The Other Immigrants/ Las Otras Inmigrantes Program

(Informacion del projecto en español, haz click aqui)

NEW STITCH PUBLICATION!

The Other Immigrants

Women Workers in the U.S. Labor Movement

Photo: Peter Holderness, www.peterholderness.com

New Publication available from STITCH!

“That's when I learned everything about the union and realized that, unlike in my country, where I was defenseless, here I had the chance to defend myself. We were told, “You can go on strike for respect and dignity, and because they pay you a miserable salary and you don't have any job security.” So I decided to join my co-workers and go on strike because I didn't want anyone to go through an experience like mine.” Quote from a Miami , FL Worker's Story in the booklet

U.S. multinational corporations “shop” for the lowest labor costs and whole industries take advantage of the poverty of neighboring countries by either physically relocating south of the U.S. border or utilizing the labor of immigrant, and often undocumented, workers. Women, in particular, are targeted for their perceived weaknesses and are often doubly exploited by corporations and a worker's rights movement that does not take their unique concerns and situations into account.

This bi-lingual booklet includes the stories of immigrant women workers in different regions and different industries in the United States . Women immigrants tell their stories and give their solutions to complex issues facing immigrant workers. Through this book, STITCH gives activists and organizers a better understanding of women workers from Central America in the United States so that unions can better meet their needs and increase their presence and leadership within the U.S. labor rights movement.

Description: 70 pages, bi-lingual English/Spanish
Also available: A reader's guide to help you and your union or organization to have a group discussion about immigration in the United States .

MORE Excerpts:

About union organizing in Central America:

We began to lose everything; we started having problems. He abused the union officials and began to destroy the union.  In Honduras, we don't have the defense that a union can provide. The Honduran government doesn't like unions. Union people have been killed; we've seen that. Maybe in the history of Puerto Cortés and San Pedro Sula there were cases where unionists were killed, but nobody knows why. But those of us who have been involved in unions know that they were killed because some people didn't like them, because they were fighters who wanted to promote unions.

About what unions in the U.S. can do:
 

I think the many unions should expand more and do meetings in parks because when people hear something important, they stop to listen. I think we should be doing this.

And about their lives:

I decided to come to the US because of my husband, the family violence that I suffered, my economic situation, and the war in my country. I made that decision thinking of my six children, about their future. Leaving them behind was painful. They went to live with their aunt, their father's sister, and with their uncles and grandparents. They all supported my decision to come here because they all knew I was coming here so that my children could have a better future.

Also: SPECIAL READING GUIDE

Not only is this book interesting and useful, it is also a great educational tool for your union or organization. In presenting these stories, STITCH hopes to engage unionists and activists around the country to think more about immigration. Who are immigrants? Why are they here? Who is trying to keep working people separated? Who benefits? Who pays? Are women being treated differently? All of these questions are important and so is having the conversation with our union sisters and brothers. This reading guide is way for you to start this conversation in your union or organization. It is our hope that this book is just the beginning of a long conversation on this vital topic.

Click here for the reading guide.

Costs:

$10 per copy in the U.S. (includes postage and handling)     

$12 per copy outside of the U.S.

To Order On-Line:

Click Below on Donate Now. (Up and on the left side of the page) Please enter the amount and then hit submit. When you are on the second donation page, there is a button for special instructions to the vender - Please click there and clearly identify this as a publications order.

To order via mail, please click here and print out an order form.