So it is never stated he is compensated for his labor. Considering the racist beginnings of Piet being an imprisoned african, I am now wrong in assuming he is not being paid even though the tradition has never clarified he is being paid? I must be a fool.
If you watch Sinterklaas shows, you see Zwarte Pieten work together with Sinterklaas in a pseudo-company. One Zwarte Piet is there for transport, one covers packages, etc. There's also Head Piet, who leads the operations and supports Sinterklaas, who in some interpretations is a bit old and distraught. Sinterklaas treats the Pieten with utmost respect, eats food together, etc. From that perspective it's understood they are compensated in some form. Assitants/employees, not servants.
The historical origin no longer has any function in the modern incarnaction.
It is often deemed racist when a black person is always depicted as an underling to a White man.
Are orcs racist for serving Sauron? It's a folk tale, it doesn't have to make sense.
So these humans which are unquestionable black caricatures are not even considered black people?
Not anymore.
The classic racist depiction of a black person is a charcoal black skin with big red lips. This is the classic racist depiction by white people for a very long time. And considering the origin story of Piet, this was the case with the Dutch. To them blacks were charcoal black and had big red lips. But now they just want to say "Ok, well these aren't really blacks anymore, so we're good". That doesn't cut it.
And Flemish/Dutch people, who grow up with the folklore and know Zwarte Pieten aren't black people in their experience, will say "that cuts it".
Your thoughts on Golly Wogs?