I rarely buy makeup and when I do, I do it for the sake of the migrant factory worker.
So what’s my story? Once upon a time, I worked on an assembly line in a high-end makeup factory and it was one of the toughest jobs that I had to do because of its impact on my mental health.
Working on that assembly line came with its stressors, a congested building, constant micro-aggression which led one to live in survival mode and having a powerless feeling. I still do get heart palpitations when I pass near that specific factory. Those memories are still fresh in my mind.
This place was filled with immigrants, people of great minds; some were former doctors, lawyers, business professionals but due to the challenges of the acculturation process they all had to forgo their dreams and do what they could to put food on their tables. Many had accepted their fate. They had put aside all their education and work experiences stored on a shelf somewhere. Nothing as hard as seeing a former heart surgeon talk about his past professional life and all they were left with was using their skills to dissect the components on an assembly line.
You might ask, why work in such conditions? I will let you ask the many immigrant factory workers living in survival mode.
I have a love-hate when buying high-end makeup because it feels like I am supporting a system that oppresses those struggling with the acculturation process but my mind goes back to the worker who is able to afford a meal for their family. I think of that migrant worker whose only option is to live in a system that has buried their dreams and education, tucked in somewhere. For me that $100 is all worth using knowing that today I have made it possible for a factory worker somewhere to put a meal on their table and buy clothes for their children.
The acculturation process not only impacts one’s mental health but also on the family structure; an important component of sexual health.