Two Studies of Labor, Immigration, and Ethnic Business

A review essay on books by (1) Edna Bonacich & Richard P. Appelbaum, Behind the Label: Inequality in the Los Angeles Apparel Industry (Berkeley & Los Angeles: U California Press, 2000); & (2) Miri Song, Helping Out: Children's Labor in Ethnic Businesses (Philadelphia: Temple U Press, 1999). These two books examine exploitative immigrant & ethnic labor practices. Behind the Label focuses on the Los Angeles clothing industry, where the supposedly anachronistic term, "sweatshop," seems all too apt; the book indicts the political & economic systems' responsibility. Helping Out looks at Chinese family takeout food businesses in GB & the role that children play as "helping" contributors. Although both books would have been strengthened by greater detail & scope, they are nonetheless valuable for readers interested in immigrant labor. K. Coddon