Essential Labor by Angela Garbes Summary
Overview of Essential Labor
In "Essential Labor," Angela Garbes reframes mothering as revolutionary work, arguing caregiving forms our economy's foundation yet remains undervalued. Written during pandemic lockdowns, this Filipino-American perspective challenges us: what if motherhood isn't just personal labor but actually the key to meaningful social change?
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Key takeaways
When Your Home Became Your Office and Your Identity Disappeared
Picture a Wednesday afternoon in March 2020. You're trying to write an email while a toddler tugs at your sleeve demanding snacks. Your partner is on a Zoom call behind a closed door. You're wiping counters for the third time today, refereeing sibling disputes, and wondering when you last had an uninterrupted thought. This was the reality for millions when the pandemic collapsed the boundary between home and work. But here's what we rarely acknowledged: for many women, especially mothers, this wasn't new - it was just suddenly visible. The pandemic didn't create the crisis of undervalued care work; it simply made it impossible to ignore. What if the exhaustion you felt wasn't personal failure but the inevitable result of a system that treats the most essential work - raising humans - as economically worthless? There's a direct line connecting Spanish colonization of the Philippines in 1898 to why Filipina nurses comprise just 4% of US nurses but suffered 34% of nursing deaths during COVID-19. This isn't coincidence - it's design. When the US took control of the Philippines, they established English-language schools and medical institutions, creating a pipeline of healthcare workers trained to American standards. The 1965 Immigration Act then actively recruited these workers to fill labor shortages. White American women trained Filipina nurses while maintaining positions of authority, perpetuating a hierarchy that confined women of color to invisible caretaking roles. This pattern - extracting care labor from colonized populations while denying them full humanity - is foundational to how modern economies function.
Your Unpaid Labor Could Buy a House
The Body Knows What Words Can't Say
The Family You Choose Might Save You
Building a World Where Every Body Belongs
When Your Body Moves, Everything Changes
What We Owe the World That Raised Us
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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