Nonfiction Article Reading Response

  The article “The High Price of Cheap Fashion” is about Americans becoming more aware at where, how, and under what conditions their clothes are developed. This started happening when many people learned news about a factory that collapsed in Bangladesh, killing more than 1,100 workers and injuring 2,500 more. The workers at the factory made clothes to sell in companies in the United States and Europe. Investigators found out that the building owner had illegally added extra floors and heavy machines that the building couldn’t support. This accident is one of the worst accidents in the clothing industry, making other countries aware of this problem and calling for extra safety measures.  Today, U.S. companies manufacture most of their clothing in countries like China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. The factory workers only earn a fraction of what United States workers make. China makes 40% of U.S.’s clothing. Bangladesh makes 6%. Since now there are more new stores, there are more frequent purchases. Today, Americans on average buy 68 garments of clothing and eight pair of shoes per year. Each American throws out 10 pounds worth of clothing on average every year.

  However, the huge change in manufacturing to developing countries has provided jobs for millions of poor people in third nations. Many people work in “sweatshops” under dangerous and difficult conditions and face low wage. China is in the lead for the world’s “biggest ready-to-wear clothing” producer, but business has decreased since the workers’ pay raise has gone up.  Currently, the average Chinese clothing factory worker makes $1.26 per hour. This has caused major retailers like Gap and Sears, to shift some business into Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Bangladesh is second to China, but has one of the worse practices in the global garment industry. Workers must work long hours and face unsafe conditions. After the factory collapse happened, Bangladesh’s government made strict inspections and announced that they Bangladesh’s pay wage will be raised.  However, Bangladeshi officials warn that these drastic changes may damage Bangladesh’s economy.  Fifty major retailors recently signed a pact to spend at least $60 million over the next 5 years to monitor safety in Bangladesh’s clothing factories. It would also cost less then 10 cents for one garment of clothing with clothes to be produced with more worker protections. Slowly, Bangladesh’s garment industry will change and more protection provided for factory workers will develop.

   America is starting to have American apparel firms to be fair-trade certified (meaning that it’s factories have been inspected for safety and workers’ pay and found to be fair) like a yoga clothing company called PrAna. More people are looking for clothing that are fair trade and made in America. 

Reading Response: What really hard things are happening in this text? Are these things happening in the world now? Where?

\ The book I am currently reading now is "Story of a Girl" by Sara Zerr. The main character is seventeen years old, and her name is Deanna Lambert. When she was thirteen, she  was caught by her father doing  sexual things with Tommy Weber, her brother's (Darren Lambert) best friend.  Because of this, her and her family's life changed forever. Four years after, she is still being ignored by her father. She also known as the "school slut/skank" in her school. Everyone bullies and ignores her. Her family is considered a failure because of her, and Deanna deals with sexual harassment. Throughout the book, Deanna becomes independent by getting a job so she can move out with her brother,his girlfriend, and baby. She also learns how to stand up for herself when she gets bullied. This book has many social issues like bullying, teen pregnancy, sexual harassment, and poverty.  

   Teen pregnancy is a issue in this book. Deanna's older brother, Darren gets his girlfriend Stacy,pregnant. They have a baby called April. The couple move in with Darren's parents, since they have no money to support themselves. Darren and his girlfriend argued about everything, from hair color to types of baby bottles. At a point in the book, Stacy is so exhausted that she goes to a party for two days and leaves Darren and April (Pg 98-114) Teen pregnancy is a social issue everywhere in the world.  Another social issue in this book is poverty. Deanna's whole family is struggling to meet ends, they all work very hard to pay the rent, and they don't have a lot of money for shopping. Deanna gets a job at a pizza place, to save up her money for moving out and for her own pleasures. She also saves the money for moving out of her house one day with Stacy, Darren, and April. Deanna thinks she is a part of their family, and that they are incomplete without her. However, Darren and April don't agree. (Pg 112-114) Poverty is also a big issue everywhere in the world.
   Sexual harassment plays an important part in this book. Throughout the story, Deanna gets sexually harassed by the senior boys in her school. Even when she was going to the food court with her best friend, she got touched in between her thighs from her school, since she was known as the "school skank." Sexual harassment happens everywhere in the world.
   Those were all big issues in the book, but the biggest issue in this book was bullying. The kids in her school call her a skank and a slut (Pg 6, Deanna POV):

  "Bruce chimed in. "Why do you front, Lambert? Why pretend you're not a skank when you know you are? He gestured to himself and the guys around him, "We know you are. You know you are. And, um, your dad knows you are, so..."

 A voice called down from the hall:"Don't you guys have some kittens to go torture or something?" 

 Jason had never sounded so good.

"You don't even want a piece of this, punk," Tucker said, shouting over his shoulder.

 Jason kept walking towards us, with his usual no-hurry slouch, black boots scuffing along the floor  like it was just too much effort to pick up his feet. My hero. My best friend. "

She only has her best friend Jason to fight off the bullies and stand up for her. People in her school talk behind her back, and make up rumors about her. They even bully her at her job.
   All of these social issues happen everywhere and everyday in the world. Children get bullied in school everyday, and don't know how to stand up for themselves. Teenagers get pregnant, and are unable to support themselves and the baby. People get sexually harassed everyday and many are too afraid to defend themselves, and hide in their shadows of fear. People are in poverty everyday, and don't have a place to live or food to eat. This book shows what our world is like now, and all the social issues in the world. Throughout the story, Deanna changes from dependent to independent. She learns how to stand up for herself and let go of her past. She becomes a better person.