In Mourning an Immigrant, a Call for Unity on Long Island from the New York Times
This story, which ran in the New York Times, uses the funeral of an Ecuadorean immigrant who was taunted in Patchogue, N.Y. to focus on the issue of relations between Latinos and white residents in an ethnically diverse village in Suffolk County, N.Y.
Through observation and quotes, the reporter describes the emotions and the crowd who gathered together to mourn the loss of Marcelo Lucero, 37, a serious-minded man who had lived in the United States for 16 years, who was stabbed to death a week earlier as a part of hate crime.
The reporter listed state representatives on both sides of the illegal immigration issue in attendance.
By using this specific incident of violence, the reporter was able to profile a part of the city that clearly is struggling with a racial divide and by looking deeper into this act of violence, the reporter is able to provide the reader with the bigger picture of what is going on in this area of the city.
The story goes behind the issue of illegal immigration and the race of the deceased man to humanize a problem many are aware of in this area.
The man's death has spurred discussion among politicians and community members allowing the story to be able to conclude that the death of this immigrant may serve as a catalyst to improve relations between the Latino and white community that share this village as their home.
It is important for reporters to use this tactic when tackling issues surrounding diversity issues.