ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — On February 3rd, people all over the country highlighted the role immigrants play in the country. And in Arvin, people supported ‘A Day Without Immigrants’ by saying no to school, work, and shopping.
- Arvin businesses close in solidarity for 'A Day Without Immigrants', highlighting immigrant contributions.
- Business owners express hope for a government acknowledgment of the vital role immigrants play.
- School attendance in Arvin drops significantly, with 30-50% of students absent on the protest day.
- Local businesses like Bear Mountain Pizza and La Fogata emphasize the importance of immigrant labor.
- Owners warn that ignoring immigrant contributions could lead to severe economic repercussions.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
No School, no work, and no shopping are some of the ways people intend to protest on 'A Day Without Immigrants.' And people nationwide are participating in the movement that aims to highlight the role immigrants play in the country, including here in Arvin.
It was a slow day for business in Arvin as the majority of business owners closed their doors in solidarity with 'A Day Without Immigrants.' Business owners like Manuel Pantoja, owner of Bear Mountain Pizza on Main Street in Arvin, say they stand with immigrants and hope this is a call to the U.S. Government to value the labor of its workers despite their immigration status.
"People need to understand that this community and this nation are made strong by all the people who come from different countries—hard-working people who only want what's best for their families and work without harming others," said Pantoja.
Also shutting its doors is La Fogata, another longtime business in the community owned by Councilman Jaime Perez and his family.
"It lays a lot of support with the community," said Perez. "Even if you're not going out shopping, or you're not going out spending money, it's a way of supporting to let companies know the percentage of loss that they're going to have."
A loss that Antonio Gomez says would put the country's economy at risk if the government fails to acknowledge the vital role immigrants play in boosting it.
"The country would fall into an economic debacle that would take a long time to recover from. I hope the message gets out to the federal government that this is just a sign of how important our people's labor is to this country," said Gomez.
And it's not just businesses who are showing their support on this day. According to the Arvin Union School District, most families did not take their children to school. The district reports that on February 3rd, most schools reported that 30 to 50 percent of their student body was absent.
With this being a one-day movement, business owners tell me they hope the message gets across to the U.S. Government of what could happen if anti-immigrant policies continue.
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