– The intrinsic link between the garment workers’ presence in Chinatown and its economy starkly became evident with the closing down of garment shops after September 11.  I found this point interesting, as garment workers often did their grocery shopping and other errands during their breaks, and thus were frequent customers at stores by the factories where they worked.

– Further, the direct impact that September 11 had on individual families’ economic situations further draws attention to the importance of the garment industry in the Chinese immigrants’ lives.  Some older children in families that felt the economic pinch after September 11 (due to the fact that garment shops were closed down) had to take up jobs to help pay the bills and make ends meet.

– I found the description of Chinatown as a mobility trap to be an interesting way to view this ethnic enclave.  Garment workers in Chinatown are exploited by their employers, who have the upper hand over their undocumented employees.  The fear of being easily replaced forces these workers to be more compliant with the demands of shop owners.  Further, the coethnic nature of the garment shops themselves also transforms this urban enclave into a mobility trap for these immigrant workers.  The ethnic enclave model suggests that Chinese workers do not have to learn English to attain mobility; however, this model was proved wrong after September 11.  Despite taking ESL classes, workers were unable to become fluent in English, thus limiting their resources to work anywhere else.  This inability to become fluent stems from the fact that these workers were not required to use it in their everyday lives, as going to work meant associating with coethnics and speaking in their native tongue.

– In what ways can Chinatown be viewed as an avenue for social mobility, rather than solely a trap that limits immigrant workers?