Eva Longoria, Salma Hayek and Others Back Illegal Alien Protests

When it comes to the issue of illegal immigration, Hollywood celebrities have been pretty much mum.

Even notoriously outspoken actors like Sean Penn, Barbra Streisand, and George Clooney appear to have gone silent.

However, there are some exceptions to the zipped-lip rule, and the stars who are speaking out seem to be the ones with Hispanic surnames and/or fan bases.

Celebrities who decided to make their voices heard on the subject include Edward James Olmos and Salma Hayek. The two supported the "day without immigrants" May Day boycott over proposed immigration laws.

Prior to the day of the boycott, Olmos told the AFP news agency, "The protest will be very important, because it will teach a lesson to politicians and the rest of the United States."

Meanwhile "Desperate Housewives'" Eva Longoria told Ireland Online that she's producing a documentary on migrant workers. "I work a lot with the National Council of La Raza, which is the largest Latino civil rights organization in the country and I work a lot with the United Farm Workers," Longoria said.

"We're in this big debate about the future of our immigration laws which is colored by the often negative media portrayals of Latinos in television and film," she added.

Sounding like she'd been counseled by La Raza, Longoria told Reuters that "Mexicans contribute an enormous amount to our society, economically and socially."

Gustavo Santaolalla, Oscar winning composer of the soundtrack for the film "Brokeback Mountain," said, "We have to demand respect and dignity, because we are all workers and because we are already part of the DNA of this country."

Colombian actor John Leguizamo (best known for his roles in "Moulin Rouge" and "Carlito's Way") said that he was "proud of the protests," referring to the multitude of Latinos who recently took to the streets with picket signs.

"It is insulting that the law would call an immigrant a criminal," Leguizamo said. "It's horrible."

A source close to Hayek indicated that before she left for a European promotional tour the actress was considering how she could support the May 1 boycott.

The Left Coast Report is fantasizing about organizing a "Day without Celebrity Activists."