Contact: Niall Ó Murchú, (360) 650-2144 or niall.omurchu@wwu.edu
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| Edna Bonacich |
BELLINGHAM - A scholar of race, labor and immigration in Los Angeles will speak about contemporary politics and job competition at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Department of Sociology Feb. 3 and 4.
Edna Bonacich, professor emeritus of Sociology at the University of California, Riverside, will give two lectures sponsored by the Center for Law, Diversity and Justice.
"Black/Brown Conflict in Los Angeles: What are Unions Doing About It?" explores how unions are dealing with potential racial conflict in Los Angeles, a majority Latino city with a Latino mayor and a huge immigrant population. Meanwhile African Americans, who used to have notable political power, have shrunk in population to less than 10 percent of the county. Black youth have had trouble finding jobs in part because of the availability of low-wage immigrant labor. The lecture, co-sponsored by the departments of Sociology, History and Anthropology, will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 3 in the Communications Facility, room 110.
"Immigrants and African Americans: The Dynamics of Job Competition," will be from noon to 1:20 p.m. Feb. 4 in the Fairhaven Auditorium as part of the World Issues Forum. Bonacich will show a short DVD titled "Labor Pains," dealing with the competition between African American and Latino immigrant workers in reconstruction projects in New Orleans, then follow with a discussion of inter-ethnic job competition. What role do employers and government play in fostering this competition? Should it be factored into our immigration policy?
In her scholarship exploring race and labor, Bonacich has conducted research on the Los Angeles garment industry and how it has been impacted by global production. She recently completed a book on the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the workers employed in the logistics systems that emanate from them.
Her visit to Western is organized by the Center for Law, Diversity and Justice and the Department of Sociology.
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