More Bad News

We all know the economy is bad. We hear it everyday on the news, and we see it all around us. More and more of the people that we know are unemployed and more appear every day. Many of those who still have jobs are talking about no overtime, reduced work weeks, and temporary layoffs. Could things possibly get any worse?

If you are a Mexican-American…the answer is: Yes.

I’m not going to beat around the bush, we all acknowledge that immigrants to the U.S. have always come to this country and done some of the toughest jobs. Mexican-Americans are no different. “North For The Harvest, Mexican Workers, Growers, and the Sugar Beet Industry,” the new book by Jim Norris, discusses some of the hardships and challenges endured by Mexican workers in Minnesota/North Dakota’s Red River Valley. Specifically, Norris highlights the breakthroughs made by workers to improve their job prospects, wages and working conditions. These trials are echoed across America, and the efforts have brought small but hard won improvements.

But with the economic downturn things are bound to change. Workers, once ready to fight for better jobs, working conditions, and wages will probably just be fighting to keep a job. The phenomenon is already starting to take shape. Employers are cutting corners everywhere they can. They will be much more likely to fire “difficult” and “non-productive” workers than they layoff or fire other workers. During a recent conversation with my father, he illustrated how pressure in his workplace is driving people out. He explained that typically, minorities will encounter discrimination and harassment in the form of unfair and unequal scrutiny from supervisors such as intense inspection of your work and ever increasing demands for speeds and higher production.

“Usually”, he said, “people put up with this. But when they’ve established themselves in the company for decades, you will find those that will complain and demand change. That’s going to change now. Recently, I watched a man who had worked at the factory for over two decades get fired for protesting unfair treatment. People will be much more careful to protest anything in these times.”

And that’s the bad news. The demand for jobs and lack of employers will result in a more uncomfortable work environment for many. People who would once protest unfair treatment will find they have to endure it. Unsafe working conditions will be overlooked rather than facing unemployment. And hard work will be harder. But there is some good news. The Mexican-American community will not be the only one suffering in this economy. All Americans will face similar issues and be affected by them to differing degrees. However, the Mexican-American is no stranger to hard work, challenges and overcoming insurmountable odds. We have to be prepared to meet the coming challenges with dignity, resolve and hope.