Today In WTF: Arizona Officials Headed To L.A. To Drum Up Tourism (Despite That Whole Boycott Thing)

By Dennis Romero Wed., Jan. 5 2011 at 9:29 AM

Welcome to Arizona: Now go home.

If you'll recall, last year Los Angeles became one of the highest-profile cities in the nation to get on the boycott bandwagon against Arizona. The City Council didn't like its new law (still not fully in effect) that would have cops asking people they stop if they're in the U.S. legally.

Now tourism officials from Arizona are coming to L.A. this month to drum up business by touting Southwestern cuisine and chefs at the SLS Hotel near Beverly Hills.

Too soon?

According to a press invite:

" ... The Arizona Office of Tourism, Greater Phoenix, Scottsdale, Metropolitan Tucson, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale, Flagstaff, Sedona and Arizona Rocks tourism officials" will be in town Jan. 24 to help journalist spread the word about "the latest on Arizona's award-winning resorts, outdoor adventure, culinary delights, golf, soothing spa treatments, distinctive accommodations, and get all the details on baseball spring training in the desert!"

Really?

While the city's boycott has proved to be toothless (the City Council has found exceptions to its vow not to make deals with Arizona companies pretty much every time the issue has come up), it doesn't mean we're ready to cross that border just yet.

And here's another small point:

L.A. is technically IN THE SOUTHWEST! You mean Arizona officials are coming here to teach us about our cuisine?

And another:

What is Southwestern cuisine? Mexican food on an adobe-colored plate with napkins embroidered with coyote images.

So, Arizona, you don't like like Mexicans, but you like their food. And you want people in L.A. to go to your state and eat Mexican-influenced food while the people who invented it are not welcome?

That just doesn't taste right to us.

Tags:

Arizona, boycott, downtown, immigration, Southwestern cuisine

We Recommend

JCDArizona

I love how Arizona is repeatedly generalized as 'hating Mexicans' when nowhere in any legislation has Mexican, Hispanic or any other race identifying term been used. The term that has been used is illegal and if you are in this country illegally, guess what? You are illegal.

For those that don't get the concept, visit Mexico without those pesky 'papers' people get so balled up about and let us know how your stay in Mexican prison was.

Robert

I respectfully disagree with your assessemnt Dennis that the vast majority of American Latinos believe Arizona's law is anti Mexican Dennis thanks for the reply. I would love to get you to a meeting with many of my Latino friends from all over the city born and raised like me in LA and are legal Mexican Americans who support Arizona and hope CA passes a similar bill. Our city has changed drastically with all the influx of illegals. Thanks for the article because I'm yet to see a balanced credible story from the media on the facts of illegals in our city. The LA Slimes spins and puts out propaganda as does the tv outlets. Ask the Mexican Americans who live in neighborhoods with illegals on the Eastside and South LA, Pacoima, Echo Park and hear what they say about the illegals.

Robert

Sorry Dennis but let me educate you. Its not that Arizona doesn't like Mexicans like many of us who are Mexican American and don't like illegals and support Arizona's SB1070 WE WELCOME ARIZONA HERE. The media refuses to report the fact that 1,000's of Latinos right here in your backyard support Arizona because drive around LA and look at the deteroriation the illegals have done to our city. They refuse to abide by our laws, continue to illegal vend knowing its against the law and want everything for FREE. Nope, watch the losers in City Council start something because if you read the polling all over the internet even here in LA numbers are HIGH opposing illegal immigration. The dREAM ACT failed with democrats doing the voting. HELLOOOO

Dennis Romero

Robert:

Thanks for the education. I wrote an award winning magazine story about anti-illegal-immigrant Latinos in 2006. It's hard to make sweeping generalizations about the media unless you read everything. Even those of us whose job it is to read a lot miss stuff.

http://www.dennisromero.com/20...

In saying Arizonans who support this law don't like Mexicans, I was being a little tongue-in-cheek and respectfully trying to inspire folks like yourself to weigh in. But make no mistake, many American Latinos if not a vast majority feel that Arizona's law is essentially anti-Mexican.

Take care,Dennis

PHXhan014

Robert, if you were actaully trying to create a forum for people to weigh in you would present both sides of the arguments. All you post regarding this issue all biased opinions with little to no facts regarding the actual law that was signed and amended. You have very little clue about what Arizona is like, and what the citizens of the state want. Arizona is not full of anti-mexican bigots. Mnay of us just want those in our state to follow all laws, FEDERAL AND STATE, and not have them select which laws the abide by. And it isen;t it even more funny that california has passed a code years ago which should force police to questions immigration status of those arrested for committing other crimes (very similar to Az Law), but you don't rip your own state reps and lawmakers.