“Shenandoah had the richest deposit of Anthracite of all the known fields. The Mammoth vein, the largest known anthracite coal vein, runs directly under the town. Coal brought thousands of immigrants to Shenandoah. First came the English mine owners and bosses, then the Welsh skilled miners. These were quickly followed by the Germans and the Irish. By the early 1870's, the Irish were the predominant immigrants to come to Shenandoah. Beginning in the late1870's, immigration into Shenandoah shifted from the Western European countries to the Eastern European countries, primarily Lithuania, Poland , the Ukraine and Slovakia. As each new wave of immigrants arrived in Shenandoah, they set about to establish their own church with services in their native language and eventually to establish parochial schools where their children could be taught both English and their own language and customs. In the 1930's Shenandoah boasted 22 nationalities, 22 churches and a large synagogue.” The Greater Shenandoah Region Historical Society.

 Luis Ramirez, like all generations of immigrants, came to this country with great sacrifice and courage, seeking to fulfill a basic human need, to work for a better life. Only 25 years old, his life was taken prematurely and violently by a group of young people, whose crime, according to witnesses, was motivated by Luis' national origin.

 

Luis Ramirez was born and raised in Guanajuato, Mexico, where he lived with his mother, Elisa Zavala, grandmother, sister, and brother. Ms. Zavala tells that Luis was extraordinarily hardworking and ambitious from a very young age. According to her, Luis worked as a boy to pay for his studies and also to help with household expenses. Ms. Zavala recounts that Luis was so committed to helping her economically that, on occasion, he offered her his small piggy-bank savings. When he grew older, Luis worked 15 hours a day as a supervisor at a local clothes factory. With his earnings, he helped build a home for his family. Luis' ambition was too large for the small economic opportunities in his community. He regularly told his mother that there were better working opportunities "in the north," and that he could realize his dream of providing a better life for his family by going to the United States. His mother finally gave in and reluctantly allowed Luis to pursue the American dream. 


Luis, at age 19, arrived in Pennsylvania after making the long journey. He worked two jobs at all times, whether in a factory, construction, or agricultural fields, so that he could support himself and his family in Mexico. After a few years, he met and fell in love with Crystal Dillman. According to Crystal, what most impressed her about Luis was how respectful and hardworking he was. During their three-year relationship, they had two beautiful children together and planned to marry.

On the night of July 12, 2009, however, Luis Ramirez encountered a group of high school football players who told him to "go back to Mexico" and shortly thereafter began their brutal assault on Luis. The beating ended after Luis was knocked to the ground, kicked and stomped on by the four assailants, and then kicked in the head, which fractured his skull. As they fled, one of the assailants yelled a warning to Luis' friend, who had responded to Luis' distress call, "tell your [expletive] Mexican friends to get the [expletive] out of Shenandoah or you'll be [expletive] laying next to him." 




The assailants deprived Luis Ramirez not only of his American dream, but of his right to be a son, a husband, a father - of his right to live.

Sincerely,
Gladys Limon
MALDEF

Thank you for your continued support of our petition to the DOJ. While our voices are being heard loud and clear in Washington, Shenandoah, and across the country, we must keep bringing attention to this particular situation and related efforts to demonstrate that such conduct is not and should not be accepted or tolerated.
PS. Help us reach our goal of delivering 50,000 petitions to the Department of Justice. Double your Impact by telling 5 more friends and stand up for Luis Ramirez and justice today.

Take a moment to send a message of condolence to the family of Luis Ramirez today. We need safe and tolerant communities and joining in this effort adds your voice to the growing chorus that is leading to a better America.