Rebuilding after Katrina: A Population-Based Study of Labor and Human Rights in New Orleans

Abstract

inteRnAtiOnAl HuMAn RigHtS lAW CliniC bOAlt HAll SCHOOl Of lAW uniVeRSitY Of CAlifORniA, beRKeleY the international Human Rights law Clinic (iHRlC) designs and implements innovative human rights projects to advance the struggle for justice on behalf of individuals and marginalized communities through advocacy, research, and policy development. the iHRlC employs an interdisciplinary model that leverages the intellectual capital of the university to provide innovative solutions to emerging human rights issues. the iHRlC develops collaborative partnerships with researchers, scholars, and human rights activists worldwide. Students are integral to all phases of the iHRlC's work and acquire unparalleled experience generating knowledge and employing strategies to address the most urgent human rights issues of our day. the iHRlC works closely with the uC berkeley Human Rights Center.HuMAn RigHtS CenteR uniVeRSitY Of CAlifORniA, beRKeleY founded in 1994 with the assistance of the Sandler family Supporting foundation, the Human Rights Center (HRC) is a unique interdisciplinary research and teaching enterprise that reaches across academic disciplines and professions to conduct research on emerging issues in international human rights and humanitarian law. the HRC complements and supports the work of nongovernmental human rights organizations by drawing upon the creativity and expertise of researchers from several diverse university programs and departments including anthropology, demography, environmental sciences, geography, journalism, law, political science, and public health. the HRC collaborates closely with the international Human Rights law Clinic and the berkeley War Crimes Study Center at the university of California, berkeley and the Payson Center for international development and technology transfer at tulane university.PAYSOn CenteR fOR inteRnAtiOnAl deVelOPMent And teCHnOlOgY tRAnSfeR tulAne uniVeRSitY established in 1997, the Payson Center is founded on the belief that sustainable development means improving the quality of people's lives and expanding their ability to shape their own future. the Payson Center has a strong commitment to global policy program development, implementation and training/capacity building in developing countries. Most notably, the Payson Center has developed program initiatives related to Disaster and Conflict Prevention, Mitigation, and Reconstruction; HIV/AIDS reduction; education; and broad-based responses to service delivery and care. In addition, faculty members of the Payson Center have been involved in the development of public health schools throughout the world, including the Kinshasa School of Public Health in the democratic Republic of Congo, the Hanoi School of Public Health, the School of Public Health at the national university of Rwanda and the institute of Public Health at Makerere university in uganda.Photographs by gilles Peress. the telephone number on billboard photo has been altered for privacy protection. R e b u i l d i n g A f t e r K a t r i n a : A P o p u...

Risk Amid Recovery: Occupational Health and Safety of Latino Day Laborers in the Aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes

“…Workers interviewed for this research confirmed the paucity of training and protective equipment documented elsewhere (Fletcher et al, 2006). They further elaborated on the condition of the equipment provided, casting doubt on its effectiveness and indicating that conditions may have been even worse than documented in quantitative surveys.…”

“…All workers were Spanish-speaking day laborers, that is, they were hired on a daily or project basis by contractors or home owners without immediate prospects for long-term employment. Although Aguilar did not ask workers about their legal status, given findings from other studies, it is likely that the majority lacked legal documents (Aguilar & Podolsky, 2006; Fletcher, Pham, Stover, & Vinck, 2006; National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training, 2006; Valenzuela et al, 2006). …”

Health Care In New Orleans Before And After Hurricane Katrina

“…20 A large number of construction workers are now in New Orleans as the rebuilding continues; it is estimated that nearly half of the reconstruction workforce in New Orleans is Latino, of whom 54 percent are undocumented. 21 The population of New Orleans will continue to grow as rebuilding and redevelopment continue, but the size and composition of the future New Orleans population is likely to be smaller and more diverse than it was pre-Katrina.…”

Prevalence, patterns and predictors of substance use among Latino migrant men in a new receiving community

“…This changed substantially after Hurricane Katrina devastated metropolitan New Orleans in August of 2005 after which many LMM came to work in reconstruction, comprising nearly half of the construction work-force (Donato and Hakimzadeh, 2006; Fletcher et al, 2006; Fussell, 2009) and resulting in a 77% increase in Latinos to the area (Passell, 2006). Like other new receiving communities, post-disaster New Orleans had little infrastructure to support the cultural, legal and linguistic challenges that are often available in more traditional receiving communities.…”