El Centro de la Raza has suspended its late evening hours this week.
Ver¢nica Mendez-Cruz, director, said it would be better if students weren't left alone after a visitor came by the center Tuesday and verbally assaulted people by using racist language.
UNM alumnus Frank Williams walked into El Centro after scheduling an appointment with Mendez-Cruz and questioned today's Mexican Independence Day celebration, according to a police report. The report states Williams demanded to know why the center was celebrating something that wasn't American.
Mendez-Cruz said folks make visits to the center at least once a year with questions about why the University has ethnic centers.
She said that many times when individuals come in with those types of questions, they are asking for a legitimate conversation, and she welcomes any opportunity to do that.
"This one came out just a lot more scary," Mendez-Cruz said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Jose Dominguez, administrative assistant at El Centro, said he was offended by what the man said, as were other students at the center. He said some of them felt threatened and are worried.
"What person with their five senses could say such a thing surrounded by a Hispanic community," he said.
The assault on Hispanics went on for about 30 minutes in a meeting with Mendez-Cruz, the report states.
Mendez-Cruz said the man complained about feeling surrounded by Hispanics, and said he was afraid of Mexicans taking over the country or UNM.
When Mendez-Cruz heard Williams say, "I'm so scared. I'm going to get a gun," she terminated the meeting, according to the report.
"It was obvious paranoia was involved," Mendez-Cruz said. "But it's a situation where I will not underestimate anybody or anything, and for the safety of my students and any students who utilize the center here in the evening, I don't want this to be this breaking point where he will actually do it. I don't want to wait for it."
Rod Lansing, a work-study employee at American Indian Student Services, said a visitor came in the same day who said he was on his way to El Centro. Lansing said the visitor's comments were "off the wall."
The police report states Williams asked Cindy Mason, an employee at the center, why there was no white student services center on campus.
Williams told Mason that Australians, not Native Americans, were the first people here, according to the report.
Lansing said he directed the visitor to the History Department and made a call to the Women's Resource Center after the visitor said he was going there next.
Williams was quoted in the police report as saying, "it should be fun."
According to the report, Williams never entered the women's center.
El Centro has requested extra security at today's event.
"And we're going to request that we get security at a lot of our different events," Mendez-Cruz said.
UNM Police Commander James Daniels said the department is looking for any witnesses to the incident.
"This is going to be one of those things that we need to investigate thoroughly," he said.
If Williams is spotted on campus, Daniels said they will ask his reason for being there.
The Dean of Students Office receives all student-related complaints.
Randy Boeglin, dean of students, said he makes assessments to see if a visitor code of conduct is in violation, and if so, visitors can be barred from campus for up to two years. To return before that date, Boeglin said, "the person would have to convince me they were not a threat or disruptive presence on campus."
Mendez-Cruz said she has advised her students of the incident. As director of an ethnic center, she said the incident could lead to 15 years of learning and conversation about discrimination.
"It (El Centro) is a wonderful service for the student and I hate for an incident like this to curtail some of the services the students are getting," said Eliseo Torres, vice president for Student Affairs.
Mendez-Cruz said she is planning diversity workshops to help students deal with their anger, she said, over things they did not want to hear the man say.
"I'm appreciative of the fact - believe it or not - that the assault just came to me and not out in the foyer amongst my other students," she said. "Then it would not have been a pretty sight."
Calls to Williams were not returned Wednesday.
