Overlooking the Hidden Issues

After reading the two oral histories and the DataCenter report, I would have to say that the way the person explains the message/main idea of their story through their words strikes me the most about the importance of story to raise awareness around the social issues that are present around us but easily hidden. Most of us go through life everyday just living their lives and sticking with their daily routine. However, there are some that deal with difficult situations in their lives and it’s hard for us to see it many of the times. The reason for this is because we’re all so caught up in our own lives and what we deal with that we forget the bigger hidden issues that others experience. These immigrant workers have to result to this as a part of their life. Through the writers’ words, voice, and story for both the report and stories, they were able to indicate what they were experiencing in a way for the reader to help understand what they deal with in their daily lives. Basically, the stories are able to paint a clear image to readers so they can feel the same emotions and see what many struggle with. DataCenter was able to create a compelling argument that actually led to policy changes to support the rights of domestic workers by providing statistics, facts, and personal stories that illustrate what these immigrant workers experience and give support to what they have to say. Through reading the oral histories, I was able to connect their stories with those in the report. In the story about El Curita, it addressed a man who went on a journey with his sister and brother-in-law to work/repair damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina but ended up getting mistreated and paid a lower amount than said. El Curita responds, “We had to paint the house by hand, with brushes. After the low pay for that big ten thousand dollar job the Filipino didn’t pay us at all; he wanted the crew to work for him for free, telling us that if we complained we’d get into legal trouble because we didn’t have insurance or a permit” (Orner, 165). This brought my attention to the report and how at times, workers don’t get paid what they are usually told.  A housekeeper and nanny from the Philippines stated, “During the summers, I kept the garden. I lived with the family and worked Monday to Sunday, seven days a week. My contract said I was supposed to be paid $400/week for 40 hours of work. Instead I was paid $200 and worked more than a hundred hours a week, with no days off” (DataCenter 15). How can someone just do that? It shocks me to see that this can actually happen to someone.  El Curita struggled because he found work at the wrong place. The job he found did not pay them the said amount and he was told to do more than required. This can intertwine with how the housekeeper worked and didn’t get paid what she was told, even after working more than overtime. When seeing statistics such as 67% of workers sometimes/never receiving overtime and 41% never getting breaks, it makes me question how these people are able to get through this. Through the story of El Curita, I believe the main issues were receiving extremely low pay wages and being told misleading information. The DataCenter article was able to give me a compelling argument because of the stories and statistics they provided throughout the report. Anyone can tell their stories but these immigrant workers were able to share their experiences and emotions with readers while giving them an idea of what their lives are like. This report helps us understand this issue going on and inclines us, as readers, to give all the support we can.

- Rajiv Patel