The expatriate underclass - Keep Your Life, Family and Career Intact While Living Abroad - page 98

T HE FORGOTTEN CLASS
W HEN REFERRING TO expatriates, the common understanding is that of business people,
journalists, professional teachers and diplomats, all relatively well off, enjoying comfortable
lifestyles, frequent travel, and having every need paid for. On a lower economic level, we
think of language tutors, exchange students, artists, researchers, self-imposed exiles, and
transients working their way around the world. But in many, if not most, countries, all the
above combined account for less than half of the foreign population.
We usually don't refer to foreign guest workers and migrant laborers as expatriates. But
that is indeed what they are, sharing many of the same goals, advantages and difficulties as
those in more privileged positions.
From Germany to Kuwait to Taiwan, foreign workers build our buildings and clean our
houses. Most leave home for economic reasons; not much different than a banking execut-
ive going abroad to further his career. Some take their families; most don't. They, too, are
subject to most of the problems referred to in this topic: from culture shock to isolation to
problems of separation.
One group of the expatriate underclass, though, has its own special problems to com-
pound all the others. From the Far East to the Middle East, one finds women from Third
World Asian countries—especially the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka—who left home and family behind to work as house servants. Some are from poor
families, but many are educated, professional women who find they can earn more cleaning
house in a foreign country than they can as a teacher, nurse or architect back home. They go
abroad to save up money for their families' sakes for years at a time and often only return
when immigration regulations require them to.
These lower-class “astronauts” inhabit the luxurious homes of the wealthy and middle
class in the host countries, and, of course, of nearly every professional-level expatriate. Yet
their pay is meager, most of it sent home. and their status in society is very low. Most work
in isolation six or seven days a week—serving a family, but not being a part of it—and are
restricted from going out except on errands or during their legally mandated time off (and
often not even then).
This is not to paint an entirely gloomy picture of a foreign maid's life. Like everyone
else, she learns to adapt and make the best out of it. For most, the benefits received far out-
weigh the disadvantages. But sometimes a woman in such a position can lose sight of what
or whom she is working for—is it her employer, her family, or herself?
S TRANGERS IN TWO LANDS