Following the stories of undocumented Americans durning the coronavirus pandemic
In San Francisco, as in other cities, lines at food pantries, pawn shops and free markets have been growing as quickly as the coronavirus pandemic spreads.
For the many Latinx immigrants in those lines, the virus is particularly complicated and toxic. Immigrants who struggled to gain a place in the American economy through a small business have seen it crushed by the virus.
For the undocumented among them, staying at home means no income and because of their legal status, little government help. Instead, they make the daily decision to continue working in restaurants, food delivery or construction. It is a decision that means higher rates of infection, sickness and in some cases, death.
For those forced to stay home, the virus has upended the already precarious math of surviving in San Francisco as a nanny, housekeeper or driver.
This project is supported by the
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Mission Local