Immigrant Workers and Social Justice

Northeastern Illinois University held an Equity in Action conference highlighting "Immigration and Social Justice Issues". The discussion related the tremendous abuses of the Chicago Police Department against contingent and day workers, and violence perpetrated by riders against cab drivers. These two groups have withstood violations from the Chicago Police as well as various members of surrounding communities. The speakers of this conference told of incidences that demonstrated the injustice that these two groups endure, from arrests and fines, to the issuance of tickets amounting to hundreds of dollars, to physical and verbal attacks, low wages, and discrimination and racism.

As the contingent and day workers gather on public grounds, the police send a clear message to them that they will start arresting people unless they leave the premises. The speaker indicated that, "by shutting down a corner", where they gather to look for work at a local factory, "is like shutting down the factory". Many individuals have, over time, been issued tickets, arrested, or have been targets of discrimination. The speaker went on to say that "people need to change, but I can't change them unless they want to change". Many of these workers are Latinos who are employed by community members to paint their homes, or clean up landscaping, but they don't want them to live in their towns. Through a grassroots effort, the Latino workers campaigned to have a Workers Center which subsequently opened and it is the only one of its kind.

The next speaker was a former NEIU graduate in Anthropology who is continuing to take classes at the University. He is currently a cab driver who works with African Americans on rights issues. He states that 90% of the Yellow Cab drivers are an immigrant workforce and the remaining 10% are North Americans. Of that 10%, 60% are African Americans who are mostly Somali. These cabs are being ticketed for violating certain "long term" parking restrictions. The cab drivers would like to see these restrictions lifted, so that they can park overnight on business streets for more than two hours at a time through the overnight hours. This is being opposed by community efforts who do not want them parking on their streets. So, the battle continues against the conflicting interests of economic and community interests.

As an ongoing social, legal, and economic matter, many of these cab drivers suffer from physical attacks, and many of these attacks are perpetrated by people under the influence of alcohol. Through grassroots efforts, the cab drivers have started an Anti-Violence campaign which has its roots in the attack of the cab driver who had his cheekbone broken in a violent attack.

Through these grassroots organizations their goal has been to stop these atrocities against immigrant workers. They are hoping that through the success in working with the community and legislators the immigrant workers will have the proper protection they deserve and laws in place to uphold their welfare and safety rights.