I love the 1932 photo of New York construction workers lunching on a beam. Due to the collaborative nature of Wikipedia, we now know much more about the photo. It was taken by Charles C. Ebbets during construction of the RCA Building (renamed as the GE Building in 1986) at Rockefeller Center. Ebbets took the photo on the 69th floor of the RCA Building during the last months of construction. It appeared in the Sunday photo supplement of the New York Herald Tribune.

Most of the men in the photo have been identified by relatives or descendants in the last few years. Though the identities of a few of the men are disputed (i.e. several folks claim him to be the person they know), most of the men are now known. As I read through the list, I’m fascinated by the number of immigrants. Ireland, Newfoundland, Sweeden and Slovokia are all represented. One of the men is a Native American from the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation.

So when you hear someone complaining about the number of immigrants working in construction, remember that the tradition goes way back. Our industry rewards skill, creativity and hard work. The employers who discriminate find themselves with less options (meaning less work) than those who embrace merit, whatever it looks like.

I challenge you (and me) to examine ourselves and think about our latent (or not so latent) prejudices. Can you afford them and do you really want them? You get to choose the kind of person you want to be.