Letter: Latino casino would be form of segregation

Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003 | 8:29 a.m.

Regarding the Sun's Dec. 30 story, "Plaza may hold key to downtown future":

A fascinating article, and there's no question that the downtown area needs to be revamped. But the following quote from the article is troubling:

"One identity being tossed around by Barrick Gaming is a resort that would cater to Las Vegas' growing Latino population, but plans are not firm yet."

I'd like to hear how that particular idea is in any way constructive. "Cater to (the) Latino population" as opposed to what, everyone else? To me, this is every bit as distasteful as an article a month or two ago talking about a resort that would cater specifically to gays.

Why does a specific group need its own resort? Would this resort, then, not cater to those of other ethnic or racial groups? Or not to straights? What, precisely, does it take to cater to the growing Latino population? Spanish-speaking dealers? Got 'em. Spanish motif? Got it. Latino-style food? Got it. Latino owners? That may be a valid point, but is Barrick a Latino company?

Do the cards on a video poker machine come up in any specific language? Are there dice that roll in English or Spanish?

I know a lot of folks see nothing wrong with this kind of marketing, but in reality it's just de facto segregation all over again, disguised as a marketing tool that purports to benefit one or another minority group. To start slicing up the pie along racial or ethnic lines is a very bad idea.

LAWRENCE BOXER Santa Clarita, Calif.