I begin my first blog post on this blog, ironically, on the day President Bush chooses to speak about immigration. I admit to being like the average American: I have no idea what exactly, if any, immigration laws we have regarding Mexico. But what I do know is that illegal immigrants are definately a target of exploitation.
Last winter break, I read the book Fast Food Nation, which I got for Christmas. It talked about the meatpacking industry in general and several specific plants in.. Nebraska, I think it was. It was just... a horrible account. The meatpacking industry has created a dissassembly line of sorts. Most of the workers are illegal immigrants. They all perform one action in the dissassembly line. They must do it fast because production, and thus, speed of the line is at steak. Because of that, they rarely have time to clean or sharpen their knives. When they get hurt, they can't go to the doctor or are often scared to go to the doctor. They have such a fast turnover that when they do get hurt, employers don't even have to care because they can replace them. The conditions are just... horrific for any and all involved. Read More »
