Book Review: 'Disposable Domestics: Immigrant Women Workers in the Global Economy'
The massive May 1st national march and boycott for Immigrant Rights is just around the corner. Strengthen your knowledge and solidarity with this book.(Another pertinent, compelling book, "The Annexation of Mexico: From the Aztecs to the I.M.F." by John Ross was shown in review here yesterday.)
By Grace Chang
Illegal. Unamerican. Disposable. In a nation with an unprecedented history of immigration, the prevailing image of those who cross our borders in search of equal opportunity—in particular women of color of childbearing age—is that of a drain on society. Grace Chang’s vital account of immigrant women’s experiences proves just the opposite: that the women who perform our least desirable jobs—as nannies, domestic workers, janitors, nursing aides, and homecare workers—are the most crucial to our economy and society. Yet, Chang also shows, as frequently undocumented and therefore disenfranchised, they are the most vulnerable and exploited.
Chang dismantles recent arguments in favor of curbing immigration and eliminating access to education, health care, and welfare, piercing the rhetoric to reveal the racism and misogyny underneath. She unravels the twisted history of U.S. immigration policy and its role in drawing much-needed workers to the “land of opportunity” and then discarding them when the need has passed. Most importantly, she highlights the unrewarded work immigrant women perform as caregivers, cleaners, and servers and shows how these women are actively resisting the exploitation they face. Softcover, 222 p.p.
Available at: www.leftbooks.com
posted by Annamarie at
12:57 AM
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