Unfortunately, I was not very surprised to learn about American corporations exploiting foreign workers. It has been known for a long time that American companies establish factories in other nations to take advantage of the cheap labor opportunities; coupled with the lack of government regulations, these countries allow American corporations to produce products for pennies. Thousands of companies, like Walmart, all do this. I was a little surprised at how much the author focused on women and their role in this growing trend. From my previous understanding, men receive the same squalor treatment as female coworkers. I did not realize it could get much worse. I also found it interesting that the governments of nations like China, actively seek out to change cultural standards for women to increase the workforce and discourage equal treatment. I was shocked to read that Chinese women were encouraged to quietly accept their measly pay and horrible treatment, all in the hopes of pleasing their parents and finding a suitable husband. I suppose that in the context of Confucianism this makes sense, and as an American I should not force my cultural beliefs on such women, but I just don’t ever think the assaults and harassment that these women have experienced is ever acceptable in any culture.
I think that Americans should start speaking with their wallets and buying products that are made according to certain standards. We all have a daily impact on the economy when we chose what and where to buy our goods. If we all were a little more aware of our products we may be able to make a huge impact.
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