A looming election join me Steve Clemons in conversation with leading voices on the bottom line your weekly take on u. S. Politics and society on aljazeera. We have over 10000 new cases. 102000 photos tested positive 14000 hospitalized. The frontline battle is in the health care system. A deadly pandemic has cut a swathe through americas biggest cities and filipino nurses are in the hospital battle filipino nurses they are very friendly you are very carrying 150000 nurses from the philippines make up the largest foreign contingent of Health Care Workers in the united states. But for some the American Dream has become more like a nightmare its like youre going to the wires dont have the time you work and the pandemic is just the latest challenge to facing false promises of where the work force promises of being paid prevailing wage. False promises of working conditions one of one east meets the filipinos save american lives. 8 so eerie because nobody goes out now so the streets are so why all you hear are this just a siren i know that. Lyric cattle and news a new city new yorks. Koehler rehabilitation and nursing care center. Building on the. Right word if you go. Its americas largest Long Term Care facility. Liras lived in new york for 8 years in march she was meant to be visiting family back in the philippines so when the pandemic hit lire was stuck in her new york apartment and stated. When she started getting alarming messages from colleagues this is the cheap stuff and we had 3 people there are contaminated we coronavirus. Her. And this is how we. Force ourselves to take a lot of shots every day. I would hear a lot of things from the hospital so i was scared for myself i dont want to be part of this if it sticks i dont want to die. I mean my kids still knew me. Has denied any lack of protective equipment for it stuff pretty clear i was still worried enough to take matters into our own hands raising money on social media for extra protection we were able to release 1600 something and i bought a face. And 95 masks to give out to the to my coworkers in the unit. I worked. With her supplies lire returned to the job she loves caring for patients this line we have in our baby. She also keeps photos from the life she left behind for the. Good sound made team in g. Money back. Leroy was a senior bank manager in the philippines before retraining as a nurse in order to move to the u. S. Shed set aside some providing a better life for her family even though it meant leaving her 3 children behind with a mother. My exhusband was here already in 2005 saw the plan was to migrate with the kids just play fly by my great as a backer it would be hard for me to work here. But if im a nurse it would be easier. Newfound to nursing jobs in new york and began working up to 17 hours a guy who 2 sons have since joined her and shes desperate to protect them from the virus when i go home i already take off my scrubs actually in the parking lot i already take it off i dont care if somebody sees me. No matter how many precautions she takes nursing in new york is now filled with anxiety. Clear says when she had to pursue one of her dementia patients into a crude contaminated ward she forgot to put on protective the key. I was exposed like maybe 2 minutes or 3 minutes inside im still im kind of fire annoyed thats why i had myself bested yesterday if this news test results came back negative that showed she had already been infected earlier. While she had no symptoms her friend gemma wasnt so lucky. When i had a fever or 23 days i went to the hospital gym opinion for a double act as another filipino our newest works on a curve of 19 born at elmhurst hospital in needs its in one of the poorest and most ethnically diverse areas of the city and its been the epicenter of the pandemic in new york jim in a family live near the hospital for the past few months this has been all around them. At that time there was no best being forced out and simply getting tested for the fires wasnt easy it was raining that day and a line put it this is so long so surprised me to death go all because you might get much sicker if you wait for your turn to give it this that. I would think that gemma was feverish and sick for 2 weeks and he was kind of growing tain i really had to run away. And how did you feel i was so scared i was so scared thinking that my family was with me and that apartment and we dont have that b. P. Eat and that is just like at 2 bedroom apartment. Its its small you know. So. I stayed in a room and my husband was the one taking care of me like hes hes bringing everything that i need in dome and my children are constructed to get this be in another room. With ok mine ok now. I have friends in the Filipino Community like Jason Pacheco who are worried about more than her health she wasnt sure whether or not she was going to get paid for her sick days or the days that she was important to there was a nurse who were going to chase a new generation before she came to the u. S. She nursed his dying father back in the philippines and theyve remained close have a sense of honor to face some of her unknown meds or are about but. There are corbett but in the. When he heard jim a was sick jason also organized a fundraiser to help cover her expenses this sort of heroism but i cant do what theyre doing out there in the front lines. And. Having a face that i could put in front of all the news and the heroism that you hear i just had to do something it was so kind of him to do that yeah hes also. Can earn her husband mark was thrilled when they moved here 3 years ago yeah Matthew Diffee means i just saw new york like in the magazine and in the movies but when i got here it feels so amazing that i i was really in new york when i got a picture of me in front of me up in fire state building i feel like this is it i was pretty and it was yeah. Even some of the covert 19 crisis in new york made them question their decision to move here i was scared to go back to work actually i was thinking of resigning. Because you know having to face periods of coronavirus with a very tall might be. Jimmys brush with the flyers has now made her even more determined to help it has impacted a lot because you know nothing on earth is important exam life so i have to take care of my patients because having this experience i know how they feel it really gives me the courage to really look off their damn and. Take care of them. Filipino nurses corrector as they are being. Industrious very polite very dedicated and committed to their work. Leader felix druther is executive director of the Philippine Nurses Association of america and a professor of nursing at William Patterson university. He says the philippines a deep commitment to the profession began over 100 years ago during the u. S. Occupation at that time there were many soldiers american soldiers in the philippines and they started training philippine nurses to take care of the u. S. Soldiers. After world war 2 the system intensified as the american set up more Training Programs and a new visa system of allowing filipino nurses to easily move to the u. S. By the late sixtys filipino nurses were heading all over the world the philippine nurses were celebrated as ambassadors because of how much they have contributed to the philippine economy they improve the livelihood all of their families they were able to send members of their families to school and they were able to improve their way of living. Today eva philippines is the largest exporter of nurses globally new york even has its own little manila and its estimated to 25 percent of the filipinos who live in new york state and the surrounding area where can health care. They come in search of a better life but the pandemic has made it a more dangerous life. I think i missed most. Of his presence. Whenever he was around he always gave such a comforting smile on south. Him not being here is hard because now we realize like. We have to. Enough for each other. Denise and ellens father. Died of cards at 19 you know early april hed worked at the same hospital on long island since he moved to the us 16 years ago i always bonded with him through our love of photography. And those monies are while he was on a shift in emergency some of his colleagues. Only passed away in the same i. C. U. Ward where hed been caring for infected patients just a few weeks earlier they say that he brought around like a presence with them where you could trust what hes doing like not even just the nurses but the doctors and they feel they confide in him. You know reassure themselves and he just has it just really show that hes really good at his job. Yes were very proud of him. Ollie had been inching painted and put on dialysis in a desperate attempt to save him his children saw him in the hospital before he died it was hard to see him. All swollen and stuff so it was it was just a nightmare to see him in that way and it was very hard. I wouldnt wish for any kid to see their dad in that state its just terrible and also just like they reminded me of how. Fragile he really was. Alis funeral turned into a moving show of support from his coworkers emergency workers and the Filipino Community. I always knew that by dad was a hero like as a nurse he was always a hes always helping people. Now that hes like really recognized as a hero it just means so much more. Ali then. You are. Outside the white house activists held a grim roll call with the nurses like only goofed up those cards at 19 and across the country. Nursing unions are demanding help from quick meant to prevent more nurses from dying or if you dont protect that you cant protect every. Filipino americanness this has been disproportionately affected by the end of june nearly 50 had died already felix believes there are several reasons many of our philip in america nurses work closely at the bedside in our more recent surveys. Each showed that at least 60 percent of philip in america nurses work in acute care ridicule care people use this puts them at higher risk of being infected with cards at 19 but theres another more complex factor at play to what leo felix calls the bamboo ceiling which hinders filipino nurses who try to get promoted off the wards into more senior positions phillippa nurses are very respectful and very obedient to do their employers. And theyve done the and i really question authorities so theyre seen as. Less assertive so they may not necessarily get those position of management. He says these traits also make them vulnerable to unscrupulous employers. One group of nurses turn to Lawyers Commission for help in a busy legal fight against their employer the weight of the case was not just that they were facing a year in prison it was that they would be deported. The fight was against new yorks biggest nursing home network sentosa care when oscars clients were recruited in the philippines they signed up to work at specific missing lines but when they arrived they found themselves working elsewhere in breach of their Visa Conditions what happened was they were moved to other facilities that were owned by the same Global Corporation but were not the name listed on their direct hire applications and then when they got here they had other issues respect to how they were treated. How they were paid. The nurses say they wont move away or underpaid squeezed into crowded housing and denied insurance. When they eventually quit their jobs in 2006 pro bono lawyer felix below and tried to start official investigations both here and in the philippines but santos a intervened they were able to engage the senior u. S. Senator from new york it took schumer to write letters to the philippine consulate. And that and that of stopping the investigation in the philippines the letters went all the way up to the president of the philippines. What happened next was extraordinary local District Attorney thomas spota charge the nurses and felix with conspiring to harm their patients. Must go then took up their case and argued that the entire prosecution was unconstitutional. By saying that it was a crime to quit your job essentially the prosecution violated the 13th amendment to the constitution which of course prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude. Some of the nurses contracts also contained exit penalties that meant if they worked for sentosa for less than 3 years i had to pile a company 25000. 00 oscar argued these were illegal penalties unrelated to any actual financial loss suffered by the company. As the case dragged dont need took a heavy toll on the nurses they were depressed they were distressed they were despondent they were. Extraordinarily concerned. Across the country the Filipino Community mobilized in support led by groups such as the philip a Nurses Association of america we are a sponsor for them. You know we raise legal funds we supported them by joining a raw lease. Was supporting them in court when the Appeals Court finally made its ruling the nurses one known all counts always move the. Festive the best through have. They felt their lives were heading back to them. It was a huge weight lifted off of everybody. If they would have come home convicted of that charge they would have changed their lives entirely they would not have been able to work in health care. In the states or the philippines so everything was riding on this criminal prosecution. Says in a later civil case santoy syringes are paying the nurses a confidential some in and out of Court Settlement all these companies have a lot of money behind them immigrant nurses generally dont going up against a very very large opponent is daunting for anyone particularly for somebody whos here on an immigration visa or cio is a nurse who was recruited from the philippines a couple efforts to stop exploitation intensified here. At this Health Conference foremost entice a nurse archie elbow argus spoke out i know that there are still a lot of foreign educated nurse there who have the same and even worse experiences than ours. And this has to stop most nurses that are in this dire situation are afraid to speak. Because theyre scared to be deported. Emboldened more immigrant nurses not taking their fight for finance to the courts including an ongoing class action case against him to some. With employers on not just the biggest fight at the moment remains close at 19. But not everyone agrees bringing in more nurses is part of the solution. I would push back against the notion that importing doctors and nurses is essential i dont think the case is rich wine is a conservative immigration analyst who believes America Needs fewer not more foreign nurses he says dr shows american hospitals are actually laying off staff during the pandemic as elective procedures decline the newest Unemployment Rate is rising. Before the pandemic it was 0. 9 percent but in april which is the most recent it had gone up to 4. 3 percent so im not really sure where these new nurses if you were to report new nurses are going to be working jason insists the recruitment of foreign nurses is really driven by hospitals wanting to keep salary slower when someone claims it bursts shortage or a farm worker shortage what theyre saying is i dont want the wage to rise i want to stay right here at this level and therefore i cant find it but if we were to stop importing theres 3 doctors that would actually happen in the marketplace that you would have more native born people going into those professions in the midst of the pandemic jasons on him and his getting short shrift despite the anti immigrant mood in america some politicians are arguing for more foreign nurses thousands of Children Health workers are suffering because of a serious problem in our immigration system the Us Health Care industry is lobbying congress to urgently approve an extra 25000 green cards for foreign nurses care workers the bill brought by high ranking senators such as illinois dick durban has bipartisan support as workers. Our bill would quickly allocate these visas to doctors and nurses who can help us today in the fight against coma 19. The philippines needs indices. With corona virus infection surging and nurses in short supply president deter has lashed out at america for luring them away so. They you know nurse. Expresses the minimal did go to the sea with. A lot of damage but dont know. You could open a lard on your own. Good filipino news much in one day in new york and in a month but you claim not to resist if they could work at home and watch it wouldnt leave any more i mean why sacrifice seeing your kids. In new york and leverage catches up on sleep. Around the world. Is stuffing her day. Was. Just local. News the sacrifices her mother has my she was left behind in the philippines when leroy moved to the us where masks. But. You know its been a stressful time its just really hard to be away from your family. Theyre sick and you cant. Do anything over the phone. Here is now old enough to appreciate why him of a lift but it wasnt an easy childhood at 15. I was forced to grow up to become and. I became like a mother to my. I would. Go. To the grocery. And when i learned i also brought my mother to school and if there was a. Thing i would move that one. Of the sacrifices brought as well me. Get to do what you want in life and. So. But im really thankful and i hope that i believe her and. Inspired by her family he is studying to become a doctor and also plans to move to the u. S. When shes not learned in wanting to continue the filipino tradition of health care. Back to new york gemma stuart in the shell has also been inspired by him as a strong woman i look up to her. Well every time and then takes us at the same time just amazes me michelle has decided to follow her mother into missing i love the idea of it because i like helping people song allen also plans to work in medicine in this next generation of Health Care Workers is taking pride in the filipino nursing vs its great how much the folks in your community is able to have an impact on everyone it should make the filipino pinney proud because it shows how much of an influence were having on the world right now. Each night at 7 pm in new york whos hoping cheering on the Health Care Workers from their windows appreciation for them is a dim all time high and filipino news says the taking the will does it. Really appreciate the way that when doing so its the very night its opening i dont know that we ever before this really took time to think about the sacrifices that they make when they leave their country and they leave their family and come here to fill jobs and even my alternate dreams. To come and and what here and bring my country. Im. Going. To go. A team of chinese scientists embark on a garing deep sea mission searching for rare is also a c one when its previews chinas underwater 0. If you want to help save the worlds. Sneeze into your own. Growing dark and harsh and unforgiving circumstances children learn to play dangerous games they exist without throwing stones theyll destroy the house and take worn down by frustration and broken promises young men living under the constant threat of imprisonment big took me to the jeep and blindfolded me the time for them to regain control of their lives is when the boys returned prison live inside and out. On al jazeera. This is aljazeera. Hello and welcome im peter w. Watching the news our live from our headquarters here in doha coming up in the next 60 minutes coronavirus k. C. s a pos the 1000000 mark in india with some states reversing the lifting of lockdown restrictions. But when you wear a mask you have more respect. Mixed messaging with the u. S. Reporting another record high number of infections politicians are divided