According to our publication on November 26th this year, Latin economic performance in the United States belies the stereotype-based notion that the Latino community is just a burden on the US economy. Its GDP of US$2.6 trillion would be ranked 8th in the world if it were an independent nation.

However, the Latino immigrant population continues to face many difficulties in finding non-precarious jobs in the country, since the most decisive factor is the residence permit.

The report by Irene Caudillo, president and CEO of “El Centro Inc.” — an NGO specializing in helping Latinos access social, economic and educational opportunities — demonstrates some difficulties faced by the Latino community and points out that if the US Congress were to work to create legal means of access to citizenship for undocumented Latino workers, about 70,000 job openings in Kansas City, Missouri alone, would be possible.

According to Caudillo, “immigrant workers are now a significant part of our meat packing plants, construction, and food service industries. Business owners frequently tell us that great workers come from our community. It’s true. But many employers won’t hire clients without legal status, even if they’d like to do so. As a result, businesses come up short, and our clients are forced to work for businesses that will pay them under the table, often without basic protections”.

The basic protections pointed out by Irene Caudillo concern occupational safety and health management (OSHA), basic care that is guaranteed to workers with registered jobs.

A second-generation American-Mexican citizen, Caudillo says that “legal documentation would help everyone. It would give employers access to solid workers and guarantee our clients humane treatment. Without the fear of deportation, thousands of Kansans could earn a living wage and feel confident in their OSHA protections. They could also secure better-paying jobs and generally improve their lives, moving our families forward. Already, our undocumented Kansas families make substantial tax payments and hold US$1.2 billion in spending power, according to the research and advocacy nonprofit New American Economy. Legal status would significantly increase both”.

According to Caudillo, “one of our programs teaches children of immigrants to be truly bilingual, helping them acclimate to American society while retaining their cultural heritage”. In addition, his NGO “also teaches financial literacy, so that parents can save for mortgages and set up college funds. It’s much harder to save and invest when you lack legal status”.

For her, issues such as employment and security for Latino people living in the United States would be resolved if there was a political interest in the country to do so.