This article examines how chronic malaria affected West Indian laborers during canal construction, highlighting their resistance to work despite illness.
The United States' Panama Canal construction project (1904–14) relied on West Indian labor. Turning to West Indian workmen's firsthand accounts, this article examines malaria as an unruly, chronic condition marking life and work in Panamá. These laborers navigated canal authorities' efforts to compel them to work despite illness or injury. Contrary to tropes of Black male hyper-ability, West Indian men detailed the vulnerabilities malaria engendered and their practices of resistance.
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Danielle LaPlace (2026) studied this question.
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