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U.S. GOVERNMENT 1: Hispanic Groups Organize Boycott

Leaders in the California Hispanic community are asking fellow members to join in a statewide boycott on Friday, December 12th. Those who participate in the boycott will refuse to go to work, attend school, or shop in stores. This comes as a protest against the recent repeal of Senate Bill 60 (SB60), which would provide California driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. Former Governor Gray Davis had originally signed this controversial piece of legislation into law in early September. Many Hispanics believe that driver's licenses should be available to everyone in California, and they hope the boycott will spread their message.

Senate Bill 60 is such a big concern in California because of the diverse ethnic group in the state. The Hispanic community makes up one-third of the entire population. But a far smaller number of people will be expected to join in the boycott. Some people fear that those people who participate by skipping work may risk losing their jobs. Others believe that legal immigrants of Hispanic heritage will not want to support the boycott because SB60 will allow illegal immigrants to obtain licenses. The boycott is intended to target businesses, resulting in fewer workers and reduced sales figures for the day, but its will be mainly symbolic and likely will not make a large economic effect overall.

The real purpose of the boycott is to spread the message that many people still feel strongly about the repealed law. Some lawmakers were opposed to SB60 because they felt the legislation did not provide enough security precautions, which could allow terrorists to obtain driver's licenses. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has pledged support for new legislation to provide driver's licenses to more Californians, as long as the law enacts more safeguards. Hispanic leaders hope the boycott will motivate legislators to draft a new California driver's license law.

--Written by James Peng

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