Area Hispanics keep working

By SCOTT MOYERS

Southeast Missourian

Hispanics across the country boycotted work, shopping and school on Monday as a part of "El Gran Paro," or The Big Stop. In many cities, it was a day set aside to protest stricter immigration legislation and to show Americans how much economic power undocumented workers hold.

Locally, though, there was barely a blip as Hispanic workers at Mexican restaurants and other jobs went about their work.

Protesting and boycotting in a smaller city like Cape Girardeau probably wouldn't make much difference anyway, said Pedro Angel, the Mexico-born manager at El Torero in Cape Girardeau.

That's not to say he isn't concerned about immigration issues.

"I worry about other people who don't have papers," he said. "I'd like everyone to have some papers. But for us to miss work in a town like this? I don't think it would make much of a difference. In the big city, it would make a bigger difference."

Hispanics showed up for work at all of the Mexican restaurants in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, according to managers for El Bracero, El Durango, El Torero and El Acapulco. Fenny's Mexican Grocery store in the Town Plaza was also open for business on Monday.

"I'm working because I want to work," said Armando Guzman, manager at El Durango at Westfield West Park. "There is no time for me to be thinking about those things right now."

According to U.S. Census data, Hispanics make up only 1.1 percent of Cape Girardeau's population and .8 percent in Jackson. State figures for the local school districts say that Hispanics made up 2 percent of Cape Girardeau schools and .7 percent in Jackson schools in 2005.

Hotels in larger cities typically rely on immigrant workers for service work -- like housekeeping -- but all of the area's major hotels said they don't employ any Hispanics at this time.

At least one local Hispanic-American said she was opposed to the boycott. Cape Girardeau resident Abby Aguirre was born in Los Angeles, but her husband and parents were born in Mexico.

She described herself as "an enemy" of the protests. Aguirre, 72, said her parents taught her to love America and to work hard.

"Instead of saying, 'Thank you America for giving me these jobs,' they're protesting," she said. "I think this is very wrong. When they go back to work, their bosses should fire them."

Debra Holzhauer, who teaches American foreign policy and comparative politics at Southeast Missouri State University, saw a large immigrant rally first-hand when she was in New York the week before Easter.

"I think it's an issue that has been long simmering in the U.S.," Holzhauer said. "You have to give them great credit for trying to take more of a stand on it."

How effective such protests are depend upon the type of impact they have, she said. She also wasn't surprised to learn there was little participation in Southeast Missouri.

"There just aren't as many economic opportunities here as there are in the bigger cities," she said. "But with the next presidential election being so wide open, it's going to continue to be a hot topic."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137