American Guestworkers

David Griffith is Professor of Anthropology at East Carolina University. He is also the author of The Estuary's Gift: An Atlantic Coast Biography (Penn State, 1999).

“Unlike the pundits who debate immigration policy within the context of border security or labor markets, David Griffith focuses on the history and evolution of the H-2 program, examining the efficacy of actual guestworker policies and their effects on migrant workers. The value of American Guestworkers lies in the author’s argument that local history can influence global processes. Throughout the book, Griffith proves his point by moving effortlessly between analysis of the local and national issues related to the H-2 program.”—Elzbieta M. Gozdziak, Georgetown University

• ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart I: Out of FloridaIntroduction: In the State with the Prettiest Name1.Alleged Shortages at Home, Certain Surpluses Abroad: North American Temporary Worker Programs2.Occupations Abandoned, Workers Displaced: Seasonal Labor Before and After H-2Part II: Jamaican Experiences, 1981–20013.From Beauty to Truth4.Aspects of the Machete5.Guests as Hosts: Jamaicans in the Tourist IndustryPart III: Mexican Experiences, 1988–20036.When Owls Die, Ellos Nos Hierieron7.Bodies on Hold: Gender and H-2Conclusion: Lasting FirstsReferencesIndex