New Documentary Examines the Plight of Immigrant Construction Workers in the Southwest

When I worked in the construction industry in Texas a few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting some of the hardest working, most intelligent, and nicest people I’ve ever met in the construction industry, many of whom happened to be first and second generation immigrants from Mexico and South America.  Thankfully, those people were treated fairly by the companies they worked for, but the unfortunate reality is that it isn’t the case for all of the immigrants working throughout the state or country.

A new documentary called “Building the American Dream” has been recently released, which follows 3 different families fighting for better working conditions for immigrants in Texas:

• A bereaved son that lost his father to a preventable jobsite accident

• A couple from Salvador that are owed thousands of dollars for an electrical job they performed

• A family campaigning for a 10-minute break for every 4 hours of labor

According to the documentary, there are no federal or state laws in Texas that require mandatory rest breaks for anyone, even in the difficult weather conditions that exist in Texas during the summer.  

“We’re proud to present this timely documentary about Latino essential workers who are advocating for more equitable working conditions,” said Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive director of Latino Public Broadcasting and executive producer of VOCES, which is a series of Documentaries and includes Building the American Dream. “As we hear about the Latino workers whose jobs are considered essential and are bearing a disproportionate burden during this pandemic, this film is a stark reminder of all the Latinos who work in dangerous conditions to keep our nation running during good times and bad.”

“Building the American Dream” aired on PBS on 9/15/20, but is currently available on PBS.org until 10/15/20. You can watch it in its entirety below:

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