Our Walmart

Walmart claims to provide employment and low prices, but does it do so at the social cost of low wages, anti-union activity and squeezing suppliers? Christine Labuski and Nick Copeland are the authors of “The World of Walmart: Discounting the American Dream.” They say there is a disconnect between the values that Walmart purports to champion and the reality of how it operates in our society.

Since 9-11, Brian Ulrich has spent a decade photographing the landscape of consumerism across the United States, taking photos in enormous Big Box stores, vacant shopping malls, and thrift stores–capturing the blank stares of shoppers and the mountains of stuff in front of them.  The photos are in his book, Is This Place Great or What.  

In the early 20th century, the border between Mexico and the United States was essentially open. What changed? Daniel Morales is author of the forthcoming book The Making of Mexican America: The Dynamics of Transnational Migration 1900-1940. He says migration patterns to and from Mexico were influenced by a number of factors, including U.S. industries’ reliance on Mexican labor.

Appalachian communities are seeing a resurgence of organizing efforts, including the West Virginia teachers’ strike.  Elizabeth Catte, author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia and co-editor of 55 Strong: Inside the West Virginia’s Teachers’ Strike, and public historian Josh Howard give their take on labor movements in Appalachia.