In many cases these nannies, cooks and housekeepers have been employed The sad truth is that economic conditions and unemployment are so bad The most injust aspect of the whole affair seems to be that even when How does this relate to the Dowbrigade? In our current hideout in beautiful When we offered to pay a bit more ($7), we were admonished by Norma What would Miss Manners have to say about this one?<\/p>\n from the Washington Post<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An interesting, in-depth article appeared in the Washington Post this week about the prevalent practice of third world diplomats in the United States bringing domestic servants to Washington and New York on work visas and keeping them in virtual slavery … Continue reading ![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/whslav.jpg\")
An interesting,
\n in-depth article appeared in the Washington
\n Post <\/a>this week about the
\n prevalent practice of third world diplomats in the United States bringing
\n domestic servants to Washington and New York on work visas and keeping
\n them in virtual slavery under the same payment arrangements and terms
\n they are accustomed to paying in their home countries.<\/p>\n
\n for the same families for years, but of course the miniscule wages and
\n horrendous working conditions they are used to at home are clearly illegal
\n in the US. In addition, in the worst cases the foreign workers
\n are subject to physical, emotional and sexual abuse, their passports
\n are confiscated and they are threatened with imprisionment or retaliation
\n against family members still in their countries if they go to the authorities.<\/p>\n
\n in many of these countries (including Ecuador) that poor workers are
\n willing to work for almost nothing at home. When they are brought to
\n the US, they sign ficticious contracts for the benefit of US authorities
\n and visa requirements, but are still actually paid almost nothing and
\n kept under virtual house arrest.<\/p>\n
\n these workers escape or are rescued, legal steps against the perpatrators
\n is often impossible, as they are protected by diplomatic immunity.<\/p>\n
\n beachside resort of Manta, Ecuador, we employ an indigenous woman to
\n come to our apartment once a week and wash our clothes and clean the
\n apartment. We
\n found her through our host family, a middle class college professor who
\n also employs the same woman once a week for the standard local wage for
\n domestic employees – $6 a day, for about 6 hours of work, plus lunch.<\/p>\n
\n Yvonne and our host that this was a very bad idea, as it would set a
\n dangerous precedent and cause problems between them and their domestic
\n employees. We are therefor reduced to slipping the very nice woman the
\n extra dollar as a tip after every day she works. Of course, she
\n gets the extra benefit of chowing down on the Dowbrigade epicurean delights,
\n like our Beef Stroganoff, which is unknown in these parts and surely
\n worth a bit extra.However, we can’t help but feel a bit guilty to adapt
\n so easily to the local economic facts of life.<\/p>\n