There are frontlines that are behind the scenes. And there are workers on those unseen frontlines, who day in and day out, are also fighting the battle against COVID-19. Home care workers are some of those who are doing this work in private homes, in non-hospital settings, in residential care facilities. They, too, are in need of personal protective equipment (PPE). They, too, are contracting COVID-19, and some without health insurance or sick leave afforded to them by their employers.

To highlight these set of essential workers, I collaborated with Bulosan Center‘s Executive Director and Chair of Asian American Studies, Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, and doctoral student in UCD’s Cultural Studies, Katherine Nasol on this brief report (JPG and PDF below).

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PDF: Filipino Home Care Workers: Unseen Frontliners and Essential Workers in the COVID-19 Fight

Many home care workers–caregivers to the elderly, home attendants, home health aides, domestic workers and nannies–are all on the frontlines of this pandemic. Because of the particularities of their work places–isolated in private homes without frequent connection to other workers–leaves them vulnerable to exploitation. This was before the pandemic.

In and through the pandemic, the crises on home care workers looms even larger. The Bulosan Center’s brief report on home care workers provides some analysis on the conditions of home care workers and the need for SB 1257  The Health and Safety Act for All Workers is clear.

As we continue to cheer for frontline workers at 7 PM from our stoops and front yards, let’s cheer all of the workers who are battling COVID-19 from various frontlines!