McNair Summer Research Program
Faculty Mentor(s)
Yessica Green Rosas
Publication Date
Summer 8-6-2026
Disciplines
Community Psychology | Ethnic Studies | Latin American Studies | Latina/o Studies | Multicultural Psychology | Other Psychology | Psychology
Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement
In many parts of the United States, Day Laborers, people who work for a daily wage, congregate in front of home improvement stores in the hopes that the customers buying materials are also in need of labor. Day laborers, who are mostly Latino men, experience a plethora of adversities (e.g., wage theft, discrimination based on status or race, on-site injuries). However, it is also important to understand day laborers’ experiences within the current sociopolitical climate (Fernandez-Esquer et al., 2022; Ramirez, 2011; Ordoñez, 2015; Walter et al., 2004). At times the stories and humanity of these individuals outside of their labor is lost; for example, what other aspects of their self has been shaped by the ever-changing anti-immigration policies.
In this literature review, there were emergent themes from the stories of day laborers, including 1) immigration & mental health, 2) trading work for safety, 3) lack of control, 4) “crowded solitude” (Ordóñez, 2015), and 5) the classification of “dirty and dirty work” (Fernández, 2018)
The overall goal of this study is to examine what the current literature has showcased about the lives of day laborers, what is missing, and what can be done. Because in this era of anti-immigrant rhetoric and massive ICE raids and murders, it is essential to raise and echo the voices of migrants who have made the journey, survived, and continue to fight for their chance to live.
Included in
Community Psychology Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, Latina/o Studies Commons, Multicultural Psychology Commons, Other Psychology Commons