De Nosotros, Con Amor

Art by Haven Jovel Morales
women and
one in five started
working
before the legal age
of 16. A lot of these women are the sole
source of income in their homes and are
forced to work in order to maintain their
families. Many of them reside in small
pueblos and Indigenous communities far
away and have to travel far from home in
order to work, as the largest sources of
income and job opportunities are in big
cities such as Mexico City. The hardships
that domestic workers experience are
reflected in Roma in a heartbreakingly
realistic and raw depiction of the love
and pain that they experience, and
the importance of their presence in
families across the country. The foremost
nostalgia I experienced when watching
the film, was not for my country nor
for my
family, but
for what domestic
workers have meant to me
throughout the years. The dedication
to the families they work for and the
hardships that they endure, unfiltered
and displayed in their full reality. Most
importantly, their commitment to working
in order to provide for themselves and for
their families, and to persevere regardless
of what life throws at them in a racist
and classist society that does not view
them as equals. I do believe, however,
that Cuarón’s tribute to Libo has played
an important role in the recognition of
the work of domestic workers and is a
reminder of their relevance in our society.
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