A California household is dealing with main backlash after the daughter revealed in a TikTok video that her nanny returned residence to the Philippines after working for her household for 30 years.
What was meant to be a touching video of a reunion backfired, main to a debate on migrant labor, exploitation, and the financial inequalities that drive people to make tough sacrifies for his or her households.
The TikTok video reveals the second Lexie Jay’s nanny reunited along with her household within the Philippines.
A well-liked influencer, Lexie Jay, begins her TikTok by explaining the impression her nanny— Elena— has had on her life. “She received me prepared for my first day of preschool, moved me into my faculty dorm, and all the things in between,” she says. One video clip exhibits Elena hugging Lexie’s dad, telling him “You’re a part of my household.”
Picture: TikTok
She goes on to elucidate how Elena sacrificed being along with her personal kids to work in America and supply for her household within the Philippines. Lexie says, “It had been over 30 years since nanny had final been to the Philippines. She sacrificed elevating her son and daughter to get a job in America and despatched each greenback she might again residence to her household.”
She additional explains, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that she’s been by way of hell, but someway she’s the smiliest, happiest, particular person I’ve ever met.”
Later within the video, the 2 make their manner by way of the LAX airport and Lexie accompanies Elena on her flight to the Philippines. Whereas on the aircraft, Elena thanks America for all the things it had dropped at her, whereas Lexie curses it for “not letting her keep ceaselessly.”
“Will nanny’s household take excellent care of her? Will they resent me? Will she slot in? Will she be homesick for America?” mentions Lexie in a voiceover paired with clips of them on the airplane. The 2 “maintain palms for almost all of the flight,” and at last— after 30 years— Elena is reunited along with her household.
Some who noticed the video had been upset that an ‘absolute tragedy’ was portrayed as a ‘cute story.’
Lexie confronted plenty of backlash on her now-deleted video from individuals who felt unhealthy that Elena wasn’t in a position to go residence and see her household for over three many years. They questioned why she couldn’t obtain a safer immigration standing throughout that point. One claims “That is indentured servitude. And she or he’s promoting this as a cute story when it’s an absolute tragedy.”
One other stitched Lexie’s TikTok with the caption, “You telling me there was NO WAY she wasn’t in a position to grow to be a citizen contemplating she needed to miss out on the lives of her kids to care for your loved ones.”
“So let me get this proper,” he says. “You had a stay-at-home nanny that labored for your loved ones for 3 many years, but you say America didn’t enable her to remain longer. So that you’re telling me inside 30 years, nobody helped her get a piece visa so she might get a inexperienced card? …This doesn’t sound correct.”
An extra TikTok consumer voiced their opinion on the video, saying, “It’s very unhappy to see that your dad and mom didn’t even present a method for her to even get citizenship and even to go residence extra typically.” She goes on, “It truly is like simply an exploitation of energy.”
“This isn’t a contented story. That is truly fairly a tragic story. Your loved ones exploited this lady for 30 years. She had youngsters of her personal. Her youngsters are most likely resenting her. Like they’re grateful for the cash going residence, however I’ve spoken to youngsters like this. They miss their dad and mom. They pray that their dad and mom can come residence. She didn’t need to elevate you.”
Lexie claims it was her nanny’s determination to remain in America for 30 years.
Based on Lexie, “It was her determination to remain right here so long as she did,” and Elena didn’t go to residence as a result of “her immigration legal professionals suggested her to not, and suggested her youngsters to not go to.”
There are a lot of issues with this case, however the root subject is that imperialism has pressured folks in impoverished nations to haven’t any different alternative however to take a chance like this when it comes alongside. “Individuals typically make this sacrifice for his or her youngsters—sure it sucks however dwelling in poverty within the Philippines is worse,” writes a consumer on Twitter.
Sure, the household is fallacious for exploiting a system that forces migrants to work in servitude. However to make a change, we must always focus our consideration much less on tearing down a lady who has had her nanny since childhood, and extra on dismantling what compels people emigrate and work below exploitative circumstances.
Oxfam Worldwide works to dismantle unequal techniques that perpetuate poverty and injustice and reject the intense focus of wealth and energy that drives inequality. They “battle efforts by elites to divide us primarily based on race, gender, nationality, and sophistication in order that nobody goes to mattress hungry and everybody has an equal probability to succeed.” Donations that help an equal future are accepted on their web site.
Maddie Haley is a author for YourTango’s information and leisure crew. She covers popular culture, superstar information, and leisure.
