Leftover Chinese Isn't Sure How to Feel About This

CNN reports the verdict regarding a family in Wisconsin accused of enslaving an illegal immigrant for over nineteen years. They paid the victim a very small amount of money while denying basic lifestyle needs like...um...basic independence.

This story is of significance to me. The family in question was a big part of the Filipino-American community up where I grew up. While I didn't get extremely close to the family's children, our parents got along just fine and they always sent my dad a really nice bottle of wine and/or a holiday ham every Christmas. They are very friendly folks and largely harmless. Most importantly to me, they almost always brought fried chicken to the bi-annual summer picnics.

Folks back in the community caught wind of this story as it happened and while the newspapers talked about federal investigations, raids, the fact that they lived in a $1.2 million dollar house, and secrecy, the Filipino community shared stories about who called the Feds, if anybody else knew they were keeping a maid (my folks didn't know), and jokingly: who's next on the witch hunt...

That's where I'm somewhat conflicted about this story. On one hand, the family was practicing typical wealthy Filipino culture. It's not uncommon to walk into any large homestead in the Philippines and find a family with the help of one or a few house girls. These people come from impoverished families and the money earned goes a long way towards making their families enough money to afford things like...food and a nice place to live. The host families are generally kind and treat the maids like another member of the family. They provide housing, food, family secrets, and it's usually a sad moment when they part ways. We call them ya-ya's.

That was the basis of their defense. They gave someone a chance to live in the states while helping her family back home take a step up the ladder.

Susan French, a prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights division in Washington, D.C., told jurors that the 'family's' stance that they wanted to help, not exploit, an impoverished Filipino woman was "bogus" and "preposterous."

Despite what the prosecution contends, the family really did mean well. On the plane ride to the states, they didn't say to each other: "Let's buy a big house, hire a ya-ya from the Philippines and exploit the hell out of her and not let her out of the house ever and pay her nothing." They really did want their children to grow up in somewhat the same atmoshpere as they had been raised. Being in a foreign country, they wanted their children to experience life 'back home'. They were just confused about where/when to adhere to American culture.

I do think they probably should have allowed some independence. They should have swallowed their pride a bit and acknowledged to the public that they did have a maid. They should have at least given the maid her own money (in addition to the money they paid her family back in the Philippines) and a chance to live in the States (and attain citizenship) on her own once the children grew up (10 years ago).

I think they just got too comfortable practicing their culture without learning that things are done differently on this side of the ocean.

Is it worth a possible 45 years in jail, deportation, and essentially the break up of a tight-knit family?

I don't think it should be that severe...but I'm brainwashed by my people's culture.

They did wrong but sort of meant right. That's why I'm not sure how I feel about the conviction.

Track the story here as told by the media:

-10/19/04
-3/10/05
-3/16/05
-5/15/06
-5/17/06
-5/18/06
-5/19/06
-5/20/06
-5/25/06
-5/26/06

. . [~] . 0 (Grumble) Grumbles .