Thread: N.J. professor, nonprofit pioneer debit cards for immigrants

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Associated Press

NEW BRUNSWICK
A Rutgers University professor and an area worker center are working to provide immigrants a way to cash in their paychecks and save money without paying large fees.

New Labor, a New Brunswick-based nonprofit immigrant worker center, began offering a special debit card in November. The card -- named “Sigo,” a combination of the Spanish word for “yes” and the English “go” -- is also being offered at centers in Hempstead, N.Y., Chicago and Los Angeles.

The main force behind the card has been Janice Fine, a Rutgers University labor relations professor. Fine told The New York Times for Saturday newspapers that she wanted to develop a “tool that would help immigrants with their finances and help worker centers with their finances.”

A survey of immigrants connected with worker centers found many avoiding bank accounts because of the need to provide more than one identification document, as well as the hidden fees and the large penalties for bounced checks, according to Fine.

Jose Dimas, 32, a food preparer at a catering company, told the Times that he got the Sigo card because he was tired of paying $8 to cash his paycheck or $10 to wire money back home to his parents in Mexico. Without a bank account, he worried someone would steal the savings he had stashed in his apartment.

“This card is better for me for a lot of situations,” Dimas said.

The Sigo cards can be obtained with only one form of identification, not necessarily from the U.S. Like a department store gift card, it has a stored value, but is reloadable.

Users can put more money on the cards by having paychecks deposited directly into their account or making cash deposits, for fees ranging from 50 cents to $5, at a local pharmacy or worker center.

The cards come along with a PIN number. They're affiliated with MasterCard, and can be used where MasterCard is accepted.

The card's sponsors say a duplicate can be sent to a relative abroad, who can then withdraw money from an ATM for a fee that in Mexico is lower than what Western Union charges to send money abroad.

So far, New Labor has given cards to 200 immigrant members, including some who are in the U.S. illegally. Organizers hope in the next few years to offer the cards to tens of thousands of immigrants at 140 worker centers nationwide.

Companies such as Western Union and Citibank offer similar reloadable cards. But at the worker centers, organizers believe they are better suited to persuade immigrants to try the cards.

“They know us and they trust us as opposed to other institutions that they have less experience with,” said Michele Gross, an organizer at New Labor.

“They believe us when we say these cards are safer than carrying cash around,” Gross said.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... 004/LIVING

Will some one please tell me why people are helping criminals cash ill gotten payroll? Not supposed to be working, not supposed to be cashing payroll checks, not supposed to be here! Enablers!!

"Sigo" back to Mexico!

Dixie

That is a great question Dixie. The OBL crowd continually ignores the fact they are supporting law breakers and lawlessness. We apparently have more then a few people in this country who support anarchy. They are aiding and abetting and trying to destroy America.

Unbelievable, aiding criminals!

In my eyes, these are more than "Enablers", Dixie.

For Pete's sake, they're breaking the law by "aiding and abetting" lawbreakers. Western Union gets rapped for sending illegal money out of the country, and these yahoos find a way to get around that law.

What is going on??? This is absolute insanity.

Originally Posted by CheyenneWoman

In my eyes, these are more than "Enablers", Dixie.

For Pete's sake, they're breaking the law by "aiding and abetting" lawbreakers. Western Union gets rapped for sending illegal money out of the country, and these yahoos find a way to get around that law.

What is going on??? This is absolute insanity.

The media spins it as a good thing and we all know the media rules.

Oh cry me a river bunch of racist rednecks. 90 % of you, do not even know how an immigrant looks like, because you live in small ass shitholes max population of 50k

Oh my god! Jose is taking over our country because he went to a supermarket shopping, he should be denied food because he is illegal! He is a criminal!

Crusader01 is that you in your avatar? He truly resembles a KKK clan member riding a horse?

You guys are bunch of drama queens

90 % of you, do not even know how an immigrant looks like

We are not discussing immigrants we are discussing illegal aliens. By the way, with very few exceptions, the majority of immigrants can communicate in english.

Thanks for your well thought out and intellectual response luke1982!

You obviously put a lot of thought into what you wrote by coming up with such original terms as "racist redneck" and "small ass shitholes". You are without a doubt a well educated and upright citizen who has their finger on the pulse of this issue and can eloquently express your thoughts about them. We look forward to much more mind altering and thought provoking prose from you. Thanks again!

luke1982 is banned.