Nanny Hunt Can Be a ‘Slap in the Face’ for Blacks
As more blacks move up the economic ladder they’re finding that searching for a nanny can be an exasperating, humiliating exercise.
NY Times interviewed dozens of nannies and agencies that employ them in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Houston where they found many nannies — often of African-American or Caribbean descent themselves — who actually avoid working for families of those same backgrounds.
The reasons cited included:
- accusations of low pay and extra work
- fears that employers would look down at them
- suspicion that any neighborhoods tend to be unsafe
The result is that many black parents do not have the same child care options as their colleagues and neighbors. They’re often forced to settle for illegal immigrants or non-English speakers instead of more experienced or credentialed nannies, rely on day care or scale back their professional aspirations to spend more time at home.
“Very rarely will an African-American woman work for an African-American boss,” said Pat Cascio, the owner of Morningside Nannies in Houston and the president of the International Nanny Association.
This complete article can be found on NY Times registration is required but it’s free!
It’s amazing at just how much discrimination is still going on out there that tends to be so quiet.
Thoughts?
