Bay Area community holds “A Day Without Immigrants”
LIVERMORE, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Some immigrant communities and their allies across the country are gearing up to stay home from work or school Monday and avoid shopping or dining out in a day of protest.
It's being called "A Day Without Immigrants," with participants say it's way to show how significant immigrant contributions are to this country.
Monica's in Downtown Livermore is typically open on Monday, but the restaurant will be closed and employees will have the day off to take part in "A Day Without Immigrants," a movement taking off on social media.
"The ownership decided they wanted to close in support of our Latino community," said Arianna Norte, a server at the restaurant whose grandparents immigrated from Mexico and adds that many employees at Monica's are immigrants. "So without immigrants, we shouldn't have food to serve, so I think that's mainly our point in doing that and showing people, this is how it would affect you and how it really does affect us all."
"We are joining that day of action here in the Bay Area. We're calling for people to join us, to not go to work, not go to school or walk out," said Jose Lagos, a community organizer for BAMN.
Around the Bay Area and across the country, businesses are closing and activists are organizing public events, including a rally planned for Oakland.
It's aimed to protest the deportations and rolling back of immigrant protections by the Trump Adminsitration, but another goal is to highlight how immigrants, whether they came here with authorization or without, contribute to our society.
"We want to make a statement that not only are we really important to the economy of this country, but we have a right to be here to live here," Lagos expressed.
While some will be rallying, others may demonstrate more quietly.
"I just plan on staying home and just reading or something," said Angelica Garcia Hernandez, a San Jose resident.
In Livermore, Norte hopes this day of action helps highlight the humanity in the of the immigrants in our communities: "It's huge for me, it affects everything about me, they are my people, they are my family, even if they're not from Mexico."
