Very nice story
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Photographs are such powerful storytellers. Your photos communicate a depth of understanding and awareness that words alone lack. Thank you for opening your heart and sharing your experiences with others.
Photographs are such powerful storytellers. Your photos communicate a depth of understanding and awareness that words alone lack. Thank you for opening your heart and sharing your experiences with others.
at least this story doesn't seem to contain obvious deliberate cruelty as I've read many stories about in Hong Kong, Singapore or the Middle East - poor women brought as effective slaves - their passports taken away - then treated cruelly by wives jealous of their youth or beauty or just because they can.
OTOH - it seems this grandma takes great pleasure in being able to afford to buy treats for her grand-kids on her occasional trips back to see them.
Better than hunger and starvation from more desperate poverty if she had remained in her homeland perhaps ?
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Wonderful photos. Thank you, Xyza, and best wishes on your future endeavors.
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This story is a much-needed reminder of our shared humanity, of the daily heart-breaking struggles of the masses, and the undeniable fact that wealth and fortune accrues to so few . . .
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Reasons for the communist revolutions of the early and mid 20th century: poverty and peonage contrasted with extreme wealth. Where we are headed, if not corrected, in the U.S. Ironic that China, Russia are reenacting the same drama, complete with absolute oppression.
Simply wow.
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Every time I read such difficulties stories of migrant workers whether they be Filipino, Mexican, etc I always think - so what are their countries doing to alleviate the need for so many to leave for work? It isn't as if the entire country is destitute - it is more of an issue of a corrupt system with a small group of very wealthy people that continue to benefit at the expense of the rest of the population. And what is the US doing to improve things? Giving aid that never gets to the people is a waste. I feel sad for the migrants who have to leave their lives and families. But my question is not answered - what are these countries doing for their people?
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Thank you for bringing visibility to both this family and their talents, as well as the larger issue of domestic labor.
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Beautiful! A second chance.
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Thank you for sharing a touching story of survival is in today’s world.
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it's a story that will resonate with a lot of immigrant workers - whatever their home country, and whatever country they go to in order to work.
It's never easy work, whatever they do. And the emotional toll on their lives (family, yes, but friendships, too) is sometimes overwhelming.
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I feel like I learn so much by seeing these stories and photographs. Thank you Lens !
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Filipino stories are often about sadness, in books, in films, and in photographs.
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@Alex Bernardo
As a white American I work as a nurse in a hospital with other employees from all over the world. I have a deep respect for them and a kind of awe to imagine what they and their families have gone through to make a better life. It is heartening to see it so well documented now so people in general can come to appreciate the situation of foreign born workers.
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How can a foreign understanding of the Filipino identity expand if our stories are only limited to our oppression? The media has responsibility: if the poor maid can only be understood as the poor maid, how can audiences think of them beyond that...as an equal capable of the same complexity that everyone else shares? Unfortunately this is the lens of conservative and liberal media. Our other-ness will continue to be imprisoned if the hegemony continues to propagate sensational narratives that induce sympathy rather than empathy.