But there's more: This depopulation causes an economic ripple effect that touches all business people, white, brown, and other.
"These predominantly Hispanic shoppers shopped in stores that weren't Hispanic," Fuller told the filmmakers. "These stores operate in a very small margin. If you lose 10 percent of your sales, that may be the difference between success and failure."
The faces of 9500 Liberty: Clockwise, from top left: Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart; blogger/nativist Greg Letiecq; PWC Police Chief Charlie Deane; filmmaker Annabel Park; and FAIR lawyer Mike Hethmon.
Related Content
More About
PWC didn't face a boycott like the one Arizona's now staring into, but in a world where capital is fluid, capital can choose to go elsewhere.
"Investors avoid controversy," noted Fuller, in an observation that seems prescient considering Arizona's current situation. "A controversial company loses its investors. It happens in local economies, too."
Ultimately, the economic doldrums caused by the flight of brown folk moved PWC to reconsider. About nine months after it passed its "probable cause" resolution, PWC's Board of Supervisors reversed itself and axed the most onerous provisions.
There are vast differences between Prince William County and Arizona. Hell, PWC only has about 380,000 souls in it. Arizona boasts a population of more than 6.5 million.
Plus, most of Arizona's 30 percent Hispanic population have been here for generations, are U.S. citizens, and could vote, if they're registered. This was not the case in PWC.
Still, as far as the battle lines presented in 9500 Liberty, Prince William County is a microcosm of Arizona.
The filmmakers are already beginning an interactive YouTube project for Sand Land, much like the one in PWC that birthed their documentary. And they are recruiting Arizonans to help with the all the filming and videotaping that will be necessary to cover the state.
They've been in town for Q & A sessions since the film began its run, which has been presented by New Times.
But the question I have is how long will it take before Arizona completes the same story arc that PWC has traversed? That's a question for which neither the filmmakers nor anyone else I know of has the answer.