Pinoy Pod 42

"Empire of care'' supplies steady stream of Pinoy nurses to U.S.

Go to any major hospital in America and chances are you'll find Filipinos on the nursing staffs. For decades, the Philippines has been a major supplier of Filipino nurses to the U.S. health care system.

That's been good for the Filipinos for whom coming to America means higher pay and better benefits, although many of them have also endured exploitation and discrimination.
Now, with the critical shortage of nurses in this country, more Filipino nurses are expected to come to America in search of a better life.

UC Berkeley Professor Catherine Ceniza Choy is the author of "Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History,'' a book that traces the history of Filipino nurses in the United States, starting with the beginning of the 20th century when the Philippines was still an American colony.

In an interview with Pinoy Pod, Choy examines this history, along with a more recent - and some say alarming - trend of doctors who are enrolling in accelerated nursing courses in the Philippines to increase their chances of coming to America.

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