Katrina migrant workers…from China?

We've all heard about the Latin American migrants who have come to New Orleans to help with post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding. But what about laborers from Asia? The L.A. Times reports that the city of D'Iberville, Mississippi (pop. 7,600), tired of waiting for cleanup help, is opening its doors to a couple of Beijing construction companies to ...

We've all heard about the Latin American migrants who have come to New Orleans to help with post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding. But what about laborers from Asia? The L.A. Times reports that the city of D'Iberville, Mississippi (pop. 7,600), tired of waiting for cleanup help, is opening its doors to a couple of Beijing construction companies to place bids to rebuild condos, malls and casinos. The cost of Chinese construction materials would be lower than what could be purchased domestically. The companies will also propose to bring over hundreds, possibly thousands, of Chinese laborers to come to the South and do the work. Given all the controversy over immigration these days, it will be difficult for them to get visas.  And for now, it's just an idea, far from being implemented. But it is pretty interesting that these hurricane victims, frustrated with U.S. bureaucratic red tape, are going to China, of all places, for help.

We've all heard about the Latin American migrants who have come to New Orleans to help with post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding. But what about laborers from Asia? The L.A. Times reports that the city of D'Iberville, Mississippi (pop. 7,600), tired of waiting for cleanup help, is opening its doors to a couple of Beijing construction companies to place bids to rebuild condos, malls and casinos. The cost of Chinese construction materials would be lower than what could be purchased domestically. The companies will also propose to bring over hundreds, possibly thousands, of Chinese laborers to come to the South and do the work. Given all the controversy over immigration these days, it will be difficult for them to get visas.  And for now, it's just an idea, far from being implemented. But it is pretty interesting that these hurricane victims, frustrated with U.S. bureaucratic red tape, are going to China, of all places, for help.

Christine Y. Chen is a senior editor at Foreign Policy.

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