Transnational Subcontracting, Indian IT Workers, and the U.S. Visa System

Banerjee, Payal

doi:10.1353/wsq.0.0213

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Because employers hold these visas, legal standing in the United States is contingent upon continued employment. Consequently, workers have little recourse against employer demands (Banerjee, ; Banerjee & Rincón, ). It is possible for workers on H‐1B visas to obtain dependent visas for their spouses, but these visas typically prohibit spouses from working in the United States, often leaving women responsible for family's reproductive labor while men work extremely long‐hours (Banerjee & Rincón, ).…”

Section: Immigration Visa Regimes and Racial Projectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The H‐1B visa program in the context of tech work, specifically, is a critical site for the ongoing production of racial difference for Indian workers—it forms the basis of a racial project differentiating and positioning Indianness in the context of the U.S. racial system. The combination of labor practices and visa conditions establish Indian workers as a highly compliant, technically efficient, and uncomplaining workforce (Banerjee, , ; Banerjee & Rincón, ; Chakravartty, ; Rudrappa, ).…”

Section: Immigration Visa Regimes and Racial Projectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Compounding the inequalities between H‐1B visa workers and permanent U.S. workers, many H‐1B visas are actually sponsored by labor staffing agencies, who contract with other firms to staff technical teams for specific projects (Banerjee, ; Banerjee & Rincón, ; Rudrappa, ). In 2010, at least 10 of the 85 firms with the most H‐1B visas were staffing agencies (Government Accountability Office, ).…”

Section: Immigration Visa Regimes and Racial Projectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2010, at least 10 of the 85 firms with the most H‐1B visas were staffing agencies (Government Accountability Office, ). The staffing agencies recruit skilled workers primarily in India and contract to place them on projects in the United States (Banerjee, ). Hiring contract workers through staffing agencies allows companies to ramp up production quickly when a big project begins then decrease labor costs immediately when the project ends but leaves workers with little security, stability, or pathways for advancement (Banerjee, ; Rudrappa, ).…”

Section: Immigration Visa Regimes and Racial Projectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What do we mean by broadening participation? Race, inequality, and diversity in tech work

Alegria

2020

Sociology Compass

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In this article, I review the literature on race and racism in tech work and show that challenges related to increasing diversity and inclusion for racial and ethnic minorities are complicated and shaped by both immigration regimes and gender inequalities that do not impact all minority workers the same. I show that people of color are especially likely to be excluded from decision‐making leadership positions, limiting contributions that would shape the form and function of new technologies. Despite the complexity of these obstacles, I argue that addressing them is critical since the technology on which we increasingly rely may embed old racial inequity in an emerging technological landscape. Building from the existing literature, I show that (a) Black and Latinx workers are under‐represented numerically in tech work and those who do enter the field confront racial bias and (b) even though Asians are not numerically underrepresented, workplace practices, often supported by immigration policy and stereotype driven biases, interrupt full participation in decision making. I conclude by arguing that technological products reflect this lack of diversity in ways that further disadvantage communities of color.

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Section: Immigration Visa Regimes and Racial Projectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Immigration Visa Regimes and Racial Projectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Immigration Visa Regimes and Racial Projectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Immigration Visa Regimes and Racial Projectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

What do we mean by broadening participation? Race, inequality, and diversity in tech work

Alegria

2020

Sociology Compass

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This article, in contrast, contributes to a relatively new body of research which examines how state policy, immigration enforcement and labour market recruitment practices have been used to regulate flows of mostly high skilled migrants. (Banerjee, 2010;Neumayer 2006;Rosenzweig, 2006). But unlike these prior studies, which have examined particular categories of high skilled migrants, this article examines trends that characterize the entire US non-immigrant flow.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%