Schools, businesses feel impact as students, workers walk out
Monday, May 1, 2006; Posted: 5:35 p.m. EDT (21:35 GMT)
CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Huge crowds of immigrants and their supporters packed city streets across the country Monday while leaving businesses and schools empty on what organizers said would be a nationwide "Day Without Immigrants."
From Florida to Chicago, New York to Los Angeles, hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated peacefully to protest Congress' attempts to toughen immigration laws.
Television pictures from Los Angeles and the town of Homestead near Miami showed turnout in the thousands, many people wearing white shirts as requested by organizers.
"We are the backbone of what America is, legal or illegal, it doesn't matter," Melanie Lugo, who with her husband and their third-grade daughter was among thousands attending a rally in Denver, Colorado, told The Associated Press.
"We butter each other's bread. They need us as much as we need them," she said.
Some 300,000 people marched through Chicago's business district, according to official estimates, many carrying flags and signs.
"We're not terrorists," one read.
"We build your homes," said another.
In New York, some workers walked off the job at 12:16 p.m. to symbolize December 12 -- the day a controversial bill sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill, which stalled in the Senate, would make felons of the illegal immigrants and calls for new walls on 700 miles of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.
Farmworkers in California also downed tools, said officials from the United Farm Workers union.
The call to not work, not go to school, not go shopping was heard in many other cities too.
Diners heading to the Top of the Hill restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, were greeted by closed doors and a banner reading, "Todos somos Immigrantes! We are all Immigrants."
Proprietor Scott Maitland estimated he was likely to lose $12,000 in sales but said immigrants were an important part of his staff and society as a whole: "Our willingness to open up makes us American."
School officials in Washington, D.C., and Chicago reported higher than usual absences. Chicago schools with high numbers of Latino students were mostly empty, officials said.
In San Diego, California, Benita Olmedo told the AP she had pulled her 11-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son from school to join a march there.
"I want my children to know their mother is not a criminal," said the nanny who told the AP she came here illegally in 1986 from Mexico. "I want them to be as strong I am. This shows our strength."
The message of the day spread beyond the U.S., with some Mexicans planning to call for a boycott of American businesses in Mexico City as part of the May Day celebration there.
In Washington, a coalition of Hispanic-American groups held a news conference to stress that the protesters do not represent all immigrants.
"We understand the importance, contribution immigrants have made to the economy and the industry of this great nation," said retired Col. Albert F. Rodriguez, a veteran of World War II and the Vietnam War.
"But the difference is that we and millions of others like us did it legally. We're all here today to tell all those illegal protesters, 'You do not speak for me.' "
About 7.2 million illegal immigrants hold jobs in the United States, making up 4.9 percent of the overall labor force, according to a recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C.
Undocumented workers make up 24 percent of farmworkers and hold 14 percent of construction jobs, the study found.
Other estimates put the number of illegal immigrants in the United States at more than 11 million.
Political division
The immigration debate has split Republicans as midterm elections approach.
President Bush, taking pains to woo Latino voters to the GOP, has called for a guest-worker program and a way to legalize the status of people in the United States illegally.
A bipartisan measure backed by Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, would include the proposals Bush has advanced.
Critics have denounced any legalization plan as "amnesty" and vowed to oppose it.
A compromise Senate bill backed by Republican Sens. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Mel Martinez of Florida would make the legalization process tougher for illegal immigrants who have been in the country less than five years. That bill also has stalled.
CNN's Ines Ferre, Lydia Garlikov, Keith Oppenheim, Scott Spoerry, Kristi Keck and Harris Whitbeck contributed to this report.
Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Lawless said this in post #1 : "We're not terrorists," one read.
"We build your homes," said another.
You know, THIS upsets me! I'm born, and raised, in America. I'm a full time worker, who has been working since before I was 16 years old (though part time as a teen, still in high school), and I've ALWAYS paid my taxes. Yet, I don't get the right to marry my partner. Now, we have people that are ILLEGAL in this country, and they want rights! Well, guess what? I want rights too... and I live here, legally. I'm not a terrorist... and I've done things to help out America, with my jobs. So, I will be one very pissed off AMERICAN CITIZEN if this display of 'power' grants them anything... and let me say, I'm far from being the only one who feels such a thing.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
I don't get it. These people have tons of energy and they have the huge numbers to get attention. How come they don't use that energy and numbers to protest in their own country? How come they don't demand that Mexico resolve some of its problems so that they can have a decent life there? Is that an oversimplification of the situation? It probably is. Just a thought.
My view is simple, ALL illegals need to be shipped back to their country. Doesn't matter where they are from. I would like to go to Japan and live for awhile, if i do it illegally they would put me in a box, label it, and airmail me back to the U.S.
If i wanted to live in Mexico illegally, they would either shot me, or put me in jail. Did you know that those crossing into Mexico's Southern boarder illegally are shot on sight?
There is, in tulsa oklahoma, Several areas that have been shut down due to illegals living in the areas. There is one area so bad its called "Little mexico" and someone is shot or found dead there every couple days.
In Liberty NC, there is a section of town that is now so over run by illegal Mexicans (nothing against legals here lets get that straight), that certain areas have no other races in the shopping centers. My sisters property value has actually DECREASED by 38% since illegals have moved in by stampede.
One thing is for certain, illegals need to learn English. They refuse to though. I see interviews on TV with people that claim they have lived in America for years yet the interview is in Spanish.
There is no reason I should have to learn spanish. i speak English. i do not live in mexico, therefor i do not speak Mexican - its commonsense.
Remove all the Spanish options and that would force them to learn English. As of right now, they have no reason to learn English because we accommodate them with Spanish options at the bank, with the power company, at some stores, with the cable company.
Now i do speak Japanese. I would like to have signs in Japanese at the bank, on the road way, option 3 for the power company, why don't we have Korean options too? Or French, or German? Because these people normally LEARN English - or at least enough to get by.
doko ga nihongo no shusha desu ka.
where are my japanese options?
We have had a HUGE fire, burning in San Diego county, since last Sunday. It's burned like 17,000 acres, and we have like 1500 fire fighters, from all over, battling this blaze.
Guess who started it? Illegal migrants.... didn't put out their camp fire. But, their camp site was found, and this is where it started from.
PISSES ME OFF! I'm all for people living wherever the hell they want... as long as it's LEGAL!
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
If our government wants to print so much stuff in spanish how about some signs in spanish at every state line telling illegal immigrants to GO HOME! In our state they got a sign every 50 feet telling you to buckle up but nobody puts up a sign saying it's against the law to hire illegal immigrants even though it is. I guess it's what's more important.
Lawless said this in post #8 : We have had a HUGE fire, burning in San Diego county, since last Sunday. It's burned like 17,000 acres, and we have like 1500 fire fighters, from all over, battling this blaze.
Guess who started it? Illegal migrants.... didn't put out their camp fire. But, their camp site was found, and this is where it started from.
PISSES ME OFF! I'm all for people living wherever the hell they want... as long as it's LEGAL!
Didn't know that.
They must have needed a big fire for their big bong, and a distraction from the boarder to help more illegals hide from the kitchen light. lol j/k
The Writer said this in post #9 : If our government wants to print so much stuff in spanish how about some signs in spanish at every state line telling illegal immigrants to GO HOME! In our state they got a sign every 50 feet telling you to buckle up but nobody puts up a sign saying it's against the law to hire illegal immigrants even though it is. I guess it's what's more important.
I thought they had a big sign at 50 feet intervals on the boarder fence that said
"Illegals, Welcome to america! Your journey must have been hard. You may now protest being illegal and try to conform our laws to your wishes. You may also work illegally, take our jobs, run our businesses under, degrade our property values, increase our already high crime rate,lower work wages through your cheap labor, and force the majority to learn mexican language as there is no reason for YOU to learn English. God bless you."
Least that's what people seem to want to see. Specially those that protested for immigrant reform.
When they did that one day boycott where they didn't buy anything to show us how much america needed illegals the only businesses it affected was mexican. all other businesses did the same amount they always did. didn't have any other affect.
It is clear that most of you have a limited conception of history, a lack of understanding as to how economic changes are related to immigrant labor, and most of you make ridiculous inferences based on pseudo-factual infomation.
(1). If we trace the lineage of everyone in this forum, some one in your family was an immigrant. The only true Americans are American Indians (look at any history book to verify this claim). So that person that speaks Japanese should be reurned to their true country of origin.
(2). If we trace the migratory patterns of anyone in this forum, someone crossed some border illegally. The fact of the matter is that most immigration laws were lax in the early 1920s and 1940s as opposed to today, making it easier to cross the border and remain in the U.S.
(3). Many of you make ludicrous claims about immigrants. How does being immigrant or illegal lead to fire starting? What about all the fires that legals have caused in the U.S. In the 1800s, White natives inadvertedly started the Chicago fire (burning the entire city). Did being a native White start the fire? Again, silly assumptions.
(4). There is no evidence that immigrants cause more crime than natives of any sort. Look at the ecological studies back to Shaw and Mckay (1942) Social Disorganization Theory.
(5). Simple theory of capitalism indicates that for all of you to get inexpensive services or products, the labor cost associated must be low. The truth of the matter is that for you to pay a low price at a restaurant, obtain a descent price on clothing, or obtain any other service, the price is contingent on how much it costs to produce such product or service. If you all want to pay a great deal, then get rid of immigrants. They are doing us all a favor. These are simple economics.
(6). Most people in Europe speak four to five languages. Why should Americans be the only ignorant ones to only speak English?
(7). Protests take time to see their effect. Ghandi did not change British oppression in one day. The economic, social, and political effect of that one day of protest and the marches will not be seen for many months to come.
Last edited by HECK! on 08-01-2006 at 08:59 PM | Reason For Edit: Double post removed -HECK!
lacheezer said this in post #13 : It is clear that most of you have a limited conception of history, a lack of understanding as to how economic changes are related to immigrant labor, and most of you make ridiculous inferences based on pseudo-factual infomation.
hmmm, history. Lets see..... I've had.... how many years of ancient to current history classes.... 15 years of history classes, do not tell me what i do or do not know.
quote:
lacheezer said this in post #13 :
(3). Many of you make ludicrous claims about immigrants. How does being immigrant or illegal lead to fire starting? What about all the fires that legals have caused in the U.S. In the 1800s, White natives inadvertedly started the Chicago fire (burning the entire city). Did being a native White start the fire? Again, silly assumptions.
I do not know if it was illegals that started the fire, but the joke was funny as hell. besides here you are again saying immigrants - we said illegals NOT immigrants in general read more carefully.
quote:
lacheezer said this in post #13 :
(4). There is no evidence that immigrants cause more crime than natives of any sort. Look at the ecological studies back to Shaw and Mckay (1942) Social Disorganization Theory.
Don't need too - its too old to account for what i'm speaking of for the year 2000.
Also, proven where i live, illegals and wanna-be-gang bangers are, fact - little over 60% cause of crime in my city. Do i think that's all that cause crime, of course not.
quote:
lacheezer said this in post #13 :
(5). Simple theory of capitalism indicates that for all of you to get inexpensive services or products, the labor cost associated must be low. The truth of the matter is that for you to pay a low price at a restaurant, obtain a descent price on clothing, or obtain any other service, the price is contingent on how much it costs to produce such product or service. If you all want to pay a great deal, then get rid of immigrants. They are doing us all a favor. These are simple economics.
this is true but only to a small %.
Your going on that create this change, no, and no. Workers IN china and india did this by creating cheaper parts in a different country. At least not in todays economy.
quote:
lacheezer said this in post #13 :
(6). Most people in Europe speak four to five languages. Why should Americans be the only ignorant ones to only speak English?
I speak 4 and i'm an american. What i speak is not your concern. how many do you speak?
Half of what was said in this thread went over your head my friend. No one here is AGAINST immigration which it appears you think we are. Not sure why, because everyone has pretty much stated there is not an issue there of - its the fact that they want to do it illegally. Like i said.
i want to live in japan for a while. can i just go there and get a job without a visa? without any id? if i did it illegally they would put me in jail.
in mexico, illegally sometimes means you get shot.
While we might ALL have ancestors that immigrated to America... well, not the point. I don't care if people immigrate to America. I care if they come here, illegally, and stay here. That pisses me off... and many others too. Living on the border of Mexico, it's a real problem.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
05-01-2006 10:33 PM
They knew what was up!
