|
||||||
MAID IN AMERICA is a one-hour documentary which explores in a very intimate way the lives of 3 Latina immigrant women who work as nannies and housekeepers in Los Angeles, CA. Through these women’s lives will explore the globalization of motherhood, the challenges they face while in pursued of the American dream and the significant role they play in American households today. As the film opens, we meet Judith, a 36 year-old housekeeper who immigrated to L.A. from a small village in Guatemala called Tecuatepec, near the Mexican-Guatemalan border. Poverty and non-existent employment opportunities, Judith states, are the main reasons that drove her to the United States. But the decision wasn’t an easy one. Two years ago, Judith left behind her four young daughters under the care of her sister Olga and elderly Mama. With her husband, Alvaro, who works as a day laborer, Judith crossed the Tijuana/Mexico border illegally. Every 2 weeks she sends 50% of her income back home. The last time Judith saw her daughters was when she left in January 2000. The youngest 17 months old. She hasn’t been back home since. Now, pregnant with her 5th child, Judith faces challenges such as continuing to perform heavy housework through pregnancy, giving birth to a child in the United States and continuing supporting a family abroad. A year later and after the birth of her baby boy, Everest (who she names after the highest mountain in the world), Judith finds herself not able to afford a babysitter with the money she’s earning and therefore, hasn’t been working for a while. Caught between a rock and hard place, she makes the decision to return home to her family in Guatemala after a 3 years absence. The family reunion between Judith and her daughters is a moving experience filled with warmth, love and a surprisingly a hint of friction, specifically from Judith youngest daughter, now 4, who doesn’t recognize Judith as her Mom. And as Judith states herself, there are some things in life that cannot be replaced, like the love between a mother and her child.
The role Latina domestic workers play today in American society is a significant one; as everyday more American women are leaving their homes and joining the work force. Women like Telma, who works as a full-time nanny, are indispensable to American families today. An immigrant from El Salvador who came to Los Angeles in the early 90’s, Telma is a single mother who left behind 3 daughters to come find work in the US. In the mid 90’s, Telma began working for the Marbury’s, an upper middle class African-American family, as a nanny for their 8-month-old baby boy, Mickey. It’s been six year since these two came together. The relationship between this Salvadorian woman and young African-American child is one filled with tenderness, love and laughter. She speaks to him in Spanish; he responds to her in English. She drops him off and picks him up from school every day and helps him with his homework in the afternoons. The nurturing Telma offers Mickey is that of a mother to a child. Mickey’s parents - Elliot and Karol - recall that as a toddler, Mickey would call Telma ‘Mommy’ and his mother by her first name, Karol. Today, more than ever, affluent American children are being raised by Latina immigrant nannies, what would be the consequence of this? We go in search of these answers by taking a peek at what happens when Mom goes to work and the nanny takes over Mom’s job.
To Evangelina, or Eva as her employers like to call her, being a housekeeper is a means to making a living until her situation changes. A 37-year-old woman who immigrated from Aguas Calientes, Mexico in 1997, Evangelina, holds a B.A. in Accounting from Mexico. She came to Los Angeles with hopes of finding work with an accounting firm. But after several unsuccessful job interviews, Eva began working as a housekeeper. Determined to make the best of her stay in the U.S., she’s spent the last 5 years improving her English, attending night school and learning new computer programs. In 1999, Eva registered with the state of California as a licensed tax-accountant. Eva’s hopes that one day she will be given the opportunity to put her newly acquired skills and previous accounting experience to use. And opportunity does come knocking on her door as this dynamic and determined woman eventually finds the job of her dreams. The Latino community is filled with stories like Eva’s. Every year we see more college-educated men and women immigrating to the US, legally and illegally, due to their countries unstable economy. And like Eva, once they arrive to this country, they face a new set of social and cultural challenges. Staying motivated and positive regardless of your job or living situation is not easy. It sure hasn’t been for Eva. But she is a perfect example of how determination, perseverance and a positive attitude can help overcome any obstacles. The challenges these women face are as diverse as their stories. Through this film, we’ll have the rare opportunity to share with the world the sacrifices, struggles and dreams Latina immigrant women – many of them mothers, sisters, daughters - experience today. MAID IN AMERICA is a story about the courage and hope of the human spirit that will give Latina nannies and housekeepers across America a face and a voice |
