MEXICO CITY – “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 U.S. 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,” the message said.
Promoted by some of the same groups that have organized massive immigrant marches in cities across the United States, the protest – also dubbed “A Day Without Immigrants” – comes as Congress debates immigration bills proposing everything from toughened border security to the legalization of the estimated 11 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.
“We are not going to be buying any products from the United States on May 1,” said Lolita Parkinson, national coordinator for the National Board of State Offices on Attention for Migrants, which represents state government-run migrant aid offices.
For some, the boycott was fueled not just by debate on the immigration bill but by long-standing resentment over the perceived mistreatment of Mexicans in the United States.
“We want to show the power we have as Mexicans,” said Carlos Chavez y Pacho, vice president of the chamber of commerce in Piedras Negras, across from Eagle Pass, Texas. Chavez y Pacho is also urging Mexicans not to shop in U.S. border cities on May 1, in part to protest what he calls arrogant behavior by U.S. customs officials and border officers.
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