Martha D. Guerrero Badillo

This project links the congressional immigration reforms of the late twentieth century with some of the period’s most significant economic and social transformations. To trace the growing presence of Mexican and Latin American workers and residents over the last few decades—as well as the transformations of the American workplace—“Putting Migrants to Work” examines how political compromises, corporate campaigns, and local and national mobilizations together shaped a system that continues to influence employment practices and economic realities today. Through a research approach rooted in history, investigative journalism, and political science, this project probes the policy experiments and larger stakes of a period marked by enormous dynamism and contestation.