Caring for the 'Holy Land' : Filipina domestic workers in Israel

In Israel, as in numerous countries of the global North, Filipina migrant women have been recruited in large numbers for domestic work, typically as live-in caregivers for the elderly. Nevertheless, the case of Israel is unique in many ways: the country has a special significance as the "Holy Land" for the predominantly devout Christian Filipina women, but it also is at the center of the Middle East conflict, which affects Filipinos no less than other residents. In the literature, migrant domestic workers are often described as being subject to racial discrimination, labor exploitation, and exclusion from mainstream society. Here, the author provides a more nuanced account and shows how Filipina caregivers in Israel have succeeded in creating their own collective spaces. While maintaining transnational ties and engaging in border-crossing journeys, these women seek to fulfill their dreams of a better life in spite of the adversities they face: ever-changing visa restrictions, border controls, and the relentless policing of who does and does not belong to the nation state.