Join our family of curious Kansas Citians

Discover unheard stories about Kansas City, every Thursday.

Thank you for subscribing!

Check your inbox, you should see something from us.

Sign Me Up
Hit enter to search or ESC to close
S2 Ep 7

Immigrant Labor

Aired: 19/01/2023

Reporter credits:

Cody Boston
D. Rashaan Gilmore
Vicky Diaz-Camacho
Mary Sanchez

1 minute read

Many jobs in our area are performed by folks who have immigrated to the US, but the complexities of our immigration system can make this labor easy to exploit. This month, the Flatland team looks at industries that survive on immigrant labor and what systemic barriers affect these workers.

Featured this month:

Vibrant Health
KCK Maintenance Solutions
KC Chamber of Commerce

A Solution for Economic Problems: Hire More Immigrants

A Solution for Economic Problems: Hire More Immigrants

One way to address worsening labor shortages and inflation is fairly simple: Hire more immigrants. Improving the immigration process is more complicated.

More Information

Census 2020: Why Some Parts of the KC Area Were So Hard to Count

Census 2020: Why Some Parts of the KC Area Were So Hard to Count

Why was it so hard to count the hard-to-count areas in KC? An enumerator explains.

A 'Life in Limbo': What's Next for Kansas City's DACA Recipients?

A 'Life in Limbo': What's Next for Kansas City's DACA Recipients?

In June, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that upheld the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program. Here's what that means to recipients in Kansas City.

Kansas City’s Place in Chicano History

Kansas City’s Place in Chicano History

On Sept. 16, 1969, students mobilized a Chicano walkout at Kansas City's West High School. Self-made periodicals, newsletters and newspapers were integral to getting the movement going.

Flatland Follow-Up

Flatland journalists Mary Sanchez and D. Rashaan Gilmore discuss immigration on this inaugural Flatland Follow-up on IG Live.

Watch Now

Past Episodes

Harvesting Change | Localizing Our Food System

Harvesting Change | Localizing Our Food System

S3 Ep 9 - 1 minute readAs part of the Flatland series “Harvesting Change,” Flatland in Focus looks at the people and policies that influence the transition away from industrial agriculture to a more localized food system that protects and regenerates the environment.
Seeking Environmental Justice in Kansas City

Seeking Environmental Justice in Kansas City

S3 Ep8 - 1 minute readIn cities across the U.S., heavily polluted industrial zones are often established adjacent to communities of color and low-income residents. “Flatland in Focus” speaks with residents living in Kansas City-area neighborhoods that suffer from a history of pollution.
Healing Hate: Building Resilience Through Community

Healing Hate: Building Resilience Through Community

S3 Ep7 - 1 minute readIn collaboration with the Kansas City PBS special ‘Healing Hate‘, Flatland in Focus speaks with survivors of the 2014 shooting at the Overland Park Jewish Community Center to see how one act of hate has impacted their lives. […]
Stadium Subsidies and Community Impact

Stadium Subsidies and Community Impact

S3 Ep6 - 1 minute readThe Truman Sports Complex, home to KC’s Royals and Chiefs, opened to the public 50 years ago. Now the teams have a new vision for their future and voters must decide whether to support that vision with tax […]
Housing Along the KC Streetcar Line

Housing Along the KC Streetcar Line

S3 Ep5 - 1 minute readThe KC Streetcar expansion from Union Station to the Country Club Plaza will be running through midtown as early as 2025. But as ridership increases along this route, so may the cost of living for many the area, […]
Media Literacy

Media Literacy

S3 Ep4 - 1 minute readAs media consumption continues to climb, media literacy and the ability to discern fact from fiction or opinion is more important than ever. How do we interact with the news? How do we evaluate what we share? And […]
The Future of the Country Club Plaza

The Future of the Country Club Plaza

S3 Ep. 3 - 1 minute readThe Kansas City PBS documentary “Nichols’ Folly: A Century of the Country Club Plaza” explores the complicated history behind the nation’s first planned suburban shopping center. This month, “Flatland in Focus” examines the future of the Country Club Plaza […]
East Side Development Sales Tax

East Side Development Sales Tax

S3 Ep 2 - 1 minute readIn 2017, voters approved a 1/8 cent sales tax with the goal of spurring economic development in disadvantaged neighborhoods of the city. So far, the Central City Economic Development (CCED) sales tax has awarded over $53 million and […]
See All Episodes
KC Media Collective + Flatland

Flatland + KC Media Collective

Flatland and Kansas City PBS are proud to take part in the Kansas City Media Collective, a collaborative group of local, nonprofit media organizations dedicated to supporting local journalism.

Sponsored By

AARP Health Forward Foundation RSM US