“We Come Here to Work:” US Au Pairs and Rights Claiming during a Care Crisis

Abstract

Abstract This paper argues that, despite au pairs’ provision of valuable service to US families, their legal classification as cultural exchange participants, historical devaluation of care work, and persistent domination via gender, nation, and citizenship all contribute to their marginalization in movements for labor rights. Using historical, demographic, and interview evidence, I show that, while au pairs are likely to identify as laborers rather than cultural exchange agents, they are less likely than more traditional workers to identify with burgeoning legal movements. This lack of identification results from the invisibilization of care labor broadly, rather than the absence of legal consciousness.