40 protesters rally against Tam

The councilman's use of an ethnic slur spurs demands for action

About 40 people demonstrated outside City Hall yesterday to demand the ouster of Councilman Rod Tam as chairman of the Zoning Committee for using an ethnic slur.

They held signs opposing Tam as passing drivers honked in support.

"Tam has to go!" they chanted, their voices echoing in the halls of Honolulu Hale.

Marie Villa, president of Latin Business Hawaii, said two national Hispanic groups have called for Tam to be removed from the Council. Locally, however, the Hispanic community wants him to be removed from the chairmanship of the Zoning Committee. Tam used the term "wetbacks" at a meeting of the committee.

"I believe that we're asking for something that's fair," Villa said.

Council Chairwoman Barbara Marshall has said she will keep Tam in his position.

Tam publicly apologized last week for his remark and was reprimanded by the Council, but Hispanic community leaders said they were not satisfied because Tam refused to meet with them to apologize.

Instead, Tam's refusal to meet raised questions of his sincerity, rally participants said, and now they want him removed from the chairmanship.

Tam said in a meeting last month about building the

University of Hawaii at West Oahu in Kapolei, "The concern from (labor unions) is basically that they (workers) have to be skilled, licensed workers. We don't want any, uh, wetbacks, basically."

Tam later said he did not know the term was derogatory.

Villa said she has received hate calls daily since she protested Tam's use of the word after the media reported it last week.

"He opened the door to bigotry. We are now being harassed," she said.

The Hispanic community had no choice but to speak up, she said, adding that its leaders do not condone undocumented workers. There are about 100,000 Hispanics in Hawaii, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

"We don't like the backlash we've gotten from the disrespect he's given us," she said.

Tam, who did not appear at the rally, said he was ready to move on.

"I want to move ahead. I made my apology sincerely," he said yesterday. "One learns sometimes through experience. ... I made it very clear that I will not use the term, and I'm sorry I used that. I don't know how else more sincere I can be."

"This infuriates me," said Joe Chavez, a local businessman, who said Hispanics see the word as the same as the N-word for blacks.

Several other ethnic groups and Caucasians also attended the rally.

Raymond Liongson, a professor of Filipino studies at Leeward Community College, also joined the rally, saying the use of ethnic slurs can create hatred toward immigrants.

"Statements like this are very explosive. They can generate hatred and divisions. These are things we cannot afford in this place."