Precarious by Marcello Di Cintio book

I like to focus on non-fiction in January, mainly because I’m following the ‘self-help’ trend that annually emerges after the gluttony of Christmas vacation; I’m whipping both my brain, and body back into shape. But in recent years I’ve stretched this self-help category to basically include any non-fiction, and the older I get the more I find myself fascinated with stories of other lives. This is why I picked up Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers by Marcello Di Cintio. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy read – who wants to be faced with the daily strife of those who are struggling to become Canadian, something I was lucky enough to be simply be born into? But I’ve read and enjoyed Di Cintio’s work in the past, (whom I know personally) plus, I love supporting local writers, so this was a challenge I was up for.

Book Summary

Di Cintio travels across Canada in search of the stories of migrant workers. He juxtaposes these very humane, often emotionally fraught tales with detailed explanations of government policy that has controlled the movements and actions of these very same people. He tells the stories of those from Mexico, the Philippines, South America and beyond, all travelling to and working in Canada in search of better pay, financial security for family members back home, physical safety, permanent residency here, or all of the above. He gives a history of migrant work in Canada and how it has changed over the years, stemming from racist policies that limited the immigrant of non-whites, to the situation that we find ourselves in today; a broken system that enables employers to abuse, threaten, and blackmail this vulnerable population. But there is also hope in these stories. Di Cintio often refers back to his own family, his grandfather coming from Italy to make a better life for his family. Similar to his last book he also includes humourous asides, and strives to show the humanity behind these often staggering statistics. He also details his efforts to meet with and learn from organizations and individuals that advocate for migrant workers, and the somewhat confusing politics they are forced to navigate. A short conclusion summarizes Di Cintio’s thoughts succinctly, followed by an extensive index that demonstrates that significant work done in researching this book.

My Thoughts

Not only is the topic a challenging subject to read about, but the text itself is quite dense with explanations of the evolving migrant policies of the Canadian government. Di Cintio points out that part of the problem with this system is the fact that it’s constantly changing, so when folks who speak English as a second language are subject to these policy changes, and vulnerable to any government slow downs, the effects can be devastating, not to mention frustrating. For that reason, I’m less likely to blame Di Cintio for the confusing rhetoric and more annoyed with my government for making this so hard, even for an English speaker like myself to navigate. Jargon is difficult for anyone to wrap their heads around, regardless of their first language.

Di Cintio’s personal opinion of this system is obvious throughout the book, but I think anyone with a heart and conscience would agree with him that the obstacles migrant workers are forced through is simply unfair. His conclusion is the most impactful and the easiest to read and understand, with very clear reasons why this system is harmful, and must change:

“Nearly all the workers I spoke to, even those like Javier and Evangeline who’d been through a unique brand of hell here, felt their trials were worth it. But this doesn’t absolve migrant labour structures of their crimes. Just because workers might emerge grateful from the gauntlet we’ve constructed, doesn’t mean the gauntlet should persist. Their Canadian wages might allow them to live
“like a king” back home, as Brett Schuyler said, but this doesn’t justify treating them like slaves here” (p. 306 of Precarious by Marcello Di Cintio).

This book unflinchingly presents an inequitable Canadian system that contradicts what we consider Canadian values of kindness and acceptance. And although it was difficult to read about, it had two positive effects on me; first, it made me SO grateful to be born into a first world country that has a stable economy in which I can make a decent living. I think most can agree this is a privilege that not many people are currently experiencing. Secondly, it reminded me of how important it is to be kind to strangers that I engage with on a daily basis, because you can never know how difficult people’s personal lives are. The idea of leaving my family for months on end to simply pay the bills is a terrible thought I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around: this is the power of an individual’s story.