As an advocate for home care workers in the heart of the Los Angeles immigrant community, I work with hundreds of immigrant home care workers in my role as a leader and Associate Director of the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC). I attended a meeting in Houston from April 14-15, 2010, organized by the Department of Labor Office of Safety and Health Administration (DOL-OSHA), where Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis spoke about safety in the workplace. Immigration was a topic of the discussion as well, given that so many workers who face labor safety issues are recent immigrants to America. “Working without papers may be against the law, but it is NOT A DEATH SENTENCE!” said Secretary Solis. DOL statistics reveal that 14 immigrants die each day in the U.S. because of unsafe working conditions. Caregivers are among them.
I read the DCA’s Direct Care News regularly and the articles resonate with what I see among my members. But some of them face even more challenges than other workers. They carry the burden and promise of America as a land of dreams, as a place where you can make anything happen. Many of them toil as home care workers receiving low wages and few benefits. In some cases, they are exposed to additional barriers and mistreatment as a result of cultural, language or legal barriers based on their status as recent immigrants. The video above is an interview I recently participated in that highlights human trafficking. The subject of the story is Nena Ruiz, who was recruited in the Philippines as a caregiver but ended up as a trafficking victim in 2002. She survived the slavery situation of a live-in caregiver/maid. She is now a certified nursing assistant and works as a direct home care worker in Los Angeles. She cares for elder Americans in their homes and has done so for more than 8 years.
Though the immigrant experience facing caregivers is rarely discussed, about a third of all direct care workers are foreign-born. The exact number of immigrant women working in this profession is tough to ascertain for lack of focus and research and other social and legal barriers, but for millions of American elders, immigrant women are a vital lifeline for care and support. Many Americans rely on these workers to lead safe and independent lives close to their loved ones. However, the plight of these workers is typically obscured from the debate on health and long-term care. At the same time, the population demographics show that there won’t be enough workers available to care for the aging baby boomers.
Americans already rely on thousands of immigrant women to access vital care and support, so it would make infinite sense to officially acknowledge this important labor pool and bring them out of the shadows. Let’s provide training, support and legal resources to these workers. Look around your neighborhood and I’m sure you’ll find a friend, family member or others who already rely on immigrant labor to access elder services and support. If a million more direct care workers are going to be needed in the next few years and millions of immigrants are already working as direct care workers for the elderly, let’s help them with legal, training and other resources to grant them the recognition and respect they deserve.
These statistics are compelling and these personal stories are abhorrent. The reality of adverse working conditions, unjust labor practices, and absence of recognition for caregivers is evident and it is pervasive. As you say, millions of citizens rely on the expertise and care of direct care workers. For obvious reasons many must live in the shadows of full citizenship and equal protection. This is unacceptable. Thank you for the work that you do in advocacy and representation for others. Your Voice represents many voices.