Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 21 June 2017
Restaurants: The next front for the immigration debate?

SOPHIA TAREEN French restaurant Bistro
Associated Press Campagne said he ap-
CHICAGO (AP) — The na- plied to become a sanc-
tional debate over immi- tuary restaurant because
gration policy could be he wanted his employees
coming to a diner near to feel supported. Half the
you. employees at his neighbor-
From down-home delis to hood bistro are immigrants,
upscale bistros, dozens of including from Romania,
restaurants nationwide are Ecuador and Mexico.
seeking “sanctuary” status, “Restaurants are part of
a designation owners hope embracing other cultures,”
will help protect employ- said Todd Feinberg. “We
ees in an immigrant-heavy are all an immigrant cul-
industry and tone down fi- ture. The idea that we
ery rhetoric sparked by the might not accept that dis-
presidential campaign. turbs me a bit.”
First inspired by churches, At Brightwok Kitchen, an
the label is something cities Asian inspired build-a-bowl
and other public entities restaurant in downtown
have sought to offer local Chicago, owner Jeremy
protections to immigrants Klaben said he sought
living in the U.S. illegally, In this Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017 photo, Ben Hall, owner of the Russell Street Deli, poses with a sanctuary status because
whether it’s barring police sanctuary restaurant sign in Detroit. he wants employees and
from asking citizens about Associated Press customers to feel includ-
immigration status or refus- at the table for everyone.” Trump will carry out cam- living in the country with- ed. The restaurant draws
ing to cooperate with fed- “I have this one little place paign pledges to step up out legal permission, ac- a busy lunchtime crowd of
eral agents. where I get to decide how deportations and a build cording to Restaurant Op- college students, corpo-
Roughly 80 restaurants are people treat each other,” a wall along the Mexi- portunities Centers United, rate employees and tour-
participating, in locations said owner Ben Hall, who is can border, among other which launched the cam- ists.
including New York, Min- biracial and was moved to things. paign and works to im- Employee Iris Quijano, 22,
neapolis, Detroit, Boston, sign up after a few custom- Trump signed executive prove industry conditions. said it’s an extension of
Oakland, California, and ers’ racially tinged com- orders Wednesday aimed They pitched the program how she and colleagues
Ann Arbor, Michigan. ments. “If someone has the at jumpstarting construc- with an economic argu- feel.
The restaurants agree to need to insult someone ... tion of the wall and pun- ment, saying restaurants The Chicago native who
anti-discrimination policies, then they don’t get to par- ishing cities that declare need a “robust pool of has family in Mexico was
put up signs on windows ticipate. I’ve told them, themselves sanctuaries for workers.” In a recent letter, drawn to the restaurant
that pronounce their sanc- ‘There’s another diner next immigrants. Organizers of they appealed to Trump as after she graduated from
the movement say the res- a businessman and urged college.
taurant industry is more vul- him to “speak out to allevi- “In terms of all the nega-
nerable than others, given ate the fear of deportation tivity and the hatred we
its heavy reliance on immi- and other harassment.” have in social media and
grant labor. “This is not about a restau- in general ... it’ll be good
Not all restaurant industry rant harboring people in to be known as a sanctu-
groups agree with the tac- a closet. This is about cre- ary restaurant,” she said.
tic.
The National Restaurant
Association, which repre-
sents roughly 500,000 busi-
nesses, is instead pushing
for an immigration over-
haul, including an updat-
ed verification system that
In this Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017 photo, a sanctuary restaurant confirms employees’ eligi-
sign is shown inside Russell Street Deli in Detroit. bility to work in the country
Associated Press legally. Association Senior
tuary status and receive door.’” Vice President Steve Dan-
know-your-rights training, The movement is loosely on said the organization “is
such as webinars on how defined and largely sym- looking forward to working
to ask federal immigration bolic. Restaurants are pri- with the Trump administra-
agents for proper paper- vate businesses subject to tion” on ways to make veri-
work if there’s an attempt- workplace law and regu- fication “easier and more In this Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017 photo, a sanctuary restaurant
sign is shown on the door of the Russell Street Deli in Detroit.
ed raid. Some will also offer lations, and a sanctuary cost-efficient.” Associated Press
a text line for customers or designation will do nothing Roughly 12 million workers
employees to report any to prevent federal agents are in the restaurant indus- ating a safe space,” said “All our co-workers stand
incidents of harassment. from arresting any workers try and immigrants make Saru Jayaraman, a co- for the same things. It’s re-
At Detroit’s Russell Street in the country illegally. up the majority, including founder of ROC United. ally important for others
Deli, customers walking in But organizers of the sanc- up to 70 percent in big cit- “Employers have a re- to feel the same vibes in
the front door of the racial- tuary restaurants move- ies such as New York and sponsibility to protect their the restaurant and have a
ly diverse restaurant see a ment say it’s a response to Chicago. workers.” good meal without having
sign that reads: “SANCTU- the uncertainty surround- An estimated 1.3 million in In Chicago, the general to worry about anything
ARY RESTAURANT, a place ing how President Donald the industry are immigrants manager at the rustic negative.”q