Walkout spotlights the need for immigrants
Marjorie Cortez
"They're protesting themselves," the manager said, seemingly oblivious to the blue ribbon pinned to the worker's uniform to signify unity to the cause of undocumented workers.
The manager didn't get it. Illegal immigrants in Utah weren't boycotting their own businesses on Monday. Rather, a good many stayed home from work and school — against the wishes of protest organizers — to flex their political muscles. The nationwide protests were intended to demonstrate their contributions to the work force and to urge Congress to pass workable immigration reform.
Many people went to work because they feared they would be fired. At the car wash, where I stopped on my way back to the office, the receptionist told me only two of their workers didn't come to work. "Most of our guys have families. They're not going to lose their jobs for this."
Or better yet, give employees a day off with pay, as some restaurateurs and other Utah businesses have done. These employers clearly appreciate their employees' contributions to the bottom line. Some went so far to say they consider their employees to be "family." These employers didn't reward bad behavior. Rather, they have a broader understanding what the immigration debate means to their workers and their families.
But it all depends on one's perspective.
When adults walk off the job, they do so understanding there are consequences. It's less clear whether students who skipped school on Monday did so because they want common-sense immigration reform or if they were lured from their studies by the perfect spring weather. Some Salt Lake schools reported absenteeism between 20 percent and 50 percent. Their absence is more troubling because many protesters say they want to become American citizens because this is the land of opportunity. When the larger community sees significant numbers of Latinos squandering their educations — for even a day — the message rings hollow.
The point is, there's an art to protest. Singing the American national anthem in Spanish is a public relations loser. Likewise for carrying huge numbers of Mexican flags during protests. Talk about mixed messages. As for the latter, there were notably fewer Mexican flags displayed during the downtown march up State Street to the state Capitol on April 9, which drew some 25,000 people, according to police estimates. There was nary an incident, which is remarkable given the numbers of people and the emotion of this issue. The march was a powerful statement.
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