General Information

Author/Creator

Lessin, Tia, director.

Language

English.

Published

United States : Witness ; Oxygen Media, 2001.

Physical Description

DVD-ROM (47 min.)

Digital ver. identifier

HU_OSA_00004137

Contents/Summary

Summary

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.

Subjects

Genre

Documentary films

Bibliographic Information

Note

Soros Documentary Fund

Library Special Collection

Soros Documentary Fund

Holdings

Item Type	Current Location	Call Number	Status	Shelving Location	Public Note
DVD-ROM	OSA Film Library	FL Record 2521	Available	-	-
Digital film	OSA Film Library	FL Record 2521 (HU_OSA_00004137.mp4)	Available		Access Copy, MP4 format