“Build! Build! Build!” is a common refrain all over America. Join us as we examine through film and discussion how attacks on workers rights, undocumented labor, and the shut down of legal paths to immigration play out for both the construction industry and the workers on the front lines of the real estate boom.
Panelists
Chelsea Hernandez
Director
Cynthia Gomez
UNITE HERE Local
Myrna Melgar (Moderator)
Executive Director, Jamestown Community Center
Films
Building The American Dream
USA | Spanish, English Subtitled | 2019 | 75 mins. | Directed by Chelsea Hernandez
Across Texas, an unstoppable construction boom drives urban sprawl and luxury high-rises. Its dirty secret: abuse of immigrant labor. BUILDING THE AMERICAN DREAM captures a turning point as a movement forms to fight widespread construction industry injustices. Grieving their son, a Mexican family campaigns for a life-and-death safety ordinance. A Salvadorian electrician couple owed thousands in back pay fights for their children’s future. A bereaved son battles to protect others from his family’s preventable tragedy. A story of courage, resilience and community, the film reveals shocking truths about the hardworking immigrants who build the American Dream, from which they are excluded.
