Mexican’s killing by police exposes wounds in a changing town

*This is one of the most complete stories about the Latino community of Pasco, WA, that I’ve read so far. It gives a good historical perspective. It puts the shooting of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, on Feb. 11, into a historical, cultural, and political context. It’s worth the time to read. VL

By Franco Ordoñez, The Tribune/McClatchy

Step off the corner of Fourth and Lewis streets, once the hub of this old rail town, and the unsuspecting may be confused by all the Spanish signs and storefronts better suited south of the border than Main Street, U.S.A.

Like many communities that have experienced dramatic demographic shifts, Pasco has faced its share of challenges. But those pale in comparison with the challenge it faces today as the killing of an unarmed Mexican, caught on video by a witness, has inflamed tensions between the Mexican community that now makes up the town’s majority and the non-Hispanic whites who hold most of the power.

The shooting of Antonio Zambrano Montes, 35, who was in the country illegally, also reflects a dilemma some agricultural communities face: coming to terms with their need for foreign labor and their conservative positions against illegal immigration.

Click HERE to read the full story.