AAS 119: Asian American and Pacific Islander Labor Issues

ASSIGNMENTS

Make-Up Assignment 1

Write at least 1,000 words completely answering the following questions. Students can work on this assignment alone, or they can work together with others who also missed the last class session. Students can also get the help from other students from our class.

1. L.A. Koreatown restaurants have extremely high rates of on-the-job injuries.  Also, the workers have numerous health problems that are most likely related to their jobs.  Why are Koreatown restaurants such dangerous places for workers?

2.  According to federal and state laws, what are the rights of workers for health and safety on the job?

3.  Where did today’s health and safety rights come from?  In other words, since these rights did not always exist, how did they become rights today?

4.  How good are current health and safety rights in the U.S.?  For example, how do the health and safety rights of workers in the U.S. compare to those of other nations?  Does the U.S. have the best laws, or do other nations have better health and safety laws protecting the rights of workers?

5.  In the U.S. and California, do workers need to be U.S. citizens in order to be protected by health and safety laws?  Do legal immigrants have the same health and safety rights as U.S. citizens?  Do undocumented immigrants?

6.  Based on U.S. and California law, how are the rights of workers for health and safety protected and enforced?  For example, what happens to employers who violate the rights of the workers they hire?  How effective is this approach to protecting the rights of workers?  Should there be alternative means of protection and enforcement?  If so, what specifically?

7.  Many people (including college students) have the stereotype that there is little that immigrant workers can do to protect and expand their rights.  Yet, both historically and currently, there are countless examples of immigrant workers effectively upholding their rights and expanding those rights.  Give at least one example.

8.  Based on your answers to all of the above questions, why currently are L.A. Koreatown restaurants such dangerous places for workers?  What are the main reasons?  For example, is it because workers do not know their rights?  Is it because employers are unaware of laws?  Is it because employers believe that they can violate laws without any real consequences?  Is it because worker rights defined by laws are too limited?  Or are there other more important reasons? 

9.  Based on how you answer the above question, through our class projects, what are important things that students need to do to help workers?