Sweating it in the Brazilian Garment Industry: Korean and Bolivian Workers and Global Economic Forces in Sao Paulo

Koreans and Bolivians have migrated to Brazil to become involved in the garment industry. Although work in Sao Paulo has often been precarious, even during the height of institutional control over production, the increase in employment without signed working papers such as that which takes place in the home, in sweatshops, and on the streets is characteristic of global capitalism. The development of sweatshops in Sao Paulo reflects Koreans' pursuit of new opportunities, Bolivians' flight from a disastrous economic crisis at home, and an opportunity to enter further into the global economy for the Brazilians. The history of Korean and Bolivian migration to Brazil and the relationship between sweatshops and the industrial restructuring associated with economic globalization is examined.