New book explores California’s Imperial County

Author William Vollmann explores a forgotten corner of the Southland in his new book “Imperial.” It addresses the dynamics between agribusiness, development, and immigration in Imperial County, California.

Vollman told KPCC’s Larry Mantle that the drop in agriculture jobs has made it hard for itinerant workers.

William Vollmann: “It’s always been kind of a crapshoot for them, you know, you see these guys, they cross the border at maybe 3:30 in the morning and they wait at a place called 'Donut Avenue' for the foreman to call on them if they want to work broccoli or some other crop, and they might or might not get work that day. If they don’t then they just have to go back across the border.”