Officers on fishing vessels often subject workers to physical violence, intimidation and fraud. Most of the crew members interviewed by the Environmental Justice Foundation reported being trapped in debt bondage, with substantial recruitment fees and debts forcing them to work for minimal pay. Many recounted shifts exceeding 14 hours, poor food, degrading living conditions, and senior officers confiscating their passports.

“There is a lot of money out there, and now we just must mobilize it towards the supply chain.”

Though I can breathe deeply that I did enough to keep Bruce and Bitsy alive to adulthood, I’m troubled by the bigger picture.

The inalienable fact of life being Black, as well as being an immigrant is building a home out of the unfamiliar.