Author Archives : Tom Grundy


PHOTOGRAPHY: Hidden Dreams – Portraits of Hong Kong’s domestic helpers 1

Hidden Dreams is a creative collaboration between Hong Kong photographer E.P. Miller and social activist Silvia Bonvini for HK Helpers Campaign. Work for the project began in late 2014 and finished in early 2015. The photographs bring viewers face to face with 335 helpers, a number that correlates to the estimated 330,000 helpers currently employed in the city. The addition of words chosen by the helpers to describe themselves are human pursuits that every person can relate to.

Ultimately, Hidden Dreams seeks to build compassion for domestic helpers as human beings while underscoring their valuable contributions to households and the overall economy of Hong Kong.



No one should work this way: FCC Photo Exhibition 9

The International Labour Organization is hosting a photo exhibition entitled “No one should work this way”, to highlight the plight of domestic workers who have been abused during their time working in Hong Kong and beyond. The exhibition runs until July 31, 2015 at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Central.

domestic worker abuse

‘Beth’, now 20, from rural Philippines, abused in Manila.

“My employer would bang my head on the wall and she would throw hot water on me. She would burn my skin with cigarettes. She said this was the punishment for my sins.”


VIDEO – HK’s Domestic Workers Star in Kitsch ‘We Are Family’ Music Vid

For Good have brought together NGOs and domestic workers for a kitsch music video extravaganza – a local take on ‘We Are Family’ by Sister Sledge. Hk Helpers Campaign, Christian Action, Fair Employment Agency, Filreflex, Komadrona, St. John’s HIV Education Centre, The Grace Notes, Unsung Heroes, and dozens of individuals took part on Migrants Health Matters Day earlier this month.

I5CidYY.png (1182×665)


EVENT – This Sunday: “We Are Family” HK Domestic Worker Music Video Shoot

For Good is shooting a fun dance/lip sync music video to Sister Sledge’s classic track “We Are Family” to show their love and support for Community Health Day for Migrant Workers in Hong Kong!

Let your inner diva out, come down for 15 minutes and make your all-star appearance! All are welcome. 

Event

Simply turn up with your friends this Sunday at 3pm at St. John’s Cathedral in Central.


PRESS RELEASE: Domestic Workers’ Roundtable this Sat

PRESS RELEASE: Domestic Workers’ Roundtable – April 25, 2015 – register here.

Domestic worker NGOS, lawmaker Emily Lau and the Philippines & Indonesian consulates will come together on Saturday to discuss issues affecting the helper community.

6BeuMyy.jpg (929×314)

April 25, 2015, 2:00pm – 5:15pm, Academic Conference Room, 11/F Cheng Yu Tung Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU.


NEWS – Regina Ip Deletes Column Condemning Sexual Behaviour of Filipino Helpers

Via HongWrong.com. Translations courtesy of Ellie Ng.

Pro-Beijing politician Regina Ip has removed a controversial column from her blog and Facebook related to the sex lives of domestic workers. In the piece, also printed in Ming Pao, she decried the international media for “exaggerating” the Erwiana abuse case and made reference to the recent suicide of a teenager.

RQlqMVZ.jpg (864×437)


BLOG – Canadian Tribunal Hears From Expert on Prejudice in Hong Kong

Dr anna

Dr. Anna Guevarra is the Director, Asian American Studies, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She spoke at the Human Rights Tribunal related to the abuse of a Filipino domestic worker who joined a Hong Kong family in Canada. She is an expert in immigrant labour; global carework (specifically domestic work, with a focus on Hong Kong); gender and migration; Filipino and Philippine studies; race and ethnicity. Her report was submitted as evidence and is reproduced – in full – from court records below.

[72] Dr. Guevarra’s report says that the stereotypes or prejudices that apply to Filipino domestic workers revolve around characteristics that mark them as “docile” workers. That is, Filipino domestic workers are often marketed as obedient, hardworking, Godfearing, loyal, honest, cooperative, and compliant. At the same time, she says that they are also promoted as highly educated, skilled, and exhibiting a high tolerance for stressful conditions.

[73] Dr. Guevarra says that, in general, Hong Kong employers typically stereotype foreign domestic workers, and especially Filipino women, as carrying a particular kind of “modernized” sensibility that makes them morally suspect. Hong Kong employers are said to perceive Filipino domestic workers’ sense of independence and readiness to leave 7 their families in the Philippines not as a sign of filial piety, but instead, as a sign of financial desperation that could lead to acts of transgression. She notes that these perceived transgressions are often of sexual nature, such as seducing a male member of the household or engaging in sideline sex work for the purposes of permanent residence and financial security. Thus, the Filipino workers are often seen as a threat to the female employer of the household. As a result, Filipino domestic workers’ physical appearance or attractiveness, such as their clothing, hairstyle, and physical adornments have all become routinely subject to scrutiny and discipline.