Sewing Women
Subtitle: Immigrants and the New York City Garment Industry (Columbia Comparative Studies on Ethnicity and Race)
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: April 29, 2005
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 208
ISBN-13: 9780231133081
Subjects: History of specific subjects; Manufacturing industries; Women's studies; c 1990 to c 2000; Political Science; Ethnic Issues; Law; Politics/International Relations; New York; Ethnic Studies - Asian American Studies; Women's Studies - General; History / United States / General; Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights; Alien labor, Asian; Clothing trade; History; New York (State); Women clothing workers
Description: "Many Latino and Chinese women who immigrated to New York City over the past two decades found work in the garment industry - an industry well known for both hiring immigrants and its harsh working conditions. Today the garment industry is one of the largest immigrant employers in New York City and workers in Chinese- and Korean-owned factories produce 70 percent of all manufactured clothing in New York City. Based on extensive interviews with workers and employers, Margaret M. Chin offers a detailed and complex portrait of the work lives of Chinese and Latino garment workers. Chin, whose mother and aunts worked in Chinatown's garment industry, also explores how immigration status, family circumstances, ethnic relations, and gender affect the garment industry workplace. In turn, she analyzes how these factors affect whom employers hire and what wages and benefits are given to the employees." "Chin's work also provides an overview of the history of the garment industry, examines immigration strategies, and concludes with a discussion of changes in the industry in the aftermath of 9/11"--Jacket.