What are the forces fueling immigration to the United States?
Miriam Louie: The Chinese, Mexican and Korean immigrant women workers whose stories are featured in Sweatshop Warriors all came from regions that have long been the target of U.S. capital export and labor import, as well as of U.S. military occupation, political domination and cultural penetration. The economies and labor markets of these countries have grown even more tightly intertwined with that of the United States thanks to the globalization of sweatshop production and enactment of other World Bank, WTO and IMF neoliberal policies. Puerto Rico, the northern border of Mexico, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines all served as early stations of the global assembly line which tapped into young women s highly exploited labor in industries such as garments, electronics, wigs, shoes, textiles, plastics and toys. Governments showered multinational corporations with handsome profits and perks.The global sweatshop has since spread to many other countries.
