The Word for World is Work
Authors: Rosalind Sun Peng Lee and William Bergquist
Illustrator: Dustin Markel
This book concerns the world in which three different population of women live. In all three cases, these women find that they are consumed with work–either out of a need to survive and support their families, or out of a desire to climb higher on the social-economic ladder of their society. A unique portrait is being offered of these women–both written (with Rosalind Sun and William Bergquist as authors) and visual (with Dustin Markel as Illustrator).
The Mill Girls: One of these populations is composed of the women who worked in the mills of New England during the late 19th Century and most of the 20th Century. Called “Mill Girls,” these women lived in dormitories located near the mill, labored long hours in unsafe working conditions, and remained isolated from the community in which they had lived. We document the lives of the first Mill Girls who were attracted to work in the mills (initially of Lowell, Massachusetts) from their New England farms. Later, many of these women came from Ireland (escaping the potato famine), French Canada and other European countries.
The Harvey Girls: The second population consists of the pioneering women who served customers in the newly established Harvey restaurants of the American West during the early years of the 20th Century. While often portrayed in a glamorous manner, the ‘Harvey Girls” lived a life that was filled with work. Like the Mill Girls, the Harvey Girls lived in dormitories and confronted ongoing pressures of external control and the requirements of uniformity in all aspects of their life. Much like the early Mill Girls, women from small towns and farms in the American Mid-west were attracted to the image of new life in the Western States (and particularly the National Parks) of the United States.
The last section of this book is quite different in tone and perspective. It concerns the reasons why these women are laboring under these demanding and difficult conditions. We believe that it is not enough to paint an accurate and compelling portrait of these women. It is also important to examine causes and potential remedies—especially given that these same difficult working conditions still exist in the world.
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Sample Chapter
The Life and Work of FDWs in Singapore
What is it like to be living in this world of domestic service that includes (and even demands) virtually nothing but work? We can address a similar question to those employing the FDWs. What is it like to employ someone who will be living in your home and working virtually non-stop on your behalf? In this chapter we offer the perspective and experience of one of us (Rosalind) who has brought FDWs into her home to assist her with household chores. We begin with Rosalind’s continuing recollections (begun in Chapter One) regarding her relationships with the FDW she employed in her Singapore home. In Chapter Seven, we provide the narrative of several women who were deployed by Rosalind’s agency—a unique offering of this book.
The FDW Experience
I [Rosalind Sun] reflect back on my own experiences of relating to women working in my household. After our first experiences in hiring women to work with us, we decided to hire a woman from Jogjakarta, Indonesia. We will call her Nadya. From then on, we always employed Indonesian women. They were good workers: very polite, gentle, honest and hardworking. Of course, their culture was quite different from ours; they were comfortable sitting on the floor to eat. They did not use fork and spoon, but instead eat rice with their hands. Nadya, the woman whom we hired from Jogjakarta would kneel when she was serving us. She had to back off a short distance before she would stand to walk away.
When I was sitting on the floor, Nadya made sure that her head was below my own. She reminded me so much of the way the King of Siam was treated in the musical, The King and I. All of us in our family were uncomfortable with the submissive way in which Nadya interacted with us. We kept telling her that she need not kneel nor remain lower than us—but she persisted. So, we just left it alone. During the two years that Nadya was with us (under contract) she spent nothing for her own food and toiletries. They were all provided. She saved all her wages, spent very little time away from our home and focused on her job. Her Word for World was truly Work. Nadya’s goal was to go back home to finish her education. She left us after her two-year contract expired to go back to school. We were very happy for her.
Everyone Must Learn and Change
We encountered many differences in religious beliefs. My family is Christian, while most of the Indonesian women who came to Singapore are Muslims. They do not eat pork whereas we who come from a Chinese background relish pork dishes. As such, we must be mindful not to force them to eat pork. We must respect their religious belief and make sure we have other food for them. The women we have hired are accustomed to eating rice for all three meals a day, so when they first come to work for us, we have to educate them that we eat bread for breakfast, and rice (or noodles) for lunch and rice for dinner. Of course, we do not stop our FDW if she would prefer rice for all three meals.
This is just one example of the ways in which we had to adjust our own life patterns when first bringing a FDW into our home. We had to learn to give and take if we were to live with the lifestyles and preferences of the women who worked for us—and if we were to accept them into our family. The learning and adjustment had to move both ways. The women we hired also had to adjust to our quite different way of life. They had to learn how to use the kitchen equipment, washing machine, and all our electrical appliances. Practices related to sanitation also had to be learned. Typically, their own homes, located in rural areas of Indonesia or the Philippines, had no modern kitchen equipment nor were their homes equipped with modern sanitation devices. As such, when they first arrived without experiences abroad, we had to teach them how to use all the modern sanitation and kitchen equipment, as well as help them adjust to the new environment and lifestyle. Some of the women were quite understandably homesick for the first six months. We had to support them emotionally.
One of the challenges my family and I faced was the language barrier. We had to teach Nadja how to communicate with us. We deployed many hand gestures and some sign language. Slowly she was able to understand what we wanted her to do. There was laughter aplenty as Nadja attempted to make sense of what we were communicating. She was only 17 years old when she first joined us—yet Nadja’s ambitions were apparent from the very start. Her primary motivation to earn enough money to go back to school was a bit different from those of other FDWs. Her desire to continue her education is much more commonly found among some of the American women we have studied who have been Pulled to their job, rather than being Pushed.
Nadya was an intelligent woman, and she was a fast learner. By the time she completed her two-year contract, Nadja was able to speak English, and had saved enough money to return to Indonesia so that she might continue her education. She had a close relationship with members of her family–receiving presents from each of my family members for her birthday and Christmas. In honor of Chinese New Year, Nadja received the traditional red packet with money in it. This young woman was a favorite of ours. She had a happy disposition and exuded confidence regarding her future.
My family has a long history of hiring domestic workers from other Asian countries. The second woman we hired (whom we will call Adlinda) was from another Indonesian province, Cilacap (Jawa Tengah), which is located in the central part of Indonesia. Like Nadja, Adlinda was employed by us for two years. However, she did not leave to get an education. Instead like many FDWs in Singapore, Adlinda left to get married. Some of the women worked in our home for four years or more. A few worked with us for only a few months—until they had earned enough money to go back home so that they might get married. These short-term employees might instead return to their home so that they might rest—until they felt that they needed once again to earn some money (having spent all their savings). Unlike Nadja, our first FDW, who was seeking to acquire an education, many of the FDWs we hired have more traditional or shorter-term aspirations.
The perspectives held by those foreign workers we hire concern not just their short-term (money) or long-term (education) aspirations, but also the deeply embedded social norms of their home country. Sometimes there is a poor alignment between the perspective of newly hired FDWs and their employers. For instance, my brother and his family hired a woman from Myanmar, who spoke fluent English and Mandarin. Unfortunately, the cultures of Myanmar and Singapore don’t align. As a result, most residents of Singapore consider Myanmar women to be abrupt and rude. These women don’t appear to be polite (based on Singapore behavioral norms) and are often labeled “rough”. They are portrayed as cold and fighting warriors. When compared to women from Indonesia or the Philippines, they are often considered unpleasant. We find this same kind of cultural mismatch in many stories and documentaries emanating from novels and documentaries of the American South (such as The Help) and France (such as Black Girl). These women were also often considered rude and combative by their employers. We suspect that many of the Harvey Girls were similarly viewed as cold and fighting warriors (or at least norm breakers) by citizens of their local Western community.
Immediately after the Myanmar woman was transferred, my brother hired another woman, this time from Indonesia. I found Ani (not her real name) for them. I interviewed her a few times and found her suitable. Now the family is happy; this woman is an excellent cook and gets along well with everyone in the family. Ani has a happy disposition and works well with the Filipina woman who was also employed by my brother. At last, there is peace and laughter in my brother’s home. It seems that compatibility between employer and employee is critical in Singapore households. As we noted earlier, a social exchange operates between the employer and employee in these households. It is not just enough for a FDW to do her job and get paid for this work (market exchange). There is a level of intimacy that requires a “happy disposition” on the part of the FDW—and probably members of the household as well. Laughter and peace might be an important outcome of the FDW’s presence in a Singapore household. Clean bathrooms might be necessary but not sufficient.
Friendship and Aspirations
After living on my own for twenty years, I hired a woman from Cilacap (Central Indonesia) to begin living in my own home. Sor (not her real name) has been working in my house for more than 13 years. She came when she was only 19 years old. When Sor first came to work for me, she had no overseas experience; she was not able to cook and appeared frightened and timid when first arriving at my home. However, I soon discovered that Sor held a positive attitude regarding her work and exhibited plenty of initiative (as evident later in her life when she purchased her own home). This was Sor’s first job away from her family, and her first time in Singapore. I immediately posed a challenge: if she was not able to iron well, then I needed to send her back immediately (for a woman living with me at the time was very picky about the clothes she wore to work each day). Wow, that was a tall order, so for the first seven days I had to teach Sor how to iron. I found that she learned fast.
Of course, Sor passed the test, so then I had to teach her to cook. One day we were late coming home from work; I called her and suggested that she cook whatever she knew. She dished up a tasty soto ayam (chicken noodle soup Indonesian food). It was so good! We were very hungry, but she only had one small bowl for each of us and no extra; she surrendered her own bowl for us, but we objected. We let her know that it was okay to cook extra food, and not just small bowls for each of us. Sor has become such a good cook that we prefer to eat at home rather than eat out. She can cook Indonesian, Chinese and some Western food. Sor prepares a different dish every day. We thoroughly enjoy this diversity.
Sor is a quiet and considerate employee. She has never carried tales nor gossiped to other people and keeps all secrets that happen in the house to herself. Sor understands us very well and never causes any disharmony in the house. In her own thoughtful way, Sor is very protective and cares for us. If we are not well, she will take care of us like her own family. Sor knows we love her, and she always shows us her love and care. She is part of the family, and we protect her interest. I hope to keep her as long as possible. A powerful social exchange is fully operating in my household.
Like Nadya, Sor is quite ambitious. However, her vision of the future has not just focused on education. Sor has always wanted to be a landowner—and more recently has wanted to own her own business. She saved up her money and soon bought land, and set plans in motion to build a large, beautiful house with modern sanitation and kitchen equipment. Sor also bought land for farming. She asked her sister to help take care of her land and farm while she was still working for us in Singapore.
Eight years ago, when I was in Cilacap doing some training, I went to see her family. At that time, Sor didn’t yet have her own home, but lived with her eldest sister when she went back to Indonesia for short visits. Sor was in Singapore at the time when I was in Cliacap, but she called her sister to let her know that I wished to visit her family. It took me four hours by car from Cilacap to where her family stayed. Her family members were all at her sister’s house to welcome me. I met Sor’s mother, sister, and aunties; they showed me great hospitality. Unfortunately, I did not have much time, and only stayed for an hour before I had to leave. Her family has imparted Sor with strong values. They continued to remind Sor that she must retain her traditions and culture while working in Singapore. Sor is very honest. There is no greed in her nor does she demand any material things from us. Even when we ask her if she needs certain things when we are out shopping, she will say “no”. Effective social exchange often is accompanied by a deeply felt commitment to traditional values and interpersonal respect.
Sor’s ambitions and friendship have been extraordinary. She only had a primary school education when first arriving to work for us. Sor finished her six years of study and then completed her secondary school education through part-time study every Sunday. Sor’s educational ambitions extended even further. She completed several certification programs in cooking and can now handle computers, the Internet, and Microsoft office. We have encouraged Sor to continue her learning. This remarkable woman subsequently attended a marketing course where she learned about entrepreneurship. With all this rich and diverse education, Sor could realize her newly emerging aspirations to open a restaurant when she returns to Indonesia. She could offer a Singapore cuisine or provide many other Asian dishes. Sor could also cook some Western food—for she picked up cooking very quickly. I can vouch for the quality and diversity of food that Sor can cook. There are certain dishes I will not choose when I am eating out—for Sor is able to do a better job with these dishes than the restaurants or food outlets.
Two years ago, Sor went home for a month to marry a man whom her family thought was a good match for her. Sor went through the ceremony, respecting the cultural and religious traditions of Indonesia. She called us for permission to extend her stay in Indonesia, but later called us to let us know that she was pregnant and would not be able to come back to work for us. We gave Sor our blessings and remained closely in touch with her. Unfortunately, four months into the pregnancy, Sor called to tell us that she lost her baby as it was an atopic pregnancy. She wanted to come back to work because in her culture, if she wanted to build her house, she had to do it immediately. If she was still pregnant then she could wait for a few years—but not now (having lost the baby). Given these circumstances, Sor indicated that she preferred to come back to work for us, so that she would be able to build her house very soon, financing it with her own money. She already owned the land where her house would be built. It was now only a matter of earning enough money to pay for the construction.
When the house was halfway built, Sor’s husband got greedy. He nearly stole her land and house. He went around telling people that his wife who is working in Singapore never sends him any money. When Sor was told about her husband’s actions, she became quite cautious and anxious. Sor’s sister received a letter from the land title office regarding Sor’s house; it was changed to her husband’s name. She was shocked and told Sor about it. Sor realized that he was going after her money and was not truly in love with her. She shared this troubling tale with us. We encouraged her go back home to settle the problems and get back the title to her property. Sor engaged a lawyer to claim back her title deeds which her husband had changed. She managed to get back the title deeds of her house and land—and she divorced this man of greed.
Sor was single again and worked with us for another four years. Her house is built and beautiful with the modern sanitation and kitchen equipment of which Sor had dreamed. She told us several years ago that she was ready to go back home and take care of her house. Perhaps she would also start a small business for which she had saved money. Her ambition clearly went beyond just her new home. Sor decided to return home in June of 2017. Together with her sister she had made realistic plans. They did start their own business. Of course, we have missed her—as our dear friend. We have given her our blessings and have told her that she is welcome to visit us anytime. Market exchange was overshadowed by social exchange in this story of FDW work in Singapore. As we will see, this is not always the case.
Sending the Money Home
Through my work and social encounters, I have come to know many women (Indonesian, Filipinas, and Indian) who are working in Singapore, some with local employers and some with expatriate employers. As I reflect back on my conversations and interactions with the FDWs, I found that most of the women felt that they preferred to work for expatriate employers—because they treat the women well and pay a higher salary. Income is critical given that many of these women are working hard to support their family members. One of them. I will call her Tala (not her real name), had worked in Singapore for more than twenty years with expat employers and families. She suffered cancer in her uterus about which she did not even know until just before her death. Tala was single and had to go home for treatment. Her family members refused to help her financially after having taken all her money. She had little or no savings for herself. Sadly, her expatriate employer did not help her or provide for her initial treatment even though she had worked for them for more than six years. Her good friend, Benilda (not her real name), also from the Philippines, sent money (from her own savings) to help Tala with payment for her treatment. During the last week of her life on earth, Benilda’s employer allowed her to go back home to spend time with Tala.
I knew of another Indonesian woman many years ago, whom I will call Sukma. She had always sent all her money home to her parents. Sukma had a daughter for whom her parents provided care while she worked in Singapore. When her daughter met with an accident, and one of her toes was crushed, the parents contacted Sukma, asking for money to pay for the hospital and doctor bills. She had to get an advance on her salary so that she could cover these medical expenses. Her employer did not renew her contract and Sukma went home. After three months at home, Sukma became sick; however, her father would not give her money to see a doctor. Since she knew me, Sukma called to ask for financial assistance: could I help her by sending her two hundred Singapore dollars. Sukma promised that she would come back to work and pay me, which she did.
These are several of the many troubling stories of how families treated their FDW daughter or wife. It was as if this hard-working woman were their ATM machine that churned out money. It seems that abuse can occur in both the homes of the FDWs employers and the homes of their own families. Abuse in either setting can have psychological and medical repercussions—as seems to be the case with Sukma. Tragically, these stories of home-based abuse are not confined to the culture and social structures of Indonesia. Women in many societies are asked to be all things to members of their family (close or extended). We find this kind of story playing out in the life of the domestic workers featured in The Help, as well as in Stephanie Lands’ account as a Maid.
We wonder about the life at home when the Mill Girls or Harvey Girls journeyed back to the world from which they had escaped. Was their new-found voice and enriched life experience welcomed back home? Or were they punished for no longer being silently compliant (Belenky, et al, 1986). Was the money being sent home truly appreciated by those receiving the revenues? Were these funds instead viewed with some suspicion and even envy by parents and siblings? Benefactors are not always grateful recipients. We may find that a toxic mixture of resentment, guilt and shame is being brewed. It might be served to the Mill Girls or Harvey Girls when they return home. We might find that this brew is also being mixed and served in many of the local communities where these women are working. How do residents of their community feel about the arrival of these “foreign” or “uppity” women? Are women residing in these communities threatened in particular by the arrival of these women of work—especially if these laboring women stay around and try to fit into the local community.
Back to the abuse initiated by their own families. I knew one Indonesian woman, whom I will call Citra, who told me that when she was young her father was suffering as an alcoholic. When he was drunk, he would throw the empty bottles at her, and at times hurt her. Citra told me that she was and still is very frightened of her father. As an FDW, she sent home all her monthly salary to her father—hoping that he would provide food and care to Citra’s daughter. As a single mother working in another country, Citra needed all the help she could get. However, her father used the money to drink liquor. He did not care for Citra’s daughter, so Citra had to send her daughter to an aunt who agreed to provide the care. Citra now had to send money both to her father and her aunt. Citra worked very hard. She even labored on Sundays in exchange for money—instead of taking time off and leaving the home where she was working, Citra remained dedicated to the welfare of both her father and her daughter. For her, there was no World other than Work. What were the psychological and physical costs for her?
Once on the plane from Singapore to Surabaya, Indonesia, I met a woman who was going back on home-leave. I struck up a conversation with her (I will call her Putri), and told Putri that I was an employment agent, and would help her if she encountered problem at immigration or customs. I indicated that I would stand behind her when we arrived at immigration. Putri shared with me that when she had finished her first contract of two years, she had planned to return home for good, and that she had one daughter.
One month before Putri finished her two-year contract, she sent home all her money to her husband. When her husband received her money, he wrote her a letter. In his letter to her, he wrote: “I received your money in full and thank you for the money you sent. I sent your daughter to your parents’ house for them to take care of her. I have divorced you and have remarried to another woman”. Putri told me that she was so broken when she read that letter that she wanted to kill herself. Her money was gone, her husband was gone, and everything else was gone. The house renovation that she had paid for was gone. Psychological damage was apparent.
Fortunately, her employer was very good to her. He reinstated her work permit, gave her advice, and comforted her. He told Putri that what she had lost she could earn back. For her, it was important to think of her daughter—since Putri was the only source of comfort for her daughter. Putri took the advice of her employer and continued to work for this family. She was thankful to her employer and family members who were good to her. She told me that she was going back for holiday and would return to work for her employer—as she had renewed her contract now that she had to support her daughter. This abused woman told me that the thick-skinned ex-husband may be at the airport too. True enough he was there, and she told me later that she would not have anything to do with him and did not want to be cheated by him again. Putri would not part with any money much as her employer had advised. I asked her how her ex-husband knew she was going back, and she told me that they lived in the same village, He definitely would come to know about her return. And he later would discover her strength and resolve. Putri was not going to allow herself to be abused anymore.
Inhumanity and Obligations
I worked with a woman I will call Jari. She was deployed by me to work with one employer for two years. The employer did not renew Jari’s contract of two years—but allowed her to be transferred—as she did not want to go back for the holiday. I found another employer for Jari. She worked with this family for more than 20 years. Jari was a good employee: honest and trustworthy. She had a great working attitude. I remembered training her in Jakarta before deploying her in Singapore. This was the first two years of my work as an employment agent. I always give good advice to the women under my care. I am teaching them not to get cheated by men here in Singapore or back in their hometown.
Jari had taken my advice and remembered to be careful in her relationships with men. She always contacted me when she was working here in Singapore, before she left home for good. Jari shared with me that her parents were getting worried about her failure to be married. Her parents contracted with a matchmaker who identified a man for Jari to marry. However, the matchmaker did not disclose all the truth about this man to her parents. Jari went home for holiday every two years of her contract, and her employer gave her one-month home-leave. She went to check on the man’s background. She found that he was a divorcee and had three young children.
Jari reminded her father and mother that she had renovated their house, provided them with comfort, and helped her siblings finish their educations. She had provided them with whatever was needed. Jari had bought land for herself and had built her own house. She told her parents that if they thought this divorcee was good for them, then they could marry him themselves! She would not marry him. Jari came to visit me so that she could share this story and thank me for teaching her. Jari was becoming wise about the ways of the world. She would not get cheated by anyone. However, a few years ago, she shared that she had found a man whom she would marry. He was the right man for Jari. This man owned a carpenter business and was still single. Just before she returned home for good, Jari told me that she had saved enough, and would settle down and have children with this man. I was very happy for her and wished her well.
Recently, I was introduced to another Indonesian woman, whom I will call Nimala. She had worked for her employer for six years. This employer did not allow her to return home to visit her Indonesian family. Nimala shared that her employer had affixed CCTV (video surveillance system) all round her house and would check the CCTV to see if Nimala was does her work. Nimala was not allowed to rest. When she had finished her work within the house, she had to work in the garden to weed, cut the grass and water the plants.
Nimala was given only one day off a month. She was paid in cash for the other three days of the month which she was supposed to have off. MOM regulations are flexible. It was mandated at the time that FDW women were given every Sunday off, but the employer could negotiate with these women for one or two Sundays off, with the remainder off-days being compensated (usually with cash). It seems that Nimala didn’t really have much control over this matter. Her off day was never established and was always at the will and fancy of her employer. As we see in the stories told by many of the women we have studied, ultimate control is inevitably in the hands (and heart) of those doing the employment.
Understandably, Nimala did not want to remain in this abusive work environment. She had requested that she not continue with her employment by this family, and came to me to seek another job. She indicated that she would like to return home to visit her family first. Nimala knew that her employer would not give her the transfer letter without creating a disturbance. Nimala told her friend about a procedure that was enacted to prevent her transfer. On the third night of June, her employer had arranged for the agent to pick NImala up so that she could terminate her employment and return to her hometown. However, her employer never told her that the agent was coming, so Nimala was not able to get ready. Her employer was very angry with her and threw her belongings out of the house. Nimala had to quickly pick up her belongings, and pack to go. She had to pay for her own ticket home, and she was not paid her salary in full.
Under MOM law and regulations, the employer is obligated to pay a FDW’s airline ticket home, and the employer or agent is not allowed to keep the woman’s salary. Nimala’s employer was very inhumane. I believe that this employer knew that no woman would want to work for her. Nimala is a timid person who worked without complaining. As such, Nimala could be bullied by her employer. I was very willing to help Nimala find recourse for her salary and report the employer to MOM. Her employer is wrong to treat Nimala as she did—just because Nimala did not want to continue to work for her. Nimala had served her employer and family for six long years without being given a break to visit her family. Could we label this an abusive relationship? Is this an example of modern-day slavery?
I met another woman whom I will call Ricar. She is a single Filipino mother who was living with her parents in a Philippine province that is located near the sea. She had worked in Singapore for more than six years and was introduced to me. I deployed her to a family who had two daughters; one of the daughters is autistic and requires considerable patience to be win over. Ricar managed to gain the acceptance of this autistic daughter, and they grew very close. This daughter was able to co-operate and listen to Ricar. The relationship between Ricar and her employer family was quite strong. Furthermore, Ricar was an excellent cook. Her employers are both engaged in full-time work, so Ricar must operate independently, and she must take care of this young autistic girl to make sure she does her homework. Ricar also had to take her employer’s two daughter to and from school, and to their tutoring classes.
Six months into her employment, there was a major typhoon in Ricar’s country that hit right where her family lived. She heard news from her parents that a room of the house collapsed and killed her sister who was asleep. Her father was devastated. He fell sick and went into the hospital. Within two weeks she lost her father. The tragedy is even greater. Ricar had one brother who was handicapped. He was very close to her father. He could not accept the loss of their father; he walked into the sea and perished. Within one month, Ricar had lost her sister, father and a brother. She called me, and I could hear her crying.
I went to visit Ricar and asked her employer to let her go back home for a week or two so that she could settle matters. I also spoke to Ricar about closing off her contract. However, her employer told me they could not release her, as they could not easily replace her. So, I comforted Ricar and wondered how she was feeling. Ricar was a strong woman and told me it was alright. She knew that she would just continue to work and that it would be difficult for her to find a way to go back to her home. Furthermore, she needed to earn the money so that she could send it home. Her family could use the money to settle the bills and funeral arrangements. I felt very sorry for her.
Ricar had a young daughter to support. At that time, her daughter was about seven years old. Ricar went home after she completed her one-year contract because her mother was not well and Ricar wanted to take care of her daughter. She came back to Singapore to work again last year, but she was not deployed through me. Ricar contacted me when in Singapore, and told me that soon after she returned home, her mother passed away. Even greater burdens fell on her shoulders.
Ricar now had to support her niece who was six years old. The child had been abandoned by Ricar’s sister-in-law. As such, she had to come back to work in Singapore in order to support both her daughter and niece. I asked her who was there to take care of her daughter and niece. Ricar told me that her daughter is now 16 years old. As such, her daughter can take care of herself as well as Ricar’s niece—though Ricar checks on them every day. Ricar stated that she has to work in order to support them. However, she also shared that she now has a good employer who gives her a leave of 15 days to go home every year. Her story has a somewhat happy ending —though Ricar’s World is still clearly filled with Obligations.
Conclusions
In this chapter we have offered stories of hope, abuse, change and obligation These stories convey the nature of aspirations—both narrow and broad—that these women bring to their work in Singapore homes. A few of the women have aspired to education, a home and even a business of their own. However, many of the FDWs we have studied had less ambitious (but just as noteworthy) aspirations: they sought employment as domestic servants so that they could send most of the money they have earned back home. Like many of the early Mill Girls to whom we turned in the first section of this book, there is a remarkable commitment on the part of many FDWs to the welfare of their own families. Tragically, this commitment sometimes is not reciprocated. Stories of FDW obligations to family are sometimes coupled with stories of abuse and betrayal on the part of relatives back in their home country.
Psychological and physical costs accrue with the struggles encountered by these women. In seeking to make a living in a World that is filled with Work these women often must somehow find the strength to endure multiple sources of abuse and a pervasive lack of control. As Ursula Le Guin notes, an all-encompassing World is one in which all parts of this world are intricately interwoven. Such is the case with the women working as domestic servants in Singapore—and probably in many other countries for which there is no other Word for World than Work. All aspects of their life are embedded in this mind and heart of domestic labor. These women never really leave the work world, even when they return to their hometown. Furthermore, it is a World of Work that is not always appreciated by those who employ them in their homes nor by the broader community in which they reside. Taking all of this into account, we must once again ask a disturbing question: is this the 21st Century version of slave labor? Perhaps the actual stories told (or written) by the FDWs in Chapter Seven will help us make this determination. We will now listen to these stories.