Immigration Groups Split on Boycott
Tuesday, April 24, 2007

By PETER PRENGAMAN, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES —

Last year, popular Spanish-language disc jockey Eduardo "Piolin" Sotelo was hailed for helping to persuade hundreds of thousands of people to join protests demanding amnesty for illegal immigrants.

But at a recent immigration rally, many people called him a traitor, accusing him of not working hard enough to support the cause.

The change opens a window onto the immigration reform movement, which has grown increasingly divided _ and, some say, frustrated _ as it approaches a national day of protest planned for May 1.

Immigration groups have called for such actions as a work stoppage, after-hour rallies and town hall meetings. Activities are planned in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Phoenix and other cities.

However, immigration protests have failed to produce large turnouts since reform legislation stalled in Congress last summer.

Organizers blame divisions over tactics and proposed reform bills; fear in immigrant communities about stepped-up raids; and decisions by many groups to focus on citizenship and voter-registration drives rather than marches.

Last year's May 1 boycott brought out more than a million protesters across the nation, with thousands of immigrants ditching work and many businesses closing in solidarity. In Los Angeles alone, 72,000 students skipped school to join rallies.

This year, organizers expect a much lower turnout.

"There is no cohesion for May 1," said Juan Jose Gutierrez, president of Los Angeles-based Latino Movement USA. "Those of us on the ground, who have constant contact with immigrants, don't have the feeling we'll have a massive outpouring."

Some activists are pointing fingers as they try to rekindle the amnesty campaign.

At an April 7 march, several dozen protesters carried signs that read: "Traitor Piolin. Open the Doors to the Marches." The protesters claimed the disc jockey was no longer promoting rallies on his nationally syndicated show.

Sotelo said he did mention the rally but perhaps not as forcefully as organizers wanted.

"I was supporting the march, but cautiously," said Sotelo, who has launched a campaign encouraging listeners to write a million letters that he can deliver to Congress in support of immigration reform. "There are many different ways to promote immigration reform."

One of the biggest sticking points among organizers is whether to call on immigrants to miss work, an issue that also divided groups last year.

Many organizers have decided they cannot call on people to do something that could cost them their jobs, said Angela Sembrano, director of the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles.

"A boycott has its merits, but as an organization we can't ask people not to go to work and then see them get fired," she said.

Others argue a boycott is the only way to show the economic power of immigrants. They say energy is building for the May 1 protests, despite the divisions.

The boycott "is the only game in town in terms of the mass struggle," said Javier Rodriguez of the March 25th Coalition, which is named after a demonstration last year in which 500,000 people rallied in downtown Los Angeles.

Rodriguez said he sees growing support for the boycott. Several Southern California restaurant chains intend to close, and thousands of Hispanic truckers plan to stay off the road, he said. In addition, his group wants Mexicans to refrain from using cell phones to call family in Mexico on May 1 to demonstrate their economic clout.

In the past year, however, the March 25th Coalition has splintered and has few remaining members.

Regardless of what happens on May 1, immigration reform advocates said they have already won many battles in recent months.

They point to the November congressional elections, when several conservatives who advocated cracking down on illegal immigrants were defeated. They also cite record numbers of citizenship applications and an Illinois House vote last month to allow illegal immigrants to get "certificates" to drive legally on state roads.

Immigration advocates are also planning to launch a "New Sanctuary Movement" next month to give refuge to illegal immigrants facing deportation in churches across the country. Organizers have been inspired by Elvira Arellano, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who has taken refuge since mid-August at a Methodist church in Chicago.

"The movement isn't getting weaker; it's just becoming more sophisticated," said Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

___

On the Net:

May 1 National Movement: http://mayday2007.org

Piolin campaign: http://yoapoyolareformamigratoria.com

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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