Podcast episode transcript & companion document: Disrupting migrant work (Season 1, Episode 4)
“We all want to live in a fair society and a fair society is one where everybody has the same rights. And the only way for everyone to have equal rights is to have equal status, which is full and permanent immigration status.” – Sarom Rho (Mind the Disruption, Season 1, Episode 4)
Mind the Disruption is a NCCDH podcast about people who refuse to accept things as they are. It’s about people pushing for better health for all. It’s about people like us who have a deep desire to build a healthier, more just world.
You can consume Episode 4 in two ways: 1) by listening to the episode and/or 2) by reading this episode transcript and companion document.
This episode transcript and companion document, available in English and French, provides a new way to engage with the Mind the Disruption podcast. It includes a written transcript of Season 1, Episode 4 “Disrupting migrant work” with key quotes and related resources to prompt further reflection, sharing and exploration.
About this episode: Sarom Rho is a migrant and community organizer in Canada. Sarom unites with other migrants who are students, care workers, and agriculture workers. Together they make up the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, which is a grassroots organization calling for full and permanent immigration status for all.
In this episode we learn why immigration status is a foundational determinant of health for people living in Canada without status that contributes to unsafe living and working conditions. We learn from Sarom about what collective action for change looks like, the ways in which it brings strength and well-being, and about why a global approach matters to the local level.
Later in the episode, we also talk to Dr. Erica Di Ruggiero, a public health researcher and professor, who is passionate about global health and work. In our conversation with Erica, we unpack how public health practitioners can support workers like Sarom by lending our voice, collaborating intersectorally and taking action.
Use this resource to
- Facilitate discussion about how immigration status impacts the health of people living in Canada and how public health can take action to address precarious or lack of immigration status as a determinant of health
- Learn about pressing health equity and social and structural determinants of health issues and solutions
- Explore embedded related resources from NCCDH and others to support public health action to disrupt the status quo
Related resources:
Determining health: Decent work issue brief
Behind closed doors – Exposing migrant care worker exploitation during COVID-19
Unheeded warnings – COVID-19 & migrant workers in Canada
Reference
National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. (2023). Podcast episode transcript & companion document: Disrupting migrant work (Season 1, Episode 4). Antigonish, NS: NCCDH, St. Francis Xavier University.
Tags: Immigration, Working conditions, Audio, Podcast, Document, Report / Document