http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 31868.html

May 1, 2006, 2:35PM
Thousands gather at Houston's Memorial Park

By JENALIA MORENO
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Traffic seemed lighter to some, restaurant management found themselves working in their kitchens and taco trucks were scarce in Houston today as activists around the nation declared it "A Day without an Immigrant.''

At Memorial Park, thousands of immigrants and their supporters - many whom were given or asked for the day off - gathered to rally for greater rights for illegal immigrants.

Buses carried people from different parts of the city to the event, and many more drove there as demonstrators planned to skip work and boycott businesses as a way of showing immigrants' economic clout.

Marco Antonio Portillo, 47, an immigrant from Honduras, said his construction company gave him and about 500 other workers the day off, so he and his brother joined the Memorial crowd.

Losing a day of work will cut into his paycheck - he'll lose 10 hours of work at $9.50 an hour - but he's thinking about his 10-year-old son's future.

"Not everybody in interested in this. Some people only think of the hour of the day that they're in,'' Portillo said. "They don't have our humanity or our children in mind.''

Shortly before 1 p.m., the crowd formed a thick line that made its way along the Memorial Drive sidewalk, heading toward the office of Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who has opposed legislation that would make it easier for illegal immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship.

As reports of workers staying home and businesses closing came in today, it was too early to assess the overall impact of the boycott in the Houston area. But some residents said today didn't quite seem like a normal Monday.

None of the 40 drivers who regularly park their taco trucks at the Texas Commissary near North Wayside Drive went to work.

"It's like a Christmas holiday,'' said Bruce Olive, co-owner of the commissary. "Nobody went out.''

Olive said he would keep the commissary open to accept food deliveries but since the independent drivers took the day off, no breakfast tacos or burritos were delivered to many Houston area construction workers.

Rumors circulated in the restaurant industry that some eateries offered their Latino workers a $100 bonus to work today.

Owners of the Arandas Franchises, who had earlier vowed to close their area taquerias, seafood restaurants and bakeries, had a change of heart and opened for business, operating with the employees who went to work.

An Arandas executive declined to explain why. A statement said owners supported their employees rights to express themselves but made the decision ``upon further reflection on this situation.''

Some people rearranged plans for work and shopping trips so they could take part in the boycott.

At the Pico's Mex Mex Mexican Restaurant on Bellaire Boulevard, only three workers told owner Arnaldo Richards they planned to take today off but they worked Sunday instead or they arranged for someone else to work for them.

Typically, Mondays are slow at many restaurants.

"It would have been worse on Friday, Cinco de Mayo. That would have really sent a message,'' Richards said.

Richards expected to still serve a full menu of chiles en nogada, carnes asadas and other dishes.

"Even if people don't show up, I'll get in the kitchen if I have to,'' Richards said.

That's exactly what Ziggy Gruber, co-owner of Kenny & Ziggy's Delicatessen on Post Oak Boulevard did.

Management pitched in, working a double shift to help produce a limited menu of sandwiches and soups for diners, Gruber said. Some of the dining space was closed off because of the smaller staff. And paper plates and plasticware were used to cut down on dishwashing duties.

"We were prepared for it,'' Gruber said before the lunch rush crowd.

He supported his immigrant workers rights to protest and knew in advance that at least a handful would attend rallies.

"Everybody deserves the same opportunity,'' said Gruber, whose grandfather hailed from Hungary and whose grandmother emigrated here from Romania.

Contingency plans were also in place at the Sudie's Catfish & Seafood House with management prepared to reduce their menu offerings and pull out the plastic plates, cups and spoons so they would not have to wash dishes.

During an April immigration rights march, a third of the restaurant's 17 workers didn't go to work and General Manager Steve Gann found himself washing dishes all day.

":It wasn't fun,''Gann recalled.

But on Monday, workers at both the Pasadena and League City restaurant locations showed up for their jobs of washing dishes, cooking catfish and preparing meals.

Management had offered to shuttle workers to the rallies, but they turned down the offer.

Sabrina Farber, who with her husband Todd is co-owner of Garden Guy's Inc, a southwest Houston landscaping company, said they have had workers who have been with them for years just disappear.

"It's hard on us, because we don't want to have to retrain new people,'' she said.

The couple was supportive of two workers who wanted to participate in the day's events, she said, even though they are a small company that usually runs a three-man crew.

"We are for illegal aliens getting their rights,'' she said, ``we believe they are the hardest working people in America.''

Farber said that she and her husband see similarities between the growing marches and the Civil Rights Movement of the '50s and '60s.

"Most of the time our employees stay with us for a very long time,'' she said. ``They are loyal to us because we are loyal to them.''

Although it's the beginning of the month, a time when motorists hurry to a mechanic or inspection shop to replace their expired tags, there was a good chance they were turned away at Erick's auto repair on the 1800 block of West Alabama. The shops three mechanics did not show for work today, leaving the owner's son to do much of the work.

The shop is owned by Erick Borlasca, a Salvadoran immigrant who has had his own business for 30 years. Borlasca's son Aldo said that is a reason they allowed their three mechanics to take the day off to join the boycott. ``We are sympathetic,'' he said, ``we've had to turn away three or four big jobs today, but we are OK with it, we understand what they are trying to do.''

And, furthermore, customers who have been turned away have been understanding as well, Aldo Borlasca said. ``Most people don't mind,'' he said, ``for a day anyway.''

At an East End day labor site, fewer people than normal this morning joined the throng of predominantly illegal immigrant workers gathering to wait for someone to drive by and hire them for the day.

The need to put food on the table drove some immigrants to search for work despite the call for a national labor stoppage.

"I have a family to support in Honduras,'' said Oscar Alfaro, 19, who waited by the railroad tracks near North Shepherd Drive and Washington Avenue at another day labor gathering site. "I came here to work.''

Alfaro said he has a regular job as a roofer, but was told by his boss not to report to work today because he wants to support the boycott effort. Alvaro will lose $60 in roofing wages, but said if someone picks him up for day labor work, he could earn as much as $100.

Immigrant parents may want to change the country's immigration system because they're thinking about the future, he said. But he's more interested making money and returning to Honduras after he's earned enough.

At Memorial Park, Maria Jimenez, an activist with CRECEN, an organization that helps Latin American immigrants, volunteers were busy this morning preparing for the 11 a.m. rally.

Many members of the Camara de Empresarios Latinos de Houston, a chamber made up of immigrant-owned companiess, are urging Latinos who want their voices heard to contact senators between today and Cinco de Mayo to urge them to vote for measures that would put undocumented immigrants on a path to citizenship.

It was too early to know how many students were skipping school.

About 15 minutes before classes started at Davis High School this morning, some teens said it seemed like some of their classmates had decided to stay home.

"Nobody's here,'' said Michael Villa, 16, a freshman.

Even thought his parents emigrated from Mexico, Villa said he didn't feel compelled to participate in the boycott.

"My parents have papers, so what's the whole point?,'' he said. ``We can't vote so what's the point? Might as well leave it up to the grown-ups.''

Houston Independent School District spokesman Terry Abbott said school officialss won't know until at least mid-morning whether attendance is below normal.

"We haven't had any reports of problems yet,'' he said.

Most HISD employees reported to work as usual Monday, Abbott said.

Forty-two custodians and 40 bus drivers were absent, both well within normal ranges, he said.

Some motorists reported lighter than usual traffic.

Wayne Rentschler said it typically takes him an hour to get work and today his commute was a breeze, taking just 35 minutes to commute from his home near the Gulf Freeway and Beltway 8 to his job as a traffic systems technician on Interstate 10 and Washington Avenue.

Houston Chronicle reporters Jennifer Radcliffe and Cynthia Garza contributed to this report.

cynthia.garza@chron.com

jennifer.radcliffe@chron.com

jenalia.moreno@chron.com