En Camino; Immigration - The Second Step of Amnesty : Workers' Comp
Description:
405 - California adopted the system for workers' compensation in 1911 to safeguard workers' rights to medical treatment, temporary or permanent disability, occupational rehabilitation and death benefits. En Camino examines the system for workers' compensation and finds that it is not capable to satisfy current demand. They point at two focal problems for many injured Latino workers: the language barrier and being undocumented immigrants. It is also suggested that the majority of benefits are distributed among the insurance companies, doctors and lawyers that manage workers' compensation cases. Among the suggestions offered for the Latin worker are to obtain complete information about the benefits a new employer provides, and if injured, it is recommended to write down dates, physical condition and witnesses' names. But most important, to begin an insurance claim and send a report to the workers' compensation authorities. 406 - En Camino presents a summary of the 1986 immigration law that offered amnesty to undocumented people in the United States and the reality faced by those who applied for and obtained a temporary authorization. This episode emphasizes that the second step of amnesty is the direct route to permanent residency and citizenship that grant the rights of protection, vote and civic engagement for the development of the community, and comment on the different resources available to comply with the language, education and health requirements. Among the highlights of the second phase of amnesty they mention the lack of bilingual information and written instructions, the need of a consultant to navigate the complicated instructions and the importance of notifying authorities of any change of address and promptly replying to information and document requests.
