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Yvonne Yevan Yu, Christine Vicera, and Julie Ham (editors), Ingat: An Anthology of Works by Migrant Domestic Worker Creatives in Hong Kong, Small Tune Press, 2024. 228 pgs.

^{The book design’s inspiration comes from a balikbayan box.}

“Ingat.”

This is how one of the editors and her retired migrant domestic worker, Auntie Anabelle, said goodbye. Ingat is a “reminder to take care of ourselves—both physically and mentally” (p. 11), but ingat is also a prayer, a blessing, and the title of this extraordinary anthology containing fifty-sixcreative pieces—photographs, prose, and poems—produced by Migrant Writers of Hong Kong, a group created for aspiring and talented migrant writers and artists in Hong Kong and beyond.

What attracts attention most is the book’s design, inspired by a balikbayan box (a “return-to-the-homeland box”) that overseas Filipinos often send back home. Readers must literally open the book with care, and it surprises not just for the beautifully crafted pieces but for its thoughtful design. The anthology highlights the creative capabilities of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in Hong Kong, simultaneously warming and aching readers’ hearts with the raw emotions shared by the contributors.

One of the book’s main intentions is to offer a portrait of MDWs, showcasing their fluid identities that “are not defined by their job alone” but also as “mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, lovers, writers, artists, photographers, and storytellers” (p. 14). This mission is particularly significant, given how MDWs in Hong Kong have often been reduced to mere workers, stripped of identity and moulded into housekeeping “commodities.” As one poignant excerpt captures:

Since this day, there will be no more of you, there is only them. No more Siti, Dwi, Maria, or Joan. In their eyes, we all are the same, just one of the Indonesian migrant workers. We are all branded, put in the box, and labelled, ready to be shipped abroad as one of the most professional national commodities. No matter what, this label will stick from the first time we step into the boarding gate until we come back home, even when we no longer work as one, society will see us as former migrant workers. In everything that we do; Migrant writer, Migrant activist, Migrant dancer—it goes beyond our graves! (Eny Bawse’s “Ingat! A Lesson on Self Worth”)

Objectification occurs on a daily level, such as employers’ discontent with employees dating, fearing they might become emkwai (唔乖, disobedient) or emdengwa (不聽話, argumentative), despite love and connection being natural (p. 75). Worse still, workers often internalise this objectification, as seen in incidents like the deportation of a worker in 2019 for expressing solidarity with protests. While many supported her, others commented dismissively, “You are just a housekeeper; stay in your lane” (p. 32).

The anthology serves as a powerful counterpoint to such objectification, demonstrating MDWs’ creative talents alongside their practical skills, such as “being a plumber, electrician, painter, technician, and teacher” (p. 165). More importantly, it humanises workers, reminding readers of their emotions and dreams: fears of unfaithful husbands, longing for leisure, and cherishing friendships. As illustrated in poems:

Three hours from now, I will leave
My spouse and toddler
Be faithful hubby, don’t deceive
For I will go far away to earn dollars (Maria Editha Garma-Respicio’s “Adios”)

I want to relax and swim on the beach
While wearing my favourite colour peach (Liezel Marcos Fernandez’s “Selfcare”)

The hardest part of the friendship
Is distance and saying goodbye
The moment we shared together
Is the gold that I treasure (Rodelia M. Pedro’s “Goodbye Friend”)

These self-expressions supplement existing academic research on MDWs, such as works by Nicole Constable, Daisy Tam, Chan Yuk-wah, and Hans Ladegaard. Through creative contributions, this anthology addresses gaps in MDWs’ representation, allowing them to articulate their own experiences.

The sadness of separation is a recurring theme. For instance, Fealynne V. Samson’s “I’ll” states, “Leaving you is hard to do // For your future I have to,” while Nenita Ngalot’s photograph “Paalam” captures “the last time I saw, talked, hugged, and hung out with my mum before she passed away in 2018.” Ironically, these sacrifices enable Hong Kong’s workforce to thrive. According to research by Enrich and Experian, domestic workers boost mothers’ workforce participation rates from 49% to 78% (p. 12).

Despite contributing USD 12.6 billion annually to Hong Kong’s economy, MDWs face limited recognition, legal protections, and social benefits. In 2022, they were excluded from the government’s consumption voucher scheme for “international talents.” Visa regulations allow only two weeks to secure new employment upon contract termination, leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation, including excessively long hours and occasional abuse.

The anthology’s bilingual presentation is another strength, with all works translated into Chinese. Translators note whether rhymes are retained in Cantonese or Mandarin, often incorporating Hong Kong’s cultural nuances. For example:

Covid, covid, go away,
Never come another day (Rubilyn Cadao’s “COVID, COVID Go Away”)

肺炎肺炎請過主，
你再無容身之處。

Special recognition goes to the editors for preserving authors’ preferred languages in some pieces, emphasising the effort migrant workers make to adapt to Hong Kong while questioning whether Hongkongers reciprocate.

Ingat highlights not only the challenges MDWs face but also the transformative power of care, both small and profound. As Rema Tabangcura writes in “Miles Away”:

Simple words yet it makes a person to be jolly
Say it now, let everybody happy
Spread the word, be a blessing
You’ll never know whose heart you touch,
Keep saying, Ingat

The book itself embodies ingat, from its legal considerations (ensuring publishing would not violate employment laws) to its thoughtful design and heartfelt content. The editors’ discussion on initiating the project, included in the anthology, further reflects this spirit.

Sometimes painful, sometimes uplifting, reading Ingat is undoubtedly a soul-nourishing experience. I highly recommend it to everyone, particularly employers, policymakers, and researchers of MDWs. I am deeply grateful for the ingat the authors, translators, and editors have imbued in this remarkable book. Ingat!

How to cite: Pit, Hok Yau Tim. “Sometimes Painful, Sometimes Uplifting—Ingat: An Anthology Of Works By Migrant Domestic Worker Creatives In Hong Kong.” Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, 10 Jan. 2025, chajournal.blog/2025/01/10/ingat.

Tim Pit Hok Yau is a PhD candidate in Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia and serves as the Research Lead for the Hong Kong Animal Law and Protection Organisation. His research interests encompass non-human animal history and welfare, alongside topics within the Environmental Humanities, including waste studies and the climate crisis. His commentaries and academic work have been featured in a range of media outlets and scholarly journals, including Hong Kong Free Press, Ming Pao, Hong Kong Studies, and Inter-Asia Cultural Studies.