Great American Boycott

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The Great American Boycott of 2006, known in Spanish as El Gran Paro Americano ("The Great American Strike"), was a boycott of United States schools and businesses held on May 1, 2006. The date was chosen to coincide with May Day, an international Labor Movement holiday (observed as a national holiday in some European countries and in Mexico, but not widely in the United States due to associations with Communism). As a continuation of the 2006 U.S. immigration reform protests, the organizers called for supporters to abstain from buying, selling, working, and attending school, to demonstrate the extent to which illegal immigrants' labor is needed for the U.S. economy. Supporters of the boycott rallied in major cities across the U.S. to demand general amnesty and legalization programs for such non-citizens. For this reason, the day is also referred to as A Day Without an Immigrant, a reference to the 2004 political satire film A Day Without a Mexican.

Some sources have estimated that over one million people participated in the demonstrations.^[1] High rates of absenteeism were reported in the Los Angeles Unified School District and in Chicago, as well as in schools throughout the country with high Hispanic populations. Across the U.S., hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and supporters of a liberalized immigration policy, many dressed in white to signify peace, attended protests and demonstrations, the largest of which were in Los Angeles and Chicago. Many, who participated in the marches, waved American flags, although some waved flags of Mexico and other Central and South American countries, and others waved flags bearing the likeness of slain Marxist revolutionary leader Che Guevara.^[2] In Chicago, Irish and Polish flags were also waved. ^[3]

The majority of demonstrations were peaceful, although a Vista, California rally took a violent turn at day's end when crowds began throwing rocks and bottles at sheriff's deputies. There were also two arrests made at a demonstration in Los Angeles's MacArthur Park.^[4] A stabbing that occurred near the location of the march in San Jose, California, may or may not have been related to the day's events.^[5]

While the economic effects are not yet clear, some initial reports have indicated that, while the boycott failed to halt "business as usual", commerce slowed significantly in certain areas. According to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the boycott cost the Los Angeles economy $52 million, 4.3 percent of the normal $1.2 billion daily activity.

Internationally, labor unions and other groups engaged in a one-day boycott of American products called the "Nothing Gringo Boycott", particularly in Mexico and Central American countries.^[6] It was later reported that this boycott had little effect on the American economy. ^[7] Demonstrations were also held in major cities across Mexico.^[8]

Contents 1 Origin 2 Initial response 3 Regional demonstrations 4 Business response 5 Opposition 6 Summary 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Origin

The boycott was announced on April 10, 2006 in Los Angeles, California by the March 25 Coalition of Catholic groups, immigration advocacy organizations, and labor unions. Hermandad Mexicana, an affiliate of the Mexican American Political Association, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights-Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Amigos de Orange, and local MEChA chapters all promptly joined.^[9]

The coalition arose out of protests against H.R. 4437, a legislative proposal that was passed by the United States House of Representatives on December 16, 2005 by a vote of 239 to 182, and is currently under consideration by the United States Senate. This bill would make residing in the U.S. illegally a felony and impose stiffer penalties on those who knowingly employ and harbour noncitizens illegally. It also calls for the construction of new border security fences along portions of the 2,000-mile United States–Mexico border. The coalition takes its name from the date of the first mass protest against the bill, a day which saw upwards of 500,000 demonstrators on the streets of Los Angeles, as well as hundreds of thousands in other major U.S. cities. The March 25, 2006 protests were noted for their peaceful nature, despite the controversy surrounding the immigration issue. ^[10]

According to the New York Times,

The boycott grew from an idea hatched by a small band of grass-roots advocates in Los Angeles, inspired by the farmworker movement of the 1960's led by Cesar Chavez and Bert Corona. Through the Internet and mass media catering to immigrants, they developed and tapped a network of union organizers, immigrant rights groups and others to spread the word and plan events tied to the boycott, timed to coincide with International Workers' Day.[11]

[edit] Initial response

The boycott and strike provoked controversy as soon as they were proposed. National organizations and prominent figures split over whether to support the boycott, with many moderates endorsing demonstrations but withholding support for the boycott. Many of the "moderate" demonstrations were scheduled for three o'clock in the afternoon, after working-hours for the many unskilled professions where illegal immigrant labor tends to be concentrated.

President George W. Bush urged immigrants not to boycott, and instead to protest after work and on the weekend.^[12]

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said a boycott would "hurt everyone".^[13]

On April 27, the California State Senate approved a measure to endorse a statewide economic and educational boycott. However, California's top education official opposed the boycott and called for students to stay in school on Monday. California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell also encouraged students interested in the immigration issue to voice their opinions after school.^[14]

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the city's first Mexican-American mayor since the 19th century, called for children to attend school and for a late afternoon rally.^[15] He also urged protesters to carry American flags, and not the flags of their home countries.^[16]

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops offered Mass as an alternative to boycotting, and suggested that churches toll their bells in memory of immigrants who died trying to come to the U.S. The bishops, too, urged students to stay in school.^[17]

National Hispanic and immigration-advocacy groups were also split, with some fearing that the actions would provoke a backlash. The League of United Latin American Citizens, normally a moderate organization, was one of the few to fully support both the boycott and the strike.^[18]

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) took a cautious stand of discouraging truancy from school, and encouraging participants in the strike to "get pre-approval of a holiday or 'leave without pay' from […] work".^[19]

The Washington, D.C.-based National Capital Immigration Coalition denounced the Boycott, while the National Council of La Raza took no position whatsoever.

Numerous anti-war, left-wing, and socialist groups also endorsed the Boycott. The ANSWER coalition, in particular, provided signs and mobilized supporters to attend demonstrations. While the American Civil Liberties Union took no official stance, it offered advice and information for protesters on its website.^[20]

The AFL-CIO also endorsed the protests, saying that the H.R. 4437 "isn't the answer" to immigration issues.^[21] The AFL-CIO's executive vice president, Linda Chavez-Thompson, stated:

We believe that there is absolutely no good reason why any immigrant who comes to this country prepared to work, to pay taxes, and to abide by our laws and rules should be relegated to this repressive, second-class guest worker status.[22]

[edit] Regional demonstrations

Organization of events fell to local groups. In some cases, the split that occurred on the national level was evident on the local level as well in that separate events were planned by the various organizers. Major events were held in:

• Atlanta - An estimated 2,500 protesters turned out for the event, although Atlanta police had been prepared for as many as 100,000.^[23]

• Chicago - Authorities estimated that over 400,000 demonstrators marched downtown, while other groups put the figure as high as 800,000. Predominantly Latino schools in the city saw a 10 to 33 percent drop in attendance, which was as high as 85% in one school.^[24]

• Denver - The Denver Police Department reported 75,000 people attended a march and rally. Catholic groups were among the prime organizers.^[25]
• Inland Empire Riverside police estimated that approximately 3000 people marched from UC Riverside to the steps of the county administrative building in downtown Riverside. 1500 people congregated outside San Bernardino City Hall and later marched throughout the city. Many area businesses closed for the day, schools across Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties saw extra absences and UC Riverside's cafeteria traffic dipped 20%.^[26]

• Las Vegas - On the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown, a procession of approximately 7000 to 10000 walked Las Vegas Boulevard from the downtown Fremont Experience to Tropicana Avenue, a distance of about 5 miles. Strip resorts claimed no significant impact. Off the Strip, many independent restaurants closed, but chain restaurants remained busy.^[27]

• Los Angeles - Between 500,000 (police estimate) and 2 million (Univision estimate) protesters marched in two separate marches,^[28] one beginning at 10:00 a.m. in Downtown Los Angeles and primarily organized by the Mexican American Political Association,^[29] and the second beginning at 3:00 p.m. from Downtown Los Angeles down Wilshire Boulevard and organized by the "We Are America" coalition of religious groups including the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, ethnic interest groups, and labor organizations such as the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.^[30] The impact of the boycott was felt throughout the Latino community, and southern California generally. Businesses were closed, traffic piled up for miles around the march route, and over 90% of the daily traffic out of the Port of Los Angeles was shut down.^{[31] [32]}

• Madison - Between 3,000 (police estimate) and 5,000 (organizer estimate) people rallied at the Wisconsin State Capitol. The turnout was smaller than at a similar rally that brought at least 10,000 to the Capitol on April 10. Organizers believe forecasts of rain, along with false rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement roundups that had caused panic in many Wisconsin communities the week before, may have contributed to the diminished attendance. Hundreds of students did not show up for school and at least twelve businesses remained closed. Some of those at the Capitol rally carried posters bearing a photo of Republican Congressman James Sensenbrenner, the author of H.R. 4437 and a Menomonee Falls resident, with red "X"-es drawn across his face.^[33]

• Massachusetts - Across Massachusetts, the boycott did not result in the widespread work stoppages that some organizers had hoped for. Its impact was felt most powerfully in Latino neighborhoods and among young people, with an estimated 8,000 students staying away from school and marching in the streets. Thousands of workers and their supporters joined rallies and demonstrations across the state. There was teach-ins at Harvard, prayer vigils at Catholic churches, and rallies in all across Boston and the Boaton area.

• Milwaukee - Nearly 70,000 people participated in a march through downtown Milwaukee, according to an organizer estimate. That number is more than double the estimated 30,000 who attended a similar event about five weeks before, on March 23. Participants marched along Wisconsin Ave. until reaching Veteran's Park, the site of a rally at noon on the lakefront. Mayor Tom Barrett addressed the ralliers, saying "Thank all of you for the fight you're fighting for peace and dignity. You're showing Milwaukee and Wisconsin and the U.S. that the fight for justice can be done peacefully." Wisconsin Restaurant Association president Ed Lump also spoke, emphasizing the importance of immigrants to the restaurant industry as workers, customers, managers, and entrepreneurs. The crowd was littered with American flags and red, white, & blue signs--people who brought Mexican flags or those of other nations were urged to put them away during the march. According to Christine Neumann-Ortiz, director of the event's main coordinator Voces de la Frontera, roughly 200 Milwaukee businesses remained closed for all or part of the day.^[34]

• New York City - A march of over 200,000 people began in Chinatown, rallied in Union Square Park, and continued down Broadway to Federal Plaza was led by a diverse coalition of workers' and immigrants' organizations. Jesse Jackson and Roger Toussaint were among the leaders of the march.^[35] In a poll, the majority of New Yorkers believed that the protest would result in a backlash.^[36] However, very few stores closed for the boycott. Organizers formed a human chain. In all, 12,000 people turned out to form eight chains: five in Manhattan, one in Queens, one in Brooklyn and one in the Bronx.

• Olympia, Washington - Over 300 demonstrators marched from Sylvester Park to the steps of the state capitol. A banner that read "Hands off our Immigrants, workers, families" was hung from the capitol building. After ten minutes of calling on officials to answer them, the group walked from the capitol escorted by police who routed traffic for them and ended up at a street party at the downtown artesian well.^[37]

• Orlando - Between 10,000 (OPD and Glenn Beck) and 20,000^[38] marchers walked through downtown, disrupting traffic. One protester was arrested before the march began. There were reports of men driving tractors, some with their supervisors' approval to take place in the march. The march was scheduled to begin at 12:00, but did not begin till 12:30. This was the largest demonstration in Orlando's history.

• Orange County, California - Of the 89,000 companies in the county, most remained open on the day of the boycott. Between 8,000 and 10,000 people marched in Santa Ana. Two protesters were arrested after rocks and bottles were thrown at the police. Turnout in other parts of the county were negligible. Some Orange County public schools reported no change in the number of absent students, while others were slightly higher.^[39]

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - At least 15,000 supporters of immigrants gathered at various points in the Philadelphia region. Kenneth Square, Wilmington, Reading, Norristown, Camden, Bridgeton, Allentown, and many other cities joined Philadelphia in vigils, forums, and rallies. The Philadelphia Inquirer on May 2nd headlined: "Immigrants send a resounding call, Crowds rallied and workers stayed off the job to protest lawmakers' proposed crackdown. In Phila. area: Protests draw thousands. Many employers feel the pinch."^[40]

• Portland, Oregon - Around 8000 protesters marched in Downtown Portland, covering an area of 22 blocks. ^[41]

• Providence, Rhode Island An estimated 15,000 - 20,000 people marched outside the Statehouse after work, but only around 500 attended a rally during the day.^[42]

• Salem, Oregon - 8,000 to 10,000 protesters began marching in downtown Salem, after first gathering at the capital. ^[43]

• San Francisco - The Filipino group BAYAN-USA, a branch of Philippines-based Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, announced an alliance with African American unions in favor of the boycott.^[44] Thousands of demonstrators protested at Civic Center Plaza, U.N. Plaza, Justin Herman Plaza, the Federal Building, and marched down Market Street.

• Santa Fe/Albuquerque - Rallies were organized by Somos un Pueblo Unido, an immigrant-advocacy group. 74 businesses closed in Albuquerque, as did another 50 in Santa Fe.^[45]

• San José, California - In one of the largest demonstrations in the city's history, approximately 100,000 protesters marched to La Plaza de César Chávez .^[46]

• San Rafael, California - Canal Alliance, an immigrant advocacy group, scheduled two events, one at 10:00 a.m. and the other at 5:00 p.m. for those unable to abstain from work.^[47] An estimated 3,000 people assembled near San Rafael Transit Center in the downtown area.^[48]

• Santa Barbara, California - Numerous businesses, particularly in heavily Latino areas, closed for the day. As many as one third of Santa Barbara School District students did not attend classes. Many of them marched from their schools to City Hall before meeting up with other protestors for the main rally and march, which attracted some 15,000 supporters.^[49] Mayor Marty Blum declared the first week of May "The Week of the Immigrant", and the Casa de la Raza scheduled citizenship workshops, cultural events, and lectures during the entire week.^[50]

• Seattle - Around 20,000 to 30,000 demonstrators marched peacefully from the central district to the Federal Building downtown.^[51][52]

• Tampa/St. Petersburg - The largest rallies in Florida were held in Hillsborough County, whose seat is Tampa. Across the county, approximately 12% of middle and high school students were absent (five percentage points higher than the average).^[53] Several tomato farms closed for the day when agricultural workers did not arrive.^[54] In addition, many of the construction projects in the downtown St Petersburg area were short on workers.

• Tucson/Phoenix - In Tucson, many businesses, particularly on the city's predominantly Hispanic South Side, closed for the day.^[55] In Phoenix, the effects of the boycott were negligible, and it was widely seen as a failure.^[56]

• Washington, D.C. - Business closures and higher-than-normal absentee rates were reported. Little impact to area business resulted.^[57]

[edit] Business response

• Tyson Foods closed meatpacking plants, citing market conditions and a possible shortage of workers.

• Cargill Meat Solutions, the No. 2 US beef producer and No. 3 pork producer, closed five of its U.S. beef plants and two hog plants due to the immigration rallies. 15,000 workers were given the day off.^[58]

• Smithfield Foods of Virginia said it will take time on Monday to help employees to write to United States senators and representatives with demands for changes in immigration law, including "a path to citizenship for those who are willing to work," according to a company press release.^[59]

• Some McDonald's restuarants in Alexandria, Virginia, had signs posted on their front doors stating, "Sorry, no service today except for Drive-Thru service" due to staff shortage.

• Goya Foods, which bills itself as the nation's largest Hispanic-owned food chain, suspended delivery everywhere except Florida, saying it wanted to express solidarity with immigrants who are its primary customers.^[60]

• In Los Angeles, the 7th Street produce market, which supplies thousands of Southern California restaurants and markets, was closed for business. Many smaller businesses throughout the U.S. were also closed as a result of staff shortages or as a show of support for the boycott.

[edit] Opposition

Some Americans, particularly members and supporters of anti-illegal-immigration and immigration reduction groups, were alarmed by scenes of thousands of illegal immigrants marching through the streets and demanding laws be changed to legalize their presence in the United States. Some of these groups organized counter-demonstrations in various cities to coincide with the day's events, although they were mostly insignificant in size.^[34] Some encouraged their members to buy from American businesses to offset the economic impact of the boycott. Among them are the Southern California talk radio hosts John and Ken, who called for "The Great American Spend-a-Lot", a contest with prizes for listeners who spent the most money.^[61]

The volunteer border security Minuteman Project, which has organized citizens' patrols along the Mexican border to monitor and deter illegal immigration, hosted rallies across the country, starting on Wednesday, May 3rd in Los Angeles.^[62] They also began constructing a six-foot high barbed wire fence along the border in Arizona.^[63] According to Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist,

It's intimidation when a million people march down main streets in our major cities under the Mexican flag. This will backfire.

A new group, the 'You Don't Speak For Us' coalition, was formed in response to the boycott to challenge the notion that May 1 protesters speak on behalf of all Latinos. According to former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Pete Nunez, who is the group's spokesperson,

Millions of Hispanic-Americans -- including many who have gone through the immigration process the right way -- are offended by the demands being made by people who have broken our nation's laws.[64]

Some political commentators, such as CNN's Lou Dobbs, criticized the boycott for its promotion by groups such as the radical protest organization ANSWER, (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism). Dobbs also suggested that the choice of May Day betrays a communist affiliation on the part of the organizers, although May Day is part of the whole of the socialist tradition and not only of the later communist movement.^[65]

The Washington Post suggested that the May 2 ouster of the mayor and two councilmembers in the town of Herndon, Virginia who had suffered criticism for their support of a day-labor center was a negative reaction to the Boycott.^[66] Some Southern and Western states drew up new tougher anti-immigration laws.^[67] The Post also credited backlash from the Boycott support in the Arizona legislature for the passage of laws penalizing businesses who hire illegal immigrants and on other crimes associated with illegal immigration.^[68] Georgia has also since passed a law, which will take effect in 2007, that prophibits illegal immigrants from receiving many social services and requires police and employers to report undocumented workers to the Immigration Service.^[69]

Members of Congress received bricks in the mail, sent by concerned citizens though Send-a-brick.com, a group that encourages the construction of a security fence along the Mexico-America border. According to an editorial by conservative commentator, Cinnamon Stillwell of the San Francisco Chronicle,

The one thing the boycott did achieve was to expose the lie that the country cannot function without the labor of illegal immigrants. While some may have been inconvenienced by the experience, the economy hardly came to a grinding halt. It seems there are still some jobs Americans are willing to do.[70]

[edit] Summary

The Great American Boycott of 2006 galvanized the sentiments of millions of people living in the United States both legally and illegally and highlighted the extremely emotional issue of illegal immigration in America, motivating thousands to join demonstrations in protest of a new stricter immigration policy as well as invoking intense debate on all sides of the political spectrum.

On May 15, 2006, President Bush announced plans for the Pentagon to deploy up to 6,000 National Guard troops to help secure the Southern U.S. border.^[71]

H.R.4437 was passed by the House of Representatives on December 16, 2005 by a vote of 239 to 182.

On May 25, 2006, The U.S. Senate approved by a vote of 62-36, its own White House-backed immigration reform bill that would grant some illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship and strengthen border security. Negotiations are currently being held with the aim of meshing the Senate's new immigration bill with H.R.4437, with a resolution expected before congressional elections in November.^[72]

[edit] See also

• Immigration reform
• Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
• Immigration to the United States
• List of United States immigration legislation
• "Nuestro Himno"
• Open immigration
• United States immigration debate

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Los Angeles Photos of March & Protest - May 1, 2006
• Listings of local events
• Information on the planned rallies
• Lists of Endorsers: May 1 Immigrant Mobilization
• You Don't Speak For Me Coalition
• El Uno de Mayo by On the Fence Films
• Scattered violence mars local rallies
• Immigration Protest Turns Violent in LA