Yes I have a house cleaner. As a single 60 year old with a decent job, it is a luxury that I can afford. It also feels good to provide someone with a steady stream of income who desperately needs it. I also benefit by having a very reliable, trustworthy and hardworking person provide for a clean house for myself.
We have never conversed together at length because her English is very poor. I trust her enough to have had her stay at my house when I was away in NY for a week (I live in southern California), to care for my dogs. Last October when I had a heart attack I contacted her to look in on my house and dogs while I was still in the hospital.
I say that we have never spoken at length and certainly we never discussed politics. Well today she opened up about her fear of Donald Trump. She told me that she was undocumented, however, her 7 year old son, who was born here, has US citizenship but does not have Mexico citizenship. She told me of her journey from Mexico with a group of 36 people who crossed the desert and waded through rivers to get to the US from Mexico. She is of course frightened for herself and her son, who is attending school here.
I assured her that there are many people, myself included that are angry as a result of Nov 8th (a date that will live in infamy!) who are angry and will fight back. She said that one day she might not show up for house cleaning if she has to flee the country should the police come for her. She also indicated that the situation with her son is touchy (as far as i could understand her) because of his citizenship and school papers that she has not signed yet.
I told her that if there is anything that I can do to help to please let me know.
I am as frustrated and repulsed by the result of the election as all of us here are. Whatever I feel, it pales in comparison to the fear that my house cleaner is going through.
What can i do to help her?
Thank you.