“Queremos Respeto ”

This chapter concludes by drawing together the central argument and adjacent themes that emerged throughout the study of migrant workers at the Portbridge Day Labor Center (DLC). Empowering migrant day laborers to utilize their strength together in numbers has enabled them to improve their earning potential, access vital resources, and gain community support and acceptance. A vivid account of one Saturday morning at the DLC illustrates how workers aired grievances, received safety training, and learned to negotiate more effectively, imitating many of the characteristics of labor organizing, intending to improve their situations. As this chapter reveals, day labor centers can be productive sites where dynamic local citizenship can flourish in unexpected and positive ways for migrants, employers, and communities alike. Revisiting the notion of reimagining belonging, it extends the lessons of the DLC to other cities and situates them within broader discussions on immigration policy, labor, and the critical role of social science to help shape such debates and encourage more constructive outcomes.