The History of API Garment Workers and the Labor Movement... Stitching Resistance

Welcome to Season 5, Episode 35! In today's episode, we confront the stereotype that Asian Pacific Islanders are docile or apolitical—and replace it with powerful stories of immigrant women sewing their way into labor history.

We shine a spotlight on the garment industry's deepest struggles—from the grueling piecework and unsafe conditions to the solidarity that transformed sweatshops into symbols of resistance.

Featured stories include:

• The 1982 Chinatown Garment Workers' Strike in New York City, where over 20,000 Chinese immigrant women led a historic walkout—and won.
• The 1995 El Monte sweatshop case in Los Angeles, which exposed modern-day slavery and elevated lawyer Julie Su to national leadership.
• Immigrant women organizing in 1970s–1980s Vancouver, rewriting Canadian labor organizing through multilingual outreach and coalition building.

We also highlight key API leaders such as Katie Quan, Julie Su, and Avtar Singh Dhillon, exploring their backgrounds and enduring impact on labor justice.

In our recurring segment, we talk about an organization to support, and feature the Garment Worker Center of Los Angeles who continue to do great work in support of garment workers. You can visit the Garment Worker Center of Los Angeles website to learn more and support their work. Considering a donation? Support their mission directly through their Donate Now page.  

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

Segments

• 00:25 Intro on Labor Day
• 02:25 The History of API Garment Workers and the Labor Movement… Stitching Resistance
• 12:07 Organizations to Support… Garment Worker Center in Los Angeles, CA