Behind the Label
Soros Documentary Fund Exploiting trade benefits and loopholes in U.S. immigration and wage laws, Asian-based garment manufacturers have flocked to Saipan, the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), bringing in cloth and materials by the shipload alo...
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| Institution: | Open Society Archives at Central European University |
| Language: | English |
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Witness ; Oxygen Media
2001
United States |
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10891/osa:0de4cca2-6576-4823-9aa1-44d1507c5c18 |
| Summary: | Soros Documentary Fund
Exploiting trade benefits and loopholes in U.S. immigration and wage laws, Asian-based garment manufacturers have flocked to Saipan, the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), bringing in cloth and materials by the shipload along with tens of thousands of foreign indentured workers. Lured by false promises and driven by desperation, thousands of Chinese, Thai, Bangladeshi and Filipino women and men paid high fees to recruiters to work in the garment factories in Saipan. Once there, they find themselves stranded on the tiny island, working 70 or 80 hours a week without overtime pay and living in crowded, company-owned barracks. The clothing they sew, bearing the "Made in the USA" label, is shipped duty and quota-free to the U.S for sale by various well known retailers. Through hidden camera footage, along with the garment workers' personal stories, the film offers a rare and unforgettable glimpse into indentured labor and the workings of the global sweatshop - where 14-hour shifts, payless paydays and lock-downs are routine. |
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| Published: | 2001 |