Policy / Legislation
What could be a potential act that would help correct inequities in current labor law that currently allow children employed in agriculture to work longer hours, at younger ages, and in more hazardous conditions than children working in other sectors?
The CARE Act (2019)
According to a 2022 study shown in the NYT article "The Kids on The Night Shift," who were the only people eager to join the poorly paid night shift in meatpacking plants in Parksley, and why?
Kids arriving to the USA on their own that were under pressure to make money
What are some benefits companies get from hiring children?
Hiring children illegally allows employers to make children work long and later hours at a very cheap wage.
What can contribute to the higher incidence of workplace injuries among Latinx youth?
Lack of proper safety training, language barriers, and personal protective equipment.
What Act ensures that the employers have the responsibility to provide a safe and healthful work environment and comply with occupational safety and health standards to prevent or reduce workplace injuries and make work safer for all workers, including youth
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act)
What percentage of sponsors for unaccompanied alien children who cross the border on their own are not their parents?
90%. Many non-parental sponsors require children to work and pay rent
What are common tasks children are hired to do in slaughterhouses?
In slaughterhouses, children were found working night shifts at meatpacking plants cleaning blood and animal parts off the floor.
How does working in slaughterhouses, repairing roofs, and spraying crops put the Latino youth's health at higher risk?
These occupations are considered dangerous as they introduce various physical and chemical hazards. For instance, every year over 200 injuries are associated with ladders, which are commonly used in roofing. Slaughterhouses, on the other hand, pose significant risks due to the presence of sharp instruments, heavy machinery, and chemical hazards from the cleaning agents used to sanitize the facilities. And lastly working with spraying pesticides on crops puts the Latino youth's health more at risk due to the pesticides being probable carcinogens and there is a lack of education on safety in this population. Therefore all of these occupations are dangerous occupations that can leave long-lasting health effects, especially on Latino youth workers partially due to having a lower perceived health risk.
What Act imposes sanctions on the employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers?
Immigration, Reform, and Control Act (1986)
What reason do parents of working children typically have for making their children work?
Lack of childcare and the need for money for basic expenses and school supplies
In 2022, how many children were found working illegally in hazardous jobs?
The Department of Wage and Hour division found 3,800 children working in hazardous conditions.
Why might migrant Latino youth end up working illegally cleaning slaughterhouses and repairing roofs?
Migrant Latino youth might end up working illegally in cleaning slaughterhouses and repairing roofs due to the increase in the number of children entering the USA and a shortage of adult workers willing to take on these harsh occupations. Resulting in the opportunity for Latino youth to take on these jobs that require long gruesome hours for low wages.
What law created a preference system that focused on immigrants' skills and family relations with citizens or U. S. residents?
Immigration and Nationality Act (1965)
What US agency is supposed to check on the unaccompanied alien children after they are released to their sponsors, but do not do so sometimes?
The Department of Health and Human Services
In 2022, how many companies have been found to hire children in violation of labor laws?
In 2022, 835 companies were found hiring children illegally
Are migrant Latino youth more prone to mental health issues? If so what are the factors that play a role?
Latino youth are more likely than their peers to have mental health issues due to the added burden of being the breadwinner of the family, language barriers, adapting to the USA, and school stressors.
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 guaranteed minimum wage, time-and-a-half wage for overtime, and restricted child labor. But who does it not apply to/exclude?
Farm workers and those without a social security number
What are some common stressors that immigrant Latino youth face during their transition from adolescence to adulthood?
Immigrant Latino youth face stressors such as undocumented legal status, discrimination, negative stereotypes, and family obligations, which can threaten their capacity to achieve upward socioeconomic mobility.
In February 2023, what company did the Labor Department find employing 102 children at 13 slaughterhouses across eight states?
The Labor Department found that Packers Sanitation Services Inc. hired 102 children.
Why might working Latino youth face more long-lasting serious injuries, illnesses, and mental health effects?
Latinos often delay getting medical treatment due to feeling they can’t take time off work due to financial burden, fear of getting fired or lacking insurance, and having a lower perceived health risk. In addition, mental health issues in Latino youth often go undetected or unaddressed.