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12th Post

Your Worth is Far Beyond What They Think You Deserve

Mujer,

You have sacrificed your freedom

Your ability to dream

Your ability to speak out your hurt

 All your life you have wished for something more

And here you are

Day and Night

Night and Day

Is this it?

 On the land of opportunity you were robbed

You are no more than a dark shadow among crowds

Unrecognized for all of the efforts

 Your hands cramp

Your legs and feet ache

 You’re told you are just another body moving

You’re told you have no voice among the rest

Your sun kissed skin is meaningless when compared to the fairest

You are the ‘other’

 Don’t accept it

In the fear you live in of losing all you have gained you need to remember:

 Tu eres mujer antes que nada

(You are a woman before anything else)

 Eres capaz de todo

(You are capable of it all)

  Eres la fruta del arbol

(You are the fruit of the tree)

 Eres un rayo de sol; Eres el sol

(You are a ray of sun; you are the sun)

 Eres una Diosa

(You are a Goddess)

 You are everything.

Do not let them chose your freedoms

Do not let them identify you

Your worth is far beyond the numbers they claim you to be

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Bibliography

Klein, Naomi. “The Discarded Factory”. No Logo. Picador. New York. December 1999. Text. First Edition:196-229. November 15, 2015

“Undocumented Workers in The U.S. Garment Sector: An Assessment and Guide for Brands”. Verite. October 2014. Web. November 15th, 2015  http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Undocumented_US_Garment_Workers.pdf

Woolf, Linda M..”Women and Sweatshops”. Women and Global Human Rights. Web. Novemebr 15th, 2015

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REFLECTION

This research project was easy in a way that I knew what I was searching for because it is something that falls under the category in which I want to concentrate once I earn my degree. However, the challenges I faced more towards the specifics that I was trying to find like particular areas of the U.S. and other demographics. However, with the information I was able to find I was able to learn and understand more things that I wasn’t able to before and gain more perspective and what I can do to try and fix it. First and foremost as a consumer I am more aware or will be more aware where I purchase my things and from whom. That is the easiest and best way to start combating this issue. Moreover I am more informed an educated to where I can inform others of the damage we are causing to the people on the other side of this spectrum.

That is not to say that we shouldn’t shop for things that make us happy but we should be part of the change by demanding these companies to provide better assistance to their employees and monitor their manufacturer’s practices. I have also become more passionate about my wanting to work with immigration and human trafficking victims through this research, as well. This type of issue plays a big role that is part of a bigger one that affects us as a country and internationally, especially with women.

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another documentary about sweatshops in L.A.

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A docuseries of a group that experiences the horrors of over seas sweatshops. (subtitles included)

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Annotated List of Additional Resources

1.     No Logo by Naomi Klein is a great book for those seeking to know more about the sweatshops here in America as well as Asia. This reading is more for those who seek less statistics and more visual aid through wording.

2.     Women and Sweatshops by Professor Linda M. Woolf offers a short essay of the process a woman has to go through to fall victim of a sweatshop. It also gives the reader insight on how the U.S. government plays a role on how these facilities are ran. http://faculty.webster.edu/woolflm/sweatshops.html

3.     Verite is a non-profit organization that offers information on what is occurring on a global scale with worker exploitation. They offer more demographics and statistics, but also their victories and involvement towards labor law changes and human rights. http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Undocumented_US_Garment_Workers.pdf

4.     Making a Killing: Femicide, Free Trade, and La Frontera by Alicia Gaspar de Alba could be a good reference for those who are interested in femicides but also want to know more about sweatshops in Mexico and how it affects us here in the United States.

5.     This Norwegian docuseries provides viewers with visual aid on what happens in sweatshops and it helps gain more perspective. http://www.aftenposten.no/webtv/#!/video/21032/sweatshop-ep-1-how-many-will-die-here-every-year

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Your Suggested Solutions To The Problem

  Provide legal assistance and Visas to those who have been exploited in sweatshop like conditions.

   This can help individuals and families heal and get a chance at working and living an adequate life without having to worry about deportation or getting separated from loved ones, but most importantly never be a slave again.

 Fine/ punish companies who solicit or contract manufacturers that run these facilities

  These are multi-billion corporations who can afford to investigate and monitor where their products are being finished and if they don’t comply to the laws then they should be punished for such practices.

Change regulations and policies that are often overlooked or dismissed.

There are labor laws and regulations that are not followed and often ignored because they are too broad or do not apply to certain situations. Therefore, these laws and regulations should be changed and made effective for any kind of situation that calls for justice

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Summary

I have always known that there have been sweatshops around the world making our garments, toys, and gadgets under horrid conditions. Never would I have had thought that those places existed here up until maybe a few years ago. I fell for the tags that said, “Made in The USA” and for trends that told me to buy a certain product without thinking deeper into a problem that is affecting many women. My research was able to give me a better understanding of what these women endure, and sometimes men as well. They are seen as disposable and machines to do a part that many Americans would never do because they would demand for better pay and demand for labor laws to apply.

What has been more captivating and more surprising is the lack of involvement our government has on these issues even when they are aware of them. Policies and regulations aren’t enforced and these big name companies fail to do any sort of inspections because they are more focused on making a profit in time to meet a deadline. Even when inspections are performed I found that many of these manufacturers shut down, but open a different location under a different name elsewhere. The companies who are contracting them are smart and know what they are doing because they demand for low prices, which causes for these contracted manufacturers to cut their employees pay just so they can meet their profits as well. Human trafficking is often thrown in the mix because these facilities contract “recruiters” that are just looking for a cut. They promise these individuals good paying jobs at a price to get them there and the people who fall victims of this end up slaving away trying to pay these high “fees”. These internal and vigorous structures are an indication of how deep and complex this problem can be.

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Description of How The Problem is An Intersectional Issue

Human right violations towards women in sweatshops is an intersectional issue because it is part of the economic globalization movement that is occurring globally. This isn’t just an issue that has been affecting us here in the U.S. it has affected women across the border and over seas. With different cultures, governments, and policies this can affect women around the world differently. For example, if we look at our sisters across the border in Mexico they are facing certain issues that fall heavily on the patriarchy that fall heavy on the country. These women are constantly being submitted to taking pregnancy tests, sexual harassment, rape, and even murder. These women are seen as objects, as being replaceable. If something were to happen to them it is because they were asking for it or didn’t abide by her supervisors rules, which were often sexual advances. In countries were women are constantly seen as the “other” sex they fall under different problems that we may not see here.

In other places there could be lack of government policy or regulations that permit for the women to be exploited and over worked. Certain demographics and other cultural aspects may play a part as well, such as lack of opportunities for women, education or men who would want to take on such labor.

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Discussion of An Institutional Example

The institutions that get hurt by this are the ones who are contracting the manufacturers to assemble their products. These manufacturers are supposed to abide by certain labor laws, but our lack of investigation and regulations has failed to have them comply. Big name companies like Nike, Gap, and Wal-Mart could suffer and have suffered due to reports of human right violations. However, some reports have shown that since there are so many “middlemen” involved in this process they are often unaware of the conditions these workers are subjected to. Nonetheless, many who have seen lawsuits have promised to start having mandatory inspections of the conditions these facilities have their workers under. While some have moved their manufacturing over sea where it is cheaper and labor laws are not applied or followed. Big names like these try very hard to wipe their hands clean from any and such controversies all while trying to re-assure the consumers. If they aren’t upfront they will see a dramatic drop in sales and horrible public backlash.

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Discussion of An Everyday Example

I think the only ones directly affected by this are the immigrant women who come to this country seeking for work and a better life for their families. The only way for us to feel their suffering and exploitation is to research and be aware that this is real. These women are trying to seek certain freedoms in a country that promises that. However, when they arrive they see that their status leaves them with very little options and the only jobs they are able to obtain are those at manufacturing facilities where they work countless hours with very little to no pay. These women are constantly getting threatened with deportation and often sexually harassed, as well as an incentive their managers or supervisors have them believe will grant them favors or higher positions. We as consumers of the products they are making are affecting them indirectly, too. Having holiday season upon us, and living in a materialistic society, we are pushing for more product at a faster rate and this only causes for these companies to vigorously over work their employees. For a garment or toy that cost us thirty or forty dollars they only see a fraction of that.

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An informative book about sweatshops in America and Asia

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Analysis of A Second Scholarly Source:

What Happened to Carmelita?

In this piece from the book No Logo by Naomi Klein tells the story of a tragic, yet very common incident that happened to a woman by the name of Carmelita Alonzo. Her story echoes through out these factories and resonates with the workers because they fear and know it could happen to them. Alonzo was a seamstress at a clothing factory where just like in most of them, she was over worked. This company was known to stitch clothes for well known companies such as GAP and Liz Claiborne (Klein:216). Alonzo’s death was caused by countless overnight shifts due to a high peak season and wasn’t allowed to go home (Klein:216). And just like many Alonzo traveled long distances to get from home to work and allowed for very little time to recover from long nights that lasted all week with no days off. Until one night she was suffering from pneumonia and when asked to be sent home her request was denied (Klein:216). She was then admitted to the hospital where she later died.

Just like before in my other scholarly source there is lack of government involvement. In this case the zoning officials who give permission for such factories to be built are aware of the overtime and lack of workers hired so there isn’t overworked employees falling ill, however, it is vastly ignored and stating that it is an internal managements issue and not theirs. I think with stories such as Carmelita’s it gives this issue a raw outlook because this isn’t a statistic or a simple fact; it is an actual person that died under these circumstances that many women are subjected to daily in sweatshops. The questions we need to start raising are those for our government officials that are aware but don’t do anything. Why aren’t they getting investigated in an already corrupt system?

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Analysis of a Scholarly Source:

Women and Sweatshops

It is difficult to be able to exercise your rights or fight back when you are continuously reminded that you are undocumented and are threatened with deportation. This essay on the exploitation of women in sweatshops written by Professor of Psychology at Webster University Linda M. Woolf, highlights the process of how these women end up in such spaces, the conditions, and the corruption and involvement of U.S. government. Her research found that 90% of the employees are women who are often tricked into believing they are being brought to America for great opportunities all while having to pay fees that reach the thousands for these kind of “placements” (Woolf). These fees are sometimes paid right away in cash, but if the person has no means then they are in agreement to pay the rest with the work they are subject to do. However, once they are put to work they soon find out that these positions offer them very little pay and the cut that this recruiter gets leaves them with very little after. Other human violations include the type of housing they are offered that is often prison like and filthy. The facilities are closely monitored at all times and the workers are not allowed visitors. Woolf’s research also touches base on the ironies behind “MADE IN THE U.S.A” labels that people often think is merchandise that was made under humane conditions and followed U.S. laws. Some of these products are made in manufacturing facilities on U.S. territories, in which government officials and local governments have failed to address legal issues (Woolf). This has also shined light on the corruption surrounding these internal problems because it has shown that some of these companies have been known to donate millions of dollars to lobbyist and providing free trips to Republicans in Congress (Woolf). In which case, these problems have been ignored. Others that have fallen guilty are the well-recognized companies that are the ones selling the merchandise made at these horrific facilities such as Gap, JC Penney, and Wal-Mart.

Woolf has shined light on issues that Verite didn’t, however, it seems that it holds some political biases. For instance she points out the issues surrounding the Republican Party in this all while contrasting the Democratic Party. I think I would have to disagree on this and raise questions on the actual gains of the Democrats towards improving this without sounding one sided. Nonetheless, making readers aware of popular stores we may find ourselves shopping at is very important towards awareness and change. Sometimes we are unaware of the internal structures or how something works, but we could be a bit more conscience if we just dig a bit.

http://faculty.webster.edu/woolflm/sweatshops.html

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Analysis of a Web Source:

 Verite Non-Profit Organization

We live in such a materialistic world where fashion changes every season that we don’t have any thought of where our clothes come from except through the tags attached to them. Some of us are lucky enough to also carry a particular privilege to never know harsh labor or the difficulties we would undergo seeking the “American Dream”. In truth, during my research process I have found many of this to hold validity because I have fallen guilty of this ignorance. In a non-profit organization’s webpage, by the name of Verite who monitors labor rights on a global scale, touches base on the exploitation and flawed globalization that many fall victims of. It focuses on working along side companies to come up with plans to improve the way we perform in our global economies. In this case, it focused on the garment production sector of the United States and the immigrant workers who take part in it.

Verite highlights these industry’s demographics across the nation, the reasons they chose to keep these manufacturers as domestic companies, and the people who have to pay a heavier price to make sure the supply is meeting the demand. With the statistics provided we are able to see that most of our manufacturing establishments are based off of Los Angeles, with New York being second. This is reasoned with our fashion constantly changing and the inability to get something imported fast enough to meet a particular demand. Moreover, it is cheaper to have a product manufactured here since it cuts shipping costs, but it also becomes cheaper when they hire immigrants because they take advantage of their status and willingness to take on whatever is offered. The majority of these workers are women who these manufacturers know will be content with the amount and type of work, in which case also makes them susceptible to being replaced and dispensable. This also leaves room for human traffickers or “agents” to trick them. However, more often than not these female workers are not even paid a minimum wage, but are paid per garment they are able to complete, which often causes for it to turn into over time that goes unpaid or take-home work (Verite:8). In many cases these workers are threatened with deportation or abuse if they do not meet specific quotas, which often becomes hard for them to report or leave these jobs (Verite:8). Other violations that have been seen in some of the reports Verite has done has been meal breaks or breaks in general that were not given to their employees.

This organization has done thorough research of the conditions these manufacturers have their employees under and the countless human right violations they have committed. Their approaches to wanting to better these conditions and the outreach it has done to work along side companies to assure the safety and well being of their workers has been successful work. Not to mention the light it has shined on these types of human right violations especially on women. However, the questions that may arise when looking at reports like these would be questioning why the government has failed to ensure the safety of people in manufacturing firms that are on U.S. property and assembling products being distributed on to U.S. based stores? I think for a country that is always so preoccupied with the rest of the world, we continuously fail to fix what we have going on here.

http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Undocumented_US_Garment_Workers.pdf