Queens – The recession has hit New Yorkers hard, especially working class people who don’t have a lot of savings to cushion the blow of sudden unemployment or a reduction in work hours. Latinos are one group especially affected by the current crisis. That’s because they are predominately employed in construction, manufacturing and hospitality industries, sectors that have had the biggest job losses. According to a recent report by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, DC, the unemployment rate for foreign-born Latinos rose over the past year, with approximately 35 percent of working-age people unemployed.
But behind the statistics are people, like a group of day laborers we recently spoke to in Jackson Heights, Queens. These aren’t just undocumented immigrants. Many are men who have green cards and even U.S. passports. Some have college educations and have spent decades in the country. Now some are so frustrated by the lack of jobs, they’re deciding to return to their home countries. domain value Others say that no matter what, the opportunities the United States offers are still much greater than they would ever get at home.