In Invisible in Austin, University of Texas sociologist Javier Auyero and a team of graduate students explore the lives of those working at the bottom of the social order: house cleaners, office-machine repairers, cab drivers, restaurant cooks and dishwashers, exotic dancers, musicians, and roofers, among others. The book makes visible the growing gap between rich and poor that is reconfiguring Austin, as low-wage workers are forced to the social and symbolic margins.

The panel discussion will feature co-authors Auyero and Katie Jensen, professor and Ph.D. student from the UT Department of Sociology; Pierette Hondagneu-Sotelo, University of Southern California sociology professor; Melissa del Bosque, Texas Observer reporter; and Cristina Tzintzún, executive director of the Workers Defense Project.

Location: BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, 78703