Min Sook Lee: The Foreign Temporary Worker Program

The ethnography Labor and Legality is based on the experiences of ten different undocumented immigrant men living and working in the Chicago area. These men have been called the Lions by the author because they all originate from the same city in Mexico called Le?n. These men differ meaningfully in their beliefs, experiences, and plans for the future, but they also have important things in common. They are friends, and in some cases brothers and cousins, who share the reputation of being ?illegal aliens? and the dignity of being hard workers and family men. Their culture guides them through many different social settings, and each man has a different perspective.

Education along with work experience are vital resources that immigrants convey to Canada’s industry. However, this is not the scenario for many new immigrants, who struggles to get past the preliminary credentials check-up process. In 2007, a report showed that “foreign credentials of 340,000 Canadians or permanent residents of visible minorities have not been recognized” (Andrew Cardozo and Ravi Pendakur, 2007). In addition, a number of unemployed immigrants within that year accounted for the loss of $4.1B in Canada industry. In context, it shows that immigrants have a higher education than Canadian-born, “Statistics show that 47.5% of immigrants, aged 25 to 34, have completed university, compared to 26.6% of Canadian-born, workers” (Canadian government). This shows the proximity of ignorance and prejudice towards hiring an immigrant in Canada. To connect, these contempt results can give rise to many levels of distress, anxiety and psychological problems that can deteriorate and provoke health problems. A study done by Kate Strully at Harvard University concluded that “people had an increase of 81% chance to develop a mental illness after being unemployed” (KW STRULLY -

Babies born to migrant workers suffer 25 percent higher infant mortality than the rest of the population. Malnutrition among migrant worker children is ten times higher in the nation. (Chavez)

As the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States begins to increase once more, the issue of allowing or prohibiting immigrants to gain temporary status in order to obtain work continues to create national problems. According to a report given by the Department of Homeland Security, it is estimated that the number of immigrants entering the U.S. is at about 1.1 million people per year. (Hanson Par. 1) These individuals come into the United States in search of better living conditions and opportunities. However, these immigrants face challenges when it comes to work and other types of living.

The book ‘Labor and Legality: An Ethnography of a Mexican Immigrant Network’ by Ruth Gomberg-Munoz explains the hardships that surround the Mexican immigrant network. Over the years the ‘undocumented’ workers coming to America from Mexico has increased which has gained the attention of the American government and the media, as it is ‘illegal behavior’. Gomberg-Munoz attempts to create an understanding of the lives of these workers by telling individual’s personal stories. The author reports the workers undocumented lives rather than reviewing their status as this is already covered in society. The author’s main topic revolves around the principle that undocumented workers strive to improve their quality of life by finding employment in the United States (Gomberg-Munoz 9). Gomberg Munoz also presents the daily struggles the works face daily, and how these struggles “deprives them of meaningful choice and agency” which effects their opportunity and futures (Gomberg-Munoz 9). This ethnography shows their social identities through work, the reasons why their position is illegal and how they live their everyday lives under the circumstances.

Each chapter joins interviews that combine shared experiences, with people of legal and illegal immigrants working in American sweat shops and in fields, to the psychological effects of poverty on workers experiences in the work place and at

They are alienated as outsiders of Canadian citizenship because they are not a citizen or a member of the Canadian community, but they do not realize it is just an illusion that has been shown to them. This also means that these migrant workers are not part of the Canadian society and are excluded for any rights that a citizen of Canada would have. Gabriel and MacDonald (2014) acknowledges that Canada’s immigration view on migrant worker is referred to as precarious status, which means programs like SWAP use this status for many of the migrant farm workers because they cannot be a permanent resident, have the lack of rights and entitlements, and cannot bring any family to Canada. Due to globalization, there has been a citizenship gap that has been created which allows certain individuals to have the right to have claims, entitlement and status. This is not universal because again, migrant farm workers are alienated and excluded from this right. When looking at the struggles of migrant farm workers face for citizenship rights and human rights, there is correlation that these struggles are use against them to help Canada secure rights of agricultural

Markusoff presents the article “The New Underground Railroad” which explains what Canada represents for immigrants, and describes true stories about the global situation. The author illustrates the risks that many take for freedom, dignity, and hope; moreover, he explains the reason why immigrants assume that risk to journey through the underground to have a better life. Simultaneously, the story gives an important reflection about discrimination in other countries and the benefits that Canadians have. This article evidence the global situation and the significant issue of immigration.Ultimately, the writer makes a comparison between the United States and Canada regarding human rights, dignity, and safety.

I hope to acquire new knowledge about immigration and hear different perspectives and stories about why people decided to move and start a new life here in Canada. In addition, I want to understand if the goals that the Immigrant Workers Center seeks to achieve would contribute and affect the lives of immigrants positively. Personally, I would like to hear other stories, reasons, and motivations for immigrations, than the one that I already know due to my parents. One could decide to move to Canada for the future of their children, due to issues of safety in their country or because they simply seek change. My parents came here for a better future, but each immigrant has his story and I am interested in learning their story – their path. This

Imagine being shaken awake by your spouse, exhausted from your twelve hour shift the day before. Devastated, you realize that you accidentally slept in five minutes later than you should have, which will make you late for your job. The business that you work for will now fire you because there is always a willingly and desperate immigrant to replace you. Dependent on each member to provide an income, your family will suffer greatly because of your unemployment. Your family will not be able to make payments for the house or for food. Thus, you will be evicted from your home, thrown on to the streets, and starved. Immigrants faced these hardships in the early 1900s as they were exploited by their boss. Long hours, terrible pay,

In Mexico, the maquiladoras are a great and beneficial source for the economy, rising up their earnings and wasting little money on their employees. Maquiladoras are own by large corporations, which they only seek for more earnings by establishing these maquiladoras in profitable locations. These corporations know exactly where to locate their maquiladoras, within near poor communities, where families are in need of jobs to put food on the table. The majority of the maquiladoras mainly hire women that are willing to work under harsh conditions. These women obtain unfair treatment and low quality of work conditions, and the reason some of these women continue to work for the maquiladoras is because they need the job to support their

Advocating for these migrant workers has been done through referencing the UDHR, and other international laws (Basok & Carasco, 2010, p. 354). Through litigation and the support of certain judges, the UFCW Canada has delivered tangible results for supporting migrant workers by invoking section 15 of the Canadian Charter. The Charter was seen to exclude agricultural workers from joining unions, along with the separation of migrant workers from protections of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Basok & Carasco, 2010, p. 357). The UFCW played a large role in giving migrant workers the right to collectively bargain following the Fraser case in November of 2008, although the ruling still falls short of providing justice to TFW’s (Walchuk, 2009, p. 158). Migrant workers still face inequalities in the health system, facing many housing issues and prohibiting workers from education while in Canada (Walchuk, 2009, p. 158). The UFCW has faced hardship organising the temporary migrant workers due to the lengthy process of the legal system such as appealing and litigation. The efforts of UFCW Canada are essential for the further advancement of the rights of these workers. The UFCW has created tangible results for the rights of migrant workers within SAWP, and this debunks the statement that unions have ignored these workers. Although plenty more work is ahead for UFCW

A typical example of the living conditions of the undocumented can be found in Seth Holmes Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States. Holmes did a case study on the Triqui people, who risked their lives to cross the border to come to the United States. They are poor farmer, to be exact, poor berry pickers, who suffer from knee, back, and hip pain everyday. A study by the National Agricultural Worker Survey shows that 81 percent of farmworkers are immigrants, 95 percent of whom were born in Mexico and 52 percent of whom are undocumented (Holmes, 99). Fletcher emphasized that an employer often use cheap undocumented worker in order to reduce costs, but as soon as that worker shows support for a union, the employer will call the authority officer to have that worker deported (Fletcher,

Like many other areas over the past years, the U.S has seen a rapid increase in immigrants who have come to the states seeking better lives for their families. These immigrants, like those throughout the U.S, are generally tough workers and make important contributions to the economy through their productive labor. Most immigrants usually fill essential service jobs in the economy, which are vacant. Unfortunately, like new immigrants during the course of the U.S, they experience conditions that are commonly deprived, oppressive, and exploitive. They are paid low wages with little potential for advancement, are subjected to hazardous working conditions, and are threatened with losing their jobs and even deportation if they voice dissatisfaction

Taranto, Claudia. 2015 "Workers without borders: the rise of temporary migrant labour" Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/earshot/the-rise-of-temporary-migrant-labour/6472368