Orange is the New Black and Then Later You Might Have to Look for a Job

Mr. Xu told me that he didn’t even require a well-paying job. On his (imaginary) job application form, which he filled out with the help of another student, he wrote, “Restaurant. Wherever there is a job. Okay. Cooking, cleaning, whatever.” I later asked him whether it would be easier to apply for a position in a Chinese restaurant and he started stuttering. “My face, my face…” He touched his face. I looked at him and wondered what was wrong with his face. “How can I explain?” he said. “My face…” After some back-and-forth I understood that because of his conviction, Mr. Xu had lost face in the Chinese community.

Today at Longreads: A full chapter from Among Murderers: Life After Prison, by Sabine Heinlein, which gives us a look into how convicted murderers look for work after being released from prison.

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