Friday, April 15, 2011

Female immigrants suffer abuse in food industry, group contends

Immigrant women are suffering sexual abuse and often do not seek help or even know if it is available. - - Donna Poisl

Southern Poverty Law Center says protection is needed

By Antonio Olivo, Tribune reporter

In between serving gourmet Mexican sandwiches or running the cash register at a Lower West Side bakery, Mercedes, 26, endured an unwelcome aspect of her job that recently drove her to quit in disgust.

In a cramped restaurant kitchen, male co-workers greeted Mercedes with leers and sexually suggestive comments, grabbed her hand to kiss and lick while a male bakery owner watched and laughed, she said Friday at a conference to highlight such issues at the Chicago Cultural Center.

"When I would start cleaning, they would start grunting and making faces and say: `That's how I like my women,'" said Mercedes, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Mexico who spoke on the condition that her last name not be used.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

No comments: