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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend May 2, 2006 Yolanda Romero, holding her daughter Kimberly, proudly waves an American flag during Monday�s immigration-rights march through downtown Medford. Romero said she is a U.S. citizen. (Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli) 'United we Dream' By Anita Burke Mail Tribune Jacobo Escobedo proudly wore a Bear Creek Corp. hat to an immigration rally in Alba Park Monday afternoon, even though he hadn't gone to work that day in the orchards of the company now known as Harry and David. Escobedo was one of hundreds of Rogue Valley residents who joined in a national effort to bring attention to immigration reform by skipping work or school and attending rallies. Roughly 500 people gathered in Alba Park Monday afternoon, waving American flags, chanting slogans in Spanish and English, and carrying signs with statements such as "Today we march, tomorrow we vote," "We love this country," "United we Dream," and "We support hardworking immigrant taxpayers." They marched along sidewalks on Main Street to Rep. Greg Walden's office, a river of people greeted with honks, waves, thumbs up and an occasional obscene gesture. Babies rolled along in strollers. Toddlers rode their fathers' shoulders. Crisply dressed middle aged-couples walked shoulder to shoulder with slouching young men in tank tops and tattoos. "I call on Congress to fix the broken immigration system," a young woman with a megaphone exhorted the crowd. "We are watching you. "Today we bought and sold no goods to show we are needed. We are here to say no more living in the shadows," she shouted to cheers. Some at the rally said they usually had Monday off, so the boycott hadn't changed their schedule. Others, like Cynthia Sanchez, of White City, who was there with her parents and siblings, said she came after school. Miguel Rivera-Lopez, who works with Escobedo pruning trees and picking and packing pears at Harry and David, said he joined in the boycott and the rally because the issue is important. The 45-year-old, who has lived in the United States since he was 18 and spent the past 23 years in Medford working the Rogue Valley's pear orchards, brought his three children along. Bill Ihle, Harry and David's vice president for corporate communications, said absenteeism was fairly typical for a Monday, with perhaps a slight increase on orchard crews. Kitchen and other operations were fully staffed, and no work was interrupted, he said. Many companies in industries that employ Hispanic workers, including orchards, hospitality and construction, didn't respond to questions about the effects of the boycott Monday or declined to make statements. Others said they hadn't seen a difference. "Everybody is here and working," said Bruce Hoevet, general manager of Rogue Regency Inn. "It's a non-issue here," said Barbara Bech, office manager at Carol's Colors, a Phoenix landscaping company. Josh Johnson, a project manager assistant at Adroit Construction Co., of Ashland, said the company has a vetting process to insure all workers are in the country legally and none of its employees had participated in the boycott. He thought small, residential contractors might have felt the effects of the boycott. Batzer Inc. and R.A. Murphy Construction said they experienced no differences in work Monday, even with subcontractors who tend to rely more heavily on Hispanic crews. Medford resident Eduardo Ledesma, who came to the United States 18 years ago when he was 17, took the day off from his job at Red Robin. "I let them know that I wanted to do this," he said. "I want to support those who are illegal to become legal. They just want to work." Some Hispanic businesses were closed, including Las Morenas Taqueria and El Gallo Mexican Supermarket, both in Medford, and La Tapatia and La Estrella, Phoenix markets selling Mexican goods. Plenty of others were open for business as usual. "Nobody came to tell us about this, so we all came in," said Flavio Martinez, a waiter at Miguel's Guadalajara in Shady Cove. Esther Gitzen kept her Medford restaurant, La Burrita, open despite pressure from her sisters, who helped organize local immigration rallies, and others she knows who are active in the movement. "I've been here for my customers for 20 years," she said. "This was another day and my customers said they appreciated me being here." Gitzen said she also saw organizers she knows pull into her parking lot, then drive away when they saw she was open. She expects to take some heat for her decision to feed her customers and send her five children to school while others boycotted. "I respect what they do for the movement, but everybody does things differently," she said. "We all have the right to make choices." Demonstrating how to be a responsible citizen by meeting school and work obligations felt right to Gitzen. She said she has provided food for events sponsored by Unete, a farm-worker advocacy group that helped organize rallies here. "I actually support them," Gitzen said. "I was never illegal, but I feel for them. There should be an easier way." Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] . 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