Fernando has worked in his current care home since 2017. Before coming to San Jose, he had a small business selling ice in the Philippines. He decided to migrate to the United States through a 10 year visa entry, and become a caregiver. In the Philippines, he studied care giving while also doing reflexology work.Continue reading “Fernando”
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Lala
Lala is a 48 year old Filipina residing in San Jose. She was a teacher in the Philippines before she was labor trafficked by an agency that promised her a teaching job in the US. When she arrived to the United States, she was forced to work in a low-wage daycare job in Washington DC.Continue reading “Lala”
Dana
Dana is a 45 year old Filipina immigrant and is currently living in San Jose working as an on-demand caregiver with an agency. She came to the US on vacation with a work visa in 2017 and stayed because she fell in love, got married, but was abandoned by her now ex husband. “Even thoughContinue reading “Dana”
Gloria
Gloria is 20 years old and resides in Campbell, working as a caregiver. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was working in Florida as a cook for hotels and restaurants, but lost her job once the pandemic hit. “When this pandemic came, they [her employer] abandoned me. They wanted me to go home as soonContinue reading “Gloria”
Gina
Gina is a Filipino immigrant who has been actively working as a caregiver for 13 years. She works 12 hours a day in a care home. She shares some of her experiences: “When I came here, I was so ignorant. I don’t know, I thought I got scammed because the houses are low and notContinue reading “Gina”
Durga
Durga immigrated to the United States in December 2015. Before immigrating, she used to work in a women’s cooperative and in construction. She was affected by the Nepal earthquake and applied for asylum to enter the US. “Some of our Nepali here, I only know Nepali, a few Mexican people, but they want to stayContinue reading “Durga”
Lisa
“When I came from my country, I came because of my dad. He’s elderly, he’s 83 years old. He depends on me. I send him money monthly so he can have his money to buy his medicine. Also there [her hometown in Mexico] there is no work because of the violence which is another reasonContinue reading “Lisa”
Rosa
“Share [my name] because I do not want others to go through what I am going through,” Rosa, a leader with the Fight for $15 movement, has been working in the food industry for decades. From 1996 to 2017 she worked at McDonald’s for the same owner. Recovering from her stroke that shesuffered from twoContinue reading “Rosa”
Laura
“Before the pandemic I worked 8 hours, I had enough to cover the costs for food andrent. When the pandemic hit they would give us 3 to 3.5 hours…It is a tragedy becauseI could not cover my costs for the kids and I couldn’t pay rent. Everything here is allabout money […] money moves everything.”Continue reading “Laura”