Jonathan Adams

Immigrant Rights Activists Face Death Threats in Georgia

From Of América

This story originally appeared in Atlanta Latino was translated by New America Media.

Death threats have not intimidated pro-Latino activists in Georgia. Instead, they have spurred them to join forces across racial lines to counteract the anti-immigrant atmosphere that has taken on a sinister tone in the state.

Less than a week after Rich Pellegrino called a group of human rights organizations together to protest the sale of a racist T-shirt, he received a shocking death threat at the door of his home.

It had been a rough week for Pellegrino, director of the Cobb Immigrant Alliance, who protested in front of Mulligan’s Bar and Grill in Marietta with other activists on May 13.

The objective was to urge the owner of the establishment to suspend the sale of a T-shirt that depicted a drawing of Curious George with a caption that read “Obama in 2008,” which offended the African-American community and the Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Two days later, Pellegrino was greeted with a death threat on his doorstep.

“I got home at about 10 p.m. from a meeting with some Latino leaders,” said Pellegrino. “I saw a manila envelope at the door that said ‘Cobb Latino Alliance,’ with my name and a sketched drawing of a cross and the year 2008.

“My children said it looked as if there was a man hanging from the cross and that perhaps they were referring to me and that the year 2008 was the year I was going to die,” he said, laughing nervously.

Posted at 2:03 PM, May 27, 2008 in Immigration | Permalink | View Comments