The Non-ordinary Residents

Migrant domestic workers, most of whom are women, have long been

subjected to overwork, underpayment and modern slavery. During the

COVID-19 pandemic, when governments all over the world urged the public

to stay at home, it means something different to those domestic workers

who are required to live with their employers, as their so-called ＂homes＂ in

a foreign society are actually their workplace. This book invites us to hear

the voices from domestic workers in Hong Kong. Apart from sharing their

stories as migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, they also shared their

work experience in Singapore, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and the UK, which

indicates that their vulnerability is across borders.

Through joining domestic workers’ Sunday gatherings, informal observation,

and conducting multiple in-depth informal interviews with more than 20

Filipino and Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong amid COVID-19,

Novia Bin traces these domestic workers’ life trajectories, documents their

experiences, struggles, opinions and wishes, aiming to present their untold

stories as well as activism. This book discusses how poverty and social

exclusion lead to migrant domestic workers’ powerless situation, and how

many of them are persistent in fighting for their human rights and labour

rights. Beyond that, it also explores other identities of the domestic workers

who could be artists, photographers, writers, union leaders, gifted language

learners and activists. Without using any theories and jargon, this book

tries to include readers from outside of academia. Anyone who cares about

universal human rights could be a potential reader of this book.