Sometimes the truth is inconvenient.
Like when you pick up one of those decadent looking cakes from the grocery store bakery that’s in the blister packs. They have those pesky nutrition information labels plastered right over the edge of the package so there’s no escaping those numbers as you bust into the crinkly plastic. No one really wants to know how many calories, fat grams, and carbohydrates are in a slice of that stuff, do they? Can’t a girl just enjoy a slice of cake without facing reality?
Well, I’m beginning to feel the same way about most of the products readily available for purchase around me. The problem is, I’ve already read the label, and I know how much junk is in there, and I really don’t want to eat it anymore.
Except, I’m not talking about cake, or food in general. (Although at the rate I’m going, I may be talking about it soon.) I’m talking about other types of goods, like clothing and craft supplies.
I mentioned in my last post that I’ve been thinking lately about the issues of fair trade, fair labor, and the supply chain of goods in our country. I’m not quite sure how I’ve survived this long without giving it much thought, but I guess we do that, don’t we? At least in our western, developed, pre-packaged, subdivided part of the world. It’s almost too easy to buy things without giving a second thought to where they came from and how they were made. With the internet at most of our fingertips, we don’t even have to leave home to buy goods. Just a few clicks and they arrive at our doorstep a few days later.
So what if we became aware that the latest pair of jeans, cute craft supply, or sunglasses we bought were produced by a 14-year old girl in China that had just worked 30 days straight in terrible working conditions with little to no pay? Would it change how we felt about purchasing that item?
It happened to me.
There have been moments along the way in my journey when I HAVE thought about fair labor and the prevalence of sweatshops producing a lot of the clothing and goods that we so easily purchase. A few years ago, I watched the documentary “China Blue” and I remember feeling utterly disgusted about the conditions brought to light of the young girls working in a blue jean factory in China. It bothered me, but it didn’t change my behavior. I don’t remember how long after watching it, but at some point I just conveniently forgot about it.
Strangely enough, the young girl featured in the film is named Jasmine. That is my youngest daughter’s name. If she had been born in China, this film could be her story.
Photo from PBS.org
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and my husband brought me an article to read from our local paper. He kind of shoved it at me and said, “Does anything about this article seem strange to you?” In the article the company owner describes how their team took their hand-painted inspirational gift business and started a manufacturing plant in China to produce their items on a mass scale, and how this move was instrumental in helping them grow to millions of dollars in sales last year. I don’t know if your reaction to this is the same as mine and my husband’s, but it made my heart sink. So this local artist who came up with the designs and hand painted the products is now designing the products so they can be produced at a plant in China? And we are excited about this? I’m sure it’s driving up their profits, but it bothers me.
To me, the why question is the clincher. Why would this company make a decision like this? Is China the only place where an American artisan can find a manufacturer to produce their products? Is China the best option? Is this improving the quality of their products? Does the artist feel as proud of their creations when they seem them mass-produced by a laborer from China? I believe the answer to all of those questions is no, but China is one of the cheapest. This company can have their products produced for less, sell them for a more consumer friendly price, and make more profit.
According to this recent article in the Huffington Post, the average hourly wage for a Chinese factory worker was just $1.36, and the average workday of a Chinese factory worker was 12 hours.
China is also known for having some of the worst working conditions and human rights in the world. Now, I haven’t been this gift company’s Chinese factory, nor have I even been to China. Maybe this inspirational gifts company is the exception to the rule, and their workers are being treated better than most and are making a decent, living wage. The problem is, who really knows? Even if they visit their factory a few times a year to check out what’s going on there, no one really knows what life is like for those workers but those workers.
The company owners would be hard pressed to get the real story on what life is like for a worker at that China factory from the higher-ups managing the factory, who want to maintain their relationship as a customer.
That’s the scary thing to me, and the thing that’s hard to accept. If you don’t really know what is going on there, based on China’s record, it is very difficult to assume that what’s going on there is good.
Perhaps the most disturbing thing about the article to me, though, is that the gift company that was highlighted is faith-based. Their gift lines are sold at Christian bookstores around the country. And the owners are proclaiming in the article how blessed they are. Blessed? What about the people in China that are making those products? Do they feel blessed? Are they getting rich off the sales of these products, or are they staying in poverty?
It’s hard for me to fathom this. Why is it okay, acceptable, good, and encouraging to stop producing your products locally and hire Chinese workers to do it? Where is the community spirit, authenticity, and integrity in that? Who is being “blessed”?
The whole turn of events of these few weeks and my thought process led me to do more research, and I started looking at websites like ILRF.org, chinalaborwatch.org, and greenamerica.org. I read horror stories of awful working conditions and poor treatment of workers. It’s not just China, and it’s not just clothing, either. The issue is complex and far-reaching. And I’m just as guilty as the next person. We all have a part in the injustice that is going on around the world.
It gets overwhelming and depressing really quickly. Guess how much fun I had on my most recent trip to Target? Oh, look at that cute chambray shirt! Wait, what does the label say? Made in China. Oh, and look at that adorable bag! Yep, Made in China. Not that I had planned on spending $25 on a shirt from Target anyway. It’s rare that I pay over $5 for an item of clothing, since I mostly shop at thrift stores. It was disheartening all the same. I do buy things off the Target clearance rack every now and then.
So, what’s the point here, you may be asking? Well, for one, the point is much too complicated to cover everything in one blog post, so I’m going to have to break it down and cover different segments of the issue as I go.
As I mentioned in this post – I’m far from an expert in this area. It’s easy to begin feeling insignificant and hypocritical when you realize how much of what you own is likely to have been produced unethically, with someone at the other end of the world being treated unfairly and exploited.
It’s also easy to conveniently forget, and assume that it’s someone else’s responsibility to make sure these workers are treated fairly. Why isn’t their government making sure they are taken care of? Why isn’t the American company buying the goods making sure the workers in other countries aren’t being exploited? Why should I have to think about this as a consumer?
Those are good questions, but I do believe there are things we can do to make a difference. Small things that begin inside of us, that start with our thinking, and with asking ourselves questions before we purchase things. Where we spend our money should send a message about what matters to us.
For now, I hope you at least begin thinking about the issue.
If you want to learn more about the issue, here are a few websites to check out.
International Labor Rights Forum
GoodGuide (GoodGuide gives companies ratings based on how safe, green, and socially responsible they are. They even have a mobile app you can download and scan products with your smart phone while shopping to determine the GoodGuide rating, and that will also suggest alternative products.)
As always, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.
itcomesfullcircle 
Jason Wm. Harris
The USA cares greatly about human rights and the such. Take http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_embargo_against_Cuba for example. However, Cuba is not a manufacturing base. You can only care so much when it affects whether or not you can get a pair of jeans that fit just right………..right? Great article Ms. Ramsey. I enjoy your blog greatly.
Sincerely,
Your only male subscriber
Kristen Ramsey
I see your point, Jason – perhaps another hypocrisy of our government that it’s acceptable not to trade with Cuba due to human rights issues but not China. Interestingly, it seems like Cuba owes the US money. In the case with China, we owe them money. I guess it would be hard for our government to tell China we wouldn’t trade with them unless they cleaned up their human rights when we are in debt to them.
Wanda
It is overwhelming to consider. When I think about it I am taken back to the same feeling I have when I watch the Compassion videos. I know that I can’t adopt every child but I want to. I can’t make a complete switch to not using anything manufactured in China, but I can be more purposeful about my purchases. I recently made a purchase from a clothing manufacturer (Elegantees) whose mission is to provide meaningful employment to women in Nepal who have been rescued from sex trafficking. To top it off, their clothes are cute, comfy and affordable. It’s just one purchase, but I’m putting my money somewhere that matters. It’s a purposeful way to use the money God has given me.
I often think that it would be wonderful to sell everything and go live off the land. Don’t worry about fashion and “cute” and just make my own everything. It’s a fun dream.
Kristen Ramsey
It is overwhelming, Wanda. Elegantees seems like a really great option, I’m glad you made a purchase from them! It feels good when you purchase something that you know is helping another person, and you know where it came from.
I’m not sure it’s possible to completely avoid products made in China. It would be really, really difficult for sure. For me, buying things used (from thrift stores, Craigslist, garage sales, eBay, etc.) is one way to avoid putting my money in the hands of the manufacturers whose products may be exploiting others. (Plus, it’s much more affordable!) Even if the product was originally made in China, it’s now being sold by a thrift store or individual, so if I buy it locally I’m putting money back into the local economy rather than the corporation.
It’s interesting you mention selling everything and living off the land, I have had several conversations with friends about that recently. I am starting to think it’s an ingrained desire in us, that dream, to live simply with nature and get out of the daily grind. I think that’s what the kingdom is going to be like. Our souls are calling us toward more simplicity, and being closer to our creator.
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