Protest of immigration raids slowly takes shape

RENO -- Backers of an appeal to Hispanic workers to begin a three-day boycott of businesses in protest of immigration raids last week say their effort is off to a slow start.

Organizer Gilbert Cortez said it would continue, however, and end with a march on Wednesday to the federal courthouse south of downtown Reno.

"I know it's very short notice, but we have to do this while it's hot," said Cortez, president of Casa Latina Centro de Informacion. "It really doesn't matter whether it's 20,000 or 20 (participants)."

On Thursday, 54 suspected illegal workers were arrested after raids at 11 McDonald's restaurants.

While members of the Hispanic community voiced concern about tactics used by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement that split families, they said refusing to work or purchase anything for three days was not the solution.

"We cannot in good conscience encourage the employees to hurt the local economy, which we feel a boycott would do," said Maury Centeno-Heslop, director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "And the impact of a three-day boycott may even force some small businesses to close."

Although it is not part of the organization's mission, Centeno-Heslop said she has asked the board to help families affected by the raids.

"I don't agree about breaking the law. But I don't agree about breaking up the families. It broke me down. What are those kids going to do?"

Diana Miranda, who runs the Bertha Miranda restaurant with her mother, said she leads with the model for "hard work, commitment and community."

"The people can't stop going to work," Miranda said. "None of them have called and said they weren't coming. My community has been good to me, and I am going to continue to be good to them."

Ireri Rivas, an organizer at the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said becoming more involved in the community would be more effective than boycotting.

"I really think a boycott or walkout is not going to be an effect," she said. "It's not going to help promote our community. That's not achieving anything positive."

Juana Gomez has three daughters and is paid $10 an hour working the overnight shift at a gas station after the party store she owned went out of business.

Gomez said she empathizes with those who were arrested and remembers a time when she arrived in the United States illegally. "It's a lot of Latinos working here so hard to try to have a better life," she said. "Thank God I'm legal."