ARIZONA – Recent
boycotts over Arizona’s increasingly tight immigration laws are hitting the
Hispanic community hard and are leading to an increasing amount of lost jobs.
The protestors believe that by cancelling conventions and
implementing bans on tourism to the state, they will be protecting immigrant
travelers, immigrant rights in general and convincing the state to change its
immigration laws.
The population of Hispanic immigrants in Arizona comprises
30 percent of the state’s workforce with 40 percent of those workers being
employed in the hospitality and management field. What protestors don’t realize
is that their boycotts are actually hindering the people’s lives they intend to
assist. The immigrant workers in the tourism field are being impacted the most
by new laws against travel in the state.
"These boycotts could be hurting the very same people
that they profess to be helping," explained Garrick Taylor, spokesman for
the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Reports show that in Phoenix alone, the city could stand to
lose up to $90 million in costs over the protests – money that would otherwise
go to convention and hotel fees as well as tourist expenses.
The organizations that are carrying out the boycotts contest
that their actions will benefit Hispanic workers and travelers and will
pressure city officials into altering their policies.
Similar protests in San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle are
occurring as well, with the same goal in mind. Numerous organizations have
already canceled scheduled conventions in Arizona, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
In turn, the cancelations have prompted counter-boycotts. Numerous
groups are attempting to convince the state to end the protests on tourism and
not allow the industry to get involved in immigration issues.
With the nation’s current economic crisis, Hispanic workers
in Arizona are feeling the brunt of the disputes and many are becoming
unemployed due to the protests.
