Today's LA Times has a must read and very telling article, "A Southern accent on day labor." The article describes the competition between Latinos, mostly undocumented immigrants, and Blacks for non-skilled day labor opportunities in Atlanta.
In the Deep South, like the rest of the nation, undocumented Latinos have come to dominate many of the corners and parking lots where day laborers gather. But this region is different because of the high percentage of Americans who still compete with Latino immigrants for such jobs. Although U.S.-born workers make up 7% of the day-labor pool nationwide, they account for nearly 20% in the South, according to a 2006 UCLA study.What was surprising about the article was the friendly competition between these two distinct groups and the informal set of rules that they follow.
Indeed, long before the Southern labor landscape was transformed by a tidal surge of Latin American immigrants, blacks and whites populated the "catch-out corners" in Southern communities, whistling and waving after employers in hopes of "catching out on a job" and pocketing a few tax-free dollars.
The unregulated labor market runs on familiar principles. Jobs tend to go to low bidders, to workers with valued skills and to workers who are hungry enough to get to the trucks first. But racial stereotypes also exert an influence. Everyone agrees that it's better to be brown than to be black. . .
Technically, the mall property is off-limits to the workers. They are under close watch by security guards who call police if anyone is caught loitering without the intent to shop. But if an employer and laborer can strike a deal fast enough, they can usually leave together without fear of a penalty. . .There was also a sense of respect by the Black Americans for their immigrant competitors based on an understanding of each other's hardships.
Jackson, 53, said the hustle of the Latino workers reminded him of his father's attitude when opportunities for blacks began to expand after the demise of Jim Crow laws. His father, he said, was thrilled to have the chance to get a decent-paying job, even if it wasn't a particularly glamorous one. . .What was not surprising, but more depressing was the question I have asked many times of anti-immigrant groups. Why are Americans competing with immigrants for these jobs? Why aren't Americans able to at least get a job at Wal-Mart which pays $10-12 per hour to start? Why are there homeless Americans in the United States? Why, why, why??!!
Though the black workers were resentful of illegal immigrants, they also felt sorry for them. They said they knew first-hand how a day laborer could be injured, stiffed by the boss or left stranded in the boondocks with no bus service. They knew that most illegal immigrants would not complain the way black Americans would because they feared deportation.
You can keep blaming immigrants for many things, but they are not at fault for the large number of homeless Americans or a failed U.S. education system. They are not even at fault for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto as Mike Hukabee has suggested. There is only so much you can blame on these people.
JA
