The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America — A Book Talk with Saket Soni
About this Event
The US is often described as a nation of immigrants, and immigrant workers have played a critical role in building the country and our economy. While countless immigrant workers have found the US to be the land of opportunity and achieved the American dream through hard work, countless others have not had their hard work and labor rewarded, but instead have been subject to exploitation and abuse. This is as true for immigrant workers today as it was centuries ago. What do the experiences of immigrant workers today tell us about the nature of work and opportunity? What do the ongoing challenges of immigrant workers say about our economic and social divides? If we continue to have lower standards for the treatment of immigrant workers, can we ever realize our American ideals about work and opportunity? In his new book, “The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America,” Saket Soni deals with these weighty questions by telling a gripping tale — a story of love, dreams, betrayal, greed, courage, redemption, and hope. And ultimately a story about learning to see across our society’s divides of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and geography — to find our common humanity. Join us on Zoom on Thursday, February 9, at 2 p.m. ET, for a conversation with the author about this important story.
“The Great Escape” is now available for purchase. Click here to learn more.
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Tweet I enjoyed hearing @saket_soni and @conway_maureen #talkopportunity about Saket’s book, “The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America.” Check out this inspiring @AspenJobQuality event.
Tweet Immigrants play a critical role in our economy, but many are subjected to exploitation and abuse. What do their experiences tell us about work in the US? Hear @saket_soni and @conway_maureen #talkopportunity.
Tweet In his book about immigrant workers, @saket_soni tells a story of love, dreams, betrayal, greed, courage, redemption, hope, and learning to see across society’s divides. Learn more via @AspenJobQuality.
Tweet If we continue to have lower standards for the treatment of immigrant workers, can we ever realize our American ideals about work and opportunity? Hear @saket_soni and @conway_maureen #talkopportunity.
Tweet Video — The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America. Hear @saket_soni (@ResilienceForce) in conversation with @conway_maureen (@AspenJobQuality).
Featured Speaker
Saket Soni @saket_soni
Executive Director, Resilience Force @ResilienceForce
Saket Soni is the co-founder and executive director of Resilience Force, the national voice of the resilience workforce — the workforce whose labor helps us prepare for, and repair after, climate disaster. He has organized on the frontlines of climate change for over 15 years. Saket has testified in Congress, and his work has been featured in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and TIME Magazine. A profile in USA Today called him “an architect of the next labor movement.” Saket is from New Delhi, India. He’s a proud uncle and loves to cook.
Moderator
Maureen Conway @conway_maureen
Vice President, The Aspen Institute; Executive Director, Economic Opportunities Program @AspenJobQuality
Maureen Conway serves as vice president at the Aspen Institute and as executive director of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program (EOP). EOP works to expand individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity. View Maureen’s full bio.
Opportunity in America
Opportunity in America, an event series hosted by the Economic Opportunities Program, considers the changing landscape of economic opportunity in the US and implications for individuals, families, and communities across the country. The series highlights the ways in which issues of race, gender, and place exacerbate our economic divides, and ideas and innovations with potential to address these challenges and broaden access to quality opportunity.
We are grateful to Prudential Financial, Walmart, the Surdna Foundation, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Bloomberg, and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth for their support of this series.
Learn More
The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy. Follow us on social media and join our mailing list to stay up-to-date on publications, blog posts, events, and other announcements.