News (Noticias) Tagged ‘boycott’

The Hispanic Institute today announced that it will mount a Latino boycott of CNN to protest the cable news network’s ongoing distortion of facts surrounding U.S. immigration issues, especially in commentaries and reports on “Lou Dobbs Tonight.”

The nonprofit organization said the proposed boycott will begin today June 3, 2008 and will seek to stop Hispanic viewership of all CNN outlets, including the Spanish language service. There are now 12.14 million Hispanic television households in the U.S., according to Doug Darfield, Sr. Vice President of multicultural measurement for The Nielsen Company.”*

But there’s another strong message that Puerto Rico’s electorate sent to Washington. Despite all the attention and furor the Democratic presidential campaign has stirred in the 50 states, less than 15% of Puerto Rico’s registered voters turned out. Such numbers reveal the deep ambivalence many Puerto Ricans feel about their political relationship with the U.S. How else can you explain that close to 10,000 independence supporters marched noisily through Old San Juan yesterday calling for a boycott of the entire primary? The small yet influential movement kept labeling the primary a colonial charade, then surprised everyone with the biggest political rally of the entire campaign.”*

While Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens, help crown national nominees, their commonwealth status prevents them from casting ballots in the November presidential election.

“It’s ludicrous that people can participate in selecting a candidate for whom they cannot vote,” says Fernando Martín of the Independence Party of Puerto Rico, which is organizing a protest march for primary day. Other politicians are calling for a boycott of the vote.

Clinton, 60, is favored to win here, thanks to greater name recognition and involvement in hurricane relief, a base closure and legislation to resolve Puerto Rico’s status. The New York senator’s supporters hope high voter turnout and a big winning margin might boost her long-shot nomination chances.”*

A group of student activists plan to protest outside a local restaurant Thursday to draw attention to the treatment of tomato pickers, then march on the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to denounce recent federal immigration enforcement actions in the county.

Two- to three-dozen members of the UC Riverside chapter of MEChA plan to gather around 5 p.m. outside a Burger King at 2167 University Ave., where they will call for a boycott of the restaurant chain and Chipotle Mexican Grill over the wages paid to tomato pickers, said UCR MEChA spokesman Omar Aguiar.”*

Field laborers and leaders of the United Farm Workers (UFW) this week launched Black Eagle Wines™ (www.blackeaglewines.com), a vintage of Napa Valley wines that celebrate justice and help organize people to earn a better living without having to rely on government assistance. Black Eagle Wines signifies the progress made by the UFW—moving from days of grape boycotts 40 years ago to now celebrating wine that, through its harvest and production, respects farm workers’ labor. The new wines come from exemplary fruit with the added distinction of being harvested by workers whose union membership has helped bring them better wages and living conditions.

“Black Eagle Wines is a reminder that we have something to celebrate. While the vast majority of farm workers continue to work in an abusive system, there are thousands of farm workers whose lives the UFW has changed. The farm workers who produce Black Eagle Wines have the dignity of a union contract, health insurance and a pension,” said Arturo Rodriguez, President of the United Farm Workers.

Cesar Chavez founded the United Farm Workers on the principle of organizing people to help themselves earn a better living without reliance on government assistance. He carried that principle of self-help into the farm workers’ communities and started enterprises such as Radio Campesina that generate income for the Farm Workers Movement. Black Eagle Wines was born of that same tradition with the proceeds going to the United Farm Workers organizing work.

“When you raise a glass, you raise the flag, the flag of the farm workers, which symbolizes the real relationship between the Black Eagle Wines customers and our purpose: to support the Farm Workers’ Movement,” said Joaquin Ross, President of Black Eagle Wines.

Black Eagle Wines is the latest approach in the fight for farm workers’ rights—a family of wines that will celebrate justice and help advance the work Cesar Chavez set out for the UFW. The UFW is offering the new product to those who not only enjoy wine, but take satisfaction in the fact that, since harvest, the wine was produced by union labor.

The UFW was founded in 1962 and is the nation’s first successful and largest farm workers union currently active in 10 states. Proceeds from the sale of Black Eagle Wines will help the UFW continue to organize and represent farm workers, protecting their wages and fighting for improved work conditions.

“Black Eagle Wines celebrates the success of our Movement in changing the lives of so many farm workers. But more importantly, it supports the UFW’s organizing work to change the lives of thousands more,” said Rodriguez. “There are tens of thousands of farm workers today who are denied any measure of human dignity. They labor under conditions that are worse than before Cesar Chavez began. It was Cesar’s dream to build a self-sustaining Farm Workers Movement. Black Eagle Wines will support that Movement.”

“It is our hope that at every political dinner, every union banquet, and every Latino community gathering, that people serve Black Eagle Wines,” said California Latino Caucus Chairman and Assemblymember Joe Coto (D-San Jose), who purchased the wine for the California Democratic Party Convention dinner. The Cesar E. Chavez Foundation has committed to serving Black Eagle Wines at its tribute dinners and fundraisers. We hope that everyone attending these events in the coming weeks will enjoy the inaugural serving of the wine.”

Starting on March 25, the Black Eagle Wines on-line store offers:

• 2007 Estate Sauvignon Blanc;

• 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon;

• 2000 Merlot; and,

• Commemorative wine glasses

Customers can join Black Eagle Wines (www.blackeaglewines.com) and become a Contributing Member. With their support, they will help farm workers enjoy the fruits of their labor, and they will receive two cases of Black Eagle Wines each year.

“We invite people everywhere to visit the Black Eagle Wines web site at www.blackeaglewines.com, and we hope it will inspire others to support a Movement that celebrates justice and contributes to the tradition of giving farm workers the dignity of self-help and hard work,” said Rodriguez.

Contacts:

Joaquin Ross – cell: (916) 595-0123

Ryan Rauzon – cell: (916) 599-2911

“*

*From: http://www.prweb.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Protesters rallied near the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo today, voicing discontent over what they say is under-representation of Hispanics at the event.

The group, VIVE Tejano-Houston, three weeks ago urged would-be rodeo visitors to stay away this year, and stepped up the boycott today because it marks the show’s annual Go Tejano Day, a celebration of Hispanic heritage. More than 100 protesters in bright yellow shirts lined Kirby near Loop 610, next to one of the show’s main entrances.”*

*From: http://www.chron.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Despite calls for a boycott, protestors could not keep thousands of people away from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Go Tejano Day, KPRC Local 2 reported.

A record 71,165 people paid to get into Reliant Park on Sunday. The previous Go Tejano Day record of 70,481 was set in 2006.

Dozens of protestors lined the streets outside and said Rodeo Houston did not represent and include Hispanics appropriately.”*

*From: http://www.click2houston.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

An estimated crowd of 2,000 to 3,000, including many of the original protesters and organizers, gathered at Lincoln High School in the Lincoln Heights community in East L.A. on Saturday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the “Chicano Blowouts.”

Armando Vazquez-Ramos, a Cal State Long Beach Chicano/Latino studies professor and Lincoln High graduate, led a contingency of about 20 CSULB students in the 1.5-mile reenactment march to Hazard Park in nearby Boyle Heights. Vazquez-Ramos, who was in his first year as a CSULB student, was among the 1968 demonstrators at Lincoln.

“The energy is amazing,” Vazquez-Ramos said. “We felt we accomplished something in 1968, but with a more than 45 percent dropout rate at Lincoln and other schools in L.A., we still have a long way to go.”"*

*From: http://media.www.daily49er.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

A group of Hispanic leaders said Tuesday that Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials haven’t done enough to include Hispanics, so they are calling for a boycott of the three-week show that starts Monday.

“We request our friends across the whole state of Texas not to attend the Houston Livestock Show,” said former state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos.

Among complaints from the newly-formed group VIVE Tejano-Houston — made up of representatives from the Tejano music industry, Houston-area politicians and members of other professional organizations — is the type of performers at the show’s main venue on Go Tejano Day.”*

*From: http://www.chron.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Hispanic parents, at a news conference Tuesday, said that they would keep their children at home on the day the examination is given next month if necessary, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday.

“This is a way of attacking children who don’t understand the language,” said state Sen. Iris Martinez, a Chicago Democrat who accused federal officials of trying to undermine bilingual education.

Under previous rules, children with less than three years of bilingual education were given a simplified test in English. But this year, the Chicago school district was warned that did not meet the requirement of the No Child Left Behind law”*

*From: http://www.upi.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The state’s League of United Latin American Citizens announced a trio of legislative goals Saturday — housing, business and health care — to take to Santa Fe when the state Legislature starts its session Tuesday.

The league’s directors also unanimously approved a boycott of a motel in Las Cruces for what they claimed were discriminatory practices against Hispanics.”*

*From: http://www.lcsun-news.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

This summer Waukegan found itself in the middle of the debate over immigration when the city applied for a program that would train two local police officers to enforce federal immigration law.

It prompted a massive downtown demonstration by immigrant rights groups in July, and a boycott of businesses that didn’t post signs opposing the application. Advocates of stricter enforcement of immigration laws also took to the streets and lit up the airwaves of conservative talk radio. While most of the demonstrators were local, outside groups on both sides jumped into the fray for saber-rattling over the larger issue of immigration reform.”*

*From: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Admission to the first-ever Spanish-language Republican presidential debate: Free.

The idea of Tom Tancredo, the only no-show and a fear-monger who constantly plays to the nativist mob, having the moxie to accuse fellow Republicans of “pandering”: Priceless.

Tancredo claims that he boycotted the debate, which was sponsored by the Spanish-language television network Univision, so he could emphasize the need for English as a common language.”*

Rep. Tom Tancredo says his fellow Republican presidential candidates are aiding immigrants in breaking the law by taking part in this weekend’s Spanish-language debate in Miami.

“What all my colleagues — what the other candidates are doing — it’s encouraging violation of the law because it’s saying, ‘Don’t worry about the fact that you have to know English to earn citizenship,’ ” said Mr. Tancredo, the only Republican to turn down the invitation from Univision for Sunday night’s debate and who said the other candidates’ participation was worse than pandering.”*

A business outside the City of Irving is helping sponsor a protest and rally aimed at Irving’s immigration policy.

The group Accion American is urging the boycott of Irving business and passing out t-shirts for people.

The t-shirts sport the corporate sponsor of the protest - a Lone Star Chrysler Jeep and Dodge. The dealership supports the Irving boycott even though it will be open tomorrow.”*

In what seems to be a new era of common vision, the Centro’s promise lies in its stakeholders. They will have to get along with each other and remain accountable to one another through a system of community-created checks and balances.

“The Centro belongs to all of us,” said De La Torre, “and staff and the community are working together towards the same mission of rebuilding and bringing the Centro back up and running.”

De La Torre began her new position at a crucial time. This year, a seven-year boycott of the Centro by artists and activists ended. With the support of a team from the National Conflict Resolution Center, Save Our Centro Coalition (SOCC) members and the Centro board produced a resolution agreement that re-established the institution’s Arts Advisory Committee and Community Advisory Council.”*

“Beginning Nov. 5, an exhibit of vintage posters, contemporary prints and sculpture at the Tempe City Hall Gallery honors the legacy of Cesar Chavez and the artwork of the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF).

Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist who was born in Yuma in 1927 and died in Arizona in 1993.

Through his United Farm Workers union, Chavez brought attention to the plight of the farm worker through strikes, boycotts and marches.”*

“The New York-based CNN producer wanted to know, “What about the situation in Kansas City, with the mayor, the Minutemen and Latino community, speaks to something more universal for the nation?”

She was fishing for an angle to tell our saga to a national television audience. Thankfully, this producer is also a proud graduate of the University of Missouri’s journalism program. She has no desire to exploit elements: a Minuteman grandmother given a plum parks board position, Heart of America folks gone rabid at the idea of illegal immigrants among them, and two leading civil rights organizations attempting to flex muscles via the 1960s boycott strategy.

By the week’s end, Kansas City will know if it will play host to three future conventions — the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza and the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps — or not. The national boards of the civil rights groups will meet. The producer will hang her story on their decisions”*

“A group of Hispanic people in Reno have called for a three-day boycott of all businesses in northern Nevada after a federal raid in which 54 suspected illegal workers were arrested.

The group of about 60 people also called for a strike by all Hispanic workers on Wednesday, the final day of the boycott, and for a rally and a march for Reno’s federal courthouse in support of those arrested.”

“When Hispanic groups howled in protest, they were ignored. It wasn’t until someone raised the possibility of boycotting the film’s corporate sponsors - including companies such as Bank of America and Anheuser-Busch, which lust after the $800 billion that Hispanics spend each year - that phone calls started getting returned and meetings were called.

Unfortunately, it looks as if PBS was playing one Hispanic group against another. The group that originally raised the issue - Austin, Texas-based Defend the Honor - believed it was being cut out of the discussion.

In the end, Burns agreed to add just 28 minutes of new interviews and photographs, and to tell the stories of two Hispanic veterans and one American Indian.”

“Christian Ocampo makes about $200 a day selling nutritional supplements to fellow Hispanics in Milwaukee. His income helps support his mother, who uses a wheelchair, and his 21-year-old sister.

If Ocampo misses work, he doesn’t get paid.

On Wednesday, though, Ocampo, 26, skipped work to become part of an increasingly bold wave of activism by illegal immigrants and their supporters who are frustrated by the treatment of immigrants across the USA. In what was billed as a national day of protest, immigrants in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities took part in a range of activities, including a one-day work stoppage and boycott of local businesses in Milwaukee.”

“Georgia’s Hispanic leaders came courting with flowers in red, white and blue for key politicians Wednesday.

The floral-scented “Labor of Love” campaign represents a change in tactics for immigrant advocates who last year organized protest marches and boycotts for comprehensive immigration reform.

“We are your gardeners, your nannies, your neighbors,” said Adelina Nicholls, executive director of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights. “We are also Georgians.”"

“Some immigrant-rights activists are asking Hispanics to boycott certain events this weekend in protest of the state’s new employer-sanctions law and stepped-up immigration enforcement by the federal government.”

“After splintering over a year ago, two Los Angeles immigrant coalitions joined forces Tuesday while calling for a Sept. 12 consumer boycott in favor of immigration reform.

The groups said they united after the Aug. 19 arrest and deportation of Elvira Arellano, who lived in a Chicago church for a year to avoid deportation. Arellano was detained by immigration agents outside Los Angeles’ Our Lady Queen of Angels church near Olvera Street, a Mexican cultural center and tourist area.”

“Maria Rivera, a hotel maid from Woodbridge, drove her two daughters to Lorton last weekend to buy school supplies. Juan Padilla, who owns a tropical-themed restaurant in Manassas, purchased all his cooking ingredients yesterday in Fairfax County.

On the first day of a one-week boycott called by immigrant groups in Prince William County, both of these county residents said they were shopping elsewhere to send a message that Latino immigrants are an important, unified economic force and can’t be intimidated.”