Thread: Immigrant advocates to boycott Univision

http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3709155
By Sara A. Carter, Staff Writer

Immigrant-rights advocates demanded Thursday that the nation's largest Spanish-language television network publicly apologize for an e-mail they say was distributed throughout the company asking employees not to participate or promote the planned nationwide "Day Without a Latino" event on May 1.

Plans to boycott Univision Communications Inc. and its affiliates were set to go forth Monday if the demands for a retraction were not met.

Univision did not return phone calls for comment.

The e-mail was distributed at a Riverside meeting by Armando Navarro, a UCR professor and immigration activist, who said that an executive with Univision distributed the memorandum to employees. Navarro would not reveal his source but said that with "100 percent certainty it comes directly from the top."

"We will not be influenced by groups of extremists, agitators or union leaders," stated the e-mail, which was allegedly sent to Univision Radio and television networks. "We need to be very sure the Boycott doesn't bring with it harsh consequences, like increasing the the hate of our own race."

The e-mail allegedly stated that the best way to protest is through the electoral process and further stated that leaving work and keeping children out of school can only do more harm than good.

"The owner of Univision is nothing more than a big Republican supporter," said Yolanda Esquibel, of Riverside, from the audience. "That company has the audacity to tell us how to conduct ourselves."

Navarro, who founded the National Alliance for Human Rights, in Riverside, said plans for the nationwide boycott are growing stronger. He expects millions of people on May 1 not to go to work, attend school or purchase products.

"We are going to hit them where it hurts," Navarro told the crowd in Spanish. "In their pocket books."

Navarro said he was angry that Univision, which helped promote previous protests, was now doing a "180" and speaking out against the Latino people who are its main subscribers and listeners.

Nearly 25 representatives of various Latino-rights organizations voted to boycott Univision starting next week and said they would march to the company's main office in Los Angeles.

"This is an outrage," Navarro said. "We are still investigating the issue, and we expect an answer from Univision by tomorrow."

The Univision company includes television, radio, music and Internet offerings divisions and affiliates nationwide.

Navarro, who has also called for a "Brown out" or "A Day without a Mexicano" on May 1, said that any guest-worker program or plans to enforce HR 4437 will be met with great protest from Latino groups across the nation.

Sara A. Carter can be reached by e-mail at sara.carter@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-8552.

A little backgound on California State employee Armando Navarro, "UCR professor and immigration activist".

ARMANDO NAVARRO - SEDITIONIST

"Ethnic Studies" Professor Armando Navarro (U.C, Riverside), head of "Impacto 2000", militant, seditious revolutionaries pledged to "take back AZTLAN", has proclaimed his anti-American rhetoric many times. From "RECONQUISTA - The "Takeover of America" booklet and audio tape produced by the California Coalition for Immigration Reform: From the Latino Summit Response to Proposition 187 at U.C. Riverside, in January 1995: (The was the conference where Democrat Party Chairman Art Torres proclaimed, "Prop 187 is the last gasp of white America in California" - where over 500 Latino activists swore non-compliance with Proposition 187)

Navarro, organizer of the conference: "These are the critical years for us in the Latino community. We're in a state of transition. And that transformation is called the browning of America. Latinos are now becoming the majority. Time and history is on the side of the Chicano/Latino community. The difference with us today in 1995 is that the demographic transformation of 25 million people is changing the coloring of American. It is changing in the future and in the present the balance of power of this nation.

It's a game, it's a game of power. Who controls it. Today, as we sit here, Latinos from grad K through the 12th grade comprise 39% of the student population of the state of California. The Anglo - 40%. In the year 2010 Latinos will comprise 50% of the student population statewide, the Anglo population 28%. And we saw the awesome, awesome capability of the student sector during the October-November period (1994 - Latino "Grande Marcha" against Prop 187 in Los Angeles). We saw the mobilization of thousands and thousands of high school students spontaneously emerge to the challenge, organize themselves. We've got to continue that mobilization -- you are like the generals that command armies. We're in a state of war. This Proposition 187 is a declaration of war against the Latino/Chicano community of this country!

They know the demographics, they know that history and time is on our side, as one people, as one nation within a nation as the community that we are, the Chicano/Latino community of this nation. What that means is a transfer of power. It means control. It means who's going to influence. And it is the young people that are going to be in a position to really make the promise of what the Chicano movement was all about in terms of self determination, in terms of empowerment, even in terms of the idea of an AZTLAN!"