Teen Spirit said he wanted a buritto for dinner so I said I’d stop at Rachel’s Taqueria on Fifth Avenue…CLOSED IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE MARCH…said the sign on the door. Of course, I thought, that makes sense. I’ll get him his buritto at Mezcals…CLOSED…no sign on the door but it was pretty obvious.
"You picked the wrong day for Mexican food," I told Teen Spirit on the cell phone. "It’s a day without Immigrants and you won’t be able to get a buritto," I said. "How about California Taqueria?" he said. "That’s gonna be closed, too."
No burittos today, Teen Spirit. No burittos. (Photo by e-liz).
Monday was called "A Day Without Immigrants," as undocumented workers nationwide were urged to boycott work, school, and shopping as part of a nationwide protest of legislation passed in Congress that would make being an illegal immigrant a felony.
Instead of heading to work, thousands of people lined the streets of Jackson Heights, Queens, as well as other points all across the five boroughs.
Protestors locked arms, forming human chains at 12:16 p.m., symbolizing December 16, 2005, the when the U.S. House of Representatives voted for the bill.
Hundreds of protestors also gathered in Battery Park and lined the sidewalks, forming their own human chain.
"I’m a public school teacher and I took off today because most of my students, 90 percent are immigrants. They’re parents are illegal, and I’m here with my daughter and she also took off and we’re here to represent the community, which is very concerned about this people," said one protestor.
"I am here because I want to support my community. I have most of my family here so why not," added another.
"All over the world there are Americans, Latin America, the coffee shops, Sears, JCPenney, Wal-Mart. It’s OK for them to go and get very wealthy over there, oh but God forbid somebody crosses the border to pick up some onions," said a third.
While many protestors might face consequences for skipping work and school, they say that’s not nearly as important as the message they are trying to get across.
"I know I’m going to lose my money today, but it’s really not important, it doesn’t mean anything for me," said a protestor. "I think this is a very, very important thing and we all have to work together and we have to do something about this."
Good for them!
While reform might be necessary soon, to have this insane administration do anything that affects poor people is extremely stupid. Don’t touch the immigrants till we have a decent government not composed of kleptomaniacs and corporate interests! (Yeah, I know, that’ll be the day …. )