Memories of Migration Episode Five: Work

Queens Public Library Podcasts

For our fifth episode, we collected stories of work. After listening through our archives, we began to think about connections between labor and migration. We considered histories stretching back centuries in the U.S. in which work has remained a major factor in deciding who gets to stay where. Naturalization processes in the U.S. going back to 1790 require what legal documents refer to as "good moral character," in large part determined through employer sponsorship and employment history. We’ve also talked in previous episodes about how many U.S. immigration documents like green cards and H-category visas require either a job or legally validated family relationships, and how recent U.S. immigration laws have instituted more preferences for formal education and credentials. We want to continue thinking about political circumstances and histories as we listen further. In this episode, we'll reflect on the many factors that form our relationships to where we live and how we work. Learn more about Queens Memory at http://queensmemory.org.