Barnard Assistant Professor of Sociology Rob Smith Cited in Pulitzer-Winning Author Jimmy Breslin’s Latest Book

New York, NY, October 1, 2002—Jimmy Breslin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer of fiction and nonfiction and legendary columnist for Newsday discusses the work of Barnard Assistant Professor of Sociology Rob Smith in his latest book, The Short Sweet Dream of Eduardo Gutierrez. Because the book is about the November 23, 1999, death of an undocumented immigrant during a building collapse on a construction site, Breslin looked to Smith, whose research focuses on undocumented Mexicans in New York and the nation.

"It is work done over the longest of hours and you must fall in love with the subject," Breslin writes of Smith’s career.

The book focuses on the life and death of Gutierrez, who at 21 drowned in liquid concrete after falling four stories when the apartment complex he was building collapsed in Brooklyn. The workers knew the building was unsound when they saw cracks in the beams and felt the floors give as they walked on them. They said nothing, though, for fear of deportation.

Breslin tries to get at the root causes as to why the building collapsed, including the political ties the owner had to Mayor Giuliani and Senator Clinton, and larger issues of the immigration experience.

It is for perspective on these other issues that Breslin turns to Smith. By 2000 there were around 275,000 Mexicans in New York, the fastest growing group in the fast-growing Latino immigrant population. There are 100 million people in Mexico, as opposed to the 500,00 Dominicans who come from a country with 8 million people. "Smith’s research," Breslin writes, "showed that Mexico needs between 800,000 and 1 million jobs to support its growing populace. Of course so many would try coming here."

Breslin also uses two examples from Smith’s research to demonstrate the different experiences of undocumented immigrants in the United States. One example is of a father and son who worked in a supermarket on Broadway for six dollars an hour. The father was sweeping on the second floor when the son was crushed in a basement compactor. After identifying the body, the father went to the supermarket to collect the son’s pay.

The other example is the story of two brothers who came to New York during World War II and stayed – afraid to chance the border a second time – until 1986, when an amnesty opened for immigrants who had been in the U.S. since 1981 to apply for permanent residency. They were finally able to return to Mexico to visit friends and family.

"Robert Smith does work that will help so many understand," writes Breslin. "He gets a satisfaction that he realizes in the small of the night. He would never trade his life for money."

Contact: Petra Tuomi, Office of Public Affairs, 212-854-7907
James Griffith, Office of Public Affairs, 212-854-1139