"Angel, a day laborer in Berkeley, arrives at the same corner on Hearst Avenue nearly every morning including holidays and weekends at about 8 a.m., ready to work. His expertise is in construction: roofing, landscaping and gardening, but he also takes other odd jobs to make ends meet. Leer en espanol He is one of dozens of men who offer inexpensive manual labor along the seven-block West Berkeley corridor, from Ninth to Second streets, in city-designated zones."
"For these mostly Latino migrant day laborers, or jornaleros in Spanish, being visible is crucial to obtaining work, despite fears of immigration enforcement. Executive orders cracking down on immigration in the first month of President Donald Trump's second term have heightened this anxiety for undocumented community members in Berkeley and beyond. But for Angel, the fear of having to again face violence and poverty in his home country is greater."
Day laborers, mainly Latino migrants, gather along a seven-block corridor in West Berkeley to seek inexpensive manual work in city-designated zones. Men arrive early most mornings, including holidays, offering skills in construction, roofing, landscaping, gardening and other odd jobs to make ends meet. Visibility on the corner remains essential for securing employment despite pervasive fear of immigration enforcement. Recent executive orders have intensified anxiety among undocumented community members. Many migrants prioritize escaping cartel violence and severe poverty in their home countries over the risks of remaining undocumented in the United States.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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