Arizona boycott efforts may hurt Hispanics most

Steve Adcock is the founder and developer of SmallGovTimes.c

Phoenix officials believe that the city could lose as much as $90 million over the next five years if boycotts continue. The losses in revenue directly contribute to the city’s ability to pay for their workforce, many of which are Hispanic immigrants.

The Los Angeles City Council and several other California cities have passed measures in support of the Arizona boycott over the past several weeks, as well as the city of Seattle earlier this week. Several private organizations have cancelled trips to the state of Arizona that were previously scheduled.

Some Arizona organizations are fighting back, including the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association that started a Facebook page urging Americans to avoid the unintended consequences of such boycotts. ”Tourism employs the state’s most diverse and global workforce. Boycotting WON’T change the minds of those who drafted the legislation but will only hurt the innocent employees,” the group wrote.

Among the bigger concerns over the immigration law is the issue of “racial profiling”. Although the law is clear that police officers cannot question people based solely on the color of their skin, it does give law enforcement the right to ask for proof of citizenship after a stop has been made for another legitimate purpose.