White Employers and Racial Privilege: Justifying their Role in Hiring Undocumented Latino Laborers

• In Event: 4346 - Producing Race: The Everyday Makings of Racial Distinctions and Inequality

Abstract

White Employers play a significant role in the employment of millions of undocumented Latino laborers, yet they face few consequences for violating immigration policy. Instead they benefit from a racial privilege imbedded in immigration policy where they must not “knowingly” hire an undocumented immigrant. Because of their high reliance upon immigrant laborers, employers develop a presentation of self that plays along with abiding by the law while obfuscating their violations. Drawing from interviews with 20 white employers and 6 minority employers, a range of views emerge that rationalize their role in hiring undocumented laborers. When pressed on explaining their actions, they share in-depth justifications for violating immigration laws that can be analyzed through the techniques of neutralization (Sykes and Matza 1957). These include the denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of the victim, condemnation of the condemners, and an appeal towards higher loyalties. White employers see their actions as virtuous and justifiable for managing their businesses, even sharing pro-immigrant views to support hiring immigrants in US society. The perspective of white employers of Latino laborers provides insights on the hidden employment practices and has implications for immigration reform.

Author

• Juan Salinas, University of North Florida