Deconstructed: An Insider's View of Illegal Immigration and the Building Trades

Review\n"A clear-headed, cogent, and essential explanation of the many problems posed by the prevalence of undocumented workers in the construction industry, grounded in a review of the schizophrenic, often xenophobic history of U.S. immigration policies.” -- Patricia Bernstein, author of Ten Dollars to Hate: The Texas Man Who Fought the Klan ― Cover blurb Published On: 2020-10-29\n“In this engrossing analysis, Loren Steffy tells the story of how Stan Marek came to be one of Houston’s most highly respected and tenacious advocates for rational immigration reform. The compelling stories and persuasive arguments in this excellent book are a must-read for anyone concerned about the prospects for Houston and America as the twenty-first century unfolds.”
-- Stephen L. Klineberg, Ph.D., professor emeritus of sociology at Rice University, author of Prophetic City: Houston on the Cusp of a Changing America ― Cover blurb Published On: 2020-10-29\nIllegal immigration is among the most challenging and divisive issues facing America. With few changes in immigration laws since 1986, the undocumented population has swelled to an estimated 11 million.
Deconstructed unravels these economic issues and their human toll through the eyes of Houston businessman Stan Marek, who’s watched the immigration crisis unfold over 40 years. A descendant of Czech immigrants himself, Marek runs one of the largest specialty subcontracting firms in the U.S. He has seen construction work devolve from offering middle-class careers to trapping illegal immigrants in the shadows of the economy— paid in cash, without overtime or access to health care. Marek sees a burgeoning crisis for his industry, the national economy and the undocumented immigrants themselves - a crisis he has vowed to prevent.
In Deconstructed, award-winning business journalist Loren Steffy traces Marek’s own family history, intertwined with changes in immigration law for more than a century. Steffy examines the economic forces driving illegal immigration and outlines solutions that could enhance our economy, the construction business, and the lives of immigrants.