Modern Slavery

sweat·shop

–noun

a shop employing workers at low wages, for long hours, and under poor conditions.

The thirteenth amendment officially abolished slavery everywhere in the United States in 1865. However, slavery still exists in other parts in the world, but we don’t know about it or possibly even care. Slavery is a worldwide issue and there are people working in sweatshops in many countries at this very moment.

I’m not allowed to do certain things because of my parents’ orders, just like other kids. However, they aren’t the type of regular things like be home before dark or finish your homework before you go out; but for me, I can’t purchase certain things, or wear certain shoes, like products of Nike. 

The first thing that immediately came to my mind for the topic of modern slavery was Nike. Millions of Americans are consumers of major industries that are associated with sweatshops, like Nike. A lot of people don’t know the Nike Company overwork people and the workers are only paid a very small amount. The largest producers of Nike shoes are the factories located in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India and Thailand.

For example, Nike has been accused of taking advantage of children in Pakistan to make soccer balls. If we were to go to a store to purchase a soccer ball, the chances are that the soccer ball was made by one of the more than 200 children in Pakistan, which some are as young as 4 or 5. The more we purchase these items, the demand of the products is higher, which increases the demand for cheap labor.

Nike is a very popular company, so nobody cares about how the shoe was made, as long as they get to wear it. People don’t care about the hard labor on the children because they think, “well it’s the style, and a lot of other people wear Nike, so why do I have to be the one to feel guilty about wearing them? It’s not like one person can make the difference.” Or something like, “these shoes are so comfortable, so I don’t really care.” This is my opinion, but I know it’s the truth because people have said it to me before. I don’t believe the Nike Company will change the ways they produce their items, just like the way I don’t believe Global Warming will come to an end.

Indonesian workers make $2.46 a day, Vietnamese workers make $l.60 a day, and Chinese workers make $1.75 a day.

You pay over $100 for a pair of shoes that cost less than five dollars to make.