Marcelo Lucero

Marcelo Lucero was an Ecuadorean immigrant to the United States who was allegedly killed by seven high school students. The killing was part of an activity the youths referred to as "beaner jumping," wherein they would patrol the streets hunting Hispanic targets to harass or assault.
Reaction
The New York Times described the site of Lucero's murder as having become "a national symbol for what law enforcement officials say can go tragically wrong when a gang of teenagers fueled by hate, booze and ignorance embarks on a vigilante rampage."
Steve Levy, Suffolk County Executive and noted opponent of illegal immigration, initially dismissed the killing as a "one day story" but later apologized for appearing to trivialize Lucero's death and condemned Lucero's attackers as "white supremacists."
In response to the killing, students and residents formed a Youth Congress for Justice to "establish an outlet for students to turn to and speak out against senseless violence."
Lucero's death has been discussed alongside the killings of Luis Ramirez (a Mexican immigrant) and Jose Sucuzhanay (another Ecuadorian immigrant) as examples of racial violence against Hispanics in the United States. According to the FBI, there has been an five-year increase in hate crimes against Hispanics in the United States.
Trial
Six of the seven teenagers were charged with multiple counts of gang assault and hate crimes. The seventh teenager was alleged to have committed the fatal stabbing and was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter as a hate crime.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu