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CA: Hispanic advocacy groups call for statewide boycott Friday (Barf Alert- MAPA/CHIR sponsored)
Bakersfield Californian ^ | 12/11/03 | Deborah Kong - AP

Posted on 12/11/2003 10:50:58 AM PST by NormsRevenge

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Advocates are asking Hispanics throughout the state to flex their economic muscle Friday by refusing to go to work, school or stores.

The planned statewide boycott, organized by two Southern California advocacy groups, is a response to last week's repeal of a law that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses.

"Latino and immigrant communities don't have to roll over," said Edward Headington, a spokesman for the Mexican American Political Association, one of the organizers of the boycott. "It's saying that there is strength in numbers."

At 11.9 million, Hispanics make up about a third of the state's population. California, home to the nation's largest Hispanic community, has been the scene of a series of divisive battles over immigration.

Headington said he did not know how many would participate in Friday's boycotts, but acknowledged its effects would be felt individually, business by business. "It's not like shutting down the 101" freeway, he said.

Organizers have distributed at least 350,000 fliers during the past month urging people to join the boycott, Headington said. Spanish-language television stations also have aired several stories on it.

Victor Jimenez, the manager of a Redwood City construction equipment rental company, plans to stay home from work Friday, and he's asked the company's 150 other employees to join him.

"I told them not to buy anything, not to go to the movies, not to put gas, not to deposit money in the bank," said Jimenez, who is Mexican-American.

"The state of California is so powerful, it's strong, but the Hispanic community, it's supporting that because we're buying, we're working."

But some have expressed reservations about the boycott. Xavier Reyes, communications and education director at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles said his group supports the idea of the boycott, but is worried about workers.

"Our concern is the folks that are going to leave their jobs and may not be able to come back to their jobs. There's basically no safety net for those people," Reyes said.

Reyes said he's unsure what impact the boycotts will have.

"If we had a population that was totally homogeneous, there might be some significant showing," he said. But "we're not one homogeneous group that's marching in the same direction every time."

Still, the boycott may "underscore the important contributions of Latino immigrants to the well-being of the state," said Hector Villagra, regional counsel of the Los Angeles-based Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a national advocacy group that is among others who have pledged their support.

"There's probably no better way to do that, to show that significance, than through their absence that day," Villagra said.

The boycott, scheduled for the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint, also will remind legislators that the driver's license issue has not been forgotten, Headington said. It's a matter of "respect and dignity for people who are hardworking and responsible and who need a license to drive to work, to drive their kids to school and to go shopping," he said.

The driver's license law was passed by the Legislature in September and signed by then-Gov. Gray Davis, fueling criticism he was pandering to Hispanic voters.

Fulfilling a major campaign promise, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger repealed the law last week. He has said he wants a "whole new package" that includes more safeguards and background checks on applicants. But many Republicans vowed they will oppose any bill that allows residents living illegally in California to get a driver's license.

Sen. Gilbert Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, the previous bill's author, said he supports Friday's boycotts.

The economic strike also is intended to denounce a bill being considered by Congress that would allow state and local law enforcement officers to arrest suspected illegal immigrants, Headington said. It's also in response to an effort to resurrect a state constitutional amendment similar to Proposition. 187, the 1994 initiative that sought to deny public education, health care and social services to illegal immigrants.

Proposition. 187 was challenged in court and never took effect, but its backers are trying to place an initiative to deny illegal immigrants public benefits and prevent them from getting driver's licenses on the November ballot.

Doing so would remove a "welcome mat" for illegal immigrants, said Barbara Coe, whose group, the California Coalition for Immigration Reform, is co-sponsoring the initiative. Allowing illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses is "a free pass" that could allow terrorists and other criminals into the state, she said.

As for the boycott, "loyal Americans of Hispanic heritage ... are obviously not going to comply," Coe said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: advocacygroups; aliens; calgov2002; ccir; chir; culturewar; deport; deportnow; getout; hispanic; illegalnotimmigrant; illegals; invasion; lawbreakers; maldef; mapa; mexicans; mexifornia; multiculturalism; plunder; statewideboycott; thewelfarestate; welfarestate
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1 posted on 12/11/2003 10:51:02 AM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge
And I call for all illegals to leave for their countries of origin on that day as well.

We have some folks on welfare that we need to get working.
2 posted on 12/11/2003 10:52:03 AM PST by Bikers4Bush
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To: *calgov2002
FRiday,, If your lawn doesn't get mowed or your house cleaned, you'll know why. ;-|
3 posted on 12/11/2003 10:52:37 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Want to help Support Our Troops .. For some ideas, check out my profile. Thanks!)
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To: Bikers4Bush
Yes! How about a statewide deportation?
4 posted on 12/11/2003 10:55:04 AM PST by Lee Heggy ("Never tell a lie--except for practice." M. Twain)
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To: NormsRevenge
The boycott, scheduled for the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint"

Isn't it ironic that one of the left's poster-child groups is basing their protests on religious (non-muslim) holidays?
5 posted on 12/11/2003 10:55:13 AM PST by jtminton (2Timothy 4:2)
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To: jtminton
basing=staging

oops
6 posted on 12/11/2003 10:55:47 AM PST by jtminton (2Timothy 4:2)
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But some have expressed reservations about the boycott. Xavier Reyes, communications and education director at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles said his group supports the idea of the boycott, but is worried about workers.

"Our concern is the folks that are going to leave their jobs and may not be able to come back to their jobs. There's basically no safety net for those people," Reyes said.


That doesn't stop certain other folks in black hoods and certain unwashed, smelly folks from doing their thing, now does it? (OOPs, That's right. Most if not all of them don't have jobs anyway.)

7 posted on 12/11/2003 10:57:11 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Want to help Support Our Troops .. For some ideas, check out my profile. Thanks!)
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To: Bikers4Bush
Edward Headington, a spokesman for the Mexican American Political Association.....

What part of Mexico is he from, Great-o Britain-o?
8 posted on 12/11/2003 10:58:49 AM PST by LieFreeGov
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To: NormsRevenge
As for the boycott, "loyal Americans of Hispanic heritage ... are obviously not going to comply," Coe said.

Love to see the people that didn't show up get a pink slip the next day.

9 posted on 12/11/2003 11:04:13 AM PST by Digger
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To: NormsRevenge
"by refusing to go to work, school or stores"

I can understand not going to work or school... But the store, ¡NO COÑO, es Viernes y no tengo cervezas!.

BTW, I thought that most of us didn't go to work anyway!!!! (I AM OF HISPANIC DESCENT AND JOKING OK, SO DON'T BITE MY HEAD OFF!)
10 posted on 12/11/2003 11:09:24 AM PST by Ed_NYC
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To: NormsRevenge
&$@# Hispanistas!
11 posted on 12/11/2003 11:13:56 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Are you pondering what I'm pondering?)
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To: NormsRevenge
Looks like I'll have WalMart all to myself tomorrow...
12 posted on 12/11/2003 11:14:17 AM PST by ErnBatavia (Taglineus Interruptus)
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To: NormsRevenge
Not a very well thought-out plan.

RD
13 posted on 12/11/2003 11:17:13 AM PST by reagandemocrat (Death to Aztlan)
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To: NormsRevenge
These guys are smoking too much whatever is coming up illegally from Mexico.

Actually, I hope several thousand illegal aliens in our area don't go to school for the rest of the year and next year. Each day they miss, means less of our tax $'s going to the schools to promote this cr$p. The schools get so much per student who is in class.
14 posted on 12/11/2003 11:33:16 AM PST by Grampa Dave (There is no such thing as "Undocumented Immigrants"! There are only illegal aliens!)
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To: NormsRevenge
Are the illegals boycotting the California Lottery, also?
Now is the time to buy lotto tickets !
15 posted on 12/11/2003 11:33:39 AM PST by GHCubana
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To: NormsRevenge
Norm, I have it from a reliable but undisclosed source, that the illegal alien shown below will not be working, shopping, marching or doing anything this Friday.


16 posted on 12/11/2003 11:37:10 AM PST by Grampa Dave (There is no such thing as "Undocumented Immigrants"! There are only illegal aliens!)
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To: NormsRevenge
"Hispanic advocacy groups call for statewide boycott Friday"
(Barf Alert- MAPA/CHIR sponsored)


Saturday 12-13-03:
Budweiser reports records sales of tall cans on 12-12-03.

September 2004:
Los Angeles reports record number of births to "undocumented citizens" in the month of Sept 04.
17 posted on 12/11/2003 11:40:07 AM PST by Ribeye (Protective head wear courtesy of Reynolds Aluminum Products)
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To: NormsRevenge
There was a great quote about the boycott from a PLF attorney.

Ironically, illegal aliens, by staying home, would be obeying the law, since they're not supposed to be working anyway.
18 posted on 12/11/2003 11:40:08 AM PST by TheAngryClam (Don't blame me, I voted for McClintock.)
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To: Grampa Dave
If I looked anything like that, I would stay out da malls, for darn shur! ;-)
19 posted on 12/11/2003 11:40:23 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Want to help Support Our Troops .. For some ideas, check out my profile. Thanks!)
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To: Ribeye
LMAO .. Thanks!

I used to work with a paving crew in LA a long time ago and we only drank 12 oz'ers cuz we only had short breaks. ;-)
20 posted on 12/11/2003 11:42:39 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Want to help Support Our Troops .. For some ideas, check out my profile. Thanks!)
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