The Usual Suspects
One of my readers, named Cook, asked me yesterday to explain who Santa Ana’s Usual Suspects are. He wondered if the term was meant to be racist.
No, it isn’t – it is however a convenient way to describe a group of folks who have been causing trouble here in Santa Ana for many years.
After the Civil War, a number of Confederate soldiers and their families came here to Orange County. Some of them went on to become the first Usual Suspects. They brought their white hoods with them.
Some years later they brought cheap Chinese labor to Santa Ana, and then when they got tired of them they burned down their Chinatown.
Usual Suspects kept kids segregated, back in the day, so that Mexicans did not go to the same schools as white kids, until the Mendez family won their famous lawsuit.
And it was the Usual Suspects who years later moved to get rid of bilingual education – only to fail to do much in its absence, leading to even more horrific dropout rates and failure.
The Usual Suspects recalled Nativo Lopez from the SAUSD School Board – and even threatened the job of a young man who was teaching at the SAUSD – and who had sided with Lopez. But they replaced Lopez with Rob Richardson, and things got worse at the SAUSD, not better.
And it turned out that the Lopez recall had nothing much to do with him, but rather was part of an attempt to keep a new neighborhood school out of north Santa Ana, in order to, of course, keep the Mexicans out.
When Floral Park residents hold Halloween early, on a different night, then turn out the lights on Halloween, they’re Usual Suspects.
When French Park residents erected traffic barriers to keep the Mexicans out, only to lose to the ACLU in court and have to tear down those barricades, they were Usual Suspects.
When certain Wilshire Square residents requested locks, designed to keep bears out of trash cans, for their own trash cans, to keep poor people from taking empty soda cans, they were Usual Suspects.
When the bouncers at the old Santa Ana Red Onion used to say there were too many Norwegians in the joint, they were really referring to Mexicans and African Americans – and they were acting just like Usual Suspects.
When so-called neighborhood leaders complained about “those people” at his Swap Meet, they were Usual Suspects.
When Charles Hart, a Republican running for Mayor of Santa Ana this year, says he hearkens for the good old days, what he really means is that he thinks life was better when there were less Mexicans around. And he is talking just like a Usual Suspect.
When Councilman David Benavides says we need Lupe Moreno and her Minutemen to hold an Independence Day event here in town because local kids don’t know what the 4th of July is, he is reading from the Usual Suspect talking points.
When Benavides appointed Usual Suspects who don’t live in his ward to various City Commissions, he was doing what they asked of him.
When Supervisor Janet Nguyen got caught this week trying to remove Latino voters from her district, she was serving the Usual Suspects.
When the Rancho Santiago Community College District took our money to fund a bond, then spent the money on a Sheriff’s Academy we didn’t need, instead of spending it at Santa Ana College, they were in the service of the Usual Suspects.
When the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce PAC declined to endorse two Latino candidates for the RSCCD Board of Trustees, in 2008, they were only doing what the Usual Suspects expected of them.
When a part-time resident of our city somehow ended up on graffiti commissions both here and in Denver, Colorado, and then passed a useless graffiti ordinance that, predictably, has done nothing he was doing the Usual Suspect’s bidding.
When self-appointed neighborhood leaders take public money so they can run their poorly-attended neighborhood meetings in public facilities, instead of in their homes, they are Usual Suspects.
When these so-called leaders call Code Enforcement hundreds of times to report their Mexican neighbors, they are Usual Suspects.
When they complain about cruisers so much that the SAPD closes streets and brings in a dragnet on Easter Sunday, they are Usual Suspects.
When they complain about businesses that have signs in Spanish or Vietnamese, they are Usual Suspects.
When they had a cow because a “Welcome to Little Saigon” sign was erected in western Santa Ana, they were Usual Suspects.
When they hounded Buffalo Wild Wings out of our city for no good reason, damning a food court in the process, they were Usual Suspects.
When they fought for years to prevent the Free Day for residents from falling on a Sunday – and when they host concerts at the Zoo that never include Latin acts, they are Usual Suspects.
When they oppose Ward Specific elections, because of fears that local residents might actually have a say in their governance, they are Usual Suspects.
When they complain because Santa Ana City Council meetings are translated into Spanish, they are Usual Suspects.
When Tan Nguyen sent a letter to Latino voters telling them not to vote, he was a Usual Suspect. And so was Rosie Avila when she became his alternate on the OC GOP Central Committee.
The Brown Brigade
When a few ridiculous Latino residents join forces with the Usual Suspects, they aren’t really Usual Suspects. They don’t get to join at the top tier. No, instead they are members of the Usual Suspects’ Brown Brigade – an attempt to obscure the fact that the Usual Suspects really don’t like most Mexicans.
Well Cook, I hope you get it now!
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View Comments
GREAT post!
Gustavo,
Thanks! I just added the Wilshire Square bear lock incident to the post. I think I will keep adding to it as I recall more Usual Suspect episodes...
Don't forget how the Usual Suspects blocked off the black community into a small section of Southwest Santa Ana and made them so "welcomed" that the population hit its high point in the late 60's and early 70s and dropped off ever since.
A Usual Suspect real estate agent told my parents back then "you don't want to move to Santa Ana, too many blacks there!" Not anymore...
Gabriel,
I didn't even know about that one! Thanks for the info!
When teenagers are shooting themselves in the streets of Santa Ana, WHO IS THE USUAL SUSPECTS ART PEDROZA?
Chelsea,
I have not the time to waste on you. You sound like a card-carrying member of the Usual Suspects' Brown Brigade.
No one is shooting themselves. The violence you are referring to is part of the drug war - and that is the fault of Americans who take drugs and who sell guns to the drug dealers.
But keep it up. Voters will see that you represent Hart's positions and he will finish in last place in November. Ask Bill Hunt how Mexican-hating worked out for him!
Why dont you publish my post? Any you SAY no one is shooting themselves? Here:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/gang-251090-shot-santa.html
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/santa-167785-shot-street.html
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/shot-41134-police-carrillo.html
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/shot-50103-santa-topless.html
http://www.ocregister.com/news/bertagna-259363-santa-police.html
http://www.ocregister.com/news/bertagna-259043-gang-police.html
AND the most scary of all:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/gang-259246-coleman-victims.html
Really Art? What do you expect me to say? I Didn't EVEN mention the DRUG WAR!! You can't DENY any of these things. I would care less if he was last place, hopefully you vote for Pulido like all the clueless Mexicans. Its sad when my kids come home from school and they tell me that they were bullied for not being brown, and seeing kids fight and sell drugs. Mexicans are MORE racially divided than anyone, every time i mention im Mexican, Mexicans THEMSELVES either criticize me, or make fun of me, even when they are adults. Its sad, but it think i have a case with these articles.
Why did you ignore my other two posts? If your a man, post them, don't me a Nazi by not releasing my comments.
Chelsea,
Because I was cooking dinner for my family. Settle down.
I checked your links. Not one of those articles involves anyone shooting themselves. What the heck are you talking about?
Teenagers in Santa Ana are shooting other Teenagers in Santa Ana, and they are all Hispanics. Thats what i am talking about, why are you so naive? too bad you decided to cut out my first comment from public view. I really got you on that one.
Chelsea,
What you wrote, specifically, is that they were shooting themselves. Why is it that all you haters are so incredibly deficient as it pertains to grammar?
I didn't cut any comments. Perhaps you deleted it yourself in your Mexican-bashing frenzy.
The truth is that the drug war is the fault of Americans - and these youngsters are simply caught up in it as foot soldiers who cannot be sent to jail because they are minors.
If this is of concern to you I would encourage you to vote for Prop. 19 in November.
ADMIN, once again, i NEVER mentioned a drug war, never.
Okay, my grammar wasn't perfect one ONE comment, but those articles prove my point, this city, is way past its GLORY DAYS. Its not because there is a bunch of Mexicans, its because of the crime, and everything that follows it, its just a coincidence that most of the people in this city are Mexicans.
Its sad that people like you are out there, and don't seems to open their eyes at all the problems this city has, all you do is try to claim what everyone says about this city is racist, simply because they aren't your own skin color.
You said: "the truth is that the drug war is the fault of Americans – and these youngsters are simply caught up in it as foot soldiers who cannot be sent to jail because they are minors. "
So are all these killings in the streets of Santa Ana related to the drug war? Why do you say "Americans" as a separate entity to you? Are you trying to say that Americans that are not brown is the cause? Does that mean its my fault there is a drug war? seriously, its MY fault there are 25,000 killings in Mexico ever year?
You are clueless on so many levels, none of the articles that show gang related killings in this City have any link with the cartels in gosh-forsaking Mexico.
You prove my point, most Mexicans out there don't have a clue. Being of Mexican descent myself, its sad that people like you, and people on the streets of Stabba Ana represent a Hispanic culture the way you do. being misinformed, making outrageous comments like the one you did ("The truth is that the drug war is the fault of Americans") and killing others in the streets.
If you don't want to uphold America, and criticize everyone as racist that say something that is true of Santa Ana, maybe Mexico sounds like the right place for you?
Chelsea,
I was born here, as was my Grandfather. And I am likely whiter than you.
That aside, those in the know understand that drug dealers are using underage gang members to sell drugs - and this has increased violence due to turf wars.
Americans whine about the violence - but keep using the drugs. Better to decriminalize them and take the profit out of the drug trade.
If anyone is misinformed it is clearly you. I don't care by the way that you are of Mexican descent. Your values are those of the racist Minutemen. In your heart you stopped being a Mexican years ago...
Whooooow! "I am whiter than you" HA! Where the heck did that come from!? Yes, i might have stopped being "Mexican" but who cares. Thats not the point, the point is the problem that is the Latino community in Santa Ana. THAT is the problem.
Chelsea,
No, the problem is losers who scapegoat migrants.
Chelsea,
Your truth is loud and clear. You are completely right!
Art, being a closet racist will attack his own "MY PEOPLE" if you do not agree with his absurd notion that Santa Ana's crime is a result of WHITE oppression /drug use. SOCIAL INJUSTICE!
Santa Ana is crime ridden because of dysfunctional families. The large teen pregnancy rate, single mothers, welfare and an awful educational system that has created a down ward spiral of cultural decay.
The schools are day care centers that cater to a large majority of hispanic brats born of poor uneducated Mexican/central American nationalist's. They have grownup in an environment of consent entitlements. They are fed, pandered too and allowed to thumb their nose at the values and culture that is America. They are a confused population that has no real home, no one to guild them, no real HOPE!
Kids kill kids because they do not value life! Why? Because their lives are sh*t!
Santa ana is in every country that is socialized and poor.
Color has nothing to do with social problems!
Cheers!
I like your list.
cook,
Thanks! You inspired me to come up with it!