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« DeYoung and De Restless | Main | Justice in OC and You »

Exclusive: Sergio Ramirez Speaks!

Posted by Gustavo Arellano in The Tan Nguyen "Immigrants Can't Vote" Letter

October 25, 2006 1:10 PM

Permalink | Comments (14)

Sergio Ramirez is a double major in environmental studies and political science at Long Beach State. In March, Ramirez and a friend attended a meeting of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform for one of their classes. The two signed in, talked to some folks and took some pamplets back to their professor. They were the only Latinos.

Last week, that Long Beach State professor called Ramirez and asked if he was the Sergio who signed the infamous Tan Nguyen "immigrants can't vote" letter that used fake CCIR letterhead. He wasn't, but Ramirez can't help but to think that the people behind the letter stole/borrowed his name from the CCIR sign-in sheet he signed this March.

"I don't know how many Sergio Ramirezes there are in Orange County, but I don't think it's a coincidence that I went to that meeting and then my name shows up on a letter with CCIR letterhead," Ramirez says. "I really do think that's what happened. When [my professor] called me, she sent me the letter. I was shocked. It makes sense that Nguyen's people would grab my name from a CCIR list of people who signed in to their meeting. They probably picked up the most Latino name and used it. Maybe it's a far-fetched idea, but it's just too crazy a coincidence for it not to be true."

Ramirez's professor, Leah Fraser, confirmed that he did attend a March CCIR meeting for a class project and brought her pamphlets as proof. Ramirez also faxed the Weekly the agenda for CCIR's March meeting.

CCIR chair Barbara Coe has repeatedly denied her group's involvement with the Nguyen letter, but there's a definite connection between the two besides the faked letterhead. Last December, Nguyen was a featured speaker at a CCIR meeting. A press release for the meeting gushed that Nguyen, "believes in America as a 'nation of law', has made a commitment to uphold and defend our Constitutional rights and freedoms, has courageously publicly praised the Minuteman Project and publicly opposed any illegal alien 'guest-worker' program or amnesty." And now the possible Ramirez connection.

And what does Sergio Ramirez think of the Sergio Ramirez-authored letter? "It's ridiculous, it's not good," he says. "It's scaring people. It's nuts."

Comments (14)

Arturo Garcia says:
October 25, 2006 16:10

student*

;]

Arturo Garcia says:
October 25, 2006 16:10

"an double"

lol

kind of like the honor studen with a 4.0 GPA who can't fucking speak English

Alex Brant-Zawadzki says:
October 25, 2006 17:10

Gosh Arturo, I don't know what you're talking about, post looks FINE to me. Mu hu hu ha ha.

Clint Connor says:
October 26, 2006 06:10

What, they couldn't find someone to translate John Doe?

Pat says:
October 26, 2006 07:10

I think both sides need to take a breath here. There's a "definite connection" between the two!? That's right, all opposition to illegal immigration is just part of the Rovian VRWC!

Meanwhile, the rest of us ordinary people are looking for candidates who opposed our current immigration 'policy': if you can sneak in,
you're home free, baby!

G. Jones says:
October 26, 2006 07:10

I was sort of assuming they chose Mexican-sounding first and last names at random. Did they copy this Sergio Ramirez's actual signature?

Gustavo Arellano says:
October 26, 2006 08:10

And Gila: Whoever wrote the letter did not steal Long Beach St. Sergio's signature. It's not his.

Al Armcoud says:
October 26, 2006 08:10

Of course you assumed that they chose the most mexican sounding names. But if you had paid attention you would have seen that the letter was never signed.
Jerk.

an double? What are you talking about? Where does the article refer to him as an honor student? Did you even go to college? One can double major without being receiving honors.
Jerk.

Gustavo Arellano says:
October 26, 2006 08:10

Ally Boy: You're not clicking on the links. The letter was definitely signed Sergio Ramirez. Jerk.

Rebel Girl says:
October 26, 2006 08:10

Go get 'em.

Deport Tan Nguyen says:
October 26, 2006 10:10

Excellent work Gustavo...thank you for keeping us informed. :)

deport socialists says:
October 26, 2006 15:10

yes, excellent work at...not really giving us an anwser.

Deport Tan Nguyen says:
October 26, 2006 20:10

Haters can't spell 'answer'...how sad is that? :(

Orange County Weekly - The Blotter » Fighting Racism With Racism says:
October 29, 2006 15:10

[...] Loretta Sanchez's office provided the faulty translation of the Sergio Ramirez letter [...]