Migrant Workers: Perspectives from across the Pond
***Zach M, a 10th grade student in my global studies class, authored this post for an assignment in my class.***
If one were to travel about an hour west from where I live, they would encounter firsthand America’s migrant workers. In the summer, migrant workers from Mexico travel to Adams County in Southern Pennsylvania to help harvest approximately 5 million apples annually. This trend continues in the highly desirable agricultural regions in the American Southwest. In Adams County, the migrant workers, along with their families, live in small cement-block “housing” for the duration of the harvest season.
However, despite their tremendous contribution for relatively little cost, there is a strong anti-immigration sentiment in America. The community of Hazleton, PA, since 2006, has been fighting to initiate a law that would penalize landlords $1,000 a day if they rent to illegal immigrants. Mayor Louis J. Barletta defends his law: “What I’m doing here is protecting the legal taxpayer of any race. And I will get rid of the illegal people. It’s this simple: They must leave.” Indeed, Americans seem to have this unfounded fear of illegal immigrants. Pat Buchanan issues an admonition while being featured on Fox News’ Hannity and Combs: “Well, there’s not a single Western country where native-born Western peoples are reproducing themselves. Birth rates in Europe, some of them are down to half of what is needed to replace themselves. Europe’s danger is its being invaded from across the Mediterranean. Islamic peoples are coming. And they not only come from a difficult culture and civilization; they come from one that’s been at war with the West and becoming militant. The United States, the native-born American population, is static or less than that, and the immigrant populations are exploding. And we got 36 million immigrants in America right now, Sean, as many as has come all in our history.” This is similar to comments of a Bahraini Labor Minister, who said that Gulf nations face an “Asian tsunami,” indicating the Gulf’s surge of migrant workers is likewise endangering citizens there.
Here, however, we find ourselves at a paradox. In the United States and the Gulf region, migrants are essential to the economy. The statistics on mideastyouth.org showed that in Saudi Arabia, in 2005, there were nearly 400,000 migrant workers, most of which were women. And, unequal treatment is common. In the Middle East, abuse of maids is common, and in the United States, discrimination and poor housing is common. Conservatives in America, as, from what I have found, is the case in the Middle East, blame unemployment woes on an increasing migrant worker population. However, the truth is that, at least in today’s economy, some migrant workers are necessary.
Is it hypocritical to laud migrant workers because we discriminate against them? In other words, migrant workers are considered so crucial because they are economically disadvantaged. Is the migrant worker situation in the world today just 21st century slavery or imperialism? I’m not sure, but whatever the case, we seem happy to accept migrant workers, as long as they follow our rules.
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Thank you to Zach for focusing on such an important social issue! Migrant workers are definitely one of the world’s least protected people in terms of laws (and international funding), and their plights need as much awareness as possible.
However, I doubt it was intentional, but unfortunately he makes no distinction between being a migrant worker and extrajudicial immigration. He may want to try to argue the biased attitudes they face are the same, regardless of their legal status, but the difference is still important to make for the sake of clarity because being a migrant worker is not generally predicated upon illegal activity.
Many — perhaps most, I don’t know the stats — migrant workers are in their host countries lawfully and by invitation, but the abuse and discrimination they suffer is usually based upon gender, ethnicity, national origin, social status, and/or religion, rather than how well they follow the rules. Some countries, in fact, like Nepal, for example, consider migrant workers to be one of their primary (legal) exports.
Thanks again to Zach.
Great article Zack. It is a very tricky situation. Here in Kuwait it is common to find stories of abused migrant workers, but we also cannot imagine our lives without them. They are absolutely crucial to the economic boom and our construction industry, like you also stated. I am not sure we can do anything to stop migrants from coming, because they need jobs and we need projects or labor work. The problems arise when they begin to be taken advantage of, not being well paid, not being provided with sufficient health care, living in very bad conditions. The problem is also that our governments can afford to provide for them, but choose not to. The important thing for us to do is that we defend and try to help them whenever possible.
Really well argued Zach, good job.
same here, with Afghan workers in Iran. there is a very biased attitude against them, while most of contractors feel sorry that Afghans are getting deported systematically for these poor men are the best workers they have ever seen. it seems that this paradox is universal.
The thing that really ticks me off about the treatment of migrant workers in North America is that they are taxed for their labour, without being able to enjoy any of the benefits.
Aren’t Americans somewhat testy over the concept of “taxation without representation?”
Without immigrant labour force, Western society will crumble. Without cheap products from sweatshops in developing countries, Western society will crumble. But for some strange reason, the Western society don’t want either of these but they want them. Round and round we go, I simply can’t comprehend the stupidity behind this.