The Garment Industry
Another major part of Chinatown’s enclave economy is the garment industry. When the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was finally repealed in 1943 Chinese immigrants, women especially, came in large numbers (2). That was the end of the Bachelor’s Society.
From this huge influx of immigrant Chinese women, more than half found jobs in garment factories. Because these new Chinese immigrants lacked monetary resources and knowledge of the English language, it was hard for them to explore many types of work in New York’s employment market. In fact, many of them were not aware of other kinds of jobs that existed.
Chinese women working in a garment factory in Chinatown during the 1980s (Womenworld.org).
What they did know, as told by relatives or friends, was that there was good work at garment shops. Chinese immigrants could operate a sewing machine without having to learn English because most of the other workers were just like them, Chinese immigrants who only spoke Chinese (1). Today, there are hundreds of garment factories in Chinatown.
Chinese immigrants working in a Chinatown sweatshop in 2010 (Realuyo, binoarealuyo.com).
Like the restaurant industry, the garment industry did not have preferable working conditions or wages. Chinese garment factories were typically small storefronts or lofts with about thirty sewing machines and a few other necessary pieces of equipment. In the 1980s, nearly twenty thousand people, mostly women, worked in Chinatown’s garment industry (1). While factories have an annual payroll bill of over $200 million, the bi-weekly salary for the average garment worker before September 11th, 2001 was $200 (3). Although the hours are not as rigid as those of the restaurant industry, garment workers earn minimum wages or lower as the garment industry continues to steadily decline.
