Overview

This ground-breaking look at contemporary immigrant labor organizing and mobilization draws on participant observation, ethnographic interviews, historical documents, and new case studies of three organizing drives. The expert contributors provide tangible evidence of immigrants'' eagerness for collective action and organizing.

Key Arguments

Parting company with mainstream thinking, they argue lucidly that immigrants'' propensity to organize stems from social isolation. Many of the contributors highlight a specific ethnic group and special labor niches, such as the dominance of Punjabi in the New York City taxi industry.

Case Studies and Approaches

Each case study examines efforts beyond the conventional unions to organize the immigrants, such as worker centers and independent syndicalism on the job.

Target Audience and Significance

An essential text for courses in labor-relations and immigrant studies, the book takes into account the latest debates in the fields of labor studies, urban studies, sociology, and political science.