Thursday marked the first “Day Without an Immigrant” demonstration in Oregon, a call for immigrants to participate in monthly economic boycotts.
Organized by Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, or PCUN, the largest farmworker advocacy group in Oregon, the event encourages immigrants across the state to refrain from attending school, going to work or shopping.
Southridge High School students walked out of school Monday, Dec. 8 to protest immigration enforcement activity.
Holly Bartholomew / OPB
PCUN Deputy Director María Cecilia Hinojos Pressey said the goal is to illustrate the economic impact immigrants have on their community.
“The United States literally runs on immigrants, and without immigrants it will create a severe disruption,” Hinojos Pressey said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have detained hundreds of Oregonians in recent months. In response, there have been multiple public demonstrations condemning the arrests, including one organized by local high school students.
The “Day Without An Immigrant” protests will take place every month leading up to May 1, which is International Workers’ Day. The next protest will take place on Jan. 19.
Hinojos Pressey said PCUN is also encouraging non-immigrant allies to show up at a variety of public demonstrations. She said the arrests of immigrants have an impact on all people in Oregon.
“It could be anything from the person that’s teaching your children, to the person that is helping you at the grocery store or the person that’s driving your bus,” she said. “Every part of your life is directly affected by immigrants.”
