SAVANNAH ― Latinos on the Georgia coast won’t dance, sing and celebrate their heritage along downtown Savannah’s Broughton Street later this month at the annual Hispanic Heritage Parade.
Instead, they’ll gather in a hotel ballroom for a much smaller — and organizers hope more comfortable and safer — celebration.
Alfonso Ribot, president of the Metropolitan Savannah Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, cited what he called a surge in anti-Hispanic rhetoric and racial profiling by law enforcement for the decision.
“What we don’t want is for people to come to a parade where somebody comes up and shouts ‘Go back to where you came from’ or where ICE or law enforcement comes in and interrupts it,” Ribot said. “You don’t want people in crowds when something like that might happen, something that causes panic and running. We don’t want people to be unsafe.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities in the Savannah region have garnered much public attention in recent months. An ICE collaboration with a local police department earlier this summer led to arrests of undocumented immigrants in areas with a heavy Hispanic population. A more recent raid on the HL-GA Battery factory construction site targeted mostly Koreans, but immigrants from five Latin American countries, including 23 Mexican nationals, were detained and accused of being in the country illegally.
HL-GA Battery is on the Hyundai electric vehicle factory campus along I-16 west of Savannah. The Sept. 4 raid, dubbed Operation Low Voltage, was the largest single-site enforcement action in Department of Homeland Security history. More than 300 of the roughly 475 workers detained were Korean.
Savannah is home to Georgia’s largest Hispanic population outside metro Atlanta, with Hispanics representing about 8% of the Savannah area’s overall population, according to census estimates.
The immigration crackdown has resulted in a culture of fear among coastal Georgia’s Hispanic residents, said Daniela Rodriguez with Migrant Equity Southeast, an immigrant rights agency.
Speaking at a news event after the HL-GA Battery raid, Rodriguez said the current climate within the Hispanic community is one of terror, uncertainty and heartbrokenness.
Ribot said he sensed the same trepidations among his Hispanic business colleagues.
“There’s a lot of hurt right now,” he said. “You read and hear about Hispanics who are here legally being ruffled up. Being approached on the street, pushed up against a car or a wall and asked for their papers. Once they prove they’re legal, it’s like ‘OK, all good.’ Nobody needs to go through that. They’re scared.”
The Hispanic Heritage Parade has quickly grown into a popular event in a city famous for parades, such as the 250-year-old St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Martin Luther King Day Parade. Held along downtown’s main retail corridor, the Hispanic Heritage Parade has featured bands, decorated floats and dancers in colorful costumes.
The parade launched in 2017 and draws more than 1,000 revelers, Ribot said. A recent Facebook post about the event by a Savannah TV station drew more than 37,000 views.
“It’s still a small, local event, but interest has been growing,” Ribot said. “We can find other ways to celebrate in a safe environment where people can speak Spanish without fear of being harassed.”
At least one other Savannah-area Hispanic Heritage event has been affected by immigration enforcement concerns. El Grito de Dolores, a September celebration of Mexico’s independence held most recently at Forsyth Park, was canceled this year. In a Facebook post, the event’s organizer, Elizabeth Galarza, said she’d received threats regarding the celebration, including that ICE would be called if El Grito were held this year. Galarza had not responded to requests for additional comment at the time of publication.
As for the Metro Hispanic Chamber breakfast, the event will feature a DJ and folkloric dance presentations. Elected officials, including Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, have said they will attend.
In addition to the Sept. 27 breakfast, a Hispanic festival featuring live music and food trucks is scheduled for Sept. 26 in the Savannah suburb of Port Wentworth.
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