Washington’s Latino Riots
By hola | Published | No Comments
(ENGLISH BELOW)
Hace 30 años en estas calles que ve usted en las imágenes, sucedieron los disturbios que hoy en día se conocen como los Disturbios Latinos de Mount Pleasant. En estas calles, cuenta la historia, una policía de la ciudad de Washington disparó a quemarropa a un joven latino ante el estupor de los presentes, un 5 de mayo de l991.
Después de ocurrido el trágico evento, la gente comenzó a congregarse en grupos y a intercambiar opiniones. La provocación y el acoso policíaco debían parar, la masa comenzó a crecer y los gritos a subir de tono. La gente exigía justicia, que se castigará al culpable del ataque a un inocente, poco a poco el clamor inundó las calles. La policía intentó cerrar el cerco, y acallar a la gente, eso encendió la mecha y ya para la media tarde hubo un primer enfrentamiento. Dispuestos a ejercer el derecho a la justicia, los jóvenes se defendían de los ataques; lanzaban patadas intentando protegerse de la lluvia de bastonazos de una primera horda de policía que se vino directo contra ellos. La masa se replegó, pero regresó al ataque de una policía desorganizada que lanzaba palazos a diestra y siniestra; mujeres, hombres, niños… Después de eso vino el pandemónium. Los disturbios duraron días, pero marcan un hito en nuestra historia como latinos en Washington DC.
Después de eso pareció que nos hicimos presentes en nuestra ciudad. Los invitamos a leer una nota titulada: The legacy of the 1991 riots.
WETA. la televisora pública, dentro de su documental “Washington in the 90s” tiene un excelente fragmento de lo sucedido, por si les interesa. Mount Pleasant Riots. 3:30 min.
El Smithsonian Latino Center ha archivado un video de una discusión pública en 2018 sobre los disturbios y su legado como parte de su Latino DC History Project.
Actividades de esta semana: Hasta el 7 de mayo. Lamont Park es el escenario de una serie de recuerdos y conversaciones virtuales que conmemoran el 30 aniversario de los Disturbios. Si desean saber más.
*English
Thirty years ago, the streets you see in this photo were the scene of what is today known as the Mount Pleasant Riots.
The story, which has been documented and retold countless times over the years, started off when a D.C. police officer shot a young Latino man in Mt. Pleasant’s Lamont Park on May 5, 1991. This tragic incident that sparked days of unrest in what were then the District’s Latino barrios, setting off a reckoning with D.C. government officials over the treatment of the District’s growing Latino residents at the time.
After the shooting occurred that spring day three decades ago, police left Salvadoran immigrant Daniel Enrique Gomez lying bleeding and handcuffed on the ground for several hours, angering the growing crowd that began chanting “Justicia!” (Justice!). People demanded justice and little by little the clamor flooded the streets.
In the aftermath, the riots were largely seen as a turning point for the District’s up until then largely ignored and neglected Latino community. As a result, members of U.S. Congress and local politicians took note of the poor living conditions and treatment many Hispanics endured, and city leaders vowed to improve both.
To find out more about this pivotal chapter in D.C.’ Latino history, we invite you to read our article, The legacy of the 1991 riots, written by Hola Cultura’s summer interns in 2013 as part of our very first special issue on local history. It includes an interview about the riots’ legacy with Roland Roebuck, a longtime D.C. activist and retired city official. Roebuck told our youth reporters that the riots “forced government to pay attention to the massive needs of the Latino community and as a result of that social crisis, the government felt compelled to increase the level of services to the community…” Read the rest of that special issue online here, including local photographer Rick Reinhard’s Retratos del Barrio photo essay, which includes a few of his shots from the 1991 riots.
To learn more about the Mount Pleasant Riots and their legacy, here are some suggestions:
- The local public television station WETA, has an informative 3-minute segment about the riots its documentary “Washington in the 90s.”
- The Smithsonian Latino Center has archived the video of a 2018 public discussion about the riots and their legacy as part of its Latino DC History Project.
- Lamont Park, the location of the riot, is also featured on Hola Cultura’s DC Latino History Map (stop 6)
Activities this week: Through May 7, Lamont Park is the setting for a series of remembrances and virtual conversations commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Mt. Pleasant Riots. Find out more
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