La Raza Pulls Event Planned in Kansas City

A Hispanic civil rights group is pulling its national convention and tradeshow out of Kansas City, Mo., because a city official wouldn't resign from a group that actively attempts to prevent undocumented immigrants from entering the United States.

During a meeting the weekend of Oct. 20, the Natl. Council of La Raza's board of directors voted to cancel plans to hold the NCLR 2009 Annual Conference and Latino Expo USA in Kansas City. The organization hadn't made a decision by press time about where it will hold the national meeting and tradeshow instead.

The possibility of the group taking the convention to another city first arose in early October when it learned from members of Kansas City's Hispanic community that Mayor Mark Funkhouser had appointed Frances Semler, a member of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, to the city's parks board.

The Minutemen's mission states the organization wants U.S. boundaries secured against “the unlawful and unauthorized entry of all individuals, contraband and foreign military.” The group patrols the United States-Mexico border to prevent undocumented immigrants from entering the U.S.

La Raza Spokeswoman Lisa Navarrete told Tradeshow Week the Minutemen have “well-documented ties to white supremacy.”

“Our decision is a clear expression of support for Kansas City's Hispanic community,” said Monica Lozano, La Raza board chairwoman, in a statement. “An active member of the Minutemen should not be an official representative for a city that purports to believe in diversity.”

The Natl. Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People expressed similar concern about Semler's appointment and supported La Raza's decision. However, pending a site visit and contract signing, an NAACP spokesman said it would stick with plans announced in September to hold its 2010 Annual Convention in Kansas City.

Joe Miller, director of communications for the mayor's office, said Funkhouser had suggested several ways to resolve the contretemps. One was to have Semler write a letter to La Raza explaining that her membership in the Minutemen was because of her frustration with the federal government's inability to secure the border, that she rejected the use of violence and intimidation and that she would not speak in public on behalf of the Minutemen while serving on the parks board, Miller said.

Another was to have the city council and parks board adopt resolutions welcoming La Raza to Kansas City.

Regardless of the city's efforts, though, Navarrete said in order for La Raza to have the convention there, the group wanted Semler to “step down as an active member of the Minutemen.”

Semler could not be reached by TSW.

Miller said Funkhouser was disappointed by La Raza's decision to move the convention, but “our convention and visitors bureau officials have indicated that they'll be very able to fill that space.”

The Kansas City Convention & Visitors Assn. estimated La Raza's convention would have had a $4 million economic impact and used 5,000 hotel room nights.

Miller said Kansas City was still looking forward to the NAACP convention in 2010.

But, he added, “we're not going to take anything for granted. We'll continue to work hard to make sure they come here, and that it's a successful convention.”

Navarrete said La Raza would pay about $70,000 in contractual penalties related to the cancellation. She added, “If circumstances change, (returning to the city) definitely would be something we would consider in the future.”