Whose Rights? Domestic Workers Organizing in Massachusetts.

This article examines the collective identity, claims, and alliances of immigrant-led domestic workers' organizations in Massachusetts, focusing on their strategic campaign for the Massachusetts Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (DWBR) passed in 2014. Despite being predominantly led by immigrants of color, these organizations deliberately de-emphasized race and immigration issues during the campaign to build broader political support, framing the struggle primarily as a workers' and women's rights issue. This strategic framing facilitated legislative success but later led to tensions and a split with predominantly white, U.S.-born domestic workers who preferred a professionalization focus and avoided politically charged topics. The study highlights the complexities of intersectionality in domestic workers' activism, showing how organizations navigate racial, immigrant, and labor identities to advance rights within a challenging socio-political context.