http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... ast01.html

Immigrant advocates to fast for Latino laborers

Daniel González
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 30, 2006 05:38 PM


Elias Bermudez was so angry after voters approved four anti-illegal immigration ballot measures in November that he threatened to go on a hunger strike and launch a weeklong economic boycott and work stoppage in December.

But the leader of the group Immigrants Without Borders has changed his mind after a local pastor told him aggressive tactics like those would only anger more people. So Bermudez is trying something different. He said Thursday that he plans to invite the community to participate in a 7-day fast. Like the boycott, the fast is intended to draw attention to the contributions immigrants make to the Arizona economy, only in a less confrontational way.

"We hope to change people's minds but appealing to their hearts," Bermudez said.

The fast will begin on Jan. 29. By then, Bermudez hopes, the new Democratic-controlled Congress will have taken steps to pass comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.