Answer TWO of the
following:
Q1: According to
this essay, “The H-2 program often pits one vulnerable group against another”
(108). Why does this dynamic occur from a program that is designed to help the
American economy on one hand, and give foreign workers a chance to work legally
in America
Q2: Nicole Burt,
an experienced stable attendant, was repeatedly denied work in her field
because she was a US
Q3: The real
conversation, one employer insists, is that Americans have become too weak and
lazy to compete in the world. As he says, “Without legal guest workers or “illegal
people” to work the fields, Americans are either going to have to buy all our
food from another country, or we’re going to have to all starve to death”
(108). Have we become too reliant on foreign workers, to the point that
Americans have forgotten how to do an honest day’s work? Or is this a convenient
excuse by employers who simply don’t want to pay Americans a living wage when
they can exploit a helpless visa worker?
Q4: All of our
essays seem to be about problems that are recognized as problems;
everyone knows about it, but no one fixes them. The same is true here, since
Lawyers at Legal Aid of North Carolina have repeatedly contacted the State
Department to no avail. Nothing seems to change. Why do you think this is? Why wouldn’t
the government have a vested interest to protect an American’s right to
work? If we can’t protect Americans, what are we protecting?
Jessica Stephens
ReplyDelete1. On paper, the H-2 program looks beneficial as if it is saving jobs and helping the economy. The reality is employers are turning away perfectly qualified and able Americans because they refuse to be mistreated and want to be paid for all of their labor. Employers would much rather hire foreigners because they are a cheaper work force and will put up with being treated poorly.
2. From a legal standpoint, companies should make an effort to hire Americans before H-2 workers because that is the law. It is mandated that employers have to fill positions with Americans before considering bringing in H-2 workers. Even if companies gain a slight advantage by hiring foreign employees, it should be in the companies' best interest to protect their own.
Danielle Cantrell
ReplyDeleteQ2: Companies are legally inclined to let American worker know of open positions. Their to hire Americans that are qualified for a job over H-2A visa holders. Most companies see that hiring an American work loses them money while they can exploit visa holders. They see nothing wrong with this morally. These companies legally do not have the right to deny Americans positions that are open and qualified for in favor of hiring H-2 workers who are not qualified.
Q3: Many Americans that live on unemployment don’t have a choice but those who do have sort of ruined it for everyone else, giving it a bad name. Companies are using the excuse that americans are too lazy to get jobs and don’t work, so they can hire visa workers and exploit them.
Q.2. I believe that companies should want to help Americans by giving us jobs rather than relying on foreign h-2 workers to work for cheap. I believe it is the companies right to get h-2 workers, but only when there is not truely any Americans that want the job. Being American should color the issue at least some, I think that we need to step up and put our foot down and show that we as a people will not be push overs.
ReplyDeleteQ.3. Its true that some Americans don't know what an honest days work is, there is no sense in denying it. Although this being said, there are plenty of Americans looking for jobs and are quite qualified to do so, why should one or two bad eggs spoil the Bunch? I believe that some companies exploit their h-2 employees, but there are some that treat them very nice. Therefore for some companies I believe it is a nifty little way out of being nice and paying their employees right, because Americans will not stand for companies for abuse like h-2 workers are forced to do so.
Jordan Bussey
ReplyDelete2-In a certain standpoint it is more of an obligation for them to hire someone who is an American but not everyone follows this standard due to past experiences with americans versus immmagrants. There is also the standpoint of simply paying someone less in the benefit of the company, in a sense this is entrepreneurship, making the most amount of money in the shortest time possible. They can legally do whatever they choose, whether its right or not is a different situation. I believe it isn't right but its resourceful and clever. Maybe they could do a census to regulate the numbers.
3-I believe that we have become heavily reliant on the option of someone else doing the shitty work we don't want to do. People would rather collect unemployment and play the system than to flip burgers. This has been a semi-common stereo type among the lower class americans who seek this rougher jobs. This stereo type results in the fact that common americans are looked past and resulting in an immigrant pulling this job because they value the opportunity more, therefore my views go both ways on this subject.