On a typical Monday, Eugene resident Fidel Garcia said he goes into work at his mortgage and real estate company while his two children attend middle school and high school.
But on May 1 Garcia said he decided to close his business and let his employees, 15 of whom are Mexican, take the day off and attend the planned local immigration reform rallies. Garcia, who was born in Los Angeles to a Mexican immigrant mother, said he decided to attend in order to send a message.
“I came to support the cause and the community,” he said. “We all want to be respected and not treated as criminals. It’s a way to express how we feel in a peaceful manner.”
Garcia was one of the hundreds of people, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, who took part in a rally for immigration rights and reform at the Eugene Federal Building on Monday afternoon. Similar events took place throughout the United States in a day of economic protest known as “A Day Without Immigrants.”
Demonstrators were asked to not work, attend school or shop, in order to emphasize their presence and economic contributions.
Organizer Abel Diaz Diaz said immigrants were asked to wear white clothing and arm bands as a sign of solidarity, even if they had to work or attend school that day.
The day followed months of protests across the country in response to national debates and congressional bills on immigration. One bill that has been criticized in protests is HR 4437, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in December. The bill places penalties on those who illegally enter the United States and on employers who hire illegal immigrants. It also provides funding for a 700-mile fence along the Mexico-United States Border.
Similar to an immigration rally that was held at the Federal Building on April 10, demonstrators held up signs and chanted slogans in Spanish and English, but Monday’s demonstration saw more American flags. Passing motorists honked their horns in support, drove by indifferently or flipped off the demonstrators.
Diaz said despite some negative reactions, the majority of people showed support for the rally.
Churchill High School freshman and organizer Elizabeth Sampedro said people were encouraged to alert their bosses and school administrators that they would not be working or attending school, despite the possible consequences. Many at the rally had followed through with the plan to not work in order to participate. Eugene resident Ismael Estrada said his boss allowed him to take the day off, so he stayed at home. He said he noticed that many Mexican stores and restaurants throughout the city had closed down for the day.
High school junior Salvador Reyes said his parents excused him from school. He also decided not to go to work, although he said his boss said he would fire him if he did so.
“I feel like I’m making a difference on this immigration issue,” Reyes said.
Despite the encouragement of students to not attend school, several Eugene-area schools such as North Eugene High School and Edison Elementary School reported that daily attendance was affected very little.
Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School Principal Sally Huling said the school had only 16 reported absences for the day, although 20 percent of the 500 students at the school are Hispanic. She said the school was aware of the planned boycott and rally but the number of absences was no more than usual.
The overall economic effects of the boycott in Eugene and throughout the United States are unknown, although those who want tougher immigration policies countered the rallies by staging a “shop till you drop” day.
Jim Ludwick, president of Oregonians for Immigration Reform, said he shopped at several stores and noticed the crowds.
“I thought there were more people than ever,” Ludwick said.
Ludwick said he thought the boycotts and protests would backfire because many citizens are angry about illegal immigration. He said his organization, which supports a more secure border and tougher immigration policies, has grown from eight initial members in January 2000 to around 800 participants. He estimated that 60 to 70 people had joined within the last month.
“The people in the marches want to bypass the standards to become citizens,” Ludwick said. “We believe immigration is important and it’s what makes this country great, but it’s the primary duty of the federal government to protect our border and sovereignty. There is no right for any immigrant to illegally come to America, just as Americans have no right to illegally emigrate to Mexico or Argentina.”
Ludwick said HR 4437 was a step in the right direction to controlling immigration, but until the border is secured and the process for legal immigration is reformed, he said debates on amnesty and guest worker programs are premature.
Speakers at the rally asked demonstrators to contact their legislators, but it’s unknown how much the rallies will affect the immigration debate. Oregon Reps. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, and Peter DeFazio, D-Springfield, were the only Oregon representatives who voted in support for HR 4437.
“I think it’s going to have an impact,” Garcia said. “A lot of people don’t realize how large this community is. People are going to recognize our economic impact as citizens.”

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