Racists assault a Mexican female
student at Michigan State University

by
Miroslava Flores
La Voz de Aztlan

MSU students gather outside East Akers Hall in support of Elvira Gonzalez. Ms. Gonzalez is standing in the middle and wearing a white blouse.

Los Angeles, Alta California - October 4, 2005 - (ACN) Anti-Mexican hate crimes are becoming more prevalent at USA colleges and universities. Yesterday the Vice President of Michigan State University, Lee June, revealed information concerning a vicious racially motivated attack by three white male students against a female freshman of Mexican descent. The assault took place at the East Akers Hall campus dormitory when the three white male students attempted to force themselves into student Elvira Gonzalez' room. When Elvira Gonzalez attempted to stop them, they yelled racial slurs and repeatedly punched her in the face. The assault took place on September 22, but is has taken more than 8 days for the largely white university administration to begin responding to the anti-Mexican hate crime.

This incident is very similar to the one that occurred at Cornell University when 7 white male student thugs attempted to lynch a first year female student of Mexican descent on January of 2002. In that case, 7 baseball bat wielding thugs chased, while yelling racial slurs, a Mexican female student but she managed to reach for safety before they beat her. The white university administration failed to diligently investigate that case a no white student was ever prosecuted or punished.

Freshman Elvira Gonzalez had previously attempted to bring to the attention of the university administration the hostile anti-Mexican environment that exists at the campus dormitory. She was forced to remove a small message board on the door of her room when racists started to leave racially hateful notes. Also, the dormitory general bulletin board was removed for the same reason. Elvira Gonzalez is boarding on the third floor of East Akers Hall along with other students of Mexican descent. The three white thugs are boarding in the same hall but different floors.

A group of over 100 MSU students gathered outside the entrance to East Akers Hall yesterday at a news conference to demand action be taken in response to the incident in which Elvira Gonzalez was punched in the face repeatedly by the white male students. The conference was organized by the student group Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano de Aztlan, or MEXA.

The Mexican-American students at MSU are asking for help from our community organizations and from attorneys willing to provide "pro-bono" services. The president of the university is Lou Anna Kimsey Simon and the university's general telephone number is 517-355-1855. A good campus resource concerning the racial attack is Raul Ramos, Associate Director of the College Assistance Migrant Program, of which Elvira Gonzalez, the victim, is a member.

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