Caring for the 'Holy Land': Filipina Domestic Workers in Israel
Liebelt Claudia – 2011
In Israel, as in many other countries of the Global North, Filipina women have been recruited in large numbers as domestic workers, usually as caregivers for the elderly. The case of Israel is unique in that the country has special significance as the "Holy Land" for the predominantly devout Christian Filipina women, and is at the centre of an often violent conflict that affects Filipinas in many ways. The literature often describes migrant domestic workers as being racially discriminated against, exploited and excluded from society. The author provides a more nuanced account here, showing how Filipina care workers in Israel have managed to create their own collective spaces and negotiate rights and belonging. While maintaining transnational relationships and engaging in cross-border travel, these women seek to fulfil their dreams of a better life. During this process, new socialities and subjectivities emerge that point to an emerging form of global citizenship consisting of greater social, economic and political rights within a highly gendered and racialised global economy.