Testimony of an Immigrant Worker: Struggle and Resistance

Introduction

• Immigration and labor struggle
• Personal experiences
• Work context in the sewing industry

Personal Life and Migration

• Childhood on a ranch

  • Born and raised on a ranch
  • Meeting her husband at 14 years old

• Arrival in the United States

  • Sewing work of 10-12 hours a day
  • Restrictions in the workplace (no eating, no bathroom)
  • Poor working conditions (cockroaches, lack of electricity)

Labor in the Sewing Industry

• Working conditions

  • Labor exploitation and low wages
  • Jobs that require a lot of effort and are poorly paid
  • Documentation and language barriers

• Personal experiences

  • Sewing jobs without needing papers
  • Activities within factories (ironing and manual work)

Organization and Protests

• Beginnings and fear of organizing

  • Messages to the president of Forever 21
  • Start of protests and strikes

• Legal actions

  • Lawsuits against big companies
  • Corporate responsibility and legal responses

Community Participation

• Community centers and support

  • Resources and labor rights in California
  • Creation of a sense of community and mutual help

• Impact on personal life

  • Balance between work life, activism, and family
  • Emotions and stress associated with protests and work

Reflections and Future

• Personal perspectives

  • Importance of education and learning English
  • Desire to improve conditions for future generations

• Impact of activism

  • Changes achieved through organization and perseverance
  • Sense of power and community achieved through labor resistance

Conclusion

• Constant struggle for labor justice
• Need for support and unity within immigrant communities
• Importance of continuing to educate oneself and improve working conditions