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Inequalities And Prospects: Ethnicity And Legal Status In The Construction Labor After Hurricane Katrina, Patrick Vinck, Phuong N. Pham, Laurel E. Fletcher, Eric Stover

Laurel E. Fletcher

The arrival of Latino immigrant workers and the weakening of federal labor regulations after Hurricane Katrina raised concerns about labor conditions and workers’ rights. We carried out a survey of workers at 212 randomly selected addresses in the city of New Orleans, successfully interviewing 212 out of 351 workers approached (40% refusal rate). Workers were asked about their demographic, employment, and health characteristics, as well as violations of human rights they may have experienced. The survey was supplemented with in-depth qualitative interviews with Latino workers and key informants in Louisiana and Mississippi. Our study showed that Latino workers, particularly undocumented …