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Immigration See other Immigration Articles Title: Boycott may lack bite organizers intended Some will close businesses here Monday, but many immigrants afraid to participate Forget about getting a super burrito, flauta or fajita at any of Houston's Taquerias Arandas restaurants on Monday. ADVERTISEMENT And if you've been hankering for a new pair of work boots from the Botas Cebu store on Harwin, you'll have to wait. It'll be closed, too. In Houston and around the country, immigrants and their supporters on Monday plan to stage a national work stoppage and spending boycott aimed at showing off their economic muscle. Their aim is to get Congress to legalize more than 11 million undocumented immigrants and back off proposals to tighten immigration laws. But Monday's "Day Without an Immigrant" is unlikely to bring the economy to a grinding halt as it did in the 2004 satirical film A Day Without A Mexican, even some immigrant advocates concede. "There won't be chaos," predicted Alain Cisneros, a community organizer for ACORN, a group that works with low-income families, including immigrants. "We will see the impact on the economy, maybe not that strong, but we will see the impact of companies closing and workers not working." Organizers of the boycott say they didn't have the economic resources to get the word out to everyone they want to take part in the protest. And some immigrants are afraid to participate, still rattled over the raids earlier this month that netted 1,187 illegal immigrants in Texas and 25 other states. But organizers say that if even scattered pockets of immigrants hold back their labor and cash, if only for a day, they will boost awareness of their demands. "Even the threat of an economic boycott has forced many to think about the importance of the economic impact of immigrants," said Maria Jimenez, special projects coordinator for the Center for Central American Resources, known as CRECEN. Undocumented immigrants make up 5 percent of the U.S. labor force, with 7.2 million immigrants filling jobs as roofers, busboys and other positions, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a Washington-based research group. "America is totally dependent on the hard work and wages of these workers," said Stephen Klineberg, a Rice University sociology professor. "They are critical to the economic success of the well-being of America." In the Houston area, there are an estimated 390,000 undocumented immigrants, according to a forthcoming report that researcher Jeffrey Passel wrote for the Urban Institute, an economic and social policy research group in Washington. Many of those immigrants build homes in new subdivisions, wait tables or mow lawns. Without immigrants, jobs across the city — from Gulfton to the Galleria — would go undone, immigration experts said. "The trash cans wouldn't get picked up. The restrooms would be dirty," said Nestor Rodriguez, co-director of the University of Houston's Center for Immigration Research. "The list goes on and on." Spending money Illegal immigrants also spend money, and that contributes to the economy. Just how much they spend is difficult to measure, but it's a chunk of the estimated $736 billion Hispanics are estimated to have shelled out last year, economists say. Despite the immigrant work force's size and clout, many Houston business owners said they are not worried about Monday's work stoppage. "The show has still got to run," said Carlos Duran, manager of the Dr. Gleem Car Wash on Bellaire Boulevard, a strip lined with businesses catering to the area's growing Central American population. "We still have to wash cars." Without immigrants, Houston would not be the city it is today, Duran said as he worked the cash register one morning. Outside, several of his employees joked with one another in Spanish as they vacuumed, washed and detailed cars. Busy day for industry The head of the Austin-based Texas Nursery & Landscape Association said he doesn't know what to expect of the boycott, although a few workers for companies in Houston and Dallas have requested Monday off. While the beginning of the week can be slow in some industries, it's a busy day in the nursery and landscaping business, he said. "If you're in the retail industry, you're getting over your weekend. If you're in the landscape industry, that's a big day for you for maintenance for both residential and commercial," said Eddy Edmondson, president and chief executive officer of the 1,600-member association. "The growers just don't know, either. Right now it's the middle of the shipping industry. It could cause a hardship. They're shipping plants out from wholesale growers to the retail operations." In Texas, this industry of planting, pruning and maintaining greenery such as azaleas and other plants, trees and shrubs totaled $9.8 billion in 2002, according to the association. A lot to lose for workers Like many industries that employ immigrants, the association's members favor a guest worker program that would help them fill jobs. Because many immigrants live paycheck to paycheck, some are predicting workers won't want to risk losing their jobs. "So many of these people need the money, and they can't afford not to work for a day," said Dennis Nixon, chairman of International Bancshares Corp., parent company of IBC Bank, which operates more than 20 branches in Houston and about 90 along the predominantly Hispanic U.S. border region. Many janitors are expected to attend the rallies and still show up for work, because they clean the city's office buildings at night, said Lynda Tran, spokeswoman for the Service Employees International Union's Justice for Janitors campaign. Guatemalan day laborers Israel Morales and Jose Masariegos said they plan to attend a Monday rally because they have nothing else to do. "I don't have a stable job," said Masariegos, 42, as he waited near U.S. 59 in southwest Houston in hopes of a contractor hiring him for the day. But as he leaned against a chain-link fence, he said he was not aware of Monday's boycott of businesses. Supporting protesters Some immigrant business owners are predicting the boycott will cut into their sales, so some restaurants, retailers and small construction companies will shutter their doors Monday. Mexican restaurant Doneraki will close its four locations after lunch on Monday so its 260 employees can participate in rallies. Monday evenings are often slow at the restaurants. "My employees are very happy that we're supporting them," Doneraki owner Cesar Rodriguez said. Houston's Arandas Franchises will close all 35 of its taquerias, two seafood restaurants and four bakeries on Monday, because franchise owners expect customers won't dine out that day. A company statement also said it wants "to support human rights in allowing all of our employees to express themselves." The company, started in 1981 by Mexican immigrant Jose Camarena, employs 1,500 people. Botas Cebu, which sells work boots made in Mexico's shoe capital of Leon, will close to let its seven workers participate in rallies. "In reality, one day won't have an effect on the U.S. economy," said Jose Luis Rodriguez, a Mexican immigrant and the president of Botas Cebu. But Congress will "notice that we exist." jenalia.moreno@chron.com
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 25.
#23. To: Zipporah (#0)
Let's have a day without Americans and see how everything goes..
You know if Americans would do that.. boycott for a day or so ..no purchases no work.. you'd see things change but most would never do it.. unfortunately.
It would only take a 3 day general strike to make Wal-Mart close its doors. They could NEVER stand the cash flow crunch and would lose millions on perishables like produce and meat. If the whole country got the BLUE FLU for three days, Bush would be out on his ear the next week. The corporations would be howling mad that Bush could not keep it from happening. Just think of the fuel savings if everyone stayed home. The oil companies would be wallowing in excess fuel.
#26. To: BTP Holdings (#25)
Then WTF are we waiting for..
Ooops, I wanted to PING you also.
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