Pasco students, businesses join in A Day Without Immigrants boycott

Juan Contreras pulled up to Fiesta Foods in a nondescript delivery van Thursday.

The delivery driver got out, carrying an equally nondescript plastic box to the entrance, then seemed puzzled when the grocery’s automatic doors stayed closed.

“I guess they don’t want their delivery,” he said, explaining that the plastic tub held a drug delivery for Fiesta’s pharmacy.

Fiesta Foods, the four-store Pasco chain owned by Craig Gaylord, closed Thursday in support of “A Day Without Immigrants.”

The general boycott by immigrants, and Hispanics in particular, was promoted on social media to demonstrate how crucial immigrants are to the U.S. economy and to send a pro-immigration message to Washington, D.C.

“A Day Without Immigrants” was a direct response to President Donald Trump’s executive order that prioritizes enforcement of immigration laws against virtually all 11 million undocumented immigrants.

“They don’t like immigrants? Let’s give them a break for one day,” organizers said on the event’s Facebook page.

Supporters were urged not to go to work, open their businesses, make purchases, go out to eat, purchase gasoline, go to school or send kids to school.

The call to boycott schools and businesses was widely observed in Pasco, where schools reported high levels of absenteeism and dozens of businesses remained closed for the day. It was not as visible in Kennewick or Richland.

Roughly 24 percent fewer students showed up for classes in Pasco, said Shane Edinger, the district’s communications manager. The attendance rate fell to 70.5 percent, compared to a two-week average of 94 percent.

In total, 4,500 students missed school across the entire district. The largest impacts were felt in schools on the eastern side of the city. Attendance at Virgie Robinson Elementary fell to 49 percent from a two-week average of 96 percent. Ochoa Middle School experienced a similar drop.

The boycott appeared to impact schools across the district, and was not limited by age. Pasco High School’s attendance rate slipped to 81 percent and Chiawana’s to 84 percent.

Officials were aware the boycott could impact the district. After discussions with principals, administrators decided to continue operating normally.

“They are being treated like any other normal absence,” Edinger said. “As long as the parents make contact with the school, these will be considered excused absences.”

Leo Perales of the Latino Civic Alliance said the Hispanic advocacy group didn’t back the boycott, because it was uncertain if local residents would be supportive.

But as dozens of Pasco businesses stayed closed, Perales was pleasantly surprised at the show of solidarity behind its pro-immigrant message, he said.

“America is run on immigrant labor,” he said.

The Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce supported members who closed, but opted to remain open in part because of how quickly the boycott mobilized through social media, said Sarah Del Toro, president of the business association’s board,

“It snuck up on us, too,” she said.

The decision to close inconvenienced some customers. Some took to social media to complain about not being able to find lunch, but others took it in stride.

Pasco resident Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez Valenzuela and her son planned to shop for vegetables at Fiesta Foods.

She read a notice on the door explaining why it was closed, smiled broadly, then posed enthusiastically for photos.

Her son said they found several businesses closed. They were moderately disappointed, but planned to complete their errands elsewhere.

Viera’s Bakery weighed the pros and cons of closing for several days. It concluded it was the right thing for its mostly Hispanic clientele. The small company has bakeries in downtown Pasco and on Burden Boulevard. Both closed.

“It was a difficult decision, said Eulogio Zarate, who manages Viera’s.

The company is sorting out pay issues for its employees, Zarate said. He elected to go ahead and work in the darkened bakery in order to have everything ready to reopen for business Friday morning.

Viera’s concluded that observing “A Day Without Immigrants” was good for its long-term viability, Zarate said.

“We’re not a big company. We’re a mom-and-pop shop. They’ve supported us for 14 years,” he said. “We want to be here for another 14, 15 or 20 years.”