10.2190/WR.13.4.e B25P5T0760087021 5 La Barda: Documenting Conditions and Exploring Change at Santa Barbara's Labor Line 421 448 20091119 20091119 20091119 20091119 B25P5T0760087021.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=B25P5T0760087021 4 Michele Wakin Department of Sociology, Bridgewater State College, Massachusetts Although immigrant workers contribute significantly to the labor market in California, they are at a disadvantage in terms of income level, job security, and prestige. Day laborers are one of the most vulnerable populations as they lack the stability, wages, and conditions associated with more traditional forms of employment. Sociologists have examined the economic contributions of day laborers and estimated their overall demographics, yet there is very little longitudinal, ethnographic data on the day labor population to date. This paper provides a case study of the day labor line in Santa Barbara, California, known as "La Barda." It uses a variety of qualitative methods including: a two-year longitudinal profile of one worker, 15 in-depth interviews, and a review of existing day labor centers. The overall goal of this research is to examine current conditions involved in waiting for and obtaining work and to explore solutions to the primary problems day laborers face.

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