It took a lot of courage for a 25-year-old girl from Wu Xi City in Jiang Shu province, China, who had never flown on a plane, and who had never left home before, to travel 2,000 miles to a foreign country in search of work. It took even more courage to stay once she discovered what life was really like for a factory girl on the island of Saipan in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
Had she made the greatest mistake of her life? Like many girls, she came with dreams of a better future. Yes, the pay was better than in China, but at what price? Would the high pressure of 15-hour quota-driven days of tedious, mind and finger-numbing work get to her? Or would the greedy floor monitors, and scam-artists preying on lonely, naive women rob her not just of her income, but of her innocence as well? At every turn, there were wolves ahead and tigers behind that threatened her dreams of happiness. Could she learn Saipan's secret factory system and get ahead before she lost it all? Could she save money, save fave, and return to China better off? Would she even want to, given the real reason she left China in the first place?
Chicken Feathers and Garlic Skin is Chun Yu Wang’s eight-year journey. It is an inspiring and enlightening tale of determination, disappointment, justice, and triumph, and the only known first-hand account of a Saipan factory girl’s life.
Chicken Feathers and Garlic Skin is told in her own words—simple, yet full of profound insights, and from an entirely untainted perspective. It is a directly transcribed account, told without the bias of reporters, journalists, case workers, human rights activists or western worldviews. Chun Yu’s words reveal a natural storyteller’s love of the art, and an attention to detail that makes Chicken Feathers and Garlic Skin a rare, emotional, memorable experience you’ll want to share again and again.
[END BACK COPY OF BOOK]
[ADDITIONAL]
We wear the clothes. We read an occasional story of worker exploitation in third world countries,
but then the reality fades. The nameless, faceless workers who fill the factories toiling long days to sew,
assemble and hem clothes for western tastes fade from our consciousness. Until now.
Ever wonder what it's really like to work in a garment factory?
Ever wanted to know more about those factory girls in news photos working hard behind sewing machines?
Where do they come from? What sorts of lives have they left behind? What sorts of lives do they lead now?
How much money do they really make and keep? Are they happy? sad? What do they really think about the work, their factories, themselves?
Chicken Feathers and Garlic Skin is one story of one young lady among the the tens of thousands who, even right now,
are working long, hard hours to earn wages to help better their lives, and the lives of their families.
Chicken Feathers and Garlic Skin answers those questions, bringing to life a worldview, a way of life, a work ethic, dreams
and aspirations that many of us rarely get a chance to experience.
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