David Bacon

David Bacon is author of Illegal People—How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (2008) and The Right to Stay Home (2013), both from Beacon Press. His latest book, about the US-Mexico border, More Than a Wall / Mas que un muro, is coming in May 2022 from the Colegio de la Frontera Norte.

More Than a Wall: Photos of 30 Years of Life Along the US-Mexico Border

More Than a Wall: Photos of 30 Years of Life Along the US-Mexico Border More Than a Wall: Photos of 30 Years of Life Along the US-Mexico Border

Successive US administrations have sought to turn the borderlands into a land of death—but these photos prove it is very much a land of the living.

Sep 12, 2019 / Photo Essay / David Bacon

Familias Unidas Justicia

Why These Farm Workers Went On Strike—and Why It Matters Why These Farm Workers Went On Strike—and Why It Matters

Months of strikes and organizing in Washington led to the first U.S. farmworker union in years. 

Oct 3, 2016 / David Bacon

Mexico’s Striking Teachers Stand Firm Against State Repression

Mexico’s Striking Teachers Stand Firm Against State Repression Mexico’s Striking Teachers Stand Firm Against State Repression

The government refuses to negotiate, heightening the danger of further bloody confrontation.

Aug 25, 2016 / David Bacon

Mexico City education

Why Are Mexican Teachers Being Jailed for Protesting Education Reform? Why Are Mexican Teachers Being Jailed for Protesting Education Reform?

They’re peacefully resisting US-style neoliberal measures intended to crush the unions—a backbone of Mexico’s social-justice movements.

Jun 17, 2016 / David Bacon

Vietnam’s Labor Newspaper, Where a Staff of 200 Reports on Abuses at Home and Abroad

Vietnam’s Labor Newspaper, Where a Staff of 200 Reports on Abuses at Home and Abroad Vietnam’s Labor Newspaper, Where a Staff of 200 Reports on Abuses at Home and Abroad

Lao Dong belongs to the official union federation, but it maintains an independent critical voice.

Mar 30, 2016 / Photo Essay / David Bacon

The Maquiladora Workers of Juárez Find Their Voice

The Maquiladora Workers of Juárez Find Their Voice The Maquiladora Workers of Juárez Find Their Voice

Low pay, abusive conditions, no union representation—employees are fed up and fighting back.

Nov 20, 2015 / David Bacon

The Pacific Coast Farm-Worker Rebellion

The Pacific Coast Farm-Worker Rebellion The Pacific Coast Farm-Worker Rebellion

From Baja California to Washington State, indigenous farm workers are standing up for their rights.

Aug 28, 2015 / David Bacon

Why Is This Farm Using Guest Workers as Strike Breakers?

Why Is This Farm Using Guest Workers as Strike Breakers? Why Is This Farm Using Guest Workers as Strike Breakers?

By law, a company can’t hire H-2A guest workers if it is in a labor dispute with its US workforce. But that is exactly what this Washington State berry grower is trying to do.

May 2, 2014 / David Bacon

US-Style School Reform Goes South

US-Style School Reform Goes South US-Style School Reform Goes South

Reformers are targeting Mexican teachers, wielding tests as a weapon. Sound familiar?

Mar 12, 2013 / Feature / David Bacon

The Dignity Campaign’s Alternative Vision for Immigration Reform

The Dignity Campaign’s Alternative Vision for Immigration Reform The Dignity Campaign’s Alternative Vision for Immigration Reform

Rejecting proposals to tighten borders, a network of grassroots groups calls for reform based on “human, labor and civil rights for all.”

Feb 6, 2013 / David Bacon

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