December
Forum
STUDENTS
a bout
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Madison Wegener,
sophomore
Abercombie: sold in U.S., made overseas
C alley L athrop
Staff Reporter
Abercrombie & Fitch is
a brand that runs rampant
in our school. Everywhere I
walk, there are students with
the familiar moose in the
comer of their designer shirts.
However, I don't think anyone
knows that their designer
shirts and pants are not "made
in the U.S.A.," but made
by the hands of sweatshop
workers in the Mariana
Islands.
Most students might think
that their A&F products are
made in the U.S.A. because the
tag on the back says so. That is
not the case.
According to www. salon,
com, in 1944 the U.S. fought '
the Japanese in a bloody battle
and gained control of a small
group of islands just off the
eastern states in the Atlantic.
They were named "The
Mariana Islands," and made
a commonwealth of the U.S.
That meant that companies
could set up shop there, and
labor laws would not fully
apply.
"I think it's fine,
because you
have the option
to say 'no' to
recruitment. You
make your own
decisions. It's an
important cause to
consider."
"Unless the
recruiters target
students based
on their grades, I
don't really think
it matters. It's your
choice to say yes'
or 'no' in the end."
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Jessica Johnson,
junior
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Among others,
Abercrombie began hiring
(usually poor) Japanese,
Chinese and Filipino workers
in their new factories. The
migrants were told that they
were going to America and
would be given good jobs and
a better life. Once they arrived,
they were housed in barracks
that were unsanitary and
forced to work up to ten hours
a day, seven days a week and
were only paid for around six
hours. The minimum wage
on the islands is around $3 an
hour and most of the factories
are located in the capital,
Saipong. To me, that is the
closest it could get to slavery
All of this is still going on
today and it gets worse all the
time. The workers cannot go
home; to do so would mean
paying around $4,000, money
most of them don't have.
M a r g a r et A dam s
Staff Reporter
If you're interested in
supporting sw eatshop-
free corporations, you
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’I think they
should have the
ability to get the
info ir you show
physical
scars heal.
Their
emotional
scars probably
never will.
Abercrombie
isn't the only
company that
partakes of this
nearly free labor.
Companies such as
Tommy Hilfiger,
Calvin Klein, Polo,
Ralph Lauren, The
Gap, Sears Roebuck
and Co., Nordstrom, Wal-
Mart and Target also take
part in these atrocities. These
companies may not make all
of their clothes in the Mariana
Islands, but they do make a
portion of them. Lawsuits
have been filed against the
companies and settlements
have been paid. Certain laws
are in process that should
allow workers more rights,
but so far none of them have
been seriously enforced. I
think that, as of now, the
government is perfectly happy
with the money they are
making and so is Abercrombie
& Fitch.
There is something we
can do about this. We, as free
Americans, (unlike the garmet
workers) have choices. We can
choose to buy that $35 shirt,
or we can find somewhere
else that keeps its factories
in the U.S. We have included
information on a store that
keeps their business in the
U.S. Buy their clothes!
Another comment I hear
constantly is, "Oh,
but these
clothes
are sooooo much more
comfortable!" There are a lot
of comfortable clothes out
there. Just because that shirt
has a funny looking moose
on it doesn't make it better
than others. Lying is wrong,
abusing workers is wrong,
and ruining lives to make
profit is wrong. That is what
Abercrombie & Fitch is doing.
Their workers in the Mariana
Islands came here searching
for a better life, wanting to live
out the American dream. They
came and were given nothing
but unsanitary barracks and
factories that become their
prisons until the day they die.
All so we can wear clothing
made by the overrated and
overpaid clothing store
Abercrombie & Fitch.
American Apparel offers sweatshop free option
Zachary Long,
freshman
IB » «
According to Witness,
org, the women in these
factories are often forced into
prostitution and if they get
pregnant, they are forced to
have an abortion or go back
home. Again, no one can
afford that. The workers are
often beaten or raped, and
cannot do anything about it
except let
the
"We don’t get a
say in it, so to
me it seems like
:i¥v
an invasion of
privacy. I don't
want to be asked
or recruited to
join the army; It's
a very personal
decision and a long
lasting one."
M eet Julio.
Am erican Appare!“
can start by checking
out A m erican A pparel.
A ccording to the com pany's
m ission statem ent, they've
consolidated all stages of
production
under one
roof at their
dow ntow n Los
A ngeles factory.
Em ployees
are allow ed
paid tim e-off,
free parking,
bus passes, on
site m asseurs
and affordable
health care for
them and for
their fam ilies.
Each em ployee
is offered
year-round
em ploym ent at
w ages as low as
$13 per hour to
as high as $27
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per hour, as w ell as offering
job security.
The products are m ostly
cotton basics (T-shirts,
sw eatshirts, etc.) in a w ide
variety of colors as w ell as
a "sustainable" line that is
produced entirely of organic
cotton. If you're into nam e
brands em blazoned on your
tees, stick w ith A bercrom bie
& Fitch because A m erican
A pparel is logo-free.
These are tw o easy to
find Portland locations:
A m erican A pparel
3412 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, Ore. 97214
Tel. (503) 231-0043
A m erican A pparel
1234 S.W. Stark St.
Portland, Ore. 97205
Tel. (503) 721-0700
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