'Made in L.A.' Sweatshops in America

By Brenda Norrell

LOS ANGELES -- Made in L.A. tells the story of three women, and of all women, who sacrifice for their children, and struggle against all odds. But it also tells the story of courage, the courage of all people who are called on to give more than they think they can. Ultimately, Made in L.A. is the story of America, of the United States, and the blindsightedness and denial that keeps Americans shopping for low prices without regard for the consequences to others.

Made in L.A. is the story of sweatshops, the story of sweatshops in the United States, where migrant women are exploited for cheap labor, women working 12 hours a day, with children at home. These are women working surrounded by rats and roaches, in inhumane conditions, then fired without pay.

The profiles of three women reveal the broken hearts and broken dreams of the women who come to this country seeking education and opportunity, only to find that the United States is neither as kind, or alive in spirit, as the countries they leave behind. The documentary film reveals the heartbreak of the women who must come to this country to labor, and leave their precious children behind in their home countries, because there is no way to provide food for them.

It also reveals the long hours and struggle of single mothers and the long path endured for justice.
After three years of protests and court battles against Forever 21 clothing factories in L.A., these women and their coworkers gained justice and dignity through community organizing and perseverance. The film is a testament to the strength of women and a reminder that the colonized United States, established by immigrants, has become a world leader in human rights abuses, racism and xenophobia toward migrants.

Made in L.A., produced by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar, received an Emmy in September. The film, which premiered on PBS, received an Emmy at the 29^th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, in the category of Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story-Long Form at the ceremony in New York.

It is an Emmy that is a testament to the courage of women.

Lupe Hernandez, described by the filmmakers as "a five-foot tall dynamo," learned survival skills at an early age in Mexico. She has been working in Los Angeles garment factories for over 15 years since she left Mexico City at age 17.

In a moving portrait that reveals the lives of so many migrant women, Maura Colorado describes how she was forced to leave her three children in the care of relatives in El Salvador while she sought work in L.A. to support them. She was deprived her of seeing her children for over eighteen years.

Revealing the struggle of single women everywhere is María Pineda. Maria came to Southern California from Mexico in hopes of a better life at 18, with an equally young husband. Maria describes domestic abuse and her own fight for dignity.

These women found a haven at the Garment Worker Center. It was during a three year struggle, with protests, boycotts and court action, that the women took a stand, and their place in history, for all migrants, and all women.

Lupe rises from factory work to organizer. She remembers how she tried to kill herself with pills after her mother died and she slaved away to care for her brothers and an abusive father in Mexico.

Later, Lupe traveled to Hong Kong to protest the international trade that enslaves the desperate.

Reflecting on her long journey, she says, "The more I learn, the lonelier I feel. Ignorance somehow protects you. But then I say, I've come this far, and nothing can take that away from me."

The filmmakers are currently engaged in a two-year long outreach campaign and have recently launched a new "Host A Screening" initiative (http://www.madeinla.com/get/host) ">http://www.madeinla.com/get/host) that enables grassroots groups and others to host screenings. The goal is to engage communities and spark dialogue about low wage work, women's empowerment, consumer awareness and the everyday struggles of immigrant workers.