Dissertation
LATINA/O/E/X FOOD SERVICE WORKERS' EXPERIENCES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN TRI-CITIES, WASHINGTON
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
05/2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006528
Abstract
This study was born of two principal intersecting phenomena: on the one hand, the sizeable population of Latina/o/e/x food service workers in Tri-Cities, Washington, and, on the other, the consequences of the public health measures implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Representing one of the many labor sectors acutely impacted by social distancing restrictions put into place to hinder the spread of the virus, the food service industry experienced distinct phases of both limited activity and widespread labor shortages during the pandemic. The present research project sought to understand the unique experiences of Latina/o/e/x food service workers who were working in Tri-Cities during this period through in-person interviews conducted with 10 such study participants. Respondents discussed their positions in the food service industry prior to the pandemic, the effects of the same on their employment in 2020 and beyond, as well as their envisioned futures either in and/or outside of the industry. Additionally, interviewees reflected on their own linguistic proficiencies—primarily in English and Spanish—and how these influenced (or not) their access to job opportunities, including promotions, in the food service industry. Not surprisingly, many negative outcomes of the pandemic were articulated by participants; however, several respondents were also able to identify more positive impacts caused by the same, some relating to their work life and others of a more personal nature. At the time interviewed (two to three-plus years after the pandemic’s onset), the majority of participants were still working in the food service industry, though some had pursued careers in other areas in no small part due to the virus’s far-reaching effects.
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Details
- Title
- LATINA/O/E/X FOOD SERVICE WORKERS' EXPERIENCES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN TRI-CITIES, WASHINGTON
- Creators
- SPENCER WILLIAM MARTIN
- Contributors
- Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo (Chair)Mary K. Bloodsworth-Lugo (Committee Member)Rory J. Ong (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Languages, Cultures, and Race, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 175
- Identifiers
- 99901120940401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation