Migrant Farmworkers’ Cemetery In Arizona Vandalized With Racial Slurs

Migrant Farmworkers’ Cemetery In Arizona Vandalized With Racial Slurs

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

The 100-year-old Goodyear Farms Historic Cemetery in Avondale, Arizona, was vandalized in a possible hate crime, a local ABC affiliate reported Thursday. Contractors informed the police after discovering racial slurs and a swastika graffitied on the grounds.

Migrant farmers who picked cotton in World War I are buried at the historic graveyard, also known as Pioneer Cemetery, along with military veterans.

“It just hurt, just like a knife stabbed me,” said Carol Santos, whose family is buried there.

Members of the community held a vigil late Thursday denouncing the desecration.

“We are deeply saddened and shocked by this outrageous incident. Such acts of intolerance and hate will not be condoned in our community, and we hope that those involved will be brought to justice,” said Avondale mayor Kenn Weise. “On behalf of the Avondale City Council, our hearts go out to the families and the descendants of those buried at the Goodyear Farms Cemetery. The city of Avondale stands by you.”

According to police, the perpetrator could be charged with a felony. For locals, it was a major wakeup call.

“There’s a group of bigoted people who may be living out here,” remarked local Mike Segovia. “It’s scary.”

Watch:

This article was made possible by the readers and supporters of AlterNet.

Advertising

Start your day with National Memo Newsletter

Know first.

The opinions that matter. Delivered to your inbox every morning

American History Proves We Can Still Save Democracy From Trumpism

The Lincoln Memorial

Have you ever thought about the role guilt has played in our national life? It’s not omnipresent, it’s certainly not felt by everyone, most especially those sinned against, but I would say guilt rivals pride as the thing that has most motivated us. Think about it for a moment. The founding of this country wasn’t an immaculate birth – for one thing, there wasn’t a Founding Mother among all those long-heralded Founding Fathers, and one of the two greatest mistakes they made the day they came to an agreement on our founding document was what they left out. They didn’t award women full citizenship, and they failed to deal in any way with the sin of slavery.

Keep reading...Show less
How Fox Props Up The House Republicans' Impeachment Farce

Sean Hannity

Fox News propagandists are still eagerly shoveling Rep. James Comer’s (R-KY) slop to their viewers, nearly one year into the House Oversight Committee chair’s shambolic campaign to damage President Joe Biden’s political standing by focusing on his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

Keep reading...Show less
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}