Servants of Globalization

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This study provides a poignant examination of migrant Filipina domestic workers who leave their families to fulfill caretaking roles in the global economy, particularly in Rome and Los Angeles. Through interviews with these workers, the narrative highlights the emotional and economic costs of their migration, revealing the impact on their familial relationships and sense of belonging. Many experience a sense of exclusion from their host societies and face downward mobility, transitioning from professional roles in the Philippines to menial labor abroad. The book also explores the dynamics of solidarity and competition among migrant workers within their communities. Employing a new theoretical framework that focuses on the individual subject, the author moves beyond traditional migration models, analyzing the local, transnational, and global contexts that shape the lives of these workers. Drawing from diverse fields such as international migration studies, family sociology, women's work, and cultural studies, the work illustrates how migration and globalization reshape family structures and social identities. Ultimately, it reveals how globalization drives the migration of Filipina domestic workers and creates parallel realities in cities with varying reception contexts.