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Jessica Salas

Prof. Encinias

CAS 115

16 November 2023

Intro Question: Challenges and Success in the U.S. for Central American women as domestic

workers

Attention getter: Central American immigrant women are more likely to be employed as

domestic workers, which for many it can end up in desperate moments of feeling trapped and

feeling the need to find a way out.

Forecast on main points: As Central American women migrate to the U.S, a big amount have no

other easy access to a job which leads to becoming a domestic worker. Throughout this, more

than half of the domestic workers face unfair experiences leading them into the urge of finding

reliable resources and a community.

Thesis statement: Although Central American women face difficult experiences while being a

domestic worker, a big number were able to find reliable resources to deal with the challenges.

Claim 1: Challenges faced during their period of time of being a domestic worker. While many

Central American women give their service, many begin experiencing unfair treatment in
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several ways. We are presented reasons for why being a domestic worker holds a poor

reputation in terms of their unfair offers and conditions.

Source 1: In article “Labor Market Incorporation of Central American Immigrants in Washington

D.C.” page 126, it mentions that due to gender bias, many migrating women maintain

low paid service jobs which leads to domestic services being reserve for the women

only, making it more difficult for them to show social mobility. Females are most found for

domestic work which narrows their occupations opportunities since finding employment

is top priority, many struggle through the low wages.

Source 2: In article “Domestica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning in the Shadows of Affluence, with

a New Preface” from pages 42-50, it gives two examples of Central American

immigrants as domestic workers and their true experience. We see how unwelcoming

and uncomfortable live-in and live-out housekeepers feel. We also compare the

differences in terms of paying but behavior and difficulties particularly fall under the

same terms. Throughout their experience, both Central American women share their

experiences and moments in which they did not like as a housekeeper.

Source 3: In the documentary “Maid in America” we view a mixed of feelings and situations

while being a domestic worker and how it leads to poor mental health. The women in this

documentary share more personal feelings, thoughts, and goals they had developed

throughout being a housekeeper. Part of this, leads to the importance of dealing with

such a job and putting little to no importance on self care because of the responsibilities

they had put on themselves when migrating. Many women face depression, loneliness,

obstacles, and much more for the need to support others back in their country.

Claim 2: Reasons why Central Americans migrate and rely more on domestic jobs.
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Source 1: According to “Domestic work and migration in the United States: a characterization of

Honduran women” it mentions that Honduran women lean more on low-quality jobs

because it is a quick occupation that will provide an income. In 2020, most of these jobs

took a turn of having no federal support of losing jobs and such.

Source 2: In the article Dometica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in

the Shadows of Affluence, with a new preference” from pages 67 and on, it

also gives further information on why many Central American immigrants

receive the first job offer. As they are in the employment process, they believe

it is an easy job but as soon as they begin working, it is completely different

which is one of the reasons why many deal with having any occupation no

matter the conditions.

Claim 3: As many Central American immigrant women spend half their life as domestic workers

some find the courage to find change. Since everyone has different experiences, the

ones with far worse experiences are the ones who tend to find help not only to better

themselves but for their kids, if there’s any present. A lot of women end up finding a

reliable organization or community which now only brings successful outcomes due to

their courage of looking for help resources.

Source 1: In the California Domestic Workers Coalition website, we come across plenty of

resources that are offered to domestic workers as a way to seek for a better environment

and assistance. In the section under “Our Stories”, Paula Sandoval gives a brief

overview of her poor experience as a domestic worker but as she becomes more

informed, she overcomes that experience.

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Source 2: Based on a documentary called “Ana’s story” is about a Central American immigrant

woman who faced the conditions of being a domestic worker, she also shares the ways

she was able to look for a way out and better herself. The woman also shares how

beneficial her community was and how different her life is now compared to when she

first migrated.

Source 3: Based on the documentary “Maid in America” we go through the story of a Central

American immigrant as a domestic worker and the difficulties she faces. As she explains

her side of experiences, she also shares how she found a comfortable community in

which she was able to be part of and feel more welcomed in compared to her job.

Organizations that gather immigrant women and take the lead of offering resources to

them is what makes community.

Conclusion

Summary of main points: As mentioned, due to the low-qualifications and the urge of being

employed, it leads Central American immigrant women to unexpectedly gain poor

experiences which would want them to seek for help resources or a community to rely

on.

Restate Thesis: Resources were taken advantage of by Central American immigrant women

who seek for help from the poor experiences as domestic workers.