We must not allow discrimination in our society to take on subtle forms, especially against Latinos. The dehumanization of our community is not an occasion for joking. The alteration of a song and the use of epithets against Latinos is a mockery of the Hispanic community and an offense against all those who understand that prejudice, racism and xenophobia have no place in our society.

When a right-wing radio station uses the song "Feliz Navidad" by the famous Puerto Rican singer José Feliciano, it is not by mistake. The intention to attack Latinos is clear.

Even though there are people from all over the world living in the United States "without legal papers," this radio station has found a way to make people believe that the term "illegal" is synonymous with Hispanic or Latino.

When the words of an internationally known Christmas carol are turned into a vehicle for promoting discrimination, old prejudices take on a new face and racism triumphs.

The internationally known song was changed for the purpose of racially attacking the Latino community, spreading negative stereotypes, and also of making the word "Hispanic" or "Latino" the equivalent of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT.

It makes me very uneasy to listen to a song in which Latinos are accused of being the carriers of diseases such as tuberculosis.

If this song were about another ethnic group, whether it were Italian, Irish, African American or Jewish, there would be protests in the streets.

We must demand respect for ourselves; I ask that the Federal Communications Commission takes immediate steps against the transmission of messages spreading hatred over the airwaves. We Latinos ought to boycott the radio stations which allow this sort of disrespectful and derogatory language; we should withdraw our support from them and demand that their advertisers remove their patronage.