Filipinos in Hong Kong

Many Filipinos come to Hong Kong to find work. I heard they need at least a college degree to get out of the Philippines, but most end up working as maids in Hong Kong households. I don't understand why they have such low-level jobs if they received that much education...

Well regardless, Sunday is the only day Filipinos have off work so they congregate at and around Victoria Park (the first picture) and Central Station in Hong Kong (the second picture). In both areas, they bring out blankets or even cardboard, and just sit around, talking with one another, playing cards or napping.



People in Hong Kong are used to them, it's just the way things are here. Being in Central on Sunday means being surrounded by Filipino maids on their day off. Sometimes I compare the way Filipinos are in Hong Kong to the way illegal immigrants are in Southern California. The Mexican migrants are so integral to helping Southern California, particularly LA, run because they do the jobs that no one else wants to do. If they were suddenly not there one day, LA would probably stop running.

So what about Filipinos in Hong Kong? If they weren't here anymore, lots of Hong Kong households wouldn't have caretakers for the elderly or maids for their houses. Lots of the small things would not get done. It makes me wonder whether Hong Kong would stop running...