MEXICO CITY (By Mark Stevenson,
Associated Press) April 15, 2006 "Nothing gringo," warns the rallying
cry of Mexican activists calling for a boycott of all U.S. businesses
south of the border on May 1.
The campaign, aimed at pressuring Congress to legalize undocumented
migrants, was timed to coincide with the "Great American Boycott," in
which activists are urging migrants in the United States to skip work
and avoid spending money to demonstrate their importance to the U.S.
economy.
The Mexican boycott was being promoted on Web sites and through e-email
messages, one of which warns that "people shouldn't buy anything from
the interminable list of American businesses in Mexico."
"That means no Dunkin' Donuts, no
McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, Sears, Krispy Kreme or Wal-Mart."
Promoted by some of the same groups that organized massive immigrant
marches across the United States, the protest, also dubbed A Day Without
Immigrants, comes as Congress debates immigration bills proposing such
things as toughened border security and the legalization of all 11
million to 12 million undocumented migrants in America.
Mexican unions, political and community groups, newspaper columnists and
even some Mexican government offices have joined the call for a parallel
boycott of U.S. businesses in Mexico.
For some, it's a way to express anti-U.S. sentiment, while others see it
as part of a cross-border, Mexican-power lobby.
Advocates occasionally missed their mark in identifying boycott targets.
For example, they incorrectly identified Sears stores in Mexico as
American-owned even though Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has owned the
Sears Mexico operation since 1997.
And in an ironic twist, the protest targets the U.S. business community,
one of the strongest supporters of legalization or guest-worker
programs.
"Boycotting would only hurt corporations that are backing what people
want done in the immigration bill," said Larry Rubin, chief executive of
the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico.
In place of a boycott, Rubin encouraged Mexicans who have relatives in
the States to urge family members to write to their lawmakers in support
of comprehensive immigration reform.
Some organizers of the U.S. rallies have told people not to risk their
jobs or education after some workers and students were fired or cited
for truancy. But many others say marchers want to make the sacrifice to
show the importance of immigration reform.
Roberto Vigil, who works in the Mexico City office of the
California-based immigrants rights group Hermandad Mexicana, said his
group has asked some of Mexico's largest labor unions to back the
protest in Mexico.
Elias Bermudez, president of the Phoenix-based Immigrants Without
Borders, also actively promoted the boycott in interviews with Mexican
radio and television stations.
Mexican groups were responding.
Pablo Gonzalez, spokesman for one of Mexico's largest labor unions, the
Federation of Revolutionary Workers and Farmers, said his organization
will support a boycott against "at least four of the most important U.S.
firms, among them Wal-Mart," Mexico's largest retailer.
Two other major labor groups, the telephone workers and auto workers
unions, also were expected to join, Vigil said.
Even parts of the Mexican government have signed on to the protest.
