Suburban Sweatshops—The Fight for Immigrant Rights

OSI hosted a breakfast forum to mark the publication of Suburban Sweatshops: The Fight for Immigrant Rights (Harvard University Press), by Fordham University law professor and former OSI Individual Project fellow Jennifer Gordon.

In 1992, Gordon founded the Workplace Project to help immigrant workers in the underground suburban economy of Long Island, New York. In a story of gritty determination and surprising hope, she weaves together Latino immigrant life and legal activism to tell the unexpected tale of how the most vulnerable workers in society came together to demand fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect from employers. Immigrant workers—many undocumented—won a series of remarkable victories, including a raise of thirty percent for day laborers and a domestic workers' bill of rights. In the process, they transformed themselves into effective political participants.

In addition to Jennifer Gordon, the panel featured:

• Ronald Hayduk, co-director of the Immigrant Voting Rights Project;
• Gouri Sadhwani, executive director of the New York Civic Participation Project;
• Gara LaMarche, OSI vice president and director of U.S. Programs (moderator).

Read a summary of the forum.

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This event was the first in a series of three breakfast forums to mark the publication of books that were supported by OSI fellowships.