The "Desiree" To Live & Why Am I Punished for Working Too Hard?

What struck me the most about the importance of story to raise awareness around the social issues was that it delivers a better understanding to everyone around us. Since issues such as domestic workers not getting their fair rights, it’s a topic that can be easily hidden from us. From these stories, it makes you feel what the writer wants to tell you their struggles that they come upon in their daily lives. It’s second nature to live life the easy way out, and by choosing not to see things that can be difficult, it helps to just dissect the situation by listening to the people who’ve been through it. It opens different perspectives, and the feel of experience in certain situations.

This story is from a past individual that we read in class in the beginning.

Data Center created a compelling argument that led to policy changes to support the right of Domestic Workers by collaborating different results, evidence, information, direct interviews/stories to help distinguish what was really going on here.  In the story of Desiree, a young Latina who moved to California to start her own life. After going through her journey of different obstacles interfered, such as having a baby, she faced another problem. Desiree went through multiple of jobs from being a prep cook, to McDonalds, to being a waitress at a restaurant. Her problem aroused when she was pregnant and worked at a job that was “only paying her seven dollars an hour” (Orner 272) . Related to the Data Center article, the statistics broke it down to WORKER DEMOGRAPHICS, REASONS DOMESTIC WORKERS CAME TO THE U.S., and EMPLOYER DEMOGRAPHICS. Relating to Desiree, she is part one of 35% of the population who came over to the U.S because she had family over here, and had no job options at home. Unfortunately, many women, like Desiree don’t get pay enough to what they do. “ A survey of Latina domestic workers in L.A. found that 79% of live-in domestic workers earn less than minimum wage” (Data Center 16). Desiree, has a baby and tries to go from work to work to manage to get a well paid job to support her and her daughter. This struggle isn’t fair and should be consulted.

This is one of the new stories that I picked out for this week assignments.

In the story of Diana, a Peru housekeeper/ entrepreneur who moved to United States to find a job also experienced and learned how human rights aren’t always fair.  According to the statistics of Data Center, she falls in the 54% range of a friend referring her to find domestic employment ( DATA CENTER 33).She was lucky to find a job in Mississippi as a cleaner on the night shift on a floating casino. One key goal throughout Diane’s journey was to rebuild the Gulf Coast with other workers after Hurricane Katrina hit. This required her to work extra hours, and be put in poor work conditions. “ I had never held that kind of job before. It was very hard work and the conditions weren’t fair” (Orner 21). Relevant to the Data Center article, it listed some key job conditions that were common among domestic workers. They were:  heavy world load, infrequent rest breaks, long work ours, poor social environment at work, unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions, etc. While working here, she only “made $6.50 an hour as part of a cleaning crew. That came out to a little over $200 per week before taxes” (21). According toe Data Center, she falls in the BELOW POVERTY LINE of Worker Hourly Wages, which is 18% of the workers.  Sadly, Diane went through a period where she was arrested because she didn’t have identification or proof of contract that she was legal to work at the Casino. “Only a small number of workers surveyed have contracts, and of those contracts, 24% said that their contracts have been violated” (D.C. 33) Diane soon found out after her arrest that her rights were violated even when she knew what she was doing. The story goes on where she asks for have a phone call for her lawyer before being arrested, but they went around the circle, and took her to prison, promising her that they would take her out once her lawyer comes. She transferred prison to prison, and sadly her lawyer didn’t come.  “ There were no rights for us in jail, or anywhere. Our rights aren’t respected. I’m resentful of that. What angers me is that there are so many people here who live on the edge of the law” (30) . At the end she ends with a reply to a guard that her reason for being imprisoned was because she was “working too much” (30). People should confirm what the human rights are and established that it’s equal for everyone, free labor shouldn’t be put out to individuals such as Diane. 

Besides the minimum wage, and being able to work fairly with respect, I already summed up of what Desiree would want to make happen with her lifestyle going on in the story. It’s nice that Data Center not only focuses on one part of Domestic Workers, but every little factor that comes with it. Also bringing human rights in can help establish an easier, safer environment for the workers. With this, more information, more experiments, and more evidence will show and hopefully touches more people out there to help understand this issue better. Hopefully one day it can be solved and things will be compromised.