Race, Gender, and Migration: The Role of Paid Labor for Haitian Women in Diaspora

• In Event: 156 - Section on Global and Transnational Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 09. Race, Class, Gender, and Human Rights in a Global Context

Abstract

Over the past several decades various feminist scholars have engaged in a debate over whether paid labor serves as an emancipatory or oppressive force in the lives of women, including women of color and migrant women. However, instead of asking whether work is emancipatory or oppressive, we need to investigate the complex and multi-faceted role of paid labor in the lives of migrant women. This paper examines the intersection of race, gender, and paid labor in the lived experiences of Haitian women living in the United States. Based on ethnographic research, this study shows that paid labor at times serves as a way to navigate racism in U.S. society and situates migrant women within the discourse of the nation.

Author

• Nikita Carney, University of California - Santa Barbara