Thread: Hispanic groups plan national boycott of Arizona businesses

Civilian border watch groups. Laws that limit government services illegal immigrants can use. Lawmakers trying to declare English as the official state language and require government functions be conducted in English.


Illegal immigrant rights activists say the recent groundswell of anti-immigration measures in Arizona is making the lives of immigrants, and anyone who looks like one, miserable and must be countered in kind: by making the lives of Arizonans more difficult through lost business and tourism.

To do that, activists are planning a national boycott of Arizona businesses and tourism sites in early July to draw attention to the contribution illegal workers make to the state.

The national effort follows a Phoenix-area boycott of businesses last week that caused a few businesses to limit their services and at least one to close for the day.

Activists say the recent groundswell of anti-illegal-immigration measures are making the lives of immigrants miserable.

They hope the planned boycotts, one a long-term national effort to divert conventions and sporting events elsewhere and the other a three-day economic protest of local businesses, will put political pressure on Arizona legislators to take a more moderate stance on immigration issues.

Breaking the Chains, the group organizing the national boycott, hopes to kick off its campaign July 1.

Organizers plan to convince groups sponsoring large sporting events, conferences and other events that generate a lot of revenue, to take their activities to other states.

"We tried to have meetings, we tried everything, but we found it is impossible to go through the legislative process," said organizer Salvador Reza. "There was no dialogue. It was just a one way street."

Reza said the boycott will be ongoing until Proposition 200, an initiative voters approved in November that limits the government services illegal immigrants can use, is repealed.

Activists say the immigration enforcement measures affect not just immigrants, but everyone who looks like one.

"It's the way I look, it's the language I speak. That's racial profiling," said Elias Bermudez, director of Phoenix's Centro de Ayuda, or Center of Help, and organizer of the local boycott.

Bermudez's group is asking Hispanics around Arizona to not spend any money from July 2-4.

By closing their wallets for three days, the Hispanic community will show local businesses how vital they are to the state economy, according to Bermudez.

"We are saying if we are needed, come to our side and help us live without being harassed," he said.

The two protests are not directly related, although Bermudez said his group is supporting Reza's boycott.

These efforts follow a Phoenix-area work stoppage last week that caused a few businesses to limit their services and at least one to close for the day.

Arizona last saw a large-scale boycott of tourism and convention sites in the late 1980s, after former Gov. Evan Mecham rescinded an executive order signed by his predecessor, Bruce Babbitt, to create a holiday honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

At that time, Arizona was a contender to host the Super Bowl in 1996 and angry executives threatened to take Arizona off the short list unless the state enacted a King holiday. Voters approved the holiday a few years later.

Alberto Gutier, a longtime state government worker, said he doubts the planned boycotts will be as effective as the Super Bowl threat. Most national organizations probably won't avoid bringing national conferences to Arizona unless they want to make a political statement, he said.

But Brent Wilkes, national director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said his organization is paying close attention to Arizona's legislative actions and activities like the Minuteman project, a civilian patrol group that has been monitoring the Mexican border for illegal immigrants.

While LULAC had not decided whether to participate in the boycott, Wilkes said he doubts his organization or other large Hispanic groups would host national conferences in Arizona until anti-immigration sentiments die down.

Earl de Berge, a pollster from Phoenix's Behavior Research Center, said that if organizers are able to run a long-term campaign, these boycotts may be the first step in bringing both sides of Arizona's immigration issues to the national stage.
http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=3364526

Power! Power! Whose got the power?? Try calling a ONE DAY boycott by ALL Arizonans who wish to continue with prop 200....then they'll SEE power.

RR

Try calling a ONE DAY boycott by ALL Arizonans who wish to continue with prop 200....then they'll SEE power.

Why not, RR......it's actually a brilliant idea, imho.

Originally Posted by RoadRunner

Power! Power! Whose got the power?? Try calling a ONE DAY boycott by ALL Arizonans who wish to continue with prop 200....then they'll SEE power.

RR

No, not a 1 day boycott by prop 200 supporters, but a one day SPENDING SPREE anti-boycott for all supporters

THAT would show ppl who the hell makes THE DIFFERENCE!!!!!

H.

"We tried to have meetings, we tried everything, but we found it is impossible to go through the legislative process," said organizer Salvador Reza. "There was no dialogue. It was just a one way street."

You tried the legislative process? You mean you got all of the ILLEGALS together that you represent and had them go back to their respective homes, learn English and then apply for citizenship?

Along with the ANTI-boycott, have a list of businesses to NOT spend money at. Also, encourage businesses to STRONGLY ADVERTISE that they DO NOT have any illegal aliens working for them. A quickly done placard would do.

The more I think about this, the more I like it!!!!

I think I will contact Sandra Miller, Russ Dove, Kathy McKee and any others who were Prop-200 inner-circle people.

If others have additional ideas, then post them. I think this could turn into something big, and the media (IF it can be sold properly to them) could help this out. NOTE if we can get more business on board with our ideals (NO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION), the better off we are. If we can show that WE hold the true purse strings, then that buys us a TON of support!

H.

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

Try calling a ONE DAY boycott by ALL Arizonans who wish to continue with prop 200....then they'll SEE power.

Why not, RR......it's actually a brilliant idea, imho.

Excellent idea!

Great, Husker..get moving on it...their plan is coming up very soon.

RR

GREAT PLAN!

How can we help you, Husker?

Originally Posted by good12me

GREAT PLAN!

How can we help you, Husker?

I will see if I can get ahold of my contacts which worked on/for the Protect AZ Now! group. These are the people who put the prop-200 on the ballot, and they do still have an organization.

I certainly think if this is done right, it CAN be very beneficial

Again, if ppl have ANY additional ideas, post them quickly!

H.