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| Photograph reproduced by kind permission of Xyza Cruz Bacani |
In the image above, the boy on the right has his faced pressed against the glass.
While we see his face clearly, the face of the photographer is hidden by the
camera. Who is
she?
Xyza
Cruz Bacani is a Filipina domestic worker in Hong Kong whose passion for
photography inspired her to buy a digital single reflex (DSLR) camera and
photograph everyday life in the city. Since posting her black and white images online on Facebook, Bacani has gained
international recognition. She currently has more than 7,000 likes on her page.
Furthermore,
she has recently secured
a 2015 fellowship on the Magnum Foundation’s prestigious Human Rights programme,
under which she will receive a scholarship that will strengthen her skills in visually
documenting human rights. Bacani’s success exemplifies the ways in which
migrant domestic workers utilize technology in order to pursue aspirations and
connect with the outside world. While the majority of foreign domestic workers
(FDWs) in Southeast Asia do not achieve such visibility, many are just as
active in using various types of Information and Communications Technologies
(ICTs), such as cellphones.
From
the results of the recently completed Migrating out of Poverty study on the ICT use of
domestic workers in Singapore, it is apparent that use of such technologies
form an integral aspect of the workers’ everyday lives. Handheld computing
devices, particularly smartphones, are used by FDWs to establish a presence of
both ‘here’ and ‘there’ through phone calls and short message services (SMS) to
family members back home. The research found that eighty per cent of respondents
in the study relied on SMS and regular phone calls to make contact with their
family and friends in Indonesia.
Despite
having to care for another woman’s children, FDWs also act as transnational
mothers, keeping up with their own children’s wellbeing and education via ICTs.
Furthermore, having a sustained line of communication is vital for preserving
their mental health in environments that can be exploitive and isolating. As
Rosita notes, “if I miss them I can SMS [or] Facebook. I feel happy and in high
spirits.”
Additionally,
the study shows that through ICTs Indonesian migrant women are able to access
information on the global web. For example, Hera, a domestic worker living in
Singapore, says: “[I] know more about life here… [About] Indonesian maids or
the problems they have. They always upload stuff on Facebook.”
The
use of ICTs is one lens through which we can see how power relations are shaped
and renegotiated between the employer and domestic worker. As the study found,
while ICTs help facilitate vital modes of communication for domestic workers,
such devices are not readily accessible to all. Directly related to access are
issues of trust, usage restrictions, and surveillance. Many domestic workers
only receive a handheld device from their employer after a few years of service.
Even then, FDWs are very aware of when and where they use their phones.
Yani,
a 42 year-old divorcee, explains: “I know the limitation[s], I know when is the
working hours and when is the time to rest. When I am eating or resting, I will
call.”
Employers
also monitor and curtail FDWs’ access to communication devices. Within the
household they hold the password to the Wi-Fi network and may not share it with
their FDW. Additionally, FDWs who do not have a phone are dependent on their
employer’s devices to contact family back home. In such instances the FDW might
limit herself to calling family on specific days and talking for a certain
length of time.
It
is clear from the research that access to and use of ICTs influence the daily
routines of FDWs in Singapore in multifaceted ways. ICTs facilitate new
transnational spaces where FDWs can maintain relationships with family back
home. Smartphones and similar devices have become vital resources that sustain
personal relationships and, in the case of Xyza Cruz Bacani, have been used as
platforms for creativity and public recognition. ICTs have provided a site for
her and other domestic workers to shape new trajectories and go beyond a
singularizing identity of FDW.
Lucia Zerner is
currently an undergraduate spending her spring semester studying abroad in
Singapore. She is particularly interested in topics related to labour migration and has
most recently conducted an independent study on returned Tamil migrant workers
to Madurai, India.
