The Sweatshop Experience

gws110

Dear Friend,
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7 C1 g& ^/ E7 T$ WWe all know that sweatshops exist – even in our modern ethical society
. p7 ]2 T9 o& H  r9 F– but no one talks openly about it, especially not people who have
3 [2 _0 U4 r+ l$ A$ Z; \4 kworked in factories.  And many people, including journalists, simply
$ j1 l9 \, M- ]3 T. m& c6 l" t% d' qdo not understand how these illegal industries operate.
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Today's Daily news article (text in-full at end of message), "City
- [" X7 x' D" _/ g7 B0 Fcontroller hopeful John Liu touts youth in sweatshop - only family
says it never happened", is a case-in-point.

$ _4 D/ |: S( KWhat began as a profile suddenly turned into a misleading piece of
( c6 _3 y- O4 V  C'gotcha' journalism.  A reporter asked for an interview with my
parents to talk about my childhood, and we gave her unfettered access.
. P. M* ]% H; I/ C8 OMy mom was very reluctant and embarrassed to talk about her
experience working in the garment industry.

After the interview, the reporter asked me for a paystub to prove I
' I, H- ?6 J! X5 i( c) y+ f: pactually worked in the factory.  We attempted to explain to the
journalist how sweatshops actually work.  Unfortunately, we were
- u4 O+ O6 X& i: B5 s5 o% m+ Iunable to dislodge her preconceived ideas about how illegal practices
in the garment industry work.

% {& N- c) b; V* K0 k7 P( }Not all sweatshops look like a scene from 'Norma Rae' or other
Hollywood movies, with people toiling in neat rows in a factory
setting.  These factories do exist, but in addition, some sweatshops
use overseas labor involving children as young as 6 years old.  Others
– including the one my mother worked in – combined factory hours with
8 j9 q8 {  p* c) z1 M; c) mhome-based piece work to maximize the exploitation and squeeze the
most out of workers: even after leaving the factory, the work never
ends.

Equally important for sweatshop owners are the weapons of intimidation
and shame, which keep parents from admitting they have involved their
1 G. c! M& r5 x5 H2 W2 `own children in unlawful work situations.
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: f7 J; A( H5 @4 {9 ^For my parents and so many Asian parents, having worked in a sweatshop
is a shameful past and people choose to bury those memories.  It’s
# K: L& Z3 x8 d& b. q  h9 ytime we brought them out in the open and let people tell their stories
- J" l) F# p0 jwithout being subjected to cynical attacks.

35 years ago, I worked with my mom – inside a sweatshop and at home.
2 `# [, K: ^/ {) N- AFor me, it’s not a shameful past.  I make no apology for the work
: ?7 n9 C' R8 J& |# E; Dethic I gained from toiling away many hours in a factory, and I remain
! q: e) `4 w. {2 Has committed as ever to exposing and ending the sweatshop system.
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I am running for Comptroller based on my record of accomplishments and
4 e3 ~3 j, g8 N/ s. j. ?my fiscal expertise and my vision for what the Office can do.  I am
2 `; `0 g* U' a8 i$ |also running to expand opportunity for the millions of New Yorkers who
/ ~7 j% k2 F9 V2 f- }don't have a job as well as those who work in sweatshops in the
- R4 G0 J9 M" C! l; [1 eretail, restaurant, laundry and many, many other industries.
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Sincerely,

' Z1 ^" `# M) R' HJohn C. Liu

矿泉水98

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9 K0 O' U3 l5 A  ETNND，为了选举，把自己母亲都摆上枱，，自找苦吃。这样的人还出来选，嗨！