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A few years ago the Midwestern People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference (MWPOC) hosted its first retreat in Sedona, Arizona. It was beautiful. In addition, at around the same time, I visited the north rim of the Grand Canyon, with my entire family. Amazing!
Today, I call on everyone to BOYCOTT Arizona. I will not spend a dime in Arizona until their new anti-Latino law is repealed.
Let me explain why. It is very simple. I read the new anti-Latino law that GOP Governor Jan Brewer just signed. As an attorney and law professor who graduated law school in 1986, I would never feel free from the possibility of extended incarceration in Arizona without keeping my passport on my person 24/7. I also have a family. I would never permit anyone of my family members to go to Arizona because without their passport they cannot be assured they will not be detained.
They can keep you incarcerated until they hear back from the U.S. government. Under the Act, whenever a law enforcement officer has "reasonable suspicion" that the person "is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person. The person's immigration status shall be verified with the federal government pursuant to 8 United States code section 1373(c)." No state official may interfere with this procedure. So, as I read the Act you either file a writ of Habeas Corpus in federal court or wait for the federal government to verify your status.
I would just as soon go visit Europe, where I can forget my passport in the hotel without facing extended detention.
So, Arizonans, there is zero chance I will ever spend a dime in your state until you repeal the law that require my family and I to have our "papers" in order to avoid detention. This is a rational reaction to your ridiculous new anti-Latino law. I urge all Latinos ( all 50 million) to BOYCOTT Arizona. I also urge all other people of color to similarly BOYCOTT Arizona. Further I call on all Libertarians and others who claim to love freedom to also BOYCOTT Arizona. A threat to anyone's freedom is a threat to everyone's freedom. Or, perhaps you should consider the plight of Pastor Martin Niemöller.
Anyone who remembers the science fiction cult film They Live! will appreciate that Jan Brewer viewed through special glasses is the real "alien" here. SALT is working on an organizational economic boycott of the State of Arizona and will have more to report soon. As I posted on my facebook page, I have a "reasonable suspicion" that Jan Brewer is an idiot.
ReplyDeleteI also plan to boycott these Arizona based companies:
ReplyDeleteApollo Group (University of Phoenix). Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
Cold Stone Creamery. Headquarters: Scottsdale, Arizona
Discount Tire Company. Headquarters: Scottsdale, Arizona
Go Daddy. Headquarters: Scottsdale, Arizona
Mesa Air Group (Mesa Airlines, Go!, Freedom Airlines). Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
P. F. Chang's China Bistro. Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
PetSmart. Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
U-Haul. Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
US Airways. Headquarters: Tempe, Arizona
This is exactly the sort of events that this grup should follow and address. The next phase hopefully i t have some of us address thesematters in Op-eds, and news programs. Steve and Steve, if one of you would like to start a draft letter to the editor or something like it, I will be happy to help.
ReplyDeleteEdiberto Roman
Also boycott the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. The owner is a Republican. Tell friends and relatives to avoid the following games:
ReplyDeleteArizona plays in Colorado on April 26th, 27th and 28th. And again on May 25th, 26th and 27th.
The play in Houston on May 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th.
They play in Los Angeles on May 10th, 11th 12th and 31st.
They play in Florida on May 17th and 18th.
They play in San Franscisco on May 19th, 20th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st.
http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=ari&m=5&y=2010
Is Crosby V. National Foreign Trade Council, 530 U.S. 363 (2000) (dealing with Burma) a helpful case for a federal challenge to this?
ReplyDeleteElena
The Crosby v. Natl Foreign Trade case is helpful. Those who challenge the AZ legislation should consider citing it in their briefs.
ReplyDeleteWe've all heard the old saying.."two heads are better than one"..
ReplyDeleteWell,IMHO forty million heads are even that much better!..(forty million being the approximate population of Latinos in the USA)..
Your suggestion of a "BOYCOTT OF RACISTZONA" movement is excellent and would prove to be an effective and potent response to the trampling of our civil and human rights in Arizona with the passage of SB 1070..
Love your practical suggestions of whom to target for a boycott..
keep the great ideas coming!!
BOYCOTT ARIZONA!!
Deveriamos, hablar a los noticieros latinos y exigirles que nos mantengan informados,de las empresas que existen en Arizona Y los productos que estas realizan ó producen.Ya que solo dramatizan la noticia ya que para ellos no hay problema o tienen miedo,a los de la radio que nos ayuden periodicos y todo medio de comunicacion que exista tenemos que apoyarnos mandandonos mensajes de texto con las empresas y productos que hay que bicotiar.
ReplyDeleteArizona can pass race base laws, pass Birthers laws and the state can continue to boycott Martin Luther King Day, well the rest of the Country can boycott the state of Arizona and spank them where it hurts them the most their pocket book. Their phony patriotism is sickening, they are just racists going by another name. We all know you are just itching to put a sheet on their head? Let’s face it the Republicans had eight years to deal with health care, immigration, climate change and financial oversight and governance and they failed. It appears that the Republican Party is only good at starting wars (two in eight years, with fat contracts to friends of Cheney/Bush) but not at winning wars as seen by the continuing line of body bags that keep coming home. The Republicans party will continue turned inward to their old fashion obstructionist party (and their Confederacy appreciation roots) because they continue to allow a small portions (but very loud portion) of their party of “birthers, baggers and blowhards” to rule their party. I will admit that this fringe is very good at playing “Follow the Leader” by listening to their dullard leaders, Beck, Hedgecock, Hannity, O’Reilly, Rush, Savage, Sarah Bailin, Orly Taitz, Victoria Jackson, Michele Bachmann and the rest of the Blowhards and acting as ill programmed robots (they have already acted against doctors that perform abortions). The Birthers and the Tea party crowd think they can scare, intimidate and force others to go along with them by comments like “This time we came unarmed”, let me tell you something not all ex-military join the fringe militia crazies who don’t pay taxes and run around with face paint in the parks playing commando, the majority are mature and understand that the world is more complicated and grey than the black and white that these simpleton make it out to be and that my friend is the point. The world is complicated and people like Hamilton, Lincoln, and Roosevelt believed that we should use government a little to increase social mobility, now it’s about dancing around the claim of government is the problem. The sainted Reagan passed the biggest tax increase in American history and as a result federal employment increased, but facts are lost when mired in mysticism and superstition. For a party that gave us Abraham Lincoln, it is tragic that the ranks are filled with too many empty suits and the crazy Birthers who have not learned that the way our courts work is that you get a competent lawyer, verifiable facts and present them to a judge, if the facts are real and not half baked internet lies, then, and only then, do you proceed to trial. The Birthers seem to be having a problem with their so called “facts”. Let’s face it no one will take the Birthers seriously until they win a case, but until then, you will continue to appear dumb, crazy or racist, or maybe all three. I heard that Orly Taitz now wants to investigate the “Republican 2009 Summer of Love” list: Assemblyman, Michael D. Duvall (CA), Senator John Ensign (NV), Senator Paul Stanley (TN), Governor Mark Stanford (SC), Board of Ed Chair, and Kristin Maguire AKA Bridget Keeney (SC), she wants to re-establish a family values party, that’s like saying that the Catholic Church cares about the welling being of children in their care, too late for that.
ReplyDeleteAll united and with blink Fait in the divine providence we are to overpass this embarrasing incident against Latinos race in America. We all have to make a strong statement that North America has been founded and built by Inmmigrants. We have to stand strong to honor the hard work and legacy of great leaders like Martin Luther King, JF John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X,Abraham Lincon, Harriet Tubman;Nat Turner;Sojourner Truth and many other who vision a world of iguality and respect for all humanity.
ReplyDeleteWe should not allow an small cell of prejudice people to change the history of this country and make us to go backwards. we must not allow one state to change the constitution and to violate the human and civil's rights. we have to press hard the govermnet to make a new reford to stop the proliferation of discremination and heat amount brothers and sisters of this world. We have to united in an univoice for the liberties and respect for all. thank you
NJ Voice
ReplyDeletethe Boycott is a pacific and great response to the wrong legislation which violage the human and civl right of all people in Arizona and other states which are thingking of coping this legislation. Immigrants and not immigrants are going to be effected by this prejudice legislation which promotes fear, division and segregation....On an infinity universe it is sad to see people with limited way of thingking....All Latinos should leave this state just to make a precedent. if we are not welcome on this state then, our money it is not needed too. we can go to the places when other people are not to narrow in their way of thingking...Arizona's legislators if you knew better, you will not do this mistake...you do not own USA and you are not an isolated state... you are part of the nation and you cannot go against the constitution of this wonderful country... It is good to know that their is more good people that bad ones...
Wow, um... For those of us who are hispanic and live in Arizona, how the hell would boycotting stores affect the Government?
ReplyDelete"I also plan to boycott these Arizona based companies:
Apollo Group (University of Phoenix). Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
Cold Stone Creamery. Headquarters: Scottsdale, Arizona
Discount Tire Company. Headquarters: Scottsdale, Arizona
Go Daddy. Headquarters: Scottsdale, Arizona
Mesa Air Group (Mesa Airlines, Go!, Freedom Airlines). Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
P. F. Chang's China Bistro. Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
PetSmart. Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
U-Haul. Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
US Airways. Headquarters: Tempe, Arizona "
You want me to boycott coldstone creamery because...It will hurt the ice-cream industry?
That's silly and it makes no sense. None of these affect Arizona' revenues all that much and they don't have any say in the state's legislation. How would that really help at all?
Sorry but these places are places I buy pet food, eat chinese, and I have friends who work at Coldstone, and get plane tickets to get the hell outta here.
Now if you want to ask me to boycott say, public transportation...then that might affect something. I don't see the point on boycotting people who had no say in the matter.
You can think this is racism, but you'd be wrong. It's about people who follow the laws everyday not tolerating those who wish to select which laws they follow. Our business in Mass. is specifically looking to source our materials from other law abiding businesses in Arizona. We will be avoiding businesses in AZ cities that sue the state. The US welcomes all legal immigrants!
ReplyDeleteI saw Jay Leno at Correspondent Dinner his best line was; “That was my favorite story (this year) Republicans and a Lesbian bondage club. It’s ironic, Republicans don’t want lesbian getting married but they do like watching them “tie the knot”. So I thought that was interesting.”
ReplyDeleteYou can say the same about Tea Party (the hatters nor debaters or as others have dubbed them screamer not dreamers), they say they respect the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence but they do not mind passing laws, through weak Governors who only care about getting reelected on the backs of undocumented workers, that will not pass Constitution muster, just like Arizona’s House Bill 2779 from two years ago, keep passing them Arizona and the rest of us will continue to challenged them and you will fail in a court of law.