Cristina Jimenez
What does the Recession Mean for Immigrant Workers?
Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the economic crisis is forcing Latino immigrants to return to their countries. The article cited a new study by the Pew Hispanic Center on Latino workers and the current recession. The Center’s study, however, points out that although there has been a slowdown in the growth of the Latino immigrant working-age population, it cannot be concluded that foreign-born Latinos are returning to their countries.
The study does conclude that the inflow of undocumented immigrants has decreased since 2005, but undocumented immigrants are not leaving the country, as indicated by the Migration Policy Institute’s new report.
Talking to undocumented workers about the impact of the recession, I found that the option of returning to their countries is the last one on their minds. The political and economic instability and the fear of high levels of crime in their home countries make the idea of returning very unattractive. In addition, they have established roots in this country—many have children who have grown up here.
The current recession is only forcing undocumented workers to look for lower paying jobs—exposing themselves to dangerous working conditions, exploitation, and enabling employers to further drag down labor standards for all workers. The debate over whether the inflow of undocumented immigrants has decreased or increased doesn’t address the core issue—the decline in working conditions and wages caused by immigrant exploitation. To address this, the new administration would have to ensure that all workers, regardless of their immigration status, are guaranteed equal labor rights.
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Posted at 12:58 PM, Jan 22, 2009 in Economy | Immigration
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Being privy primarily to my Latino co-workers opinions, (we are union and non-union construction workers, as we've followed the markets for some years now in order to survive) and having Missouri as my birthplace (the show-me state), I feel obligated to report what I know to be true.
Here in the Minneapolis/St. Paul region of Minnesota, the illegal Latino population
has skyrocketed since the emplacement of a Mexican consulate office in St. Paul and the announcement by both city's leaders that they are now "sanctuary cities".
The majority of my Latino co-workers indicate they are here merely to make their
fortunes and return to their homeland to live prosperous lives. I would presume most of the subsequent newcomers are here with the same intent. Coincidently, my established Latin co-workers hate the newcomers with a passion, since each wave intentionally drives down wages and contracted compensation due to the overabundant labor pool created, even during a favorable economic climate. Obviously, native workers are severely affected, too, those being the lowest economic blue-collar class, who also happen to be raising 50% of American children.
I'm afraid that all members of these societys, having been sold false hope, are played one against the other by the greatest purveyor of which is a corporate elite, that leads our political leaders, media and scholarly institutions by the nose.
Posted by: willie the taper | January 30, 2009 01:07 AM