Latino Economic Protest Hits Schools the Hardest

School districts from the Bay Area to Orange County recorded record absences Friday as hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets to protest the state’s repeal of a law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses.

In a planned daylong boycott of the classroom and workplace, demonstrators beat pinata images of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and urged workers to stay home and not purchase commodities such as gasoline.

The protest came in response to the Legislature’s repeal action last week and as part of an effort to highlight the economic contribution of California’s Latino community, the nation’s largest. The protest was planned to coincide with the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

“We already had this law won, and Gov. Arnold came and took it away. And we know he’s an immigrant,” said Blanca Duenas, who marched with roughly 100 other demonstrators along Cesar Chavez Avenue in Los Angeles. “He may have become a citizen, but he remains an immigrant.”

The protest’s effect on the workplace and marketplace was hard to gauge. Dozens of retailers in San Francisco, and one apparel manufacturer in Los Angeles, decided to close their doors, but other businesses appeared unaffected. Retail sales were not heavily affected in most areas..

Duenas, 46, was one of a number of protesters who said she had pulled her children out of school Friday in response to the repeal.

Officials in several heavily Latino districts reported significant absenteeism, but questioned the tactics of protesters.

“I understand the issue. I understand the need for people to voice their opinion,” said Richard Duarte, superintendent of the Oxnard Elementary School District. “That’s part of our freedom. However, we are advocates for children, just as every adult should be. And I feel that when it comes to making a point, children should not be used to make that point.”

Duarte said that his district, which is approximately 85% Latino, reported about 30% of its nearly 17,000 students absent on Friday. The district would normally expect about 15% of students to be out on any given day during the flu season, he said.

“If education is going to be a priority,” Duarte said, “it should be a priority for everyone, not just our legislators.”

But students who helped organize a boycott at Roosevelt High School in East Los Angeles said they weren’t simply enjoying a day off from school. They said they were exercising the little economic power they had by denying the school district $40 in state funds it receives each day per student.

On Friday, more than 1,700 students failed to show up for classes. On a normal Friday, the school sees about 300 absences.

“I decided not to come to school, because the impact we’re going to have on schools is going to be a great one,” said senior class president Martha Aguilar, 17, who joined more than 100 students and adults at a rally a block from the school. “In hurting the school, they’re going to know how many people supported this.”

At least one school district tried to preempt a student walkout, with little success.

In Santa Ana, school officials offered to raffle a color TV for those who attended school and the district sent home a note to parents urging them to send their children to school.

While a final absence tally wasn’t available Friday evening, a Santa Ana Unified spokeswoman said the absentee rate appeared to be triple that of an average Friday. “We were really hoping it wouldn’t be this dramatic,” Lucy Araujo-Cook said, “because there is a lot lost -- opportunity especially, but also important funds.”

Nativo Lopez, president of the Mexican American Political Assn., called for a general strike among Latinos and immigrant workers on Dec. 12. He and his supporters urged Latinos and immigrants to stay away from work, not send children to schools and not shop anywhere.

In Ventura, a group of about 50 people met at the city’s historic mission and marched several miles through the busy downtown shopping district and out toward the Pacific View Mall. Along the way, cars honked their horns in support.

“We want everyone to know we matter,” said Adrian Gaspar, an event organizer who convinced a dozen people at his workplace to join him on the march. Gaspar installs granite countertops for Stone Craft Inc. in Ventura.

In downtown San Jose, more than 150 people marched from Guadalupe Church to the city’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez, where they met other protesters who began their march at the Department of Motor Vehicles building.

In San Francisco’s largely Latino Mission District, dozens of taquerias, record stores and clothing stores closed for the day and taped signs supporting the boycott to their windows. At Cesar Chavez Elementary School in San Francisco, more than 60% of students failed to show up.

A crowd of about 100 people gathered in front of a BART station for a rally to denounce Schwarzenegger’s decision. Day laborers, activists and high school students sang Spanish songs about “El Norte,” carried handwritten signs and cheered when passing trucks honked in support of demonstrators.

“We’re out here because Arnold said ‘No’ to driver’s licenses,” said Ramundo Sanchez, 35, a day laborer.

In Los Angeles, Dov Charney, a senior partner with American Apparel, said his company shut down its manufacturing operations, which employ 1,200 workers, to demonstrate sympathy with the protesters.

“You can’t operate in California any longer without this population,” Charney said.

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Times staff writers Holly J. Wolcott, Lynne Barnes, Jennifer Mena, Joel Rubin, Julie Tamaki, Chris O’Connell, Jean Merl, Azadeh Moaveni and Monte Morin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.