“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” and why not put them to work as slaves too? After all, they did choose to come here, didn’t they?

If you think slavery was abolished, think again. Although the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery in 1865, modern slavery still exists — even to the benefit of some diplomats.

Some 3,000 migrant domestic workers — housecleaners, babysitters, nannies and elderly companions — come to the United States each year to work in the homes of foreign diplomats, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Not all of them are treated as slaves, but some are treated with little regard to basic human rights.

Several diplomat officials employed slaves in their homes to cook, clean and work overtime hours, sometimes without pay or for as little as $29 per month, according to a 2007 ACLU article. The six workers included were from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Paraguay and Chile. Their employers were diplomats from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Botswana, Qatar, Argentina and Chile, respectively.

When I lived in Santiago, Chile, I met a Columbian diplomat who brought his nanny from “back home” to live in a closet-sized room — far smaller than his own children’s rooms — in their lavish apartment with a skyline view of the city. The nanny cooked and cleaned daily and walked the family’s dog. I never knew whether she lived there by choice or necessity.

In the United States, gaps in state and federal laws neglect to protect some workers, particularly vulnerable ones such as domestic workers. The National Labor Relations Act excludes domestic workers, agricultural laborers and independent contractors from its definition of “employee,” while The Fair Labor Standards Act that sets minimum wage and mandates overtime excludes domestic workers as well. This leaves room for abuse and little protection without a right to form unions.

According to two surveys by La Raza Centro Legal, Domestic Workers United and Datacenter, 33 percent of domestic workers in California and New York earn low wages, and 38 percent are physically or verbally abused by their employers. In California, 31 percent have worked in the industry for more than six years.

Despite being committed to the industry, domestic workers lack rights. However, the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights would change their position.

The bill, sponsored by Domestic Workers United — a domestic workers organization in New York fighting for fair labor standards — would guarantee domestic workers a higher minimum wage of $14, health care, sufficient breaks between work days and paid sick days, among other rights. It has yet to become law.

However, not all domestic workers have the time to wait for a law to change their work environment, nor are all victims of abuse.

Casa Latina, a local nonprofit, empowers Latina domestic workers through their Household Helpers Program by hosting workshops on negotiation, self-sufficiency, conflict management and job placement.

“The idea is that in the long run, they own their opportunity,” said Veronique Fachinelli, coordinator of the Women’s Leadership Program, the umbrella group of the Household Helpers Program. “The job comes first, then training.”

Because many of these women are often heads of households but don’t speak English, the Household Helpers Program teaches Latinas various skills to adjust to the U.S. culture and gain more knowledge. Some workshops have included trainings on CPR, green cleaning, care of elderly people and cultural integration.

“We provide the tools,” Fachinelli said. “But they’re in charge of their own publicity and they establish their responsibilities in our agreement.”

The program was established from similar models of participation that other organizations in the U.S. follow, said Fachinelli. Although some women in the program are victims of domestic violence, “we try to break the cycle of dependency,” she said.

Breaking that cycle means equal and fair treatment and protection from discrimination and abuse. We, as a society, should value domestic work by recognizing that it is ‘real work’ — regardless of whether the worker is a Latina nanny or an American housewife. Even unofficial “employees” surely deserve to “breathe free.”

Reach columnist Marissa Beach at opinion@dailyuw.com.