Ear to the Ground: Susan T. Layug

Ear to the Ground: Susan T. Layug

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The Philippines, has become one of the biggest labor exporters in the world. Filipinos who leave the country for economic reasons are usually women—and in the U.S., a good number of them work in the service industry. At one elder care facility in suburban Chicago Filipino women make up nearly half of the caregivers. These women often live round the clock with their elderly patients, many forsaking any kind of life of their own. Ear to the Ground‘s Susan Layug got to know one of these women. “Rita” didn’t want to use her real name for fear of getting fired. But Rita shared with Susan how she creates her own sense of place within the confinement and isolation of her work.