Work for Migrant Workers
Works Cited Not Included
In the early 1970’s, by examining profit rates globally, it was determined that a falling rate of profit existed. The chief method to counter this problem was to seek out cheaper labor. Global factories were then created as the solution to this problem of falling profit rates. With the birth of these global factories, came not only transnational corporations but also transnational migrant workers. Therefore, why is there so much debate concerning migration when it was basically conceived and in many cases continues to be, a solution to a problem?
Through global economic integration and the birth of global factories, many “underdeveloped” countries believed that these corporations would resurrect their dying economies by providing jobs to their many unemployed workers. However, these corporations did not hire the unemployed male but women usually between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one who worked approximately ten hours per day in extremely poor working conditions for very low wages. As a result, this left mostly the unemployed male (and/or the unemployed female over twenty-one) in a position to either migrate for work or become a caretaker for their families’ children.
As documented by several of the films we’ve watched during class, many of these unemployed workers chose to migrate – sometimes both mother and father leaving behind children to be cared for by extended family members. One such child when asked if he missed his mother and father replied “No, because I don’t even know them” which truly epitomizes the migrant workers’ sacrifices for their families!!
One might ask why do these migrant and/or global factory workers do the things they do? ...
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...storical context of differential power and inequality.” (Schiller, Basch & Blanc-Szanton 8). Again, migrant workers exist because of economic circumstances and the innate sense of survival.
Therefore, why are there so many beliefs and debates concerning migration? Because some people just don’t get it! What some seem to be missing in these debates is that with global economic integration obviously come transmigrant workers (and in some cases their families too), so why debate whether they should be allowed to cross borders as they are simply the product of globalization.
Further, one should not forget that in many instances, these workers were “solutions” to economic or wartime problems!! Therefore, I strongly feel that migrant workers must be given the right to work regardless of what country they are from or what country they must work in!
Kinship was a big thing we discussed in class this semester, kinship is family. Without kinship many of these people would have nothing to live for, they take care of there kin. We have our own kinships and most of us would do just about anything for our kin. Just like in other societies kin means just about everything and many of these migrant workers were working for their kin. Language is another major issue that was addressed in the book that we also discussed in class. Many immigrants coming in might know little to no English at all and because of that can stem great inequality, if they can’t speak the language how can they move up in the job or communicate properly if an issue was to occur. At the farm they have programs for people to learn English but with constantly working to support their families where is the time for learning (Holmes, Supervisor )?
The migrant worker community in states like Florida, Texas, and California is often an ‘obscure population’ of the state. They live in isolated communities and have very little stability or permanence. According to the Florida Department of Health, 150,000 to 200,000 migrant workers work in the State of Fl...
Imagine being employee number 101 out of 1001. Now imagine working on an assembly line in a hot room filled with 1000 other women frantically assembling products for first world countries to use for ten seconds before discarding for a newer version. This job pays enough for you to get by but living in a third world country with low pay isn’t easy. What many people don’t understand is that the cost of production in a third world country is more inexpensive than it is in America. Hiring women to work in horrid conditions decreases employee loss because they are not rambunctious like men. “Life on the Global Assembly Line” by Barbara Ehrenreich and Annette Fuentes clearly illustrates the hardships women go through for U.S. corporation production. Corporate powers have resorted to building production plants in third world countries to save money. U.S. corporate powers take advantage of third world
The Mexican Migrant Farm Workers’ community formed in Southern California in the 20th century because of two factors that came together: farming emphasized by migrations like the Okie farmers from the East and Mexicans “imported” to the U.S. because of the need for cheap labor as a replacement of Americans during World War II. The migrant labor group formed after an already similar group in the U.S had been established in California, the American farm workers from the East, known as the Okies. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s caused the movement of the Okies to the West and was followed by the transition from American dominant farm labor to Mexican migrant labor. The Okies reinforced farming in California through the skills they took with them, significant to the time period that Mexicans arrived to California in greater numbers. However, the community was heightened by World War II from 1939 to 1945, which brought in immigrants to replace Americans that left to fight in the battlefields. Robin A. Fanslow, archivist at the Library of Congress, argues that because of World War II, “those who were left behind took advantage of the job opportunities that had become available in [the] West Coast” (Fanslow). Although some Mexican migrants already lived in the U.S prior to this event, a vast majority arrived at the fields of California specifically to work as farmers through the Bracero Program, created because of the Second World War. Why the Second World War and not the First World War? WWII urgently demanded labor and Mexico was the United States’ closest resource. Although WWI also caused the U.S. to have a shortage of labor; at the time, other minorities dominated, like the Chinese and Japanese.
Literal and figurative borders can restrict and control many aspects within the lives of people all over the world. All people should be able to make the decision of where they wish to settle, start a family, and eventually die as a happy and fulfilled human being. The idea of travelling or living in a different country other than where you were conceived and brought up is a dream many people aspire to in era, but all wander-lusting souls should have the opportunity to make that dream a reality and find happiness and a new home in an unfamiliar city or country. The issues with this can vary widely; sometimes there can be issues with obtaining legal immigration papers while moving across countries or maybe financially they are not ready to
The United States cannot afford to lose the economic gains that come from immigrant labor. The economy would be suffering a greater loss if it weren’t for immigrants and their labor contributions, especially during the 2008 U.S. recession. The U.S. economy would most likely worsen if it weren’t for the strong labor force immigrants have provided this country. Despite the mostly negative views native-born Americans have towards immigrants and the economy, their strong representation in the labor forces continues today. Immigrants aren’t taking “American” jobs, they are taking the jobs that Americans don’t want (Delener & Ventilato, 2008). Immigrants contribute to various aspects of the economy, including brining valuable skills to their jobs, contributing to the cost of living through taxes, and the lacked use of welfare, healthcare, and social security when compared to native-born Americans, showing that the United States cannot afford to lose the contribution immigrants bring into the economy.
Migration has never been a one-way process of assimilation into a melting pot or a multicultural salad bowl, but one in which migrants, to varying degrees, are simultaneously embedded in the multiple sites and layers of the transnational social fields in which they live. This is also not a new phenomenon, but has shown signs of intensification in recent years due to globalization which allowed it to develop more easily than previously due to advancements in technology and
The number of undocumented workers in the United States has increased since the rise of our economy. An undocumented worker is a person in a country, like the United States, without the right documents to be proven to be allowed in the country. Many reasons are blamed for the increase of these undocumented workers. Undocumented workers increased because the change in law of the United States made it impossible for foreign workers to go to the country (Zoltan). These laws made a chain of problems that the United States is still suffering today. One example of a problem is the decrease of American jobs. The problems of the United States caused by undocumented workers can be solved by supporting Mexico and other countries to make more jobs in their own countries, to reduce numbers of undocumented workers in the United States.
The documentary El Contrato follows the exploits of Mexican migrant workers as they find themselves being exploited. In particular, it follows one man, Teodoro Martinez, a father of 4 who has worked many seasons in Canada. Teodoro returns year after year. He does not return because he enjoys it, he returns for the pay. The migrant workers are chosen with certain criteria in mind. These ‘desirable’ traits are that they have minimal, if any, education and a family in Mexico. The workers chosen are typically quite poor, many not owning a house. The pay is better than what they could get in Mexico, so they must make the decision to desert their families for two thirds of the year to support their loved ones. They are brought to a town where most
Migration for “a better life” or to be with one’s family shaped the history of the United States since the beginning. In the US today there are 40 million immigrants and the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there is around 11 million illegal aliens already living right here and are not authorized to live and work in the United States. It makes it hard to protect their right because they are in this country illegal. Immigrant are living in the US are in constant fear of being deported so they live in quiet hiding so that they go undetected by US officials. They are so fearful of deportation that they don’t report crimes against them or employers that take advantage of them or do not pay them for work.
The immense hardships faced during this migration caused many families and individuals to work for very little money, reside
Suffering from low pay, abominable temporary housing, lack of access to decent schools for their children, and often deprived of adequate medical care or safety protection measures, the migrant farm workers have been too often the "forgotten people" of the American economy.
The individuals in Omelas attempt to forget who they oppress in order to maintain their perfect environment. The child of Omelas is stripped of its rights as a human and forced to live in gruesome conditions. “The floor is dirt, a little damp to the touch, as cellar dirt usually is. The room is about three paces long and two wide: a mere broom closet or disused tool room” (LeGuin 4) This child is pushed away from society. The people of Omelas understand that this goes on, but intend to do nothing about it. This concept is involuntary followed by not only the people of Omelas but people in the real world. Just like the residence of Omelas, we oppress factory/garment workers who are forced to live in harsh conditions and fight to keep our needs happy. In his short article, “California’s Garment Workers Reveal…” Davis goes out into the field to explore the conditions and neglect that garment workers face. Davis then interviews a woman who is the head of a labor advocacy group. “ imagine what that heat might feel like with no ventilation,’… Rough conditions—working 10 or more hours a day…baking-hot room…part of the job ” (Davis, Chris. "California 's Garment Workers Reveal: Sweatshops Aren 't Just a Problem Overseas." TakePart. N.p., n.d. Web.) These garment workers work endlessly to meet the needs that the big businesses set. Just like the outside entity that controls the rules set for the
On the whole, I think that immigrations bring many benefits for the host countries, so they should not prohibit or decrease the number of people who want to immigrate to their countries. On the other hand, the government of these countries should to have the better laws to control immigration.
First of all globalization has led to exploitation of labor. We can’t ignore the fact that ethical aspects of international business deserve special attention. Corruption and engaging in illegal practice to make greater profit is a source of continuing controversy. Sometimes companies go international and move their production to foreign countries so they could employ workers for long hours, at low wages and in poor working conditions (sweat shops). They are also using child labor, the employment of children to a full time work that can be otherwise done by adults all that so they could get out of their responsibility towards their workers by avoiding paying them national insurance …When these multinational firms go abroad they forget all about principles and about human beings and their rights, according to Kent, J., Kinetz, E. & Whehrfritz, G. (2008/March24). Newsweek. Bottom of the barrel. “The dark side of globalization: a vast work force trapped in conditions that verge on slavery”, David, P. Falling of The Edge, Travels through the Dark Heart of Globalization..Nov 2008. (p62) also agrees with them when he explained his concerns about Chinese and Indians t...