Professor studies housework dilemma
By Beth Hege
Emerald Contribute*
Zoo Baird paid an uncommonly high
price for employing n domestic servant, los
ing her bid to become U S attorney general
But what Bnird did by hiring an undocu
mented Ivlina to do her housework is hard
ly uncommon.
When women head into the paid work
forte, they often find themselves still re
sponsible for household chores,
“Housework has beer, considered wom
en's work simply because women have to
do it.” said Mary Romero, a University stx i
ologist and author of the book MAID in llw
IJ.S.A.
Romero will read from her book Tuesday
at 4 p.m. in the Gerlirtger Lounge.
Beginning in 19B3. Romero interviewed
25 Chicana domestic workers in Denver and
conducted research on race, class and gen
der in housework.
"The interviews were not easy.” Romero
said. “They were painful to do. Women did
not want to talk about the most degrading
area of their lives.
“Housework is not inherently degrading.”
she said. ”lt becomes degrading because of
social relationships ”
Because housework holds low status,
whoever performs the task is given the low
est status. Often that means women of out
class or race oppressing women of another
“None of us can claim not to be the
oppressor.” Romero said. "Yes. white, mid
dle-class women may he oppressed, but
does that justify oppressing someone else,
particularly women of color?"
In her book. Romero addresses the rat ism
and etas* discrimination In the hiring and
treatment of ('hit ana domestii workers. She
includes stories from her own life and work
"1 am very conscious of segregation," she
said. "I remember employers watching me
ail the time, of children my own ag« going
to play tennis while I pit Led up after them.
In high school and college I spent my week
ends and vacations working in homes of
students who I otherwise would lx1 sitting
next to in a classroom "
Romero said she has not esi aped race and
class differences in tIn* world of academia
After spending five years teac hing anti
working as an assistant dean at Yale Univer
sity. Romero presented her research on do
mestics at a sociology conference'
"I was on the job market at the time, mid
after my presentation a colleague asked how
the job search was going," she said "I said I
hadn't gotten an offer vet. and he said.
'Don’t worry, you can always t lean houses
You know that work very well
Romero said she grevs up in a working
class neighborhood in Denver.
"I grew up knowing what racism yyas
about." she said. "The lessons of my iite
have been hard "
Kven though Romero, her mother and her
sisters had worked as domestii laborers, it
didn't occur to Romero to c hoose the expe
riences of domestii s as a research topic un
til she had completed her Ph D. and n« opt
ed a teaching position at the University of
Texas III Paso.
In the Ixjrder town of Mi Paso. Mexican
domestic workers are common. While visit
ing in PI Paso lo search for housing. Romero
witnessed the treatment of a voting Mexit an
woman by tier colleague and his family
‘Housework is not
inherently degrading. It
becomes degrading
because of social
relationships.'
Mary Romero,
University sociology prolessor
"I saw a IK-venrold undocumented work
er who was sexually harassed. underpaid
and mistreated It made me question the tak
en-for-granted realitv of thn woman in mv
life,” Romero said
"I not on the plana and toors were running
down mv fa< .0 It was shin king to realize
that someone would treat another likti that,
she said I thought of mv motlmr and how I
would feel d someone had treated her like
that ”
Romero’s bonk has won ut < laim Its femi
nisi and .mainstream publu at ions for lier an
proai h to the tupii s of rat e. class anti gen
der.
”1 wanted this Imok to lie easy tti read,"
she said "I have been happy about the re
sponse from (dm aims and children of do
(nestles.
"So iiwtnv tunes after a talk a! a university
or confereiK e. students will come to me and
say. Mv mother was a domestii To me.
that’s the validation, it's more important
than getting published in a ma;or journal.''
Romero said People in our community are
finally talking about the work of our moth
ers and sisters "
Spring ballot includes citywide restaurant tax
By Meg Dedolph
Emerald Repoctec
Eugene voters will dec ide March 21 on a citvwide restaurant tax
and two levies, one to continue a county extension service and one
to maintain county law enforcement and jail serve os.
The city restaurant tax is o charter amendment that, if passed,
will impose a 3 percent tax on food and beverages sold to the pub
lic for immediate consumption
Included under this tax are hot foods, salads and dispensed suit
drinks sold in grocery stores, as well as foods sold in restaurants
push carts and athletic i oncession stands
Whole c akes, pies or breads, like those sold in Iwkeries, are ex
empt from the tax, as well as meals served to hospital patients and
in si hoots. Also exempt are meals sold in conjum turn with ac < om
modations, for example dormitories and fraternity houses
Temporary establishments that do not sell food for more than
seven days eac h year will not tie taxed 1'hese include, for example,
a food iKMith specifically operated for the Eugene Celebration
Restaurant owners will tie allowed to keep 5 pen cult of the tax
collected to cover administrative costs.
Also on the liallot cs a S5.HOH.H15 tax levy for the upcoming year
to maintain Lane County law enforcement «n<l tail programs
If passed, the levy would pay for 1 ! patrol deputies and two dis
patchersAlerks. who would respond to emergenc ms. make routine
patrols and investigate crimes
The funds would also provide tor mental health treatment. Juve
nile and adult drug and alcohol treatment, and the forest work
camp and work release center.
The county is also seeking voter approval of a levy to fund the
Oregon State Universityfljine County Intension servu es
This S560.032 lew would maintain office stall, purchase sup
plies and i over related expenses generated by county extension
agents As a result, the extension servo e could i ontinue to oiler -t
II youth programs and educational programs in home economics,
forestry, nutrition and energy
The extension serve e would also maintain the Master Oardener
and Master Home Preserver program, where volunteers trained in
gardening and home preserving answer telephone hotlines and
speak at i lino s.
Other measures on the haliot ask voter approval for rural fire
protection outside of the Eugone-Springfield area nod n library ex
pansion project near Florence.
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