Factory Girls

CHINA HAS 130 MILLION MIGRANT WORKERS-THE LARGEST MIGRATION IN HUMAN HISTORY. IN FACTORY GIRLS, LESLIE T. CHANG, A FORMER CORRESPONDENT FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL IN BEIJING, TELLS THE STORY OF THESE WORKERS PRIMARILY THROUGH THE LIVES OF TWO YOUNG WOMEN, WHOM SHE FOLLOWS OVER THE COURSE OF THREE YEARS AS THEY ATTEMPT TO RISE FROM THE ASSEMBLY LINES OF DONGGUAN, AN INDUSTRIAL CITY IN CHINAS PEARL RIVER DELTA. AS SHE TRACKS THEIR LIVES, CHANG PAINTS A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PICTURE OF MIGRANT LIFE-A WORLD WHERE NEARLY EVERYONE IS UNDER THIRTY; WHERE YOU CAN LOSE YOUR BOYFRIEND AND YOUR FRIENDS WITH THE LOSS OF A MOBILE PHONE; WHERE A FEW COMPUTER OR ENGLISH LESSONS CAN CATAPULT YOU INTO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASS. CHANG TAKES US INSIDE A SNEAKER FACTORY SO LARGE THAT IT HAS ITS OWN HOSPITAL, MOVIE THEATER, AND FIRE DEPARTMENT; TO POSH KARAOKE BARS THAT ARE FRONTS FOR PROSTITUTION; TO MAKESHIFT ENGLISH CLASSES WHERE STUDENTS SHAVE THEIR HEADS IN MONKLIKE DEVOTION AND SIT DAY AFTER DAY IN FRONT OF MACHINES WATCHING ENGLISH WORDS FLASH BY; AND BACK TO A FARMING VILLAGE FOR THE CHINESE NEW YEAR, REVEALING THE POVERTY AND IDLENESS OF RURAL LIFE THAT DRIVE YOUNG GIRLS TO LEAVE HOME IN THE FIRST PLACE. THROUGHOUT THIS RIVETING PORTRAIT, CHANG ALSO INTERWEAVES THE STORY OF HER OWN FAMILY'S MIGRATIONS, WITHIN CHINA AND TO THE WEST, PROVIDING HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL FRAMES OF REFERENCE FOR HER INVESTIGATION. A BOOK OF GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE THAT PROVIDES NEW INSIGHT INTO CHINA, FACTORY GIRLS DEMONSTRATES HOW THE MASS MOVEMENT FROM RURAL VILLAGES TO CITIES IS REMAKING INDIVIDUAL LIVES AND TRANSFORMING CHINESE SOCIETY, MUCH AS IMMIGRATION TO AMERICAS SHORES REMADE OUR OWN COUNTRY A CENTURY AGO. छांग यांनी त्यांच्या कुटुंबाच्या चीनअंतर्गत स्थलांतराची आणि त्यानंतर पश्चिमेकडच्या स्थलांतराची कहाणी कुशलतेनं गुंफली आहे. चीनमध्ये अंदाजे १३ कोटी स्थलांतरित कामगार आहेत. त्यांपैकी जवळजवळ सगळेच तिशीच्या आतले आहेत. फॅक्टरी गर्ल्स पुस्तकामध्ये लेस्ली टी. छांग यांनी प्रामुख्याने दोन तरुणींची जीवनकथा उलगडून या कामगारांची कहाणी मांडली आहे. तोंगकुआन या औद्योगिक शहरामध्ये या दोघी तरुणी करिअरमध्ये असेम्ब्ली लाइनपासून मोठी झेप घेण्याच्या प्रयत्नांत असतानाच्या तीन वर्षांतला त्यांचा जीवनसंघर्ष लेखिकेनं त्यांच्या सोबत राहून प्रत्यक्ष अनुभवला. छांग यांनी स्वतःचं रुग्णालय असलेला महाकाय स्नीकर कारखाना, विद्यार्थी अतिशय समर्पणानं शिकत असलेले इंग्रजीचे वर्ग, आणि मुलींना घर सोडून बाहेर पडायला लावणारी गरिबी आ&