News coverage in April 2010 of SB 1070 boycotts began on April 22 when the Arizona Republic ran Business leaders worry Arizona’s immigration bill may keep tourists, employers away. The article quoted Arizona business leaders as saying they were worried that SB 1070 could result in a backlash similar to that which followed Arizona’s refusal to recognize Martin Luther King Day as a holiday. The article also mentioned a call by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) for national conventions to boycott Arizona.
Also on April 22, the Arizona Daily Star ran Pueblo Politics: Giffords says no to boycott, in which Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) refused to join Grijalva’s call for a boycott of Arizona by national conventions.
On April 23 the Republic ran Nationwide Hispanic boycott looms, a report from Channel 12 News, that quoted a former state representative as saying that Hispanic leaders are organizing a nationwide boycott of Arizona. Also on April 23, the Republic ran a report, Truckers plan boycott over Arizona immigration law, which described a planned boycott of Arizona by Mexican truckers who drive produce to Nogales, Ariz. The Republic also reported in Arizona immigration bill: Lawyers group to boycott Arizona that the American Immigration Lawyers Association was planning to cancel their national convention in Scottsdale, Ariz. over the new law.
The boycotts produced a backlash of their own. The Republic reported in Grijalva offices to close early due to threats, that telephone calls to Grijalva’s district offices threatened “to come in there and start shooting somebody,” according to spokesperson for Grijalva. On April 24 the Republic ran an editorial, Grijalva raises ire, receives threats, which condemned both Grijalva’s call for a boycott and the threatening telephone caller. Also on April 24, the Republic ran McCain, Hayworth agree: Grijalva boycott is a bad idea, which said that Grijalva’s boycott was one of the few things the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate could agree was a bad idea.
The boycott soon reached beyond Arizona’s borders. Both the Star and the Republic ran an Associated Press report, San Francisco calls for boycott of Ariz. over immigration law, on April 26. The story cited the San Francisco City Attorney as comparing SB 1070 to “apartheid in South Africa, the oppression of Catholics in Northern Ireland, and discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.”
The Star ran a story on April 26, Brewer: Immigration law won’t hurt Ariz. economy, about Brewer’s response to the calls for boycotts. Gov. Brewer said “I don’t believe it’s going to have the kind of economic impact that some people think it might.”
The calls for boycotts of Arizona also came from Mexico. The Nogales International ran a story on April 27, Sonoran protesters call for boycott over new Arizona law, about a protest of SB 1070 outside the U.S. Consulate in Nogales, Sonora.
Also on April 27, the boycott of Arizona by musicians began. The Republic ran Canadian band Stars boycott Arizona over immigration law, that quoted a Tweet from the band: “We love AZ,” the tweet read. “But until its racist new immigration law is repealed, Stars (and many others) will boycott this state.” Also on April 27, the Star ran Who is boycotting Arizona?, which contained a list of cities and counties across the U.S. that had approved boycotts of Arizona. The calls for boycotting Arizona also expanded onto the Internet. The Republic ran a story on April 27, Calls to boycott Arizona multiply on social media, which showed the consequences of being “unpopular in a social-media era.”
On April 28 the Star ran LA council, other Calif. officials weigh action vs. AZ, about other California cities considering joining San Francisco in boycotting Arizona. Also on April 28, the Republic ran an Associated Press report, Mayor in Minnesota boycotts Arizona over new law, about the continuing spread of boycotts of Arizona.
Also on April 28, the Republic ran Arizona’s immigration law has ripple effect about the likelihood of the U.S. Congress passing comprehensive immigration reform. The article cited the boycotts as showing that immigration reform did not have bipartisan support.
Also on April 28, both the Star and the Republic ran an Associated Press report, Company, lawmaker: Don’t boycott NY’s ‘AriZona’ tea, about the makers of AriZona Beverage Co., based in New York state and makers of Arizona Iced Tea, distancing themselves from SB 1070.
The boycotts also spread to the sports world. On April 29 the Star ran an Associated Press report, Immigration activists boycott Diamondbacks-Cubs game, about protesters calling for boycotts outside of an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game in Chicago.
As calls for boycotts spread across the country, into Mexico, and around the Internet a counter-boycott, or “buycott,” began to surface. The Republic ran a story on April 30, Veteran calls to say he plans anti-boycott visit to Arizona, about a man from Washington state calling an Arizona chamber of commerce to say that he would be vacationing in Arizona in order to combat the boycotts.
News coverage of boycotts in April 2010 concluded with a story in the Republlc, Competing efforts are under way to boycott and support Arizona’s economy, about the growing movements to boycott and buycott Arizona.
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