Latino Clergy React After Storeowner Asks Customer for Social Security Card

Two Spanish-speaking Latino customers were in a store in Providence, RI, when the owner asked one of them for his Social Security card, as reported by journalist Karen Lee Ziner in Projo.com.

The National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC) held a press conference in front of the store on March 12, 2008, and later met with the Rhode Island Attorney General about the store incident.

Rev. Eliseo Nogueras, the vice president of CONLAMIC and president of the Hispanic Ministerial Association of Rhode Island, spoke by phone to EthnicNewz.org on March 14, 2008.

Following is the edited and condensed interview.

What exactly do you hope to accomplish through this press conference? And was it just a press conference or did you also picket the store?

We did not picket.

We - the Hispanic Ministerial Association of Rhode Island and CONLAMIC, which is our national organization - want to call attention to (the) actions (that happened with the Latino customers).

We also want to prevent the actions from being copied by other merchants.

Who from CONLAMIC participated in the press conference?

It was attended by 50-plus pastors of the state of Rhode Island and by our national president, Rev. Miguel Rivera (who is based in Washington, DC).

Editor's note: The Providence Journal reports that "Three dozen Latino evangelical pastors from Rhode Island and Massachusetts joined" Revs. Nogueras and Rivera.

 

Have you spoken with either of the two Latino customers involved in the incident?

Yes, we did speak with one of them.

Did he ask you to have the press conference?

No, no, no, no. This was not initiated by him. This was initiated by the pastors.

What was your motivation to have the press conference, considering that neither of the two customers asked you to do so?

We pastors have received so many reports of people being mistreated. This type of action has happened in many occasions.

We decided to use this (press conference) as a public awareness (tool), to first shed light on a state law (in Rhode Island) which prohibits anyone who is selling goods to ask (customers for their) Social Security cards.

Second, (we wanted) to say to anyone who may want to do the same thing (as storeowners) that we are not going to stand for it. We are here to stand up for people who sometimes cannot stand up for themselves.

What communications or requests have you made with the Rhode Island Attorney General, Patrick Lynch?

We had a meeting with the AG yesterday (Thursday, March 13, 2008).

Basically our intent is not necessarily to punish this one individual (the storeowner), but we (want) him to be made an example so that other vendors throughout the state understand that this (storeowner's request to see a customer's Social Security card) is a violation of Rhode Island law - and they can't do that.

The attorney general put out a statement that it is against state law, (that) no one should be doing this, asking for Social Security cards.

It (the statement) was issued on the radio, on WPRO.

Editor's note: WPRO radio and Michael Healey, director of Attorney General Patrick Lynch's office, told EthnicNewz.org on Friday, March 14, 2008, after this interview, that Attorney General Patrick Lynch was a guest on the talk show of WPRO radio host Buddy Cianci. The two discussed the store incident on the talk show, but no formal statement was issued on WPRO as a PSA , paid ad or other announcement.

By meeting with the AG, did you accomplish what you hoped to achieve?

We accomplished part of what we wanted, which is to get the AG to publicly say: "This is a state law. You can't do it. (It is illegal for you storeowners to ask your customers for their Social Security cards.)"

Second, (it created) awareness in the state.

If the Rhode Island Attorney General doesn't investigate what happened, will your group be satisfied?

We would keep an eye on (the situation). We would continue to follow up to see if any (other store merchant) does this. If there is any other merchant that follows suit (and does the same illegal offense), then we will continue to ask for more (action).

If not, then we would continue to ask the AG to press charges on the (storeowner) - again, just to set a precedent that this IS against state law.

What if charges can be pressed only by the customers whose civil rights may have been violated? And what if they don't want to file a complaint with the AG, what will your group do next?

We would respect that decision. We would just continue to work to bring awareness to the situation, and if it happens again, then hopefully the next person would file charges.

Editor's note: Michael Healey, director of Attorney General Patrick Lynch's office, told EthnicNewz.org on Friday, March 14, 2008, after this interview, that the AG's office has received no complaint from any of the customers involved, and that it could not investigate the matter until it had a formal complaint from either or both customers. Furthermore, he said that no hate crime was involved.

What communications have you had with the storeowner?

None.

But you were on his property when you had your press conference, is that correct?

Yes.

So have you made any attempt to speak to him to get his side of the story?

No, no, we have not.

And why is that?

We had enough information of what happened to warrant us to take action without directly speaking with him.

You see, the big picture is not just this gentleman. We've been getting reports of merchants doing this throughout the whole state, from our parishioners.

It's not a single issue (limited to this one incident only). It's (part of) a larger issue.

Editor's note: The storeowner told EthnicNewz.org in an e-mail that he asked for the Social Security card of only one customer, not two, as had been reported in the press. He did not elaborate on other details, noting that he was keeping quiet on the advice of a criminal attorney.

While you had the news conference, did he or other people try to harass your group or cause trouble?

Not at all.

The Providence Journal Web site, projo.com, has a section where people can post comments. One comment said: "If the latino [sic] ministers want to do some good [sic] they should be out...getting...undocumented residents, documented..." Do you think that comment has a good point?

Well, I think it's a NON point. That's something that we do on a continual basis.

Other comments said that immigrants should be learning or speaking English. They come to this country to work, but they don't want to learn or speak English. What's your reaction to statements like that?

It's a MIS-statement. It's has NO basis in fact; it's based on emotion.

The facts are that immigrants from Hispanic countries are learning English at a faster rate than any other immigrant community coming to the United States.

Second- and third-generation children are even forgetting Spanish.

Community programs, services and schools that offer adult English classes are not only full, but have waiting lists.

The undertones of this anti-immigrant sentiment is what worries us.

What are your next steps now?

Our next steps are to follow what's happening in the state, continue to keep our eyes and ears open, monitor any businesses that would do this (illegal activity with other customers), and take steps to correct it.

What else would you like to say?

Speaking as a pastor, I see this as a long history in our country. The recent immigrants seem to be victims of the prior immigrants.

We can go back to the Irish, the Italians and many, many more (who were discriminated against as immigrants long ago) - for instance, in Boston, the signs (that read): "Irish Need Not Apply."

It seems like we are committing the sins of our forefathers, (against) the newly-arrived immigrants.

We should all be treated with dignity and respect.

SEE ALSO:

"Can Immigrants Save Massachusetts' Shrinking Workforce?"

"New Coalition Seeks to End "Toxic" Environment for Immigrants"

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Source: EthnicNewz.org

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