Antonio Bernabe pauses on the corner of Kester Blvd. and Oxnard Ave., in Van Nuys, Calif., on Dec. 9, 2009. Bernabe was visiting the day laborers waiting on the street corner for work on behalf of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA). He spoke to the men and handed out flyers informing laborers of a new city ordinance that affects their right to hold employers accountable who fail to pay them for their day's work. Bernabe, originally of Guanajuato, Mexico, and now U.S. citizen and resident of Van Nuys, California, is a day laborer organizer and has worked for CHIRLA for 12 years. In his current position, he is responsible for executing educational programs for day laborers in the greater Los Angeles area. Bernabe's programs include campaigns to inform workers of their rights, inform them about immigration and work law, and to inform them about access to social services such as health care, English classes, and paths to residency and citizenship. Bernabe, who was once himself a day laborer, works for the betterment of the community and for immigrant rights. Day laborers are workers in manual labor fields, such as home construction and painting, who solicit temporary work, often from public street corners. Day laborers are made up of American citizens, documented immigrants, and most commonly, undocumented immigrants, all of whom are unable to find other work or regular employment. A majority of the day laborers in the Los Angeles area are from Central America and are Spanish speakers. Photo by Jen Klewitz
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