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Desperate Housewives

Ivana, a Romanian house maid

Ivana (no last name) worked as a maid for Gabrielle Solis, until Carlos, her husband, decided to fire her. She helped Gabrielle when she was homeschooling Juanita, by teaching the young girl fractions. It is revealed that Ivana came from Romania and she holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Bucharest. However, as her degree meant next to nothing on the American job market and couldn’t help her get a job fit for the studies she completed, she was forced to work for low pay as a house maid. It is unclear why Ivana's family fled Romania. Because she spends more time tutoring Juanita than she does cleaning the house, Carlos thinks she is neglecting her duties. So he decides to inform Ivana's agency that she is doing a poor job, which results in the termination of her job at the Solis household.

The inclusion of this character in the American television comedy-drama series “Desperate Housewives” together with the background she is given speaks volumes about the image of Romania that many “Westerners” have. She is said to have a PhD in Engineering, which is the highest degree you can obtain in academics, and in a field that is not exactly accessible to many. By local standards, she would be considered a highly educated and apt woman, yet by American standards her PhD counts for nothing. This speaks the difference in the quality of education between Romania and the United States, as well as the availability of jobs meant for those who have completed their higher education. The fact that she and her family fled Romania to go to the United States may suggest that she / they thought the latter might offer more opportunities in terms of work and residence and would generally represent a more stimulating environment for Ivana.

EASTERN EUROPE
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