May Day Might Present Problems

May 1 could mean more to you this year than you think. It’s Primero de Mayo, or International Labor Day, which marks the annual mobilization of labor unions. This year could be a little different.

We’ve heard rumblings nationwide and from local organizers about May 1 being designated as a boycott day. Nationwide it has been called “A Day Without Immigrants” where immigrants and supporters are encouraged not to participate in commerce, whether that is by not going to work/school or making purchases to make a statement about immigrant rights.

Randy Trevino, editor of La Prensa Del Noroeste de Arkansas, the Spanish-language newspaper owned by Stephens Media Inc., said he’s not sure what local action will be taken.

“I don’t think many people are in agreement on it,” Trevino said. Some people just don’t want to miss out on work, he said.

The U.S. Census Bureau released special census figures April 14 indicating Hispanics make up one third of the population in Springdale alone.

Since 1990, Arkansas’ Hispanic population has had the second highest growth in the U.S. (next to North Carolina), going from 19,876 to 117,568 in 2004, a 492 percent increase.