37 Square Feet That Show Brazil’s Racist Past
In Brazil, rooms for maids, a vestige of the country’s history of slavery, are disappearing or being transformed as the country confronts deeply ingrained inequities.
Maid’s rooms, of course, are not unique to Brazil; they are often built into the homes of wealthy families across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. the maids were white women from rural areas, frequently 3rd generation descendants of Eastern European immigrants.
Some of them were distant relatives of my parents, who also migrated to the city from poor rural areas.
The racial makeup of maids follows the regional demographic patterns, but all are poor women. At the same time, domestic work is deemed a reliable source of income for hard working women and an opportunity for upward mobility towards lower middle class.
There are about 6 million domestic workers in Brazil nowadays, most of them don’t live-in, and many get paid by the day, which limits their eligibility to employment benefits.
Maid’s rooms, of course, are not unique to Brazil; they are often built into the homes of wealthy families across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. the maids were white women from rural areas, frequently 3rd generation descendants of Eastern European immigrants.
Some of them were distant relatives of my parents, who also migrated to the city from poor rural areas.
The racial makeup of maids follows the regional demographic patterns, but all are poor women. At the same time, domestic work is deemed a reliable source of income for hard working women and an opportunity for upward mobility towards lower middle class.
There are about 6 million domestic workers in Brazil nowadays, most of them don’t live-in, and many get paid by the day, which limits their eligibility to employment benefits.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/15/world/americas/brazil-maid-rooms-racist-past.html?smid=url-share
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