The 2nd chapter of Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo's Domestica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the Shadows of Affluence, Hondagneu-Sotelo focused on three types of paid care work; live-in nanny work, live-out nanny work, and house-keeping. In this chapter, the author explains how this women were treated in these position through the thoughts of the people Latina workers in the care work position.
The "live-in" nannies expressed a strong feeling of alienation. The nannies interviewed shared a feeling of not being respected or treated well by the family that employed her. Many of the women would work long hours and perform task usually outside the realms of most job, but are barely acknowledged and are outcast in the home. Because of the bad treatment and exploitation of the nanny labor, the nanny is rarely in a good state when she is in her job. This becomes a problem because she is always at her job.
Experience is somewhat better in comparison to live-in nannies. Live-out nannies tend to make more money and have a richer social life. They were able to do their job and leave. They struck a better balance of separation of work and family time.
The one thing that stuck me in this chapter was their view on Americans when it came to family. Most thought American Families were selfish because they did not raise their children. The Latina maids understood when parents work excessively out of necessity but many of parents they worked for choose to work long hours. I think it is alarming when we as parents are not raising our children but if we want to live comfortably, can we choose to work less hours?
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