Food can be a problem

Food is a major stumbling block for uninformed employers who are accused of hoarding it, wasting it, or simply not providing any. Food issues amplify the exclusion employees feel when employers forget, buy the wrong kind, or put certain foods off limits (Hondagneu-Sotelo 2001: 35). Guadalupe labors 48-50 hours a week without a car and proper food to eat. She explains, “A lot of parents only think of food for the kids, not for the nanny. Sometimes they have all non-fat because they think that’s good for themselves, but it’s not good for the kids.” Juanita describes this subtle affront. "Sometimes in the house there are not good foods for us to eat and it's not fair. We are with the kids and [the employer] hasn't bought anything for us to eat. We don't eat the same foods as kids."

Nannies have dietary needs more similar to employer mothers than to children and fail to conceive of their home as a workplace. This is a blind spot that Alicia urges fellow Latina immigrant employees to address. Alicia implored Cristina and Juanita, "They (nannies) need to work. But are you happy with how your employer treats you? Do you have food in the house that you like to eat? Tell her how you feel at your work!"

Employers who fail to stock their homes with appropriate food could simply direct the nanny to go shopping or reimburse her. However, consistent with previous studies, about half (n = 6) employers keep shopping for themselves.