Building Communities of Care

One of the best things we can do to keep ourselves and each other safe--during the COVID-19 pandemic and always--is to build communities of care. This means a couple of different things.

Connect with other domestic workers, with neighbors and friends

Many of us come into contact with other domestic workers–whether that is with other nannies at the park, with other housecleaners at the bus stop, or with other home care workers at shift changes. These can all be opportunities to check in with each other and form plans for mutual support. Mutual support could look like contacting each other if we need to find someone to cover shifts, sharing information with each other, or assisting each other with our day to day needs in case one of us gets sick, like school pickups or grocery shopping. You can also join NDWA’s Facebook communities to connect online with other domestic workers in your area.

Prevent and stop racist responses to COVID-19

As is often the case at times of crisis and uncertainty, scapegoating is on the rise. COVID-19 has become a global pandemic that impacts people around the world in all racial and ethnic groups. However, since the virus first started to spread in China, people in Asian communities all around the world have faced racist backlash. In addition, we are seeing people use the COVID-19 pandemic to promote anti-immigrant hate. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance has created some tips on how to stop racist scapegoating while also stopping the spread of COVID-19. The full set of recommendations and fliers can be downloaded from their website, and here are a few things we pulled from those resources that we can all do:

Help stop the fear by letting people know that being of Asian descent does not increase the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19. Share accurate information about how the virus spreads. The CDC states that diseases can make anyone sick regardless of their race or ethnicity. People of Asian descent, including Chinese Americans, are not more likely to get COVID-19 than any other person.
When someone makes a “joke” or flippant comment about COVID-19, you can intervene by using one of the following responses: “I don’t get it. Can you explain why that is funny?” or “That’s not funny and that is not actually how the virus works.”
Stand in solidarity with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers – including domestic workers – by standing up to discrimination or other forms of abuse.
Stay vigilant and speak out against any new anti-immigrant policies that are proposed under the guise of public safety.