‘We demand respect’

The statewide boycott was reportedly marginally effective across much of California, but the local turnout was surprisingly high, said analysts and officials. Although the immediate results were hard to gauge, local schools — which lost tens of thousands of dollars in state funds from the absences — were hit hard, and some said the protest might signal a tipping point in regional immigrant struggles.

“In talking to people and my neighbors, I’m seeing Latinos saying, ‘It’s time we stood up,’ ” said UCSB Chicano studies professor Ralph Armbruster-Sandoval. “Being out there today (at the rally), I saw and felt a lot of anger, sort of a ‘this is another attack and we’re not going to take it any more.’ ”

One rally participant, restaurant assistant manager Pedro Carachure, took his four children out of Adams School for the day in an effort to show officials and administrators the clout of the Hispanic population. He was one among many to do so.

Despite radio and television announcements from education officials asking parents to keep kids in class, Santa Barbara elementary schools saw 1,811 empty seats the day of the strike, compared to 381 the day before, while the high schools saw 3,282 absences, compared to 808 the day before. Schools with a high Latino student base were hit the worst: Franklin, for example, had 349 absences — about seven times that of the previous day.

Each unexcused absence costs the school districts between $25 and $30 in lost revenues from the state, said Barbara Keyani, a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara School Districts, which resulted in a total loss of about $100,000 due to the walkout. Similar hits were reported around the state, with Fresno Unified School District losing $328,000 and Bakersfield City losing about $250,000, she said.

The absent students were conspicuous in the boisterous protest march, which — escorted by police motorcycles — turned more than a few heads while making its way up State Street to a rally in De la Guerra Plaza in front of City Hall.

“We’re the economic center of Santa Barbara,” said La Casa de la Raza director Jose Martinez to the assembly. “We want a community that values the rights of the immigrants and we want to live without intimidation.”

Martinez’s words came as he delivered a petition, signed by hundreds, to the city asking City Council members to declare Dec. 12 the Day of the Immigrant. Dec. 12 is also the Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a major Hispanic holiday.

Santa Barbara Mayor Pro Tem Dan Secord accepted the document, reminding constituents “a small group of people can change the world.”

But while Secord’s comments were met with cheers, many protesters expressed dismay, distrust or outrage during the march.

“This is for the governor to see he needs to pay attention to these people,” said frustrated local landscaper Estubio Torres, who, along with family and friends, decided not to go to work. “Everyone needs a license because everyone needs to take their kids to school or go to the market or go to the hospital.

“The governor cancelled the right to have a license, and it’s pretty unfair,” he continued. “My license is legal but I wanted to do this for the rest of the people who don’t have them.”

While Torres and several thousand others created a din that was audible for blocks, organizers and advocates hoped the boycott echoed all the way to Sacramento, where Gov. Schwarzenegger recently repealed legislation that gave immigrants the right to obtain drivers licenses.

Schwarzenegger supporters say the bill will protect national security and hamper illegal immigration, while opponents argue immigrants are necessary in California, aren’t going anywhere and should be able to drive legally.

Still, according to some, the march was about more than just the right to drive.

“I think a lot of immigrants feel like scapegoats and … I think this does reflect a change over the past few years,” said UCSB’s Armbruster-Sandoval. “One of the things this action was all about was sort of a ‘Listen, don’t disrespect us — the economy depends on our labor and if we withhold it we can shut the economy down.’

“There’s a lot of power out there and a lot of pride,” he said.