Groups Call for 'A Day Without an Immigrant'

[[Selene Rivera]]/[[Eastern Group Publications]]/[[April 15, 2006]]/ link

Activists with the March 25th Coalition, organizers of the massive immigration rights protest which took place in Los Angeles two weeks ago, are now calling for an economic boycott to take place next month. (note: May 1 marches)

Organizers are asking the public to stay home from work, keep their kids out of school and to refrain from shopping or purchasing anything on May 1st - International Workers' Day.

"It will be a day without immigrants," said [[Javier Rodriguez]], one of the main organizers of both the protest rally and the proposed boycott.

"The arguments against (the immigrant community) claim we abuse the economy of this country... And if this is in fact the case, then that day we will see a resurgence of the economy," said Rodriguez...

Makes perfect economic sense...

..."people are ready for the boycott... to use their power as consumers and to send a message to the Senate and the Minutemen, and whatever other anti-immigrant group, that we will no longer tolerate their attacks,' said Jesse Diaz, another of the main organizers of the March 25th march and the protest movement being waged in Southern California against the measure authored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, H.R. 4437.

...Juan Jose Gutierrez, director of [[Latino Movement USA]] (in English) said the boycott is not limited to just Latinos in the U.S., but also those in other countries.

Gutierrez called on people living on other countries to not buy American products and to not cross the U.S.- Mexico border on May 1st to make purchases.

The boycott coalition, which also includes Hermandad Mexicana, CHIRLA, Amigos de Orange (Friends of Orange), and [[MEChA]], among others, broadcast the boycott during the nation wide demonstrations that took place on April 10.

The MEChA support probably refers to one or more of their chapters.