Week 4- America's Sweatshop (Uyen Ngo)

Week 4
Uyen Ngo
Santa's Sweatshop

When I first started learning about sweatshops, I started to associate them with third world countries where factories exploited the people by manipulating their need for work. And while I commend lots of companies for steering away from exploiting others, I also have come to find out a harsh reality, the one that is mentioned in "Santa's Sweatshop". When I would shop, I would usually look for pieces of clothing that says "Made in the U.S.A" as that is usually an indication that these clothings were ethically made. However, I would soon come to learn that "apparel is still being made in ways that resemble turn-of-the-century- style exploitation of at least 1 million immigrant workers" (Holstein). 

The article talks about a couple who, despite already being paid minimum wage, were forced to take their work home OR get taken money away to a point where they are making half of minimum wage. Hearing their story upset me as a child of an immigrant parent. My mother moved us to the US so that I would not end up in one of the sweatshops in Vietnam and so I would be in a country where I could not be exploited by others. And I was lucky that my mother was able to achieve financial success so I could chase my dreams. However, I know that not every immigrant parent's story is like my mother's. And it upsets me that America promises to be a place of equality and ethics, just to turn around and exploit these people who are trying to build a life from scratch, just as they would have done if they had stayed in their home country. These companies are doing exactly what they did to countries abroad, exploiting these people's need for work. When I first learned of this, I felt guilty, as if I was handing my money to companies with no morals and ethics. But as the article mentioned, "there is no way to pick up a product and instantly know exactly how it was made" but it is important to follow the tips that are given. These seem like a lot and a hassle to do, but very little actions can cause a ripple that will turn into a wave.

Works Cited
Holstein, Palmer, Ur-Rehman and Ito. “Santa’s Sweatshop: In a Global Economy, it’s Hard toKnow Who Made Your Gift—and Under What Conditions.”