Stories From the Field www.onenationindivisible.org June 2013

We Are From Hazleton A Baseball Celebrity Helps Bring His Divided Pennsylvania Hometown Together

STORY BY CHRIS ECHEGARAY & S USAN EATON • PHOTOGRAPHS BY EMMA LEE

t the end of the season a since the early 2000s. A few years back, Maddon Afew years ago, Tampa Bay Curry and two Latino fathers had Rays Joe Maddon Tampa Bay founded an organization called returned to the former coal min - Rays Manager Concerned Parents that provides ing community of Hazleton, Joe Maddon an array of services mainly for Pennsylvania, where he’d grown immigrant families. up. He sat on a child-sized fold - ing chair at a holiday potluck “Where are the Latinos?” party hosted by a Dominican Maddon recalled asking his mother of three who ran a day cousin back in 2010. “Because I care out of her home. Spanish don’t see them.” conversation flowed around him. Maddon Curry explained that the Children ran about, weaving city’s Latino immigrants had among adults who talked, retreated in fear. Their social lives laughed and shared cuisine from went on in small apartments and the Dominican Republic, multi-family homes. Families did Guatemala and Peru. Merengue come out for church, and music blared. Maddon Curry said she had seen Joe Maddon is a colossal celebrity in the more and more adults participating in sports world and a sought-after In 2006, Hazleton Concerned Parents’ English classes over spokesperson and benefactor. So, you had become the first time. But typically, Maddon Curry might think he would want privacy municipality in the explained, Hazleton’s newcomers were wary and distrustful of people outside most of all when he came back home to nation to pass its own visit with family at Christmas. But he’d their social circles. anti-immigration come to this particular party quite on Distrust was an entirely sensible reac - purpose. Curious and concerned, he’d law. tion. In 2006, Hazleton had become asked his cousin, Elaine Maddon Curry, the first municipality in the nation to to please introduce him to the growing pass its own anti-immigration law. On a 6 to 1 vote, Latino community that had been moving to Hazleton the ordinance barred landlords from knowingly rent - Stories From the Field One Nation Indivisible June 2013

ing to unauthorized immigrants, required employers through meals and music felt familiar. He turned to to verify their workers’ immigration status, made it a his cousin Elaine and said, “This is how we grew up. violation to provide “services” beyond medical care This is it, right here.” to undocumented immigrants and declared English as the city’s official language. The measure triggered “That was my seminal moment.” Maddon recalled praise from conservative talk radio during a recent trip back to Hazleton. hosts, and condemnation from national “We’re the same, just speak a different immigrant rights, civil rights and labor “That was my language….The Slovak, the Polish, the organizations. The city faced a costly seminal moment.” Irish, the Italians. We all started the same.” lawsuit, brought by a coalition of civil Maddon recalled rights groups. A federal court judge during a recent trip As he was leaving to head back to his life had struck down the law in 2007 but and his high-pressure job in Tampa, the US Supreme Court in 2011 deter - back to Hazleton. Maddon told his cousin Elaine and her mined that the court needed to “We’re the same, just husband, Bob Curry, that he wanted to re-examine its finding in light of the speak a different “do something to repair what had been Court’s ruling that allowed for some language….The damaged here.” Bob Curry recalled: elements of Arizona’s restrictive immi - “He was really very deeply concerned gration law to go forward. Plaintiffs Slovak, the Polish, the about this division that he saw in a and defendants are still awaiting a deci - Irish, the Italians. We community that he just loves so much.” sion from the US Third Circuit Court all started the same.” of Appeals. Regardless of whether it is After consultation enacted, though, with the Currys and most local observers other community agree that the pro - members, Maddon posed ordinance has decided he would already done plenty not only help to of damage. fund, but, most importantly, would During his visit lend his voice and home in 2010, celebrity to start the Maddon was dispir - Hazleton Integration ited by conversations Project, known now with local folks, as HIP. Since then, some of whom were Maddon has played a blaming immigrants central role in for Hazleton’s eco - fundraising, attract - nomic decline. But Eugenio Sosa & Elaine Maddon Curry ing the Cal Ripken during the same Jr. Foundation to visit, the potluck provide donations, soliciting funds from other party with immigrant families had pleased him. The donors, and joining up big-name baseball greats flavors and the music and the language may have including Yogi Berra, Tino Martinez and Carlos Peña been different from the Italian and Polish-centered as active spokespeople for the cause. Maddon has celebrations of his youth. But the warmth of commu - been outspoken during several packed public events nity and family and friends, the easy banter, the where he has urged members of the Latino immi - centrality of family and the ethnic pride expressed

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grant community and the white community to get to together,” said Bob Curry, HIP’s board president. know each other and figure out, together, how to “Yes, we will provide particular services. But the foster prosperity in the economically larger mission of integration will guide challenged city they share. Most us in everything that we do. Services are recently, Maddon backed the purchase The very explicit goal one thing. Integration is quite of a former Catholic school to house of this place and of another….It’s a longer range goal.” the Hazleton ONE Community this effort is clear: Center, which will be HIP’s headquar - Late last year, Maddon flew up from ters. After renovations are complete It is to bring two Florida with some of his ball players to early this summer, the Center will host currently much announce Hazleton ONE’s opening social events, cultural celebrations, separated and to let local folks know about the programs HIP will soon be offering. potlucks and a wide range of sports and communities recreation and homework help for together.” “We want to get kids off the children. English classes and citizenship street…..We want sports, culinary, classes currently offered through the —Bob Curry, Board drama clubs…. Everything we can Concerned Parents organization will President, Hazleton Integration Project imagine and afford, that’s what we want continue here, as will a popular to do. We’re opening this for the entire Saturday story - community,” telling program Maddon said at the for children. The new home of the Hazleton Integration crowded Educators will also Project and Hazleton ONE December 2012 offer Spanish Community Center press conference courses for resi - where he shared dents, educators the stage with the and other profes - former first sionals and will baseman Tino involve members Martinez, who had of the immigrant played for the New community in the York Yankees and venture. Tampa Bay Devil Many municipali - Rays. ties have “This is for every - community body,” Maddon centers. An told the crowd, increasing number many of them of cities have even holding baseballs opened immigrant they hoped to get signed. “For all our brothers and welcome centers in recent years. But Hazleton ONE sisters.” is something else entirely. Sports celebrity philanthropy is often generous. But “This is not a place that is only for immigrants. And it the good causes our athletic heroes champion are is not just an open gym either. The very explicit goal rarely controversial. They tend more toward helping of this place and of this effort is clear: It is to bring children who have cancer or donating sports two currently much separated communities

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equipment to the poor. Racial and ethnic healing and Maddon Curry to establish the volunteer translation, expanding services for people, many of them undocu - ESL and citizenship efforts that grew into Concerned mented, do not usually make Parents. the list. That said, Maddon has faced what Bob Curry charac - “This is following our dream,” terizes as “only some minor Sosa said of HIP’s efforts. “We complaints” in his public quest are starting with the children for unity in his fractured because you know, children do hometown. not have prejudice. They are going to be spending time The Hazleton ONE together, playing together, Community Center is also the learning together, going to new home of Concerned each others’ houses, learning Parents, the five-year-old grass - about different cultures, how roots effort that Maddon’s different people celebrate. It is cousin Elaine Maddon Curry just a great opportunity.” founded in partnership with Eugenio Sosa (now HIP’s The children who spend time executive director) and Ignacio at Hazleton ONE Community Beato, now a city councilor. It Center, Sosa said, will end up offers English and citizenship bringing their parents along classes, homework help for Two boys hope to get baseballs signed during a “on this journey…sharing that children and guidance through press conference about the Hazleton Integration space and over time these the citizenship application Project perceptions will be gone. We process. It also offers transla - know it may be a longer tion services for parents attending process with some of the meetings with teachers and school adults, but with the children, it happens officials. With the help of Concerned “…We know it may so fast if you give them the chance and Parents, more than 40 Hazleton resi - be a longer process that space, which we have now.” dents became naturalized citizens over with some of the Joe Maddon, who is Italian (formerly the last year. Joe Maddon is clear that adults, but with the Maddonini, on his father’s side) and his job is to provide whatever financial Polish (on his mother’s side) had over resources, credibility and attention that children, it happens the years developed an affinity for Latin he can, but is equally clear in his so fast if you give culture through his relationships with mission to “entrust” the on-the-ground them the chance baseball players he’d gotten to know work and the vision to “people who and that space, which from Latin America and the Caribbean. know what they are doing.” This we have now.” As a coach, of course, he had no choice includes Eugenio Sosa, HIP’s executive but to get players from different coun - director. — Eugenio Sosa, Executive Director, tries and cultures and linguistic Originally from the Dominican Hazleton Integration backgrounds to work as a team. These Republic, Sosa came to the United Project days, Maddon, who grew up in a small States in 1989 and to Hazleton in apartment over his father’s plumbing 2006. The father of three children in shop, is known as much for his quirky the city’s public schools, he worked with Elaine intellectual curiosity as for his jocularity and love of

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Preparing the buffet for a community dinner hosted by Joe Maddon

mountain biking and fine wines. Back in the late population was more than twice what it is now. (Joe 1970s and early 1980s, he learned his nearly fluent Maddon’s paternal grandfather, an Italian immigrant, Spanish from his friend, the Puerto Rican shortstop worked in the nearby coal mines). As the nation Dickie Thon, when they were both with the moved toward oil, decent paying jobs moved away as California/ Anaheim Angels organization. (Maddon did the younger generations and commercial invest - had been a bench coach for the Angels and interim ment. Low-wage jobs in meatpacking and big manager there in 1996 and 1999.) corporate warehouses have more recently replaced the higher-wage work of the greatly diminished coal The down-on-its-heels city Hazleton sits in northeast and railroad industries. The low-wage work attracted Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County, about 50 miles north a new wave of immigrants, mostly from the of Allentown in what used to be coal country. The Dominican Republic, and also from other Spanish- unemployment rate here—14 percent—is nearly speaking countries. twice the national average. Shuttered buildings and storefronts are common, as is nostalgia about “It is not as expensive as New York,” explained Hazleton’s prosperous past. Hazleton has long been Maribel Hernandez, owner of a small local restaurant, a gateway city for immigrants. Following the Civil Mi Casa, which opened in 2012 and features War, jobs generated by the coal industry and railroad American staples like pizza and chicken nuggets expansion attracted people from all over the world. alongside Latin dishes such as rabo encendido (oxtail Irish and Germans arrived first, in the 1850s. Later, stew). Hernandez moved to Hazleton in 2005, she immigrants arrived from Poland and Italy in a migra - says, because of its relatively lower rents and because tion that continued into the early 1920s. In coal’s it seemed safe. heyday, which ended by the late 1950s, Hazleton’s 5 Stories From the Field One Nation Indivisible June 2013

For the first time since the 1940s, Hazleton experi - The 2006 murder of a white Hazleton resident, enced growth in the last decade. From 2001 to 2011, Longazel said, “blew everything up.” Initially police the population grew about 9 percent to 25,300 charged two Latinos, though later they dropped the residents. In that same period, according to the U.S. charges. Longazel’s interviews with Hazleton resi - Census, the share of Hazleton’s Latino population dents show that growing anti-immigrant sentiments also grew—from 5 to 38 percent of all residents. This infected the community, and helped lead to the means all of the city’s population growth is due to its passage of the anti-immigrant ordinance. As is true Latino population. Without Latinos, the city would generally across the United States, though, immigra - have most certainly contin - tion had not increased ued to lose population as crime in Hazleton. older residents died. It Longazel has noted that would have undoubtedly between 2001 (the year suffered even more than it Latinos began arriving in already has, since diminish - high numbers in Hazleton) ing tax bases and and 2006 (the year the commercial disinvestment ordinance passed) undocu - nearly always accompany mented people accounted population loss. for just .25 percent of arrests. Jamie Longazel, an assistant professor of sociology at Longazel stresses that the University of Dayton, demographically changing grew up in Hazleton and communities like Hazleton has conducted intensive would indeed benefit from research on the city’s anti- efforts that focus on rela - immigrant ordinance, its tionship-building and origins and aftermath. His stronger cross-cultural work reveals that in the Local business owner Rafael Polanco speaking at a alliances among working midst of an economic recent press conference people who, he writes, “can downturn, Hazleton’s withstand anti-immigrant Latinos were unfairly scare tactics.” blamed for a complex mix of powerful negative forces visited upon the city. Hazleton officials in recent years Moving recently from the Bronx, Rafael Polanco, did what other similarly situated desperate urban who is of Dominican descent, owns a small grocery leaders did: They offered tax breaks to corporations supply business in Hazleton. He welcomes the oppor - that offered low-wage jobs in return. The jobs could tunities for integration that HIP is making possible. not lift people out of poverty. Tax breaks diminished “That is the step needed to get us all involved, all revenues for city services. together,” said Polanco, who attended Maddon’s Meanwhile, ordinary people in Hazleton, Longazel press conference. “We can’t operate pulling for one said, “sensed more of a general decline, feeling as community or the other. It has to be one. I think this though the city is suffering in some way.” He added: gets us closer to that.” “People were not talking about this. Immigrants were Sitting in an English class at the local YMCA, Rafael made the scapegoat.” Castillo discovered Concerned Parents’ services the

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way most immigrants do—through word of mouth Wyoming Street, downtown, feel more enduring. A on the streets. He sat among five women: one from several-generations’-old sporting goods store sits Colombia, another from Mexico and across the street from the newer Dalia’s several, like him, from the Dominican Salon and other Dominican-owned Republic. Drawn to the city two years On an old overpass, a stores. ago by family and a job in a chocolate spray-painted (and Not too far from downtown, Maddon factory, Castillo heard about long wait - misspelled) slur, ing lists for English classes. But he and his wife Jaye sat down recently to added his name anyway. Spick , is fading. Not eat in one of Hazleton’s Mexican long from now, it will restaurants. Recognizing Maddon’s “I have to learn the language, it’s only barely be visible. celebrity, a cook came over and greeted right,” Castillo said during a break in the table. Maddon, familiar with Signs of progress volunteer instructor Beth Turnbach’s Mexico’s geography, asked him, in class. Turnbach said she wanted to be a along Hazleton’s Spanish: “Where are you from?” The counterforce to the negative comments Wyoming Street, cook seemed perplexed by the question. she has heard her fellow Hazleton resi - downtown, feel more “I’m from Hazleton,” he answered. dents make about Latinos. She decided enduring. that teaching was the best way for her Maddon sees great possibility in the to do this. HIP now offers even more miscommunication. Prominently placed opportunities for her to channel these positive billboards with pictures of culturally impulses. diverse groups of Hazleton’s residents, he decided, would be a constructive step in the healing process. On an old overpass, a spray-painted (and misspelled) The billboards will go up soon. They will carry a sim - slur, Spick, is fading. Not long from now, it will ple message: “We are from Hazleton.” barely be visible. Signs of progress along Hazleton’s

Hazleton’s Wyoming Street

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Chris Echegaray is a freelance journalist based in Emma Lee is a freelance photographer based in Nashville. A former staff writer for several daily newspapers, Philadelphia. She began her career at the Trentonian news - he has talked his way into the midst of youth street gangs and paper in Trenton, New Jersey. She is a frequent buses filled with immigrant laborers rolling across the U.S. contributor to NewsWorks , the website of WHYY radio in border. Specializing in stories about migration and Latino issues Philadelphia. She also provides photographs for the National he has reported on laborers from Florida returning to visit Public Radio website, npr.org. their families in Mexico and written a profile of the superstar Shakira. Chris’ writing has appeared in numerous publica - tions including The Tennessean, The New York Daily News One Nation Indivisible is a joint project of the Charles and Latina Magazine . Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School and the Poverty & Race Research Action Susan Eaton is co-director of One Nation Indivisible and Council (PRRAC), based in Washington, D.C. “Stories research director at the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for from the Field” is an occasional publication of One Race and Justice at Harvard Law School. Susan’s journalism Nation Indivisible. To share your story, write to and scholarship has appeared in popular and academic Susan Eaton at [email protected] publications including , The Nation, Harvard Law and Policy Review , Sunday Magazine, New American Media and Virginia Quarterly Thanks to Kelly Garvin of the Houston Institute for her Review . Her most recent book is The Children in Room E4: editorial assistance on this story. American Education on Trial (Algonquin).

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