Interview with a Maid

Having a maid in Buenos Aires is quite common, even among middle class families. Many maids hail from neighboring countries to Argentina, mainly Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia. The working class in these countries often seek a better life in Argentina because they are allowed to immigrate and Argentina boasts some of the best free public healthcare in South America. Many of these neighboring countries have a struggling working class, mediocre public education system and weak economies. To say the least, it is difficult to make a good life and succeed by Western standards, if that were to be one’s goal.

For the sake of her privacy we will call our interviewee “Flor.” This interview was conducted in Spanish in Buenos Aires and has been translated to English by the LPBA staff.

Where are you originally from?

From Santani, Paraguay.

What was life like back in Santanti?

I grew up there and left when I was 17. It was a lot different than Buenos Aires. There are dirt roads, fewer cars, not nearly as many as here. I lived in the countryside on a farm. I still have a house, well, farm there. It has chickens, pigs, cows. My uncle is looking after the place.

Why not go back? It sounds pretty good to me.

I’m about to sell it, I want to buy a house here. I’ll probably get about 36,000 pesos for the farm. It’s not much, but it’s enough to start a business or buy a house here. I have a friend back there that wants to buy it, she just got married. It’s really beautiful out there. I love the countryside.

When you were living back there? Or when you visit your farm, do you live off what the farm produces?

Yes, it’s nice. Whatever you grow you eat and at times you also eat the animals. I’ve slaughtered some chickens, but I’ve never killed a pig. I adore them too much. My uncle has always taken care of that.

Tell me more about Paraguay. Is it more disorganized than Argentina?

Oh yeah! The countryside is very poor. It’s more of a question of what is disorganized and what is poor. Education-wise, yes, it is very unorganized. There are schools, but no one really goes. The hospitals: if you don’t have insurance or money, they are not going to see you. They are a disaster anyway. Food-wise, there is not an issue. In fact, Paraguay is better off than Argentina. There is plenty of food to eat for everyone, especially in the countryside. There’s a lot of farm land that you can grow on and everyone eats whatever their farms produce.

Running water is not so common in the countryside. My mother’s house does not have running water, my house does though. She lives very simply. She’s used to it and is very stubborn. For example, when she saw that I had glass windows in my house she said, “The windows can break and cut your head!” She doesn’t want to live in a house with windows and curtains. On the other hand, I love a nice house!

What’s another big difference between Paraguay and Argentina?

Well, the first thing that comes to mind, I suppose, is that my mom only speaks in Guarani. She doesn’t speak Spanish. She sometimes says words I don’t even know! It’s the native language there and she has some older slang words that I’m not sure anyone understands. In school we learned both Guarani and Spanish, but my mom only learned and speaks Guarani. She never went to school and she rarely travels. She hates traveling because she has to ask about everything. You’d be surprised, she’s only 46 and she has 12 kids! She’s had 3 husbands and I’m the second oldest. She likes to…hahaha.

When you left for Buenos Aires you were 17, what was going on?

I needed to work, a job that paid better than what they pay in Paraguay. I had just had a child and it was tough. It was awful, terrible leaving. I was 17 and the child was 11 months old, but I had to go. You see, the capital of Paraguay is Asuncion. We lived 6 hours away from Asuncion and they paid about 50 Argentine pesos each month for a full time job on average. It was impossible.

I was working at a hotel and there was a reception for a wedding. There was this couple and we began chatting casually and at the end of the night they said they were from Buenos Aires and they had been discussing something. They told me they had two kids and owned a restaurant and they needed help. They asked if I wanted to go and help look after the kids.

At the time I was working at the hotel from 9 at night until 1 in the morning. I’d go home and sleep for a few hours and then get up and work the day as a maid. I was making a little more than 50 pesos a month. When she said that I would be making 300 pesos a month in Buenos Aires, I quit on the spot and decided to go.

I told my mom, I’m going to Buenos Aires and she said, “What!!? I’m not signing anything!” I was a minor and I had to have her signature, but she refused to sign. My aunt eventually came forward and said, “Are you going to let my daughter go?” She never signed it. I had to pay 500 dollars to get through customs.

How did you get 500 dollars?

The couple gave me an advance. I worked for them for 3 months and that was it.

You only worked 3 months for them? That doesn’t sound right.

I ended up getting together with the family’s uncle. He was visiting more and more and commented to the couple, “Wow! What a beautiful Paraguayan woman!” He began to invite me out to dinners, drinks. I never really liked him, even now I’m not attracted to him. I couldn’t help it, I liked the security, he protected me, he showed me all the places here, he helped me get better jobs, everything.

So what happened next?

Well, I moved out and into his house. I got pregnant again, but this time it was better. I wasn’t scared and I wanted to have a baby. The first one I was really young and it obviously was not planned. There wasn’t anything in the countryside in Paraguay, there weren’t even condoms. It was bad, I remember at five-months pregnant I cried all the time. I was 16 and there I was pregnant, I was going to be a mother. I couldn’t believe it, it was traumatizing. I just couldn’t understand it. My mother got really angry with me and she threw me out of the house. I went to my aunt’s house and that’s why she said, “Are you going to let my daughter go?” She had taken care of me in my most vulnerable moment. She had really helped out.

How long did your mom stay mad at you?

I had to stay with my aunt since the day my mom kicked me out until I left for Buenos Aires. She didn’t say a word to me. Even now she doesn’t say much to me, she just began speaking with me a little because I have money and I am helping out.

Where is your first born child?

She’s in Paraguay with my aunt and uncle. They thankfully have a lot of money and were able to take care of her. They have a lot of land, work, cars, motorcycles, everything. They are actually not my direct aunt and uncle, my aunt is my mother’s cousin. They still don’t have the best relationship right now. Honestly the worst part about that was the father of the child and the best part was the child.

When you go to Paraguay what is it like between you and your first born daughter?

She’s so big! She calls me mama, she cares a lot about me, she calls me almost everyday on the phone. She asks me for a new cell phone. Everything is great. She’s ten-years-old, she looks like me, and she’s tall and skinny! It’s nice when I’m there, I love it. When I’m there she’s happy, she tells me that she loves me and understands.

What about Buenos Aires? How is your life here?

It wasn’t much easier here. I started a relationship with a guy much older than me and it wasn’t comfortable. I just never really liked him. We’ve been separated for over a year and eight months. We live in the same house, I’m upstairs and he’s downstairs.

On the bright side of things I’m looking to start a business here now. I’m either going to buy a house or a business with the money that I have from selling my house in Paraguay. I am thinking about either a clothing store or a kiosk. They both make pretty good money, so we’ll see. I’ll probably buy the clothes in Brazil and bring them here to sell. Jackets, sweaters, they have very good quality clothing in Brazil and I’ll start in late March or April.

Are you nervous?

Oh yeah! I’ve been nervous for a while now. Way too nervous. I have never run a business like that, but I have worked in clothing stores before. I want a business- I really want it to work. I’m selling my house so I’m ready. If it does work then I’ll stay here, but if it doesn’t I have an option to get a kiosk. I’ll sell drinks, coffee, hotdogs. I love selling this sort of stuff also. Either way I’ll be happy.