Latino Immigrants as a Rapid Response Labor Force
8/17/09
Project Description:
The findings summarized below rely on data from surveys of Brazilian, Mexican and Nicaraguan immigrants seeking services from their national consulates in New Orleans in the summer of 2007. These surveys examined migratory and labor histories to discover more about immigrants who use a mobility strategy for finding work. This research focuses on “hurricane chasers” or the rapid responders who sought construction-related employment after Hurricane Katrina—i.e., immigrants who arrived in New Orleans shortly after Katrina and intended to continue migrating within two years. The research summarized below compares these rapid responders to immigrants who lived in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina or who settled in the city after Katrina, but did not intend to move on.
Key Research Findings:
- Following Hurricane Katrina, a number of Latin American nations sent mobile consulates to the city of New Orleans to provide consular services to the many Latino immigrants who were present in the city, whether they were pre-Katrina residents or post-Katrina arrivals.
- Brazilians and Mexicans were more likely than Nicaraguans to be rapid responders.
- The rapid responders surveyed had less U.S. migratory experience, weaker English language skills, and fewer social network ties than other immigrants.
- Rapid responders are a subset of a larger population of Latino immigrants who are highly responsive to sudden surges in labor demand.
- Rapid responders migrate in response to sudden demands for labor as a strategy for securing higher wages.
- A rapid response strategy for securing higher wages places immigrants at greater risk of poor living conditions and exploitation, and precludes participation in a settled community and family life.
Researcher Recommendations:
- Disaster response policies should do more to regulate and protect the native-born and immigrant workers who contribute to the rebuilding labor force after disasters.
Research Contacts:
Elizabeth Fussell, Associate Professor, Sociology Department, Washington State University, (509) 335-7516, fussell@wsu.edu.
Related Bibliography:
1) Fussell, Elizabeth. 2009. “Hurricane Chasers in New Orleans.” Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 375-394.
The SSRC Katrina Task Force oversees a range of research projects
on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and acts as a clearinghouse for
information emerging from those projects. For additional literature on
Hurricane Katrina see our Research Bibliography. For more information about the SSRC Katrina Task Force see the Katrina Hub or contact Siovahn Walker at
walker@ssrc.org. For other Research Bulletins see our Archive.
|
|
|
