Author: Keira Lu Huang (Keira Lu Huang)

The day before Hurricane Sandy struck New York City, Carolyn Alexander, who is 38 and who has lived in Coney Island for 20 years, saw a hurricane evacuation notice on the news. Although many of her neighbors decided to stay, Carolyn didn’t want to take any risks. She packed her clothes, sealed the windows, locked...

Alex Garcia, 39, used to make $17 an hour working at a cosmetics counter. A year ago, Macy’s laid her off. Now, this single mother of two daughters expects to make only $7 an hour. If she can find a job. “Right now, I have to accept anything,” Garcia says. Over the past year, Garcia...