Nannies, housecleaners, caregivers—they are sometimes called the world’s most invisible workforce. In the US alone, it’s estimated that more than 2 million people do this type of work. Most are women and many are immigrants.
As part of our Global Nation coverage, The World’s Monica Campbell has our first piece in a series about domestic workers: http://ow.ly/l4owh
Before you bite into your fast-food chicken, consider this: butchering meat and processing chickens is dangerous, low-paying factory work. And a lot of it in this country is done by immigrant workers - sometimes illegally.
(Photo: A Tyson Foods worker leaving home for the night shift in Noel, Missouri. Photo by Anna Boiko-Weyrauch)
Butchering chicken and meat: it’s dangerous, low-paying factory work–and it leans heavily on immigrant workers, sometimes illegally.
Just like farm work, immigration reform could change this industry dramatically, from granting workers legal status to offering temporary work visas. At the same time, some immigrants are deciding to move on from such tough work: http://ow.ly/l32pn
A New York City Council hearing reviewed a proposal that would give legal immigrants the right to vote. New York City Councilman Daniel Dromm sponsored the bill. He is a democrat, and represents District 25 in the city, including the immigrant-rich neighborhoods of Jackson Heights and Elmhurst. http://ow.ly/kVs6X
When Ecuador-born Gaby Pacheco was in 8th grade in Miami, she realized she and her sisters weren’t US citizens and didn’t have all the rights conferred upon that status.
But instead of hiding, Pacheco became an activist and at 28, she’s still fighting to get immigration reform through Congress so she can become a legal resident. http://ow.ly/kVrpP
There’s one number in the news quite a bit recently—11 million. It’s the estimated number of immigrants living in the US illegally—and it’s the most cited statistic in the immigration reform debate. But how did we even get to that figure? Who are the 11 million? Is it even the best number to use? From the public radio collaboration Fronteras Desk, reporter Adrian Florido finds out.
For years, families on both sides of the border have lived apart, with Mexicans in the US without papers afraid of visiting home and then being unable to cross back. But new laws could change this.
From the public radio collaboration Fronteras Desk, Jude Joffe-Block reports from Mexico about families hoping for long-awaited reunions.
Within 24 hours of the attack on the Boston Marathon, when there were incorrect reports from some media outlets about the nationality of a possible suspect, we saw clowns like Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) rush to link terrorism and immigration. Expect this talk to get much louder.
Filipino World War II veterans’ families hope immigration reform does not leave them out: http://ow.ly/jUmU6
Immigrants know how complicated American law can get: just think about the debate over comprehensive immigration reform. But people who’ve arrived here from other countries are also able to see the United States in simpler terms, and in ways that reflect–and contrast with–their own backgrounds. The World’s Alex Gallafent reports from Alphabet City, New York. http://ow.ly/jtM1s
