Not All Immigrants On Board With Boycott

Some for economic reasons, others simply unaware of boycott:

Immigrants in Colorado have been asked not to wire funds to relatives in Latin America, not to purchase gasoline, not to eat out for a week.

The economic boycott - to run through next Sunday - is being led by immigrant advocates to call attention to immigrants' economic contributions and to put pressure on policymakers to pass laws that protect those living in the country illegally and provide them with a path to legalization.

Emily Parkey, a spokeswoman with the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition, one of the groups leading the boycott, said organizers want to show the state and businesses that immigrants, regardless of their legal status, contribute to the state's economy in the form of sales taxes, their spending and labor.

The effort is similar to a May 1, 2006, boycott, in which thousands participated by marching in cities across Colorado and the United States.

But despite the thousands of fliers distributed in Denver and cities across the state about the boycott, few immigrants seemed aware of it Sunday.

Others note the loss of income, cite the possibility of losing their job, or the ineffectiveness of boycotts as reasons for not joining, even though they express solidarity with the call for immigration reform.

The state of Colorado will no doubt endure this economic boycott unscathed as it is doubtful that enough people will restrain their normal levels of spending to enact any meaningful effect on the economy. Local businesses in smaller towns with large immigrant populations may see a downturn, but it probably will not even approach the type of economic effect that a weather event like the December blizzard had across the state.