Chile: If You Are a Maid, Identify Yourself · Global Voices
Elizabeth Rivera

It is well known that in Chile, as well as in many other Latin American countries, there is a severe problem of class discrimination. But on December 23, 2011, the issue was put on the table again when an instruction letter [es] distributed to the members of the Breezes of Chicureo Golf Club [es] went viral [es]. The letter, handed out last week, said:
Debido al aumento de niñeras, les recordamos a nuestros socios el ARTICULO 21º: Los niños menores de 8 años sólo podrán frecuentar el Club y hacer uso de sus instalaciones acompañados de sus padres o hermanos mayores. En caso de utilizar espacios externos, como sector de juegos, jardines o canchas de tenis, podrán también ser acompañados por nanas o niñeras, quienes deberán vestir su uniforme o tenida que claramente las identifique como tales. Tratándose de la piscina, sólo podrán ingresar a ese sector los socios, su grupo familiar y los invitados de éstos.
Due to the increase number of nannies, we remind our members of Article 21st: Children under the age of 8 can only attend the Club and use the facilities if they are accompanied by their parents or older siblings. In case they are using external spaces, like the playground, gardens or tennis courts, they can also be escorted by their maids or nannies, who should be wearing a uniform or dress so they can be clearly identified as such. As for the pool, only members, their families and guests are allowed inside.
The letter sparked all kinds of reactions on Twitter, making the phrase “Brisas de Chicureo” [Breezes of Chicureo] a national trending topic.
The account of the political program Difamadores [Scandal doers] (@difamadores) [es] commented:
La gente de este Club es tan discriminadora, que te obliga ser discriminador para entrar quepasa.cl/articulo/ojos-d…
The people from this Club are so discriminating, they force you to be a discriminator to get in quepasa.cl/articulo/ojos-d…
Congresswoman Karla Rubilar (@karlarubilar) [es] noted:
Quiere ver DISCRIMINACION MODE ON? http://bit.ly/ueIKgp VERGONZOSO!
Do you want to see DISCRIMINATION MODE ON? http://bit.ly/ueIKgp EMBARRASSING!
The coordinator of the online political space Red Liberal [Liberal Net], Davor Mimica (@dmimica) [es] reminded his followers:
¿Se acuerdan cuando los miembros de una raza debían utilizar una banda o parche en el brazo para ser identificados? bit.ly/sw4Jco
Do you remember when members of a race had to use a band or patch on the arm to be identified? bit.ly/sw4Jco
Breezes of Chicureo by German Parra (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Others, like the reporter Axel Pickett (@axelpickett), speculated:
Hay 2 posibilidades pa la circular anticonfusión de Chicureo: “nanas” que parecen dueñas de casas, o dueñas de casas igualitas a sus “nanas”
There are 2 possibilities for the Chicureo anti-confusion letter: “maids” that look like house wives or house wives that look just like their “maids”
Meanwhile the radio host Nacho Lira (@nacholira) [es], ironically tweeted:
“Nanas en la piscina no por favor, se ve feo”. Se pasaron en las Brisas de Chicureo. http://t.co/urVhWDLw
“Maids in the pool, no please, it looks ugly”. They crossed the line at Breezes de Chicureo. http://t.co/urVhWDLw
On the other hand, Carlos Miram (@carlosmiram) [es] said:
Las Brisas de Chicureo es un Club Privado. Tanto escándalo por el tema de las nanas. Ahora diputados y senadores opinando. Gran TEMA País.
The Breezes of Chicureo is a Private Club. So much fuzz for the maid thing. Now congressmen and senators are expressing their views. Big country ISSUE.
On the same line of thinking, PipeRocks commented under the post “The National Elite Orders that the Members of Chicureo Club Must Have Their Maids Dress As Such” [es] from the blog El Antro [The Joint] [es]:
Las nanas, estan cumpliendo un trabajo, con contrato y cotizaciones respectivas, y como muchos trabajos existen codigos de vestuario y como recinto privado estan en su derecho a exigir cierto estandar casi obvio. Asi como en algunos restaurantes te obligan a usar chaqueta y corbata.
El afan de criticar por criticar.
The maids are doing their job, with a contract and benefits, and as many other jobs out there, they have a dressing code and since it's a private property, they have the right to demand a certain standard that is almost obvious. Like some restaurants that require diners to use jacket and tie. This eagerness to criticize just to criticize.
Axel Pickett (@axelpickett) [es] also took it with humor, and taking the holidays into account tweeted:
BREAKING NEWS: Santa Claus sent a letter to Breezes de Chicureo asking how the heck he needs to dress his reindeer so they can be allowed in