Made in...?!?!?

Have you ever wonder where your clothes were made from? where they were made? who made them?

This seem to be the question that many people avoid to know or they don't even care to know.

Let me break this down...There are very few products are actually have a tagline that says "Made in U.S.A" why? We all knows.

As of this week, there are several articles in my reader about the sweatshop garments industries. I have heard and reads several stories about this and these readings are not so surprising to me. As describe in the article "Forever in Trouble?" by Chuck Q.Byun, to maximize the profits that manufacturers or retailers can make, the best decision is to make their garments outside of the U.S in some Third World Countries where the wages are way lower than here in America or they can simply make it right here in the U.S and have immigrants or even illegal immigrants who were hired with a very low wage, no overtime wages, and even unpaid hours overtime. (Byun)There are so many loop holes that the manufacturers can get the workers to work under very low wage so the profits will be higher.

Where is the humanity in this? People in general are just plain evil. They are willing to sacrifices the other just for themselves. Rather than landing the helping hands to the immigrant workers, the manufacturers and retailers used this chance to hire the immigrant workers, especially of Latino and Asian who clearly cannot fully understand their rights and very passive, to work for very cheap cheap cheap rates.

This not only happened in the fashion industry but spread out everywhere around the economies. Many of my family members are still working under the condition like the sweatshop workers. I asked them s many times why haven't they do anything about it but the answer always the same. They are scare of losing their jobs, not being to find another one, or that they cannot speak English. The language barriers always the best excuse they can give. I always heard them complains about their jobs and then go on to say that they will find a better job next year. Then next year will go into next year. On and on with the "next year" song. Then 10 years later, they are still stuck in the same place. Why am I so useless in this situation? I cannot even help them speaking of helping others.

Anyways, i heard the sweatshop workers situation since the first ASA class i took and it totally change my point of view toward purchasing and choosing clothes. I always have to check the label of where they were made and what store I want to shop in. Though sometimes the clothes are a little more expensive but at least i have the ease of mind wearing it.

A little side thought. If we stop buying the clothes that made from the sweatshop workers, will they be out of jobs? Are we doing the right things?

But nowadays, it so hard to tell if the clothes are from the sweatshop workers or not and do we really have time to do all the research about it and deciding where to buy, etc....Hence, most people do not care and they will continue to shop, ignoring the fact that the workers are being treated unfairly in this situation.

So what is best for us to do now? The world is a mess already and we just a pawn in its game. We are willing to fight but our force are too scare, too shy to cooperate.



At least there are several people like McKee Yu knows what right and what wrong. He trade in the high profits for quality in both clothes making and workers working condition...

"Money make the world goes blind". "We should go back to be MONKEY" like what Chau Huynh has said in class :D! Then everything will be simpler :D



A little update on the Compact Challenge:

So to feed my shopaholic appetite, I've been going groceries shopping to make my own food. Not only it help me eating healthy but it feeding my shopaholic side too. I must admit i did bought a few more piece of warm clothes (3 to be exact) but they are pretty much on the clearance side at Target (sale Sale sAle). Though, I also spend money because of my design project of building models but i manage to shared the stuff with my friend to lower the cost. This project is harder than it seem. Friends are very helpful on this project too :D They always used this project to pick on me but at the same time, remind me not to shop :P

Alright, it's late!
and
Tu's out!

Tu Le
Blog #5

Byun, Chuck Q. "Forever In Trouble?." New America Media 04 Apr 2003: n. pag. Web. 19 April 2007. .

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