Maid in Amman

My very first weekend in Amman, I stayed with a friend of mine and her family. It was very interesting to see family dynamics within an upper middle class Jordanian family. I sincerely appreciated their hospitality. They arranged a room for me to sleep in, fed me delicious home cooked meals (btw this was the one and only time thus far that I ate meat -- only two small kebobs), and made me feel very welcomed. But to no ones fault, I felt very uncomfortable there.

It is very common for families in Amman to have maids, even live in ones or multiple maids. Growing up in the middle class neighborhood of Oak Park, IL, of course I am familiar with the occupation. But I have never experienced it to this extent. I can't imagine having another person waiting on me hand and foot. Paying someone to fulfil my every need so that I don't have to lift a finger.

I am not saying that people with maids don't work hard or that they are lazy, it really just comes down to a cultural difference, I think.

It was very strange being in an atmosphere like that, even though it was just for a weekend. I pride myself on being independent and self-sufficient, making it even harder for me to accept this kind of help. Simple things like making my own Nescafe, carrying my luggage, fixing agila...all HAD to be done by the maid. I made sure to always say "thank you" whenever she did anything for me, but the other members of the family ordered her around constantly, and simply called out her name when they needed something, without expression any type of gratitude in return.

The worst part is that the majority of the maids here are from Sri Lanka and Indonesia, making them unrecognized citizens, a.k.a. illegal immigrants in Jordan. They are treated as help not as human-beings. They have very little rights and are often mistreated by their employers.

I know that prejudice and racism, unfortunately exist in every society, but watching it take place first hand within another culture is a very strange experience. Being an outspoken, tolerant and accepting person, it is difficult to stand by and watch injustice occur. But being a non-fluent Arabic speaker, on top of being a foreigner and a guest in this country, I feel like it's not my place to step into situations like that.

Similarly, at most work places and offices there are "helpers," who are most likely Egyptian and thus treated like scum. Many Jordanians dislike Egyptians because they have caused a huge increase in the population here. But their presence is necessary. They do the jobs no one else wants to do.

I will compare the situation here to the one we are currently facing in the United States, regarding Mexicans in America. Just to be clear, most of the Hispanic immigrants are Mexican, since Mexico is our southern neighbor, but many people also come from other Latin American countries. Many residents of the US resent this population. Claiming that they immigrate illegally to our country, consume our public resources, and populate our land. But what many people fail to realize is that their lives would be drastically different without the extra labor force of Mexican immigrants. For example, the restaurant industry would cease to exist without them.