Day off? Latino immigrants may show clout by opting out
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, April 28, 2006
Monday could look very different around Siouxland, especially in the towns of South Sioux City, Storm Lake and Denison.
Three Mondays ago, perhaps the largest outdoor demonstration in metro Sioux City history occurred, as at least 6,000 people, overwhelmingly Latino, marched to advocate for immigration policy changes.
On the upcoming Monday, May 1, some in the area will take part in the National Day Without Immigrants, which has the goal of showing how immigrants impact the economy and culture.
Immigrants -- primarily Latino immigrants -- have been asked not to go to work, patronize stores or attend schools. The event is likely to stir passions again in Siouxland, as a major debate has been occurring on legal and illegal immigration in small-town restaurants, offices and church basements, as well as on the Journal's editorial pages.
Christy Nicolaisen, director of the LaCasa Latina agency that has operated in Sioux City for 16 years, said she suspects the National Day Without Immigrants will have much less local participation than the April 10 demonstration. "With the march, people were like, 'Yeah, we are going to participate,'" she recounted, and said she was proud it went off peacefully.
She has since seen a lot of anger directed against Latinos following the march. "Is there a backlash? Yeah, there is," Nicolaisen stated.
Iowa 5th District Congressman Steve King -- who has advocated for clamping down on illegal immigration for years, pushed for the English-only law that was enacted in Iowa and voted for the December House bill that would make being in the country illegally a felony -- lampooned the event as a "May 1st anti-Gringo-fest."
The National Day Without Immigrants, Republican King wrote in a column Wednesday, is flawed because it doesn't take into account other immigrant groups, including "the image of a Norwegian refusing to buy his May 1 lutefisk at the local Fareway."
Further, King said, "the pro-amnesty groups are insistent on confusing legal and illegal immigration. ... The issue before Congress is illegal immigration. Perhaps the May 1st boycott should give a glimpse into A Day Without Illegal Immigration." Such a day, King said, would leave "no one to smuggle across our southern border the heroin, marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines that plague the U.S," and "our hospital emergency rooms would not be flooded with everything from gunshot wounds to anchor babies to imported diseases to hangnails, giving American citizens the day off from standing in line behind illegals."
Lots of immigrant-owned stores populate Dakota Avenue in South Sioux City, which has a 25 percent Latino population. Sonia Villalpando, who has owned LA Fashions on the Dakota strip since 1999, plans to close her store, and said, "I think all the Spanish businesses will close."
Latino immigrants comprise a large amount of the workers at packing plants operating in Sioux City, South Sioux, Denison and Storm Lake.
While most of the 100 plants Tyson Foods operates will be open, spokesman Gary Mickelson said five of the nine U.S. beef plants will be closed Monday and four of the six pork plants will be idled. Mickelson said Tyson would not release which nine plants will be closed, but said they would be closed due to market factors and "the potential shortage of workers."
Tyson Foods has a deli plant in Cherokee, Iowa, pork plants in Madison, Neb., and Storm Lake and beef plants in Dakota City and Norfolk in Nebraska and Denison.
Mickelson said "while we understand the sentiments" behind the May 1 event and Tyson supports adequate immigration reform, he added, "we are not encouraging workers to participate." Those who do so, Mickelson said, "should seek pre-approval from their supervisor" so as not to jeopardize their jobs.
King strongly contends the day designed to paralyze packing plants and restaurants will instead come off as "Bite the Hand That Feeds You Day." And he said he suspects the price for a pound of tomatoes will only go up by a penny from 79 to 80 cents. "Isn't the key to a successful boycott an economic or social upperhand?" King opined.
Nicolaisen questions whether taking part Monday will make the headway desired, saying, "calling your senators is more effective than staying home."
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
Three Mondays ago, perhaps the largest outdoor demonstration in metro Sioux City history occurred, as at least 6,000 people, overwhelmingly Latino, marched to advocate for immigration policy changes.
On the upcoming Monday, May 1, some in the area will take part in the National Day Without Immigrants, which has the goal of showing how immigrants impact the economy and culture.
Immigrants -- primarily Latino immigrants -- have been asked not to go to work, patronize stores or attend schools. The event is likely to stir passions again in Siouxland, as a major debate has been occurring on legal and illegal immigration in small-town restaurants, offices and church basements, as well as on the Journal's editorial pages.
Christy Nicolaisen, director of the LaCasa Latina agency that has operated in Sioux City for 16 years, said she suspects the National Day Without Immigrants will have much less local participation than the April 10 demonstration. "With the march, people were like, 'Yeah, we are going to participate,'" she recounted, and said she was proud it went off peacefully.
She has since seen a lot of anger directed against Latinos following the march. "Is there a backlash? Yeah, there is," Nicolaisen stated.
Iowa 5th District Congressman Steve King -- who has advocated for clamping down on illegal immigration for years, pushed for the English-only law that was enacted in Iowa and voted for the December House bill that would make being in the country illegally a felony -- lampooned the event as a "May 1st anti-Gringo-fest."
The National Day Without Immigrants, Republican King wrote in a column Wednesday, is flawed because it doesn't take into account other immigrant groups, including "the image of a Norwegian refusing to buy his May 1 lutefisk at the local Fareway."
Further, King said, "the pro-amnesty groups are insistent on confusing legal and illegal immigration. ... The issue before Congress is illegal immigration. Perhaps the May 1st boycott should give a glimpse into A Day Without Illegal Immigration." Such a day, King said, would leave "no one to smuggle across our southern border the heroin, marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines that plague the U.S," and "our hospital emergency rooms would not be flooded with everything from gunshot wounds to anchor babies to imported diseases to hangnails, giving American citizens the day off from standing in line behind illegals."
Lots of immigrant-owned stores populate Dakota Avenue in South Sioux City, which has a 25 percent Latino population. Sonia Villalpando, who has owned LA Fashions on the Dakota strip since 1999, plans to close her store, and said, "I think all the Spanish businesses will close."
Latino immigrants comprise a large amount of the workers at packing plants operating in Sioux City, South Sioux, Denison and Storm Lake.
While most of the 100 plants Tyson Foods operates will be open, spokesman Gary Mickelson said five of the nine U.S. beef plants will be closed Monday and four of the six pork plants will be idled. Mickelson said Tyson would not release which nine plants will be closed, but said they would be closed due to market factors and "the potential shortage of workers."
Tyson Foods has a deli plant in Cherokee, Iowa, pork plants in Madison, Neb., and Storm Lake and beef plants in Dakota City and Norfolk in Nebraska and Denison.
Mickelson said "while we understand the sentiments" behind the May 1 event and Tyson supports adequate immigration reform, he added, "we are not encouraging workers to participate." Those who do so, Mickelson said, "should seek pre-approval from their supervisor" so as not to jeopardize their jobs.
King strongly contends the day designed to paralyze packing plants and restaurants will instead come off as "Bite the Hand That Feeds You Day." And he said he suspects the price for a pound of tomatoes will only go up by a penny from 79 to 80 cents. "Isn't the key to a successful boycott an economic or social upperhand?" King opined.
Nicolaisen questions whether taking part Monday will make the headway desired, saying, "calling your senators is more effective than staying home."
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
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