Immigrant domestic worker exploitation.

           After reading “Undocumented Latinas: The New Employable Mother” I was shocked by the stories of abuse and extortion. I had no idea how man immigrants were being oppresses within our own homes. I had always known that the pay of nannies and house cleaners where minimal. And that the majority of these workers are immigrants. But it was surprising to find out that many of them get paid far below minimum wage. In some cases they are even the victims of sexual assault. This new information has intrigued me to further my learning on the topic. I found the Article Invisible Workers, Global Struggles in the online journal.

            I find it very sad that and employer that was exploiting a young undocumented domestic worker chose to file murder charges when the child of the employer died. I do not understand how the employer expected the young to know how to care for a young child without proper training. The ever more upsetting part of the story was that the girl was executed for her crime. The Saudi Arabian legal system is far too strict. It is not fair to kill a young immigrant worker for incorrectly doing her job. I think it should be the responsibility of the parent to hire a qualified person to care for their child.

            It is unsettling to know that there are such few laws governing child care in other countries. It is far too easy to fake documentation and pose as a qualified domestic worker. These workers are not provided with adequate pay or protection from abuse from the employer. There needs to be legal reform in the countries that allow these practices to continue. The employers of such domestic workers need to be held accountable for this extortion.

 

Web site of article: http://prospect.org/article/invisible-workers-global-struggles

 

-DP