What We Need Is A Day Without Immigrants

Several hundred demonstrators protest President Donald Trump’s executive order which imposes a freeze on admitting refugees into the United States and a ban on travel from seven Muslim-majority countries at the international terminal at O’Hare Airport on February 1, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The demonstrators rallied in front of the Department of Homeland Security offices and marched through the Loop during rush hour to the Federal Building Plaza. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

By Felicia J. Persaud

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Feb. 3, 2017: The thing we feared most has come upon us and now thousands of innocent immigrants and travelers are forced to bear the brunt of a racist and foolish travel ban of seven predominantly Muslim nations by Donald Trump and his Alt-Right, Nazi-inspired cohorts.

With the stroke of his pen, Trump’s executive order, especially the one issued on Jan. 27, 2017, took effect, creating confusion and heartbreak at all international US gateways.

Of course this is just the beginning. The order to round up and deport immigrants who have committed even minor infractions will kick in shortly as well and the horror will be played out on TV screens nationwide. No doubt, more and more will take to the streets in protest.

The fear many immigrants felt throughout the Trump campaign based only on rhetoric has now become palpable with the mad hatter in charge. And it’s only just over two weeks in the new era of ‘scapegoating the immigrants’ on the El Trumpeto soap opera.

Men pray during a protest by ethinic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

But what Trump and his cohorts did not consider was how such their sown hate would bring together an outpouring globally of love and unity, beyond race and religion and culture.

Now it’s time for immigrants all across this country to show just how powerful we are and how important we are to economy of these United States.

It is time for ‘A Day Without Immigrants,’ much like Sergio Arau’s satire “A Day Without a Mexican.”  Whether legal or not, citizen or not, it’s time for all immigrants to rise up and send a clear message to those who believe that America will be great again without black and brown immigrants.

You don’t need to march in the street. Do like the NYC Taxi drivers and the Yemeni bodega owners. Simply do not show up for work or school and certainly do not shop anything for a day.

This is a time for unity and a time to stand up against the dictator that 62 million Americans, blinded largely by racism, have foisted upon all of us.

Let’s make one day this Black History Month, a #DayWithoutImmigrants. Who’s with me?

The writer is CMO at Hard Beat Communications, Inc.