Mexicans avoid 'gringos' to support migrants

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Thousands of Mexicans took to the streets Monday to support migrants in the United States and celebrated what they called a "Day Without Gringos" by shunning U.S.-owned supermarkets, fast-food restaurants and American goods.

Measuring the boycott's impact proved difficult, however, because business is normally reduced to a fraction of normal volume on Mexico's May Day holiday.

Some Mexicans vowed not to buy from or patronize any businesses related to the United States, while others said they found it difficult to avoid doing so.

Customers streamed into some branches of Wal-Mart, McDonald's and Burger King in the Mexican capital despite the boycott, which was timed to coincide with a call for immigrants to skip work, school and shopping in the United States.

Juan Ortiz, a 28-year-old salesman who left a Wal-Mart in downtown Mexico City pushing a cartload of food and bathroom goods, said he supported legalizing migrants in the United States but didn't think it was practical to boycott U.S. goods here.

"You have to buy what is least expensive here and I have to buy things for my family," he said.

Celestino Garcia, a 32-year-old sandwich seller outside the Wal-Mart, said he was seeing the same number of shoppers Monday as on any other day.

It also appeared to be business as usual at a McDonald's franchise in a working-class neighborhood near Mexico City's international airport.

But Marina Serna, deputy manager for a downtown Burger King, said she thought the boycott was having an effect: The restaurant had only one client in its first 90 minutes Monday, even though it is owned by Mexican franchise holders.