6 Groups Oppose Boycott Against Disney, Nabisco

Six prominent Latino and labor organizations voiced opposition Friday to a planned boycott of Walt Disney Co. and RJR Nabisco over their financial support for Gov. Pete Wilson and other pro-Proposition 187 candidates.

Boycott opponents convened at the main entrance to Disneyland, where they announced they would devote their energies to promoting U.S. citizenship among Latinos rather than bad-mouthing corporate giants.

Although the groups were vehemently opposed to Proposition 187, which won by nearly a 3-2 ratio at the polls, they said a boycott could lead to more harm.

“This boycott is not about justice,” said Michael Potts, a representative of the Orange County Building Trades Council. “It’s just a case of blind rage that will pit working people against working people.”

Said Angela Keefe, president of the union that represents some Disneyland and Disneyland Hotel employees: “All (the boycott) will do is force our members--50% of whom are immigrant workers--to stay home with no wages and benefits.”

A day earlier, activists from grass-roots immigrants rights organizations had met at the same site to unveil their boycott plans.

“We are asking people not to heed the call made by small, insignificant groups and individuals that don’t have the broad-based support of the Latino community,” said Nativo V. Lopez, co-national director of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, one of the groups opposed to the boycott.

“In seeking to respond to Prop. 187, organizations have to focus their attention on launching citizenship projects . . . to encourage Latinos to come forward and adopt the United States as their permanent home,” he said.

The statewide ballot measure, approved overwhelmingly last month, would deny education, social services and non-emergency health care to illegal immigrants. A federal court judge has temporarily blocked its implementation.

Leaders of the boycott, meanwhile, said the latest developments would not alter their plans to stop buying Nabisco products or spending money at Disney films and businesses. The immigration rights groups today plan to demonstrate outside the main gate of the theme park.

“We can’t support companies that support Pete Wilson, who is the No. 1 enemy of the Latino community,” said Fabian Nunez of La Alianza, a community advocacy group in Pomona. “The purpose of our boycott is to send messages to businesses that Latino immigrants, through their spending power, won’t support politicians who support racist policies.

“These groups saying they stand with Disney need to rethink their strategies.”

Disneyland spokesman John McClintock said the company, which did not take a stand on Proposition 187, is “gratified” that other groups have come to its defense.

“We felt the boycott was unjust because we supported both candidates running for governor,” McClintock said. “We’re very proud of our longstanding relationship with the Hispanic American community, and we’ve done a lot of work to help our employees.”

Although Disneyland has no formal citizenship promotion programs in place, McClintock said corporate officials are discussing that possibility.

In addition to Hermandad Mexicana Nacional and the building trades council, other groups opposed to the boycott are the League of United Latin American Citizens of California, the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union Local 681, the Orange County Central Labor Council and Los Amigos of Orange County.