$an two years a$o when the town o" Ha+leton, a&o#t 7< iles "ro Shenan'oah, enacte' an or'inance that so#$ht to 'isco#ra$e -eo-le "ro hirin$ or rentin$ to ille$al i i$rants. At the ti e, Shenan'oah, whose His-anic -o-#lation has $rown to a&o#t 9< -ercent, "ro 7.? -ercent in 7<<<, consi'ere' a si ilar or'inance &#t hel' o"" a"ter Ha+leton was s#e'. E%en then, there were si$ns o" tension. A"ter the 'e&ate o%er the Ha+leton or'inance, Shenan'oahs Mexican co #nity -#lle' o#t o" Herita$e Days in 7<<;.

/They .#st 'i'nt "eel co "orta&le then,1 sai' 4lor 5o e+, whose "a ily r#ns a Mexican resta#rant in town. Many -eo-le &elie%e the 'e&ate "#ele' &y Ha+letons actions hel-e' create the en%iron ent that le' to Mr. *a ire+s 'eath. /Clearly there were a lot o" "actors here,1 sai' Ms. )i 6n, o" the Mexican A erican )e$al De"ense an' E'#cational 4#n', which has &een hel-in$ Ms. Dill an. /B#t 0 'o &elie%e that the in"la atory rhetoric in the i i$ration 'e&ate 'oes ha%e a correlation with increase' %iolence a$ainst )atinos.1 Ha+letons ayor, )o# Barletta, sai' he saw no connection to his towns or'inance, which was scra--e' a"ter the town lost a co#rt &attle. /0ts a tra$e'y what ha--ene' to that an,1 Mr. Barletta sai'. /B#t 0 'ont &elie%e o#r or'inance ha' anythin$ to 'o with it. E%ery -erson is res-onsi&le "or their own actions.1 ,a es P. 5oo' an, the Sch#yl!ill Co#nty 'istrict attorney, who is -rosec#tin$ the case, sai' ethnic inti i'ation cases were rare in his co#nty. B#t town lea'ers ha%e now hear' a&o#t a n# &er o" inci'ents "ro Mexican resi'ents that were ne%er re-orte'. The town is tryin$ to reach o#t to the , sai' Mayor ONeill, who sai' he still co#l' not &elie%e the "ear so e resi'ents ha' ex-resse' to hi . /How it ca e to that -oint, 0 'ont !now,1 he sai'. /B#t is $oo' that it ca e o#t.1 ay&e these are thin$s that it

More Articles in US A )e!si'n '. this !ti%le ++e !ed in +!int 'n August 5, 2008,
'n + ge A42 '. the Ne- 1'!2 editi'n.