Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading factory girls. Read factory girls from village to city in a changing china by leslie t. Last weekend china beat contributorsand longtime beijing neighborssusan jakes and leslie t. Changs deeply affecting book tells the story of the invisible foot soldiers who. Changs book factory girls challenges the commonly held view of what it means to the lives of factory girls in a rapidly changing china where the factory girls develop the drive to achieve that which one sets their mind to do. In this surprisingly cheerful book, chang creates a snapshot of modern china through her acquaintance with dozens of factory workers. Chang delivers the 2011 first readings lecture on her book factory girls. In this surprisingly cheerful book, chang creates a snapshot of modern china.
Girls slept twelve to a room, and in the tight confines of the dorm it was better to keep your secrets. There was nothing to do at home was the recurring explanation the author received from workers who had moved to chinas cities looking for work. An eyeopening and previously untold story, factory girls is the first look into the everyday lives of the migrant facto. A former china correspondent for the wall street journal, she has been described as an insightful interpreter of a society in flux. China is a country that dazzles by scale but the success of this book is to take. Jun 05, 2009 john gittings discovers the hidden stories and surprise successes of china past and present in factory girls by leslie t chang, chinese whispers by jan wong, and lions head, four happiness by. The factory held the first two months of every workers pay. Toward the end of factory girls, her engrossing account of the lives of young migrant workers in southern china, leslie chang describes receiving a gift. Despite low wages, long hours, no health benefits and exploitive bosses, these girls, as young as 16 they often lied about their ages, braved the danger of the unknown and sought new lives, sometimes with an older relatives help, sometimes by simply knocking on a factory door. In her book factory girls, the setting is the greatest migration in human history of more than million people within the last three decades.
It is basically an ethnographic account though she does not convey it in these terms being a journalist for the wall street journal. Chang, a former correspondent for the wall street journal in beijing, tells the story of these workers primarily through the lives of two young women, whom she follows over the course of three years as. Chang, a former correspondent for the wall street journal in beijing, tells. May 18, 20 if the differences between your life and the lives chronicled in leslie changs book factory girls seem stark, youd be right. China has million migrant workers the largest migration in human history. Factory girls an eyeopening and previously untold story, factory girls is the first look into the everyday lives of the migrant factory population in china. Chang tells the story of these workers who labor countless hours to provide us with the material goods we take for granted. This point is especially true of women who had previously been confined to agrarian existences. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of factory girls by leslie t. Chang caught up to talk about changs newly released book, factory girls. Your factory is not worth wasting my whole youth here, she told her boss. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
To be sure, this mass migration is a big and welltold story. Mar, 2009 factory girls is their story, written by a former wall street journal correspondent. Nov 09, 2008 toward the end of factory girls, her engrossing account of the lives of young migrant workers in southern china, leslie chang describes receiving a gift. Leaving their home villages far behind in pursuit of work, chunming and min are part of an estimated 10 million young migrants estimated to be 70 percent women. Factory girls was named one of the new york times 100 notable books of 2008 and also received the 2009 pen usa literary award. China has million migrant workersthe largest migration in human history. If the differences between your life and the lives chronicled in leslie changs book factory girls seem stark, youd be right. Voices from the heart of modern china main market by t.
From village to city in a changing china by leslie t. Factory girls by leslie t chang traces the lives and experiences of migrant workers in the industrial manufacturing hub of dongguan to successfully document the cultural transformation experienced by chinese migrant youth. Younger country people move from rural to urbanindustrial china to seek a better livelihood for themselves and, through money sent home, for their loved ones left behind. From village to city in a changing china traces the lives of chunming and min, two young women working in dongguan, a factory city in south china. Factory girls is their story, written by a former wall street journal correspondent.
At the same time, though, youll find surprising connections between. The situation of migrant women in china is illuminated in leslie t. John gittings discovers the hidden stories and surprise successes of china past and present in factory girls by leslie t chang, chinese whispers by. Chang worked in china for a decade as a correspondent for the wall street journal. Changs deeply affecting book tells the story of the invisible foot soldiers who made.
Chang explores this boom thats simultaneously emptying chinas villages of young people and fueling its economic growthto be sure, this mass migration is a big and welltold story. From village to city in a changing china documents the harsh realities and odd cinderella stories of life in chinas burgeoning industrial city, dongguan. From village to city in a changing china, former wall street journal beijing correspondent and firstgeneration chineseamerican leslie t. Some girls joined the factory with borrowed id cards and never told anyone their real names. Chang, a former correspondent for the wall street journal in beijing, tells the story of these workers primarily through the lives of two young. She signed up for a computer class at a nearby commercial school. An eyeopening and previously untold story, factory girls is the first look into the everyday lives of the.
Chang, 2009 leslie chang spent two years with women workers in guangdong, china to produce this book. In this surprisingly cheerful book, chang creates a snapshot of modern china through her acquaintance with dozens of. Factory girls was named a new york times notable book, as well as one of the best books of the year by the washington post, the christian science monitor. She traces the lives of two girls closely, intermittently.
Bookbrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary. When there wasnt an overtime shift, she skipped dinner and took a few hours of lessons in how to type on a keyboard or fill out forms by computer. Chang, a former correspondent for the wall street journal in beijing, tells the story of these workers primarily through the lives of two young women, whom she follows over the course of three years as they attempt to rise from the assembly lines of dongguan, an industrial city in chinas pearl river delta. That was a fact of factory life you couldnt know from the outside. Chang is a chineseamerican journalist and the author of factory girls.
Leaving their home villages far behind in pursuit of work, chunming and min are part of an estimated 10 million young migrants estimated to be 70 percent women who work in chinas. From village to city in a changing china, former wall street journal reporter leslie t. From village to city in a changing china chang, leslie t. Leslie chang spent two years with women workers in guangdong, china to produce this book. Chang explores this boom thats simultaneously emptying chinas villages of young people and fueling its economic growth. From village to city in a changing china kindle edition by chang, leslie t download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In factory girls, former wall street journal reporter leslie chang unravels the stories of young women working in the southeastern factory town of dongguan, just north of hong kong. Chang, a former correspondent for the wall street journal in beijing, tells the story of these workers primarily through the lives of two young w. Chang two years to nail down the story she was after.
Read free book excerpt from factory girls by leslie t. Former wall street journal correspondent chang penetrates the teeming world of young female migrant workers and finds, rather surprisingly, that it holds a lot more promise than being stuck on the farm. From village to city in a changing china spiegel and grau 420 pp. Min, a young woman who works at a handbag plant, presents chang with an authentic coach purse plucked fresh from the assembly line. Chang lived in china for a decade as a correspondent for the wall street journal, specializing in stories that explored how socioeconomic change is transforming institutions and individuals. This indepth look at the teenage girls working in chinas exploding factory culture will give the phrase made in china a whole new meaning. Apr 16, 20 in factory girls, former wall street journal reporter leslie chang unravels the stories of young women working in the southeastern factory town of dongguan, just north of hong kong. An eyeopening and previously untold story, factory girls is the first look into the everyday lives of the migrant factory population in china. Changs elegant book is evidence that the best trips home often require a circuitous approach. One of the biggest challenges leslie chang faced during her research was simply maintaining contact. Chang, a former correspondent for the wall street journal in beijing, tells the story of these workers primarily.