Should Northampton join the growing list of communities that are boycotting Arizona?
That’s the question that will be the table this Thursday, at forum hosted by the American Friends Service Committee of Western Mass. While the AFSC supports a boycott in protest of Arizona’s harsh new immigration policies, the forum, said coordinator Jeff Napolitano, “is primarily a means to hear back from the community about what they think about the prospects and efficacy of a boycott.”
According to the Arizona Republic, more than 20 counties and municipalities across the nation have decided to boycott the state. That list includes Boston, Hartford and Burlington. Vt. Locally, the Amherst Select Board last month approved a resolution directing town officials not to spend town money on goods or services from Arizona. The resolution also urged Amherst residents to follow suit.
A number of social-justice groups and labor unions have also announced travel boycotts of the state. Meanwhile, a number of municipalities have passed resolutions in support of the Arizona laws.
The AFSC, Napolitano said, supports a boycott but wants the forum to be an opportunity to hear the community’s thoughts. While the event will start with comments from several speakers, including attorney Bill Newman of the ACLU of Western Mass., the bulk of the time will be given over to public comments. The goal, Napolitano said, is “to have some sort of dialogue—not just people talking in one direction and testifying.”
And, he added, organizers hope to keep the forum to about one hour. “I have been to too many forums that go for three hours. People don’t want to sit somewhere for three hours and be lectured.”
While the forum focuses on Northampton, the dialogue is open to people from all communities. A boycott campaign is also in the early stages in Springfield, according to Napolitano.
“This is a valid way to put pressure on the state government in Arizona to do the right thing,” Napolitano said. But the primary goal, he said, is to make people here aware of the implications of that state’s law for policies here. In May, in the wake of the Arizona law, the Massachusetts Senate approved strict measures to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing public benefits programs such as housing and Medicaid.
“Were not talking about halfway across the country,” he said. “It’s really about the effect that’s happening in our communities, and the copycat laws happening in our state, even. …
“This is largely about protecting our communities from what’s happening in Arizona, and not replicating that here.”
The forum’s date—July 29—was picked to coincide with the date the Arizona law is to go into effect. Several federal lawsuits to stop its implementation, including one filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. are pending.
The forum will begin at 6 p.m. at First Churches, 129 Main St., Northampton. For more information, call 413-584-8975 or go to www.afscwm.org.
