Celebrating Migrant Workers’ Contributions to the Eastern Shore

Nothing is more iconic to the Eastern Shore of Maryland than the blue crab, but without Hispanic migrant workers the blue crab industry in Maryland would crack. Since the mid-1980s, the crab and oyster industry has relied upon Hispanic migrant workers to do the grueling job of picking crabs and shucking oysters. Many of these men and women come from Mexico to work on H2-B visas. They leave their homes and families, facing uncertainty, in search of employment they can’t find in their home country. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the men and women who contribute their labor to the seafood industry in Maryland.