True meaning of Labor Day is lost if immigrant workers are excluded

For many Americans, Labor Day is a long weekend: a chance to take a quick trip or savor one last pool party before the grind of school and work resumes. But its origins are more profound. Born in the late 19th century after decades of strikes, demonstrations and even deadly confrontations between laborers and authorities, the holiday was created to honor the dignity of work itself. It was meant as a tribute to the ordinary men and women whose sweat and effort power our nation’s prosperity.

This year, as violent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids perpetrated by masked federal agents continue across the country, it is worth asking: Whom do we honor when we honor labor? Is it only those with papers and passports? Or does our recognition extend to the millions of workers who toil