Doméstica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the Shadows of Affluence

by Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo

As American women have entered the labor force in greater numbers, the traditional work of wives and mothers—cleaning houses and caring for children—has gradually moved into the global marketplace. Paid domestic work has largely become the domain of disenfranchised immigrant women of color. Unlike the working poor who toil in factories and fields, these women see, touch, and breathe the material and emotional world of their employers' homes. They scrub grout, coax reluctant children to eat their vegetables, launder and fold clothes, dust, vacuum, and witness intimate family dynamics. In this enlightening and timely work, Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo highlights the voices, experiences, and views of Mexican and Central American women who care for other people's children and homes, as well as the outlooks of the women who employ them in Los Angeles.

All royalties from this book will be donated to the Domestic Workers’ Association, a division of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA).

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, Gender

341 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2001

Reviews

[Kallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone seriously wondering what compels so many immigrant workers to leave their homes and come here, to the unfriendly, racist, intolerant U.S., should read this book. Hondagneu-Sotelo tells of the world power economic powers and policies over which most people have zero control, that up-end their lives without the least mercy. This could happen to any of us, as we are learning. Perhaps, reading this research, people will come to understand that we must support progressive policies that put an end to letting the worldwide wealthy few destroy people's lives so they can accumulate still more wealth (as if they could never get enough). People do not want to leave their homes. They migrate in order to survive and help their families and would gladly stay where they are if their own governing elite weren't so corrupt as to sell them out.

[CTEP]

I chose this book because many of the students that I work with are immigrant domestic workers. Furthermore, many of the jobs that I’ve helped students apply for are to for cleaning and/or childcare. I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences, especially so that I can assist them more effectively.

The book is broken down into two separate categories – live-in domestic workers and day-time domestic workers. Both work long hours for 6 or 7 days per week. Because the work is so intimate and they are seeing the inner-workings of family life, they are often not thought of as employees at all. While this “she’s like a member of the family” attitude might seem affectionate, it actually ends up hurting domestic workers who feel as though asking for better conditions makes them seem ungrateful. Live-in domestic workers have the additional struggle of living without privacy and a space for their own foods and other cultural practices.

The part that resonates the most with my experience at Hubbs is the fact that many of these women were educated in their countries of origin. This is true for many of my students, who graduated from high school before leaving for the US but lack the English skills for a higher-paying job. Whether they were educated in their home country or not, many domestic workers in the US face extremely poor while making a lifestyle that affluent Americans take for grant possible.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes repetitive, but overall easy to read and interesting account of Latina immigrants involved in domestic work in Los Angeles.

[Princess Babygirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Domestica, Hondageneu-Sotelo discusses the culture of domestic immigrant labor, which has led to an increase in the employment of women, specifically Latina woman. Domestic workers include house nannies and sitters, and to a lesser extent, cooks. There are many factors contributing to this climate, specifically globalization and immigration, as many economic policies make it so these jobs can exist. The Latina women in Domestica arrive in LA to work as either live-in, live-out or housecleaning ladies. These women make less than minimum wage. Even though this book is a bit dated, the wages have not changed much, and the rich still exploit poor workers of color. Hondageneu-Sotelo also discusses the relationship between employer and employee and workplace culture in the domestic sphere in depth. In a lot of ways, domestic employers are like the title hints at: they want the help to be around, they want to form close bonds with them but at the end of the day the help is still the help. They're expendable. This is a must read for every conscious person, but especially writers endeavoring to depict domestic work accurately in their fictional worlds.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was super readable but the normative stance is awful. you can't reform housework in a vacuum!!! no one has a solution to the global care chain because no one is willing to think beyond capitalism.

[Tannya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book so far. After living in San Francisco and seeing on a daily basis many domestic workers as well as serving with several in church callings its a disturbing facet of life to see these amazing women who are smart and talented, yet cannot get work either due to language barriers, or immigrant issues so they clean our homes and watch our kids. I was often asked if I was a nanny because I was with my kids at the park, or at their gymnastics classes. Their job is not the disturbing part its that they are drastically underpaid for the work they do. Another intersting side note moving from the bay area to here, is that it was definitely cheaper in the bay to get a housekeeper, a nanny, or a gardener, by quite a bit. Anyways I will add more as I get farther into the book.

[Lis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be a nerd for loving this book. While defending my thesis I did actually quote it. I learned a lot about women who work as "domesticas", the latin american women who spend their days cleaning houses, mainly salvadorenas for rich people in LA. The author rode buses with them and interviewed them. By the end, you may have tons of questions for the cleaning lady at your work.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent view on (primarily Latina) domestic workers in Los Angeles and nationwide. Wonderful cross-section of discussion around race and class. The book does get a bit repetitive, however, so some skimming is advised.

[Yousef · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good analysis of the life of domestic workers in Los Angeles which can be representative of other big cities in the US.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a sociology class. Very interesting and insightful.