Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers

by Marcello Di Cintio

A Globe 100 Best Book of 2025 • One of The Hill Times’ Top 100 Best Books in 2025 • Winner of the 2024 Dave Greber Freelance Writers Book Award

A series of profiles of foreign workers illuminates the precarity of global systems of migrant labor and the vulnerability of their most disenfranchised agents.

In 2023, after weeks of investigation, United Nations Special Rapporteur Tomoyo Obokata came to a scathing Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program is “a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.” Workers complained of excessive hours and unpaid overtime; of being forced to perform dangerous tasks or ones not specified in their contracts; of being physically abused, intimidated, and sexually harassed; and of overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions that deprived them of their privacy and dignity.

In The Lives of Migrant Workers, Marcello Di Cintio ranges across the country speaking to those who have come from elsewhere to till our fields, bathe our elderly, and serve us our Double Doubles, uncovering stories of tremendous perseverance, resilience, and humanity, but also of precarity and vulnerability. He shows that vast swathes of our economy depend on the work of people we don’t see, while expanding our awareness of what migrant work now entails, and revealing that our mistreatment of the most vulnerable among us diminishes our own dignity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

383 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2025

About the author

Marcello Di Cintio traveled to West Africa in 1997. He taught biology in a Ghanaian village for three months, then traveled through western and northern Africa for nine months more. Di Cintio’s time in Africa resulted in his first published stories and, eventually, his first book, Harmattan: Wind Across West Africa.

In 2003 and 2004, Di Cintio traveled to Iran to discover the connection between Persian poets and traditional wrestlers. Knopf Canada published the resulting book, Poets and Pahlevans: A Journey Into the Heart of Iran, in 2006.

In February 2008, Di Cintio flew into the Algerian desert to begin nearly five years of travel and research for Walls: Travels Along the Barricades chronicles Di Cintio's journeys along some of the world's most disputed and unfriendly edges. The book tries to answer the question: What does it mean to live in the shadow of a wall?

Di Cintio's 4th book, Pay No Heed to the Rockets: Palestine in the Present Tense, reveals life in contemporary Palestine as seen through the lens of the region's rich literary culture.

Driven: The Secret Lives of Taxi Drivers will appear in May 2021. This book will reveal the fascinating backstories of the men and women who drive us around.

Reviews

[e · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Governments aren’t willing to enforce labor laws that will anger both employers and consumers to benefit migrant workers who can’t even vote. They are nonexistent in terms of elections. The only two constituencies that matter to the government are the employers who want cheap migrant labor, and consumers who want the lowest possible price for goods and services.”
—
I’m not Canadian, but I did grow up in a farming community in Michigan that relied heavily on migrant labor. My father often was employed my these farms to do plumbing work to their migrant trailers and I was dragged along in the summer and I remember seeing the way these workers lived and being ashamed.

This book dissected immigrant labor in a multitude of ways that I had never even fathomed. It brought up the injustices of the system that was never built to consider these people as anything other than labor. It was engaging and it made me want to be engaged and more informed on policy regarding immigrant work (which is my favorite way to feel after a book!).

[Miles Xavier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I wrote a review for this book at first because of how infuriating it was.

The best way I could describe the book and the stories, as Isabella Hammad would say, is almost a recognition of the stranger; a recognition of what is already known.

I recommend everyone read this book after a grocery store visit or after being on a university campus. I think there is a certain invisibility to people at the behest of an ever-imposing structural violence, and this book captures arguably one of the most systematic and crushing pillars of modern society; precarious labour. The study of space, community, political economy, the swirling sociology and legal boundaries of Canada’s foreign worker scheme is top notch. I seriously cannot recommend this book more.

[Ainsley Jeffery · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most relevant, heartbreaking, and necessary reads of contemporary Canadian non-fiction

[Carol Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

He shatters the view Canadians have about themselves concerning migrant workers in our country. I wonder how many Canadians actually know how they are treated? I wonder how many Canadians stop to think about the plight is workers who harvest our food? Clean our hotel rooms or pour our coffee. This book certainly is informative and at the same time disturbing.

[Anne Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to focus on non-fiction in January, mainly because I’m following the ‘self-help’ trend that annually emerges after the gluttony of Christmas vacation; I’m whipping both my brain, and body back into shape. But in recent years I’ve stretched this self-help category to basically include any non-fiction, and the older I get the more I find myself fascinated with stories of other lives. This is why I picked up Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers by Marcello Di Cintio. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy read – who wants to be faced with the daily strife of those who are struggling to become Canadian, something I was lucky enough to be simply be born into? But I’ve read and enjoyed Di Cintio’s work in the past, (whom I know personally) plus, I love supporting local writers, so this was a challenge I was up for.

Book Summary

Di Cintio travels across Canada in search of the stories of migrant workers. He juxtaposes these very humane, often emotionally fraught tales with detailed explanations of government policy that has controlled the movements and actions of these very same people. He tells the stories of those from Mexico, the Philippines, South America and beyond, all travelling to and working in Canada in search of better pay, financial security for family members back home, physical safety, permanent residency here, or all of the above. He gives a history of migrant work in Canada and how it has changed over the years, stemming from racist policies that limited the immigrant of non-whites, to the situation that we find ourselves in today; a broken system that enables employers to abuse, threaten, and blackmail this vulnerable population. But there is also hope in these stories. Di Cintio often refers back to his own family, his grandfather coming from Italy to make a better life for his family. Similar to his last book he also includes humourous asides, and strives to show the humanity behind these often staggering statistics. He also details his efforts to meet with and learn from organizations and individuals that advocate for migrant workers, and the somewhat confusing politics they are forced to navigate. A short conclusion summarizes Di Cintio’s thoughts succinctly, followed by an extensive index that demonstrates that significant work done in researching this book.

My Thoughts

Not only is the topic a challenging subject to read about, but the text itself is quite dense with explanations of the evolving migrant policies of the Canadian government. Di Cintio points out that part of the problem with this system is the fact that it’s constantly changing, so when folks who speak English as a second language are subject to these policy changes, and vulnerable to any government slow downs, the effects can be devastating, not to mention frustrating. For that reason, I’m less likely to blame Di Cintio for the confusing rhetoric and more annoyed with my government for making this so hard, even for an English speaker like myself to navigate. Jargon is difficult for anyone to wrap their heads around, regardless of their first language.

Di Cintio’s personal opinion of this system is obvious throughout the book, but I think anyone with a heart and conscience would agree with him that the obstacles migrant workers are forced through is simply unfair. His conclusion is the most impactful and the easiest to read and understand, with very clear reasons why this system is harmful, and must change:

“Nearly all the workers I spoke to, even those like Javier and Evangeline who’d been through a unique brand of hell here, felt their trials were worth it. But this doesn’t absolve migrant labour structures of their crimes. Just because workers might emerge grateful from the gauntlet we’ve constructed, doesn’t mean the gauntlet should persist. Their Canadian wages might allow them to live
“like a king” back home, as Brett Schuyler said, but this doesn’t justify treating them like slaves here” (p. 306 of Precarious by Marcello Di Cintio).

This book unflinchingly presents an inequitable Canadian system that contradicts what we consider Canadian values of kindness and acceptance. And although it was difficult to read about, it had two positive effects on me; first, it made me SO grateful to be born into a first world country that has a stable economy in which I can make a decent living. I think most can agree this is a privilege that not many people are currently experiencing. Secondly, it reminded me of how important it is to be kind to strangers that I engage with on a daily basis, because you can never know how difficult people’s personal lives are. The idea of leaving my family for months on end to simply pay the bills is a terrible thought I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around: this is the power of an individual’s story.

To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/

[Lorelei · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mastered in Sociology so while I know the challenges of undocumented workers, these personal stories laid things out in a heartfelt way, detailing what it means to hope for a better life. I wish more critics could understand this firsthand.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In what is probably my longest review ever on Goodreads, I encourage you to read Precarious. That is the TL;DR version.

The longer read starts with the label of modern-day slavery from a UN report by Professor Tomoya Obokata on migrant worker conditions in Canada: “Obokata, a Japanese scholar of international law and human rights, described our country’s temporary foreign worker structure as ‘a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery’. The United Nations appointed Obokata, as its special rapporteur on modern slavery in March 2020”. (p.6). Marcello Di Cintio ensures readers are well aware of the book they are getting into early on. It was well-researched and expertly written, ensuring the stories of migrant workers are the focus as much as possible. Released in 2025, it ought to be among every Greenbelt politician's reading lists for its staggering work of Canadian journalistic importance.

The treatment of migrant workers hasn’t escaped me where I’ve worked alongside them and adjacent to them, though I never had the first-person perspective of it that Precarious provides. I worked alongside some migrant workers while working a summer job during my undergrad, at a greenhouse in Niagara. I was up around 5 or 5:30am in order to be ready to punch in at the farm at exactly 7am after being picked up by the side of highway 406 in St. Catharines. I cleaned so many geraniums of rotting leaves that the smell was pungent and headache-inducing for a few years afterwards; We were also on our knees several times a day or crouching/squatting constantly, cleaning other flowers, and I was bagging potted plants headed for Home Depot, Lowes, and Rona by the hundreds at times. It was frowned upon as well, when I had to use the washroom as it looked like I was trying to sidestep working because the walk to the washroom could take up to 5 minutes each way if you were at the far end of the greenhouse. It wasn’t unheard of to be derided for bio breaks, or Latine or Mexican workers to be alluded to as lazy for needing them. The work was very hard on my back, and I was nearly always dehydrated, but I was not overstimulated, and among plants. I reasoned that I wasn’t going to be paid much more anywhere else, and it was only for a few short months. There were migrant workers around me there, and after reading Di Cintio, I wonder if I couldn’t have gotten to know some of them better. I could’ve provided meals or some relief if I had known more of their potential living conditions, but at 18 I had no awareness of these issues or a capacity to help in the way I do now.

Fast forward to 2020, and the pandemic: I graduated from a Master’s program with zero job prospects, no network to help me outside the city in the rural area I was living at the time, difficulty managing C-PTSD, was recently covid-laid off from a job in a field I love (public libraries), and had a spiraling immune system; My partner at the time was also dealing with a resurgence of her cancer during the pandemic, requiring routine surgeries and trips to Sunnybrook every few months. I opted to take a part-time job driving a tractor for tours on a pick-your-own fruit farm (I found out the minimum I could make without messing with my Covid benefits, then got to work, asking the farm to keep me within those exact part time limits). The lament in the farming community as I encountered it was not with the reports of migrant workers dying or falling ill en masse in Ontario because of working, living, and nearly non-existent quarantine conditions or minimal access to healthcare. It was “I didn’t get my Mexicans this year!” (yes, someone actually said that to me). The person told me that a farm visitor was upset with their overheard comment, who told the farmer how disrespectful it was to speak that way, and it was shared with me months later, out of bewilderment and anger that it was a problematic perspective.

My tractor job on that farm wasn’t even difficult. I drove an enclosed tractor on a pre-determined route outside, with breaks, air conditioning, and sat for extended periods of time while being able to use the washroom whenever I needed. But I got a glimpse of the lonely and precarious orbit a migrant worker might make around their hope for a better life, as well as how deeply embedded a plantation logic is in the consciousness of farming as the Canadian government has allowed it to flourish. It literally took a global pandemic, C-PTSD, a crappy immune system, and a former partner with cancer to reproduce those stresses, financial precarity, and isolation for me where for others, as Precarious notes, it is just another work season. Despite the oft-quoted axiom, “farmers feed cities”, it seems that it is more migrant workers who feed them, not necessarily “farmers” to whom the government has indentured them. Exceptionalism doesn’t seem an apt excuse for the Canadian government, and Di Cintio’s book is a powerful reminder that farmers can only work with the awareness and support they’ve been given. I share my story in this review to say that I’ve seen and experienced a small fraction of what migrant workers experience and there is no justifiable reason why we cannot infuse more dignity into our dollar through work that is equitable for permanent residents, and migrant workers.

Of the Canadian exceptionalism dynamic he writes that for workers, “Something catastrophic pushed them to our borders. Canadians profit from these traumas. We take the migrant’s sweat and labour and convince ourselves we’re being kind” (p.114). I quote it because I could not say that more succinctly if I tried. He also notes of the resistance to better labour regulations for migrant workers that, “imposing significant punishments on non-compliant employers will result in bankruptcies, especially since many of the businesses that hire migrants already have low profit margins. And forcing employers to improve living and working conditions for their migrant employees will raise labour costs, which in turn will increase the price of goods and service” (p.76). Marcello Di Cintio’s is an important book for advocacy purposes, and for any Canadian who cares about the underpinnings of their economy, notably the underclasses it produces, then relies upon to function while claiming its difference in the world on the basis of its reputation for “inclusion” in other, more well-funded industries.

If there are labour issues, it would fall to the government to course-correct through policy, education, and amended Temporary Migrant Worker policies but none of these, as was illuminated by Di Cintio, has happened. Nor does it seem to be a priority. It would seem that despite its friendly red and pearly white, Canada has razor sharp teeth that chew up and spit out migrant workers as part of its general economic and labour policy (not a few bad actors as is often reported). As Precarious notes: “Canadian employers–and, to a large extent, the Canadian economy–not only rely on migrant workers for their labour but also depend on their vulnerability. Enforcing labour standards for migrant workers, paying them fairly, and punishing abusive employers would spike labour costs” (p. 22). It is, in other words, one hell of a systemic problem that only the government can begin to fix, and from the ground up because the roots of migrant work in the Canadian economy are rotted right through. When farmers are rewarded and encouraged to view migrant workers as property, a country has a slavery consciousness problem, not a labour problem to mediate or correctively fine.

The solutions are not just eating local to sidestep acquiescence to large scale farming operations where worker abuses seem likelier to run rampant. It is also understanding what farms “Ontario Grown” branding refers to. I don’t know the answer to that question yet, but it is one I am more interested in researching to find the answer to. I’m not in a position to pay premium produce prices because of the cost of living; Even if I do find out something that might impact moral purchases otherwise, my hands are tied. It is ultimately another demonstration of how embedded poorly remunerated migrant work is in the Canadian economy: Sometimes there are very few truly impactful choices I can make as a consumer. The book highlights why political parties with labour policies that help migrant workers are profoundly important to vote for, where democracy is the last bastion of actionable ways those towing the line of lower middle classes, and the working class post-Covid might be able to intervene to make migrant worker lives equitable and just.

Precarious is an important, if not essential volume of Canadian journalism to read for anyone interested in “farm to table” conversations, and particularly for vegetarians like myself who are interested in eating ethically. It is not just the violence of eating meat to be concerned with, but the violence towards the workers whose work puts produce on my plate to replace meat. I’m so grateful to Di Cintio for staying with the trouble (as Donna Haraway would say), of trying to find interviewees to tell their vitally important stories. It is a breathtaking dissonance for Canada to call itself a kind of immigration “melting pot” of multiculturalism (part of my disdain for national narratives of multiculturalism absent of policy changes that benefit immigrants), and yet provide conditions equating to modern slavery in the obtainment of that title. It seems an interesting extension of colonialism where the global superpowers had the ability to pursue colonial interests, and now middling-powers in the modern global north economies are extending them through temporary or seasonal migrant worker programs. Migrant workers are not the means to a national tourism and skilled worker branding end. They are the story of Canada’s economic present and futures if readers are compelled to care enough to read about it, learn what changes are required, then vote and work for it. Precarious by Marcello Di Cintio is a fantastic place to start.

[Makaul Barbaree · Rating 4 out of 5]

By nature, this book is hard to read. It’s written well, just a lot of explanation on complex systems and really sad subject matter. Pretty devastating. For that reason, it took me awhile to get through but that’s ok!

The stories were powerful, providing a thorough examination of why Canada’s migration program is rotten and exploitative. I was surprised at the darkness that lies within it and just how hopeless migrant workers in Canada are made to feel. So heartbreaking. You also read a full examination of these laws, their reasoning, and faults. Different perspectives are examined and shared.

It would have been awesome to get some variety in the latter third of the book, whether it be more on the authors experience of talking to people or an examination of proposed solutions for the migrant worker system. Mostly because I did get a little fatigued reading story after story with no b-plot or check points in between. Which, is definitely a me problem but I think it could help for a wider audience who isn’t used to this type of book! The title of this book, Precarious, is mentioned sparsely in the first half, but around the second half it’s everywhere. The use of the word felt obvious and lost impact due to its frequency. It feels a little on the nose being used so much and then oddly enough I don’t recall it being used in the conclusion. I could be wrong, but it’s such a trivial critique I’m making that I don’t feel that it’s necessary to confirm.

Overall, informative read that accomplishes its goal! Would recommend.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Thought I Was Outside This Story

How did the book make me feel/think?

Precarious made me sad—not for anything I’ve done directly, but for being unknowingly part of something I believed I stood outside of.

I grew up thinking Canadians were better than this. Kinder. Fairer. Less exploitative. We’re not. We’re as flawed and compromised as the corporate systems we benefit from. We’ve traded our souls for lower prices and told ourselves comforting stories about who we are.

I always sensed this. I always knew the idea of Canada as a “white nation” was a lie we refuse to interrogate—and that every Canadian has a responsibility to break that conditioning. Most don’t. It’s easier to believe the advantage is deserved than to accept it’s inherited through systemic rot.

I’ve spent my life trying to evolve. I’ve lived a hard life, but I also understand I’ve been granted advantages others were denied. Precarious reopened my eyes to why that awareness can’t stop—it has to deepen, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Racism is everywhere if you listen. “They’re taking our jobs.” Casual slurs. Lazy ignorance layered over dependence. The foreign workers people mock are the same ones keeping food affordable, doing work others won’t, while being denied safety, privacy, medical care, and justice.

This book shows how foreign workers are trapped—economically, legally, emotionally—inside a country that wants their labour but not their presence. What struck me most wasn’t just the exploitation, but the loneliness of being invisible in a place that prides itself on being welcoming.

I’m 65, recently fired by a giant corporation for nothing I did. That experience taught me how vulnerability and lack of options can hollow a person out. Different circumstances—but the same machinery.
​
Precarious is essential reading. Because most people, everywhere, want the same things: love, health, dignity, and a chance at happiness. We can’t pretend not to know that anymore.

WRITTEN: 25 December 2025

[Jaset Colores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers is a book made by Marcello Di Cintio who goals when writing this book and making the reader understand the hard lives many migrant workers go through. He made it the book in a way for everyone to read and understand so we wouldn't put ourselves in the confusion or even boredom and keep us engaged into learning and revealing the migrants and their life styles. From the way they are treated, threatened and exploited. Being paid very little for the sake of the companies being able to get the products that we buy cheaper and that is a situation we never end up seeing or overlook. This book helps remind us that these migrant workers are people too who are just trying to survive with that small wage they are being given or the threat of being deported back for having complaints of the bad working conditions.

This book starts off with a really strong introduction that is mainly about his grandfather and his goal of leaving his country and leaving this terrible past that haunts him every moment he lives there so the option he chose was to become a migrant worker to be able to work and support his family from his home place but also getting staying away from the place for a little while. I very much recommend this book so that you too can see the struggles of being a migrant worker and be aware of what is happening around you from the things you buy and the poor people who work hard for a better life but can't from difficult conditions they work in.

[Calissa Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely topical and an overall important read. This book exposes how Canada has built a system that exploits, traffics, and abandons migrant workers to unsafe conditions, all while most Canadians happily subscribe to the narrative that we’re inherently “better” than other countries, or even better as people. Especially in the age of Trumpism and nationalist rhetoric, it’s easy to buy into the story that Canada is fundamentally virtuous — but this book rips that illusion apart.

Di Cintio highlights the invisibility that is inherent to the TFWP system “apologizing to migrants would entail acknowledging they exist”, which reiterates the fact that invisibility is baked into the system. “Canadians would rather not contend with the reality that hundreds of thousands of workers toil for low wages in often unsafe conditions to support a country they aren’t welcome to stay in… Keeping them invisible means we don’t have to see ourselves reflected in their plight.”

Even our idea of being a “good Canadian” is disturbingly low: “All an employer needs to do… is to treat migrant workers with the most basic humanity. The system expects so little from us and tolerates so much.” Policies aren’t designed to help workers—they exist to serve the economy: “The policies aren’t meant to give, but to take.”

Reading this made me angry, frustrated, and deeply aware of how long Canada’s flaws have been hiding in plain sight. It’s not an easy read, but it’s essential.

[Gwendolyn Matz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't yet finished Precarious, but I have read the introduction, 'Learning on Empty', 'Trafficked', and 'Giving Care' in full, and read parts of multiple other chapters for an English class.

I have to admit that books for classes are rarely interesting, but Precarious is both incredibly engaging and incredibly hard-hitting, and it's been a joy to flick through so far. Di Cintio adds a personal touch to the issue of immigration and migrant work that manages to humanize a group of people that are so frequently dehumanized in the media. Their stories are told with the kind of blunt honesty that we need more of, and he doesn't allow the reader to write these recounts off as a statistic.

I've also found, so far, that the variety of stories is a positive for those looking to connect with the text. While the book remains cohesive, so many different angles of the issue are covered that it's almost impossible not to relate to at least one chapter and gain the ability to consider oneself in that situation.

It's also just incredibly 'readable'. It's all in plain English, interesting but not too flowery in language paragraph to paragraph, and it doesn't drag whatsoever. When an issue has been spoken about the correct amount, the chapter ends and a different angle is looked at. I'd recommend the book to anybody wishing to learn more about migrants and migrant labor.

[Andrea Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an important and great book to read! I knew "Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers" by Marcello Di Cintio was going to hit close to home, as where I live, there are many hardworking migrant workers trying to make an honest living. Even now, with everything going on in the US, it is essential to read and understand this non-fiction. When reading the book, you will notice how Author Marcello Di Cintio is unafraid and brave, yet also sympathetic and willing to spread the word about the way migrant workers are being treated in Canada. He interviewed employers who were willing to speak with him and realized that at some farms, migrant workers were being treated pretty well, but without giving too many details about this book, he did mention many horrible ways other farm companies treated their migrant workers. -Those companies denied speaking to Marcello, as we can imagine why.
My College class had the luxury of having Marcello as a special guest, during which we were able to ask him a few questions. I really appreciate the time he took to speak to us and how clear and well-spoken he is. This is someone who cares, is fighting for change, wants people to see the ugly side, and wants us to do what we can to prevent this from happening again. As he said, "I wrote a patriotic book in a patriotic time." I 100% recommend this book to everybody.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Precarious: The lives of migrant workers” Marcello Di Cintio is uncovering stories of those who came from elsewhere to lend a helping hand. Each have been through so much terrible but some yet made their way out. Marcello Di Cintio is speaking out for the people who never got to spoke out or say their stories being there and how they were treated.He also explains how the large areas in our economy depend on the people we don’t see. Marcello Di Cintio delivers in this book a portray of the migrant workers who invisibly contribute to Canada’s economy and the inhumane governmental system that exists out of sight for the canadian citizen’s. While doing this he is spreading awareness and revealing the mistreatment going on. This book is a must read for the ones who have never thought much about the migrants living among us after reading it hopefully you will see the reality as well and spread awareness on the complex issues surrounding migrant workers. This book has taught me a lot of new things but it also made me remember to always be kind, you never know what one is going through and how bad their day is, everyone has their own hard battles.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book’s biggest strength is its storytelling. Instead of focusing on a lot of statistics, Di Cintio highlights personal stories from migrant workers in places like the Gulf and Southeast Asia. By doing this, he lets the workers speak for themselves, which makes their experiences feel more real and emotional. It helps readers understand the human side of larger issues and makes the injustices harder to ignore. At the same time, Precarious also looks at the bigger picture. It explains how things like immigration policies, unfair labor systems, and global inequality keep these workers stuck in difficult situations. Even though the book deals with serious topics, it is still easy to understand and doesn’t feel too academic. It does a good job balancing storytelling with important analysis. Overall, Precarious is a powerful and important book. It encourages readers to think about the realities of globalization and labor, and it leaves a strong impression about human dignity and resilience.

[Nina Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I have read only the introduction and a few chapters of Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers so far, the book has already made an impact on me. Di Cintio gave me a sense of the uncertainty migrant workers face, and how economic and social pressures, legality, and family affairs determine their lives. Through the limited chapters I read, the author focuses on the experiences of specific individuals and their personal experiences rather than simply factual data, creating an emotional tone for the reader and invoking emotion. These personal anecdotes can help people understand the complexity surrounding migration and the sacrifices workers make to be paid minimum wage, often with unfair treatment. Di Cintio's writing is clear to follow and engaging, and the focus on personal experience brings up the topic of oppression without any sugar coating or skimming over certain details. 

[Alberta Views Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you buy a coffee at Tim Hortons, do you think about who is serving you? Good chance they are a migrant worker, making minimum wage on a temporary work visa. What do we really know about the lives of migrant workers? For most Canadians, I suspect the answer is “not much.”

The stories of migrant workers are the beating heart of Marcello Di Cintio’s new book, Precarious. He offers deep and rich narratives of their lives and experiences, exploring their pasts, how and why they came to Canada and what their lives have been like since arriving. But unlike most accounts, Di Cintio gives us insights into more than just what happens at work. We hear of migrants’ romances, their joy at giving birth, the pain of being separated from family, the friendships they build. He tells us of farm workers’ soccer tournaments and the ordered chaos of grocery shopping day in a small town. The migrants in Precarious are complete, imperfect human beings, not just “workers” to be exploited and discarded....

Reviewed by Jason Foster
Full review at https://albertaviews.ca/precarious/

[Bryant William · Rating 4 out of 5]

If one ever wondered about the lives of foreign workers in Canada, this book will answer a lot of questions. And it should make you upset. From the legislation and history of the various waves of immigrants/workers/temporary workers to several in depth examples of various lives, Di Cintio gives a damning indictment of the way these people are treated in Canada. The negatives of the book is it gets a little slow in the legal details at times and sometimes the author’s own biases get in the way of his writing.

[Megan Lingenfelter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a school assignment, and thoroughly enjoyed the chapters I read. The Chapter I want to focus on for this book is "Celesté and Griselda". The chapter is about two lesbian women who face hardships in Guatemala and go to Canada in search of better lives, only to find that Canada was much worse.
This book really makes you think. As a queer person my heart was hurting for these two women and their struggles.

[anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

i actually really enjoyed this book. there was a lot of really good information about migrant workers in canada. the book leaves me with more questions about globalisation and the havoc the western world was laid globally which in turn causes the great migrations we see today. but this book was not about that

[Kristina Toporkova · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re Canadian or live in Canada—this affects you, I promise. This book cuts through the bullshit of our dearly loved myth of being a kind and welcoming nation and instead illuminates the horrors of the cheap, exploitative labour we import and all benefit from.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

the effort the author put into actually speaking with migrants from across Canada and in many industries is admirable

[Safina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading, especially for Canadian-born citizens.

[Talia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely eye-opening as a Canadian.

[Colleen Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent. Although heartbreaking at times gives great insight into the lives of Migrant Workers.

[Emily Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to the cover of this book and, as an American, I assumed it would be about the U.S. when I first started reading it. Instead, it introduced the topic from a Canadian perspective, which I found really interesting. I appreciated the stories that were shared and the courage of migrant workers who take these opportunities in hopes of creating a better future.

“More than 76% said they were missing the best years of their children’s lives.” - This makes me wonder how could anyone disregard that level of sacrifice and determination?

The title of the book made me sad, not because it isn’t accurate, but because it reflects the reality that such hardworking people are often given hope that leads to a very uncertain and precarious future.