Time to Take a Stand
From a young age I vowed to take care of my aunt, as she took care of me. Since my parents both worked full-time to make ends meet, she cooked for me, bathed me, and most importantly, taught me how lucky I was to be an American. She was an immigrant and had come to the States from Nicaragua in search of better opportunities, but life in the States was far from easy .She could not speak English and did not know where to start looking for a job, or where to live. At first, she stayed at my house. During those years she took care of me and our relationship grew strong. I could see the kindness in her eyes, and how she always wanted what was best for me. When she told me she was having a hard time finding work, I wanted to help her. She could not speak English well, so I spent days searching through newspapers for jobs that fit her abilities. After many calls and emails, I found a local family that needed assistance around the house. I set up the interview for my aunt and she got her first job in America as a maid. I needed to help her master English, so she could obtain better jobs in the future. One night, while watching telenovelas, we noticed a commercial for a CD program that taught English called “Ingles Sin Barreras.” I used my savings to buy the program for her. We spent many nights practicing her English. Though she felt more confident about English, she worried about other things, like having enough money to support herself and her daughter Samantha. So, I stepped up to help my aunt manage her finances. We went to the bank and she opened her first savings account. I handled her bills and taxes. That year when I finalized her taxes, I discovered her reported income was too low for working 80 hours a week. I delved further, and found that my aunt was being severely underpaid. My aunt had no idea she was being underpaid all these years. I told her we had to do something, but she feared she would lose her job if she said anything. I promised her that I would fight for her right to minimum wage. I would not let my aunt get underpaid any longer. I understood her fear of losing her job, which she needed to support herself and her daughter. As an immigrant, she was scared she would have no other options. I promised her that I would get to the bottom of this. I immediately researched ways to help my aunt. I found an organization named “Esperanza” in Los Angeles that helped many Latino workers who were also being underpaid. This organization also prepared immigrants with ways to prevent and fight wage inequality. I met with several of the organization’ staff, who advised me on what to do next. I told them of my aunt’ situation, and they suggested that I contact an immigration lawyer. The lawyer suggested we present the situation to the employer in writing. Finally, I was able to get my aunt the wages she deserved. I listened to the employer apologize for this mistake, and because the employer valued my aunt, she agreed to pay her above the minimum wage. When I told my aunt the news, she could not believe it. Since she was an immigrant, she was just willing to accept the situation as it was. I will always fight for my aunt, and other people who are being wronged. I developed a passion for helping other Latino workers. I worked more with “Esperanza”. After learning how they instructed Latino workers on what proper wages were and how to ask for them, I wanted to spread that knowledge to others who might need it. I knew I could first reach out to my aunt’ friends, who were also working as maids. Many of them were getting paid below the minimum wage.To alleviate their shock, I let them know about the organization I worked with and gave them the list of immigration lawyers I used to help my aunt. I wanted to further spread awareness and brochures outside of Latino supermarkets and restaurants, so more people could learn about ways to get fair wages. I wanted to empower other Latino friends and students to take action. In my spare time, I constantly checked the newspaper and online ads for maid jobs, and proceeded to investigate if the workers were being offered fair wages. I called several of the employers and also visited one, to make sure employers knew as well. I contacted various cleaning companies and inquired on what their wages were. I wanted the responsibility not only to lie within the worker but the employer as well. I wanted to make sure the workers were being treated fairly. I think this is important because many maids, specifically in Los Angeles, are helping to raise the next generation and deserve to be paid fairly. They are the ones who care, nurture , and teach these kids a different culture and language than their own. This then becomes apart of the next generation’s’ identity. When it is time to tell their own stories they will include what people like my aunt were able to teach them.