The Great American Boycott (Spanish: El Gran Paro Estadounidense, lit. "the Great American Strike") was a one-day boycott of United States schools and businesses by immigrants in the United States illegally, of mostly Latin American origin that took place on May 1, 2006.
The date was chosen by boycott organizers to coincide with May Day, the International Workers Day observed as a national holiday in Asia, most of Europe, and Mexico, but not officially recognized in the United States due to its Communist associations.
As a continuation of the 2006 U.S. immigration reform protests, the organizers called for supporters to abstain from buying, selling, working, and attending school, in order to attempt to demonstrate through the extent to which the labor obtained of illegal immigrants is needed. Supporters of the boycott rallied in major cities across the U.S. to demand general amnesty and legalization programs for illegal aliens. For this reason, the day is referred to as A Day Without an Immigrant in reference to the 2004 political satire film A Day Without a Mexican.
Most who participated in the marches waved flags of Mexico and other Central and South American countries, while others waved flags bearing the likeness of slain Marxist revolutionary leader Che Guevara, and/or the red flag.
Though some demonstrations were peaceful, a Vista, California rally took a violent turn at day's end when crowds began throwing rocks and bottles at sheriff's deputies. There were also two arrests made at a demonstration in Los Angeles's MacArthur Park. A stabbing that occurred near the location of the march in San Jose, California, may or may not have been related to the day's events.
While the economic effects of the boycott are unknown, most initial reports indicated that the boycott failed to halt "business as usual".
In a show of solidarity, internationally, labor unions and other groups engaged in a one-day boycott of U.S. products called the "Nothing Gringo Boycott", particularly in Mexico and Central American countries. It was later reported that this boycott had little, if any, effect on the U.S. economy. Demonstrations were also held in major cities across Mexico.
Read more about Great American Boycott: Origin, Initial Response, Regional Demonstrations, Business Response, Opposition, Summary
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