Patchogue Library Offers Citizenship And ESL Classes
While Patchogue tries to recover from the killing of Ecuadorean native Marcelo Lucero, the local library for years has served as an oasis for immigrants seeking education and assistance to gain citizenship.
It sits as a testament to a part of Patchogue pushed aside in recent weeks as the village wrestles with the stabbing death of Lucero, allegedly by a group of teenagers targeting Hispanics.
Dozens of Suffolk County residents have taken free citizenship and English classes there in the past four years. And since 2002 – when the library formed a Spanish-language outreach committee – the library has offered informational sessions on immigration, housing and health, library officials said.
