1998 (28:00 mins) Island Topics #14 MIGRATION SOCIAL ISSUES
Migrant labor wears many faces. In Saipan, there are Filipina entertainers and hostesses, Bangladeshi security guards, Sri Lankan janitors, and Chinese garment workers. Palau, in recent years, has brought in thousands of Asian laborers, including Filipino construction workers who are interviewed in this video. Micronesians, too, have left home in search of opportunities abroad. This video presents, through interviews with a few Chuukese, a look at some of the difficulties they face on Guam. The problems these migrant workers face are many. Some are worked for long days and confined to their quarters during off-hours. Some feel like unwelcome guests in their new island home. All experience homesickness, culture shock, and longing for their families. Migrant labor is a story of high hopes, some financial rewards, and very real tensions. This video attempts to put a face on migrant labor as it recounts the stories of real persons who have traveled far to find jobs overseas.