To Honor El Monte Thai Garment Workers, Rep. Chu Introduces House Resolution

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) introduced a House Resolution honoring the El Monte Thai garment workers who escaped conditions of slavery in a makeshift garment factory in El Monte, California.

On August 2, 1995, 72 Thai nationals were found working in conditions of slavery in a makeshift garment factory consisting of a row of residential duplexes in El Monte, California, just east of Los Angeles. For as long as seven years, they had been held captive in a garment sweatshop and forced to work long hours in inhumane conditions. Surrounded by barbed wire, under the constant surveillance of armed guards, and beaten if they attempted to leave, these workers were forced to sew clothes for brand-name retailers for up to 17 hours at a time.

Upon discovery, they were imprisoned and would have faced deportation, but were assisted by Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, who was then a staff attorney with Asian Pacific American Legal Center. Acting Secretary Su helped them post bail and secure visas, and she subsequently represented them in a successful civil case against their captors. Earlier this week, Acting Secretary Su inducted them into the Department of Labor’s Hall of Honor.

“I am so proud to recognize these resilient workers who opened the country’s eyes to sweatshop conditions in the United States,” said Rep. Chu. “Despite the trauma they endured, they helped to expand rights for immigrant workers and survivors of human trafficking and hold corporations responsible for the conditions in which their clothes are made. Earlier this week, I was honored to join Acting Secretary Su at the Department of Labor to induct these workers into the Department’s Hall of Honor, awarding them their rightful place in the labor history of the United States. Today’s resolution will reaffirm this place in labor history in the congressional record.”

This case is considered the first recognized case of modern-day slavery in the United States since the constitutional abolishment of slavery. As a result, the State of California led the way in passing the strongest anti-sweatshop laws in the country, laying the groundwork for Congress to pass the Trafficking and Victims Protection Act. This legislation created the T-Visa and U-Visa to provide immigration relief for victims of sexual slavery and crime. 

The resolution not only honors the Thai garment workers freed from the El Monte sweatshop, but it identifies the many legal, cultural, and policy changes that have resulted from this case and recognizes the individuals that continue to fight against forced labor and human trafficking.

Click here to read the resolution in full.