Boycotts of Arizona immigration law add up

Updated 10m ago
By Roger Yu, USA TODAY

Many officials in Arizona's tourism and hospitality industry fear that the state's new immigration law is anything but hospitable.

Hotel owners, tour operators and convention executives say the law could discourage visitors and companies from meeting there at a time when one of the state's vital industries already is suffering.

The law, signed by Gov. Jan Brewer last week, makes it a misdemeanor to not prove lawful U.S. residence when asked to provide such documentation.

Already there are ramifications and threats:

•The American Immigration Lawyers Association notified JW Marriott in Scottsdale that it's canceling a meeting of about 300 scheduled for later this year. George Tzamaras, an association spokesman, says, "We didn't feel it was appropriate to have a meeting in (the) state."

•Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., has called for an economic boycott by businesses that would locate in his state or visitors who would meet there.

•Janet Murguia, head of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights group, says she's considering "economic actions that can be taken."

•Asian American Hotel Owners Association, whose members own about 40% of U.S. hotels, want lawmakers to reconsider, says Ash Patel, the group's former chairman who owns several hotels in Arizona. "(Hotel owners) are very afraid right now," he says.

Arizona has felt the effect of a boycott before. The state lost about 170 conventions from 1990 to 1993 from boycotts because of the state's failure to approve a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Debbie Johnson, CEO of Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association, says her members are "deeply concerned."

Brewer says tourism in her state was affected before the law, however. The governor "is deeply concerned that the federal failure to secure our border has already harmed our tourism industry," Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman wrote in an e-mail.

Some business travelers, such as management consultant Randy Jones who's there often, say they welcome the law. "If anything," he says, "Arizona's position will cause me to go there more frequently."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2 ... 7_ST_N.htm