http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02393.html

Fearing Backlash, Some Immigration Activists Aren't Backing Boycott

By Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 20, 2006; A13



A panel of immigration activists said yesterday that it will not encourage workers and families to walk off the job and keep their children from school as part of a May 1 boycott, but will hold voter-recruitment and petition drives instead.

The announcement by activists from the District, Chicago and Los Angeles at a news conference in Washington underlined the split among the mostly Latino activist groups that led huge demonstrations in more than 140 cities in recent weeks, and shows that the grass-roots movement is operating at cross purposes toward the same end -- immigration reform and legal status for illegal immigrants.

"We are going to have several meetings; we are going to have thousands and thousands of people sign petitions. . . . We will register people to vote and send thousands of e-mails to legislators," said Gustavo Torres, executive director of Casa de Maryland in Silver Spring.

Torres was joined on the panel by representatives from several immigration organizations, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium, both based in Los Angeles, and the National Capital Immigration Coalition in the District.

Their plan for civil action is a far cry from the boycotts planned by groups in Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago, where the largest demonstrations have occurred and where Spanish-speaking disc jockeys were instrumental in turning out crowds.

The panelists stressed that they were not discouraging others from boycotting. But later they said that they do not support the boycott because it could result in people being fired, cause students to miss school and create a climate of disgust that could lead to a backlash by Americans who are not immigrants.

Although the panelists said they spoke for a national constituency, no boycott supporters were present.

"I don't know who they are," said Jaime Contreras, president of the National Capital Immigration Coalition. "I've never seen them."

But boycott supporters were in town yesterday, visiting Washington and walking around Mount Pleasant, the heart of one of the areas Contreras's group represents, trying to enlist support for the boycott.

They included Gloria Saucedo of Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana and Jesse Diaz Jr., both of Los Angeles. "Yes, we know about the press conference," Diaz said. "We weren't invited."

He said some groups represented at the news conference had split off from their cause and were now against it. Regardless, he said, the boycott has enormous support and will go on.

"Do you know how I can get in touch with the Spanish radio stations here?" Diaz asked. "That's how we get the word out."