Georgia's Hispanic leaders changing tactics

By MARY LOU PICKEL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/12/07
Georgia's Hispanic leaders came courting with flowers in red, white and blue for key politicians Wednesday.

The floral-scented "Labor of Love" campaign represents a change in tactics for immigrant advocates who last year organized protest marches and boycotts for comprehensive immigration reform.

"We are your gardeners, your nannies, your neighbors," said Adelina Nicholls, executive director of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights. "We are also Georgians."

Atlanta's former Mexican consul general, Teodoro Maus, said at a press conference near the Capitol that the group is eager to change the negative impression of Hispanic immigrants fostered by conservative talk radio.

"We knock on the doors of friendship to ask you to get to know us," Maus said, "and not fall prey to misinformation loaded with fear and hatred."

At the same time, across the street, Gov. Sonny Perdue hosted a press conference for Chinese businessmen building a plant in Fayette County. It had a larger audience. Perdue was not present to receive his flowers when the Hispanic group went to his office.

Senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss were on the list for the large arrangements of red roses, blue delphinium and white stock. The two Republicans carried water on the president's immigration reform bill this summer and then voted against it after being booed at a Republican convention in Gwinnett. Immigrant groups generally favored the bill.

Absent from the gift list was State Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) who spearheaded one of the state's toughest anti-illegal immigration bills.

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