At least three local restaurants closed Thursday as part of a national effort to recognize the importance of immigrants to the U.S. workforce.
Mi Tierra on Route 9 in Hadley and Bueno y Sano and Paul & Elizabeth’s, both in downtown Northampton, were shuttered as part of an action called “A Day Without Immigrants”
Mi Tierra owners Jorge Sosa, an immigrant from Mexico, and Dora Saravia, who immigrated from El Salvador, posted the importance of closing on their restaurant’s Facebook page.
“We understand that nothing will have any effect if we don’t stay together,” they wrote. “I hope all of you understand.”
Bueno y Sano, meanwhile, put on its Twitter feed that the Northampton and West Springfield locations would not open.
“Northampton and W. Springfield Buenos are closed today in observance of the Day Without Immigrants, to encourage awareness and support.”
Bueno owner Bob Lowry said the action was an important issue for some of his staff, and that he accepted the decisions of those who took the day off.
“I just immediately got in the mode that what you guys need to do is completely fine,” Lowry said.
Some at the Amherst location were less interested in making a statement and so that Bueno remained open.
Paul & Elizabeth’s put up sign in its Thorne’s marketplace site that the closing was needed to support and show solidarity for staff and the restaurant community, with an intent to reopen for regular business Friday.
La Veracruzana kept its Northampton and Amherst locations open, in part because of the snowstorms that owner Martin Carrera said had affected business in recent days. But not because he is not sympathetic to showcasing how immigrants are an important part of the American economy.
“That doesn’t mean me and my employees don’t believe in what is happening,” Carrera said. “In order to have comprehensive immigration reform, you need to really ask yourself what we’re going to do with 12 million who don’t have documents; deporting them is not the answer.”
Carrera said it would be inhumane to remove so many people, especially after they have been given a tacit blessing to start businesses, and those who are undocumented aren’t just restaurant workers and hotel maids, but businesspeople, scientists, doctoral students and developers for Google and Apple.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
