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Undocumented Women In The Workplace

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Is everyone living in New York treated fairly at the workplace? If you said yes, I would say many immigrants living in the New York State would disagree. Actually, according to the United States Census Bureau, “Over 37 percent of New York City residents were born in another country with a total foreign population of 3,066,599 since 2011.” (Quote) New York City is known as the melting pot for all ethnicities; it is historically famous for Ellis Island and for being known as the gateway port to America. However, there is a group not counted for in the U.S. Census Bureau number which is undocumented immigrants. According to Passel’s analysis of 2000 to 2006 data, there are 374,000 undocumented workers in New York City, making up 10 percent of …show more content…
There has been countless articles and magazine that have written on the exploitation of nail technicians. But the understanding of this abuse that immigrants especially in which women have faced have been documented since the 1920’s. Reformist women organization like the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) leaped into action to help resolve the problems of exploitation during that era. The NCJW lead by Cecilia Razovsky used to meet women immigrants and their families at the ships of Ellis Island. During her interaction with these women she would advocate for legal reforms of women citizenship, taught women how to read and write in English, and most importantly seek fair minimum wage for immigrant workers. (http://findingaids.cjh.org//CeciliaRazovsky.html). It is insane that in the 2000’s, women immigrants specifically nail technician are facing the same issues of exploitation of yester years. The nail salon industry is competitive, and its greatest selling point is low prices for services. However, that low price is not effecting the owners of these businesses bottom line because it is the workers that feel the pinch. Even more so if the worker is undocumented. The wage rate in New York is set to tip and non-tip employees regardless of immigration status. If you earn tips, then your pay should be at least $6.60/hour and $10.98/hour overtime. But if you do not receive tips you must make at least $8.75/hour and $13.13/hour for over time (NY workers Bill of Rights) . Nail technicians are customarily considered tipped employees, and management must make the calculation to balance out pay for their employees. However, that is not happening. According to Sarah Maslin of the New York Times article The Price of Nice Nails, many workers work 10 to 12-hour shifts making $30 to $40 a day. There is some manicurist who has to pay $100 or more just to start working, with some

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