Bushwick is a neighborhood of thousands of immigrants. Among them, Bushwick Daily’s owner and editorial director, Katarina Hybenova, and our managing editor, Magdalena Waz, are both immigrants; and our writers are a community of first, second, and third generation writers who all make this publication what it is.
We fully support the Day Without Immigrants general strike which shows America what the country would look like without the immigrants who sustain its economy in both visible and invisible ways.
Countless Bushwick businesses are immigrant-owned, and many are closed today and/or tomorrow, with others offering statements in support of their employees who choose to strike.
“We join the strike today to make a statement [that] we immigrants make up a vast majority of the population here in the U.S. and stand in solidarity with the injustices being made against our fellow immigrants,” Jennifer Jimenez from Industry 1332 tells Bushwick Daily. “We are integral part of the U.S. economy, we are taxpayers, we are entrepreneurs and we are consumers. Immigrants make America great every single day with all our amazing contributions. We make this country like no other place on earth with the extraordinary blend of all of our beautiful culture and creativity.”
Divine Bar released the following statement: “Divine is proud to have team members with all different backgrounds. We will be supporting any of our team members who decide to take part in the nationwide strike. Solidarity with all immigrants reflects our belief in diversity. Because of this our kitchen will be closed today, February 16th.”
Josh Ku of Win Son says that while the restaurant will be open today, they will be donating 10 percent of all profits to the ACLU.
George Lagos of Tasty’s and Dish in Ridgewood said he “would have loved to participate but unfortunately there wasn’t much of a warning.”
Beacon’s Closet also noted that while they support the strike they “realistically … need to stay open so that we can fulfill our obligations to them [employees], to our own families, and to non profits whose organizations support immigrants and others targeted by this administration,” reminding everyone that there is more than one way to protest government action.
The following local businesses got in touch with Bushwick Daily saying that they will be closed today or tomorrow due to the strike:
Loom Yoga (closed Feb. 17)
Sunrise/Sunset (closed Feb. 17)
Desert Island (closed Feb. 17)
If you are a local business, and you’re closed today or tomorrow, please let us know in the comments and we’ll add you to the list!
Featured image: Burger It Up closed by Magdalena Waz for Bushwick Daily.