Innocence Lost

A Essay on Child Labor.  My essay won a Merit Award from Scholastic California Writing Project.

Innocence Lost!

The 1910s was a glorious “Coming of Age” period for the United States. We were emerging as a bonafide industrial powerhouse and dazzled the world with our new machinery and inventions. Immigrants poured into the country in search of economic opportunities and the American Dream. In 1910, 40% of the population in New York was foreign born and 38% was first generation. Factories abounded and business owners knew naught but profits.

Many of new immigrants did not know English and even less of American Democracy. They eked out a living at these factories that dotted the cities. They worked long hours and endured miserable working conditions. Early capitalism precluded notions of social responsibility by corporations. There was no concept of worker safety – that would cut into bottom lines. Few of the workers could afford childcare, so the younger ones often wandered the streets. When the wages are below-subsistence and there are many mouths to feed, everyone is forced to work – even the children. And what better way to cut costs for the factory owners than to employ child labor.

Innocence Lost!

In  1910, only 48% of kids in Rhode Island attended school.  Education, leisure and play were the privilege of the wealthy minority. And only these children had the opportunity to really enjoy their childhood.

Life for many of the “other” kids was confined to the walls of manufacturing factories all across the cities of America. They worked in cigar factories, textile mills and packing factories. Technology had made the machinery easy to operate especially in the textile industry e.g.: the Arkwright Machines. One adult supervising a number of children meant larger profits. They were even small enough to crawl under textile machinery to oil it. They were locked in for long hours and beaten if they fell asleep. Crowded and unhygienic conditions often resulted in respiratory and other ailments.  The glorious Industrial Revolution was in full force in the United States!

Social Reformers like Jane Addams recognized the issues that plagued the polyglot society of the 1910s. Though she was from a wealthy background, she chose to do something about it. The establishment of Hull House in Chicago provided an oasis for the immigrant population. For the children, this meant day care, chance at an education and the childhood pursuit of play. Her efforts resulted in Chicago’s first public playground and the building of more schools. And she worked toward passing laws that made child labor illegal and the establishment of juvenile courts.

A hundred years later; we have come a long way. The United States has passed and implemented child labor laws.  The Fair Labor Standards Act restricts employment and abuse of children in the US. It also does much to protect their educational opportunities and restricts their employment in hazardous jobs. It restricts the number of hours children under 16 can work. There is even a separate enforcement division called Wage and Hour Division.

We have cleaner and safer working conditions now. Our society and economy went from strength to strength and we became a global superpower.  We lead the world in the search and discovery of new technology. As we moved to fresher pastures, much of the work we used to do, has moved to other countries. For example, most of the manufacturing has moved out of the United States to emerging economies like China.

The US continues to be the world’s largest consumer with its enormous purchasing power. The illusion of a vast virtual income is further driven by the existence of endless credit. Capitalism is based on supply and demand. There are many countries willing to produce and sell goods that satisfy the insatiable appetite of America. And we also insist on getting them cheaper and cheaper too.

The image of those ragged American children working in textile mills have become mere photos in our history textbooks. But we have just replaced them with the unseen images of millions of non-American children in other countries. Have we just transferred the social injustices of our past onto other countries?

Have we as a society, really considered the consequences of our incessant consumerism. Did we ever stop to consider, for example, that the expensive diamonds – “the gift of love” - that we wear, could be the toil of child labor in the diamond mines of Africa?

We cannot put on blinders and pretend that our history or our future is not closely interlinked with that of the rest of the world. After all, immigrants from all over the world make up this country.

For corporations in a capitalistic society, the bottom line is still a determining factor. As environment, labor and safety laws became more stringent in the United States; the multi-national corporations simply moved the jobs overseas to countries where the laws were less rigid or not enforced as well. Child labor is considered illegal in many countries today, thanks to efforts of organizations such as the International Labor Organization and UNICEF, but is poorly enforced in most.

In 2008, as many as 1000 school age children were found working in the manufacturing zones in the Guangdong Province of China (near Hong Kong). Labor recruiters are believed to have lured thousands of children away from the poverty stricken Liangshan region of China. Ironically stricter enforcement of adult labor laws and inflation had made these manufacturing sectors turn to illegal child labor to stay competitive. They produce much of the cheap toys and electronics that kids in the US enjoy.

In 2004, some 480 children, some as young as 5-6 yrs old, were rescued from embroidery factories in New Delhi, India. These sweatshops produced clothing for GAP Kids in the US. Surely this is not what we had in mind when we started to outsource. Similar scenarios of child labor have arisen with Firestone Inc at their metal plantation in Liberia. H&M, a worldwide fashion retail chain has been accused of using cotton from Siberia, where children under 10 often work the fields.

The sad truth is that child labor is common in many parts of the world – in agriculture, mining, domestic work, industry and informal sectors. They often endure cruel and harsh conditions. While, we in the United States have fought against it, ironically we may in part be encouraging it in other parts of the world.

The US has put in much effort, by passing laws such as the Child Labor Deterrence Act in 1993 (Harkin's Bill). This curbs the import of goods that uses child labor in any stage of its production. But is boycotting such goods, really the best solution? UNICEF found that thousands of child laborers lost their jobs in the garment industries of Bangladesh as a result of this Act.  Driven by poverty, they simply moved to more hazardous jobs like stone-crushing. The UNICEF, IPEC (International Program for Elimination of Child Labor – A division of ILO) and other non-profits are now trying to rehabilitate these kids by slowly phasing them into schools.

Sometimes it happens right under the nose of our democracy. In 2008, Agriprocessors, a meat packaging company in Kentsville, Iowa, was charged with over 9000 child labor law violations, involving 32 minors. Of these 7 were under the age of 16. One always hears stories of sweatshops right in the US where immigrants work long and grueling hours for little pay. Who is to say that minors are not in that group that works in those very sweatshops?

The reasons for child labor remain the same whether it is 1910 or 2010. Abject poverty drives entire family to work. There isn’t a parent in the world that does not want their child to have an education or enjoy the pursuits of childhood. And it is economic conditions that make parents willingly or unwillingly send their kids off to work as they depend on the additional income. Perhaps there are no educational opportunities available to that child in that region and the alternative is working.

Discovery and rehabilitation of child workers is a good short term solution. So is raising public awareness and corporate responsibility by passing and implementing laws. But the real long term solution to worldwide child labor is really to increase the standard of living in all countries and across all strata of society. Only then can child labor truly become mere images in history books across the world. 

Sources:

"Government and Immigration." 1910's Government and Politics. Gale Cengage, 1996. eNotes.com. 2006. 15 Jan, 2010 http://www.enotes.com/1910-government-politics-american-decades/government-immigration

Whaples, Robert. "Child Labor in the United States". EH.Net Encyclopedia, edited by Robert Whaples. October 7, 2005. URL http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/whaples.childlabor

Slater, Samuel. “Father or the American Industrial Revolution”. Jan 15, 2010 http://www.woonsocket.org/slaterchildlabor.html

United States Department of Labor – Youth and Labor  Jan 2010 http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/youthlabor/index.htm

The History Place: Child Labor in America 1908-1912 http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/

Hakim, Joy.  “A History of US – Book 7, An Age of Extremes.”

The New York Times. 5/10/2008. Child Labor Rings Reach China’s Distant Villages http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/world/asia/10CHINA.html

The New York Times. 11/15/2007. GAP Moves to recover from Child Labor Scandal http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/business/worldbusiness/15iht-gap.1.8349422.html

The Iowa Independent. 9/9/2008 Agriprocessors charged with over 9000 child labor law violations http://iowaindependent.com/5235/agriprocessors-charged-with-9000-child-labor-law-violations

United States Dept of Labor – Bangladesh Jan 2010 http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/bangladesh.htm

Rahman, Mufizur et al. Child Labor in Bangladesh: A Critical Appraisal of Harkin's Bill and the MOU-Type Schooling Program. Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 33, 1999 http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=LSQGQQHSJWZdNKHLwp0J6G0yHyCrmYLv5dpmvYMZRLjhP2fBvhvf!-852814118!1201110973?docId=5001865348

ILO, Investing in every child: An economic study of the Costs and Benefits of Eliminating Child Labor. Dec 2003 http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---webdev/documents/publication/wcms_071311.pdf

ILO, Diamonds are Forever, But Not the Lives of Child Workers. Nov 2006. http://ihscslnews.org/view_article.php?id=162

A Definitely Possibility

A Definite Possibility!                      

“Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech.”

And thus the vision of the founding fathers was sealed. They were from diverse backgrounds. Some were Deists who did not recognize religion as such but believed in the notion of a creator, and that reason was the basis of all knowledge. Others were Christians and there was even an Atheist in the mix.  They envisaged a republic that was free from oppression of any kind  - not just from rulers, but also between different groups of its citizens. 

"It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part.  Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens.  If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure." (No. 51)

A fundamental aspect was, of course, to protect the right of religious expression – to practice one’s set of beliefs, even if it was in variance with other groups.

However, over the decades, parts of the US has tilted to being more Judeo-Christian centric, with lower tolerances for other religions. While the Ten Commandants are absolutely unique and in a way a very profound set of maxims, it is hardly reasonable to have them placed at some of our courthouses – especially when one of the commandments states, “Thou shalt not follow any God but me”. A republic can be, “for the people and by the people,” only if every citizen has equal access to this right. Associating the offices that uphold the judicial wing of our secular government with such a statement for example, does not give the impression of fair justice for all.

All religions have to be respected, for their basic value systems are essentially the same. There are the notions of morals, fairness, love, charity and being a productive member of society, no matter what one’s economic or social status is. These are basic human principles necessary for man to survive in a society. Even non-believers of religions follow such fundamental human principles.

But this also imparts a responsibility on the shoulders of its citizens – how far does one take the conviction of freedom of religious expression?  It can be argued as to who defines these limits. It has to be limits that define functioning of just human societies. The spirit of this principle is indeed negated when other religions are vilified or ridiculed.

The US has moved past its colonial roots, where religions of the conquered, be they monotheist or polytheist, were regarded as inferior. We may or may not agree with specifics of other religions and some practices may seem strange or unusual to us, but what is wrong in toleration unless they violate a fundamental human right.

Despite the seeming shortcomings, the US is actually one of the most tolerant societies in the world toward religion and religious expression.  But to move ahead as a society we have to make it more so.

This boils down to education and awareness of other religions. As you learn about other religions, old prejudices are stripped away in terms of what their core values represent. Criminals abound in all societies and religions. A criminal will commit crimes, irrespective of the religion he was born into (or converted to). And there are always going to be people who will commit heinous acts in the name of religion. They may even whip others into a state of frenzy citing religion as a reason. But this is a result of their own flawed interpretation of what their sacred texts state. No religion on earth condones hate crimes, genocide, exploitation or even simple theft.

Religious differences seem to be an underlying factor in conflicts worldwide today. As a society, we have to move towards unity and harmony.  The US, given its giant status, can do much to dissipate tensions. But the foundation has to be laid in its own citizens.

The US has over the last few centuries, been a melting pot for people from all walks of the world.  People have flocked here for many reasons - both economic and social. They have even fled here to escape political persecution – from the Jews during Hitler’s rule to recent immigrants escaping tyrannical regimes.

When there is freedom of expression, people can express their grievances against a political system or government. It gives you the right to protest in Washington DC or elsewhere in the country, without fear of arrest and harassment. This is in sharp contrast to say, the treatment meted out to the protesters demonstrating against Tibetan Occupation at the Beijing Olympics.

This really is the underlying factor in our founding father’s vision of “freedom of expression” – that of political expression. They themselves were trying to shake off the shackles of British Colonialism. Our modern US democracy has sometimes strayed from this path e.g.: the McCarthy Era. And we may not always agree with the direction that some administration may be taking us. There are always short-term glitches and mistakes we make along the way. We are involved in another endless Vietnam style war in Afghanistan. We have just replaced rainforests and swamps for scorching deserts and caves. Then we got distracted by starting another war in Iraq and got sidetracked from our initial goal of capturing Osama Bin Laden who is still at large. But it is debate and discussion that highlights these issues. And it is this very freedom of expression, which will eventually help us get back on track.

In the end, democracy evolves and becomes all the more vibrant, as discussion expands. And healthy debate can happen only when freedom of expression is upheld. The founding fathers gave us a great framework to work with. We now have to help define it.

Freedom of Expression has played a great role in shaping racial tolerance in our country. Where would we be without the mountain-moving words of figures like Rev Martin Luthur King Jr., during the Civil Rights Movement? Only when the voices of all are heard, even those of minorities, can we progress as a society. And there are many such minority residents whose voices need to be heard in our country. They have to be given the courage to express their views. Many new immigrants are not even aware they have this right. In large part, they come to this country so that they too can become productive members of society. In many ways they are willing to work harder in order to succeed. Freedom of expression is such a profound concept, that its influence and reach can be difficult to grasp at first. Newer immigrants need to be educated so that they too have access to this right. The responsibility lies with us to not misuse it as a propaganda tool either.

The US is like a giant soup bowl – a mix of populations, both diverse and interesting. Immigration has defined this country. We have been an Immigration-Mecca, beckoned anon by Lady Liberty and her flaming torch. Our vision on immigration in the future will continue to define the face of this country.

The constant immigration is what enables the US to keep its edge in the global marketplace. Immigration brings with it fresh ideas, fresh minds and new outlooks. We flourish as an economy because of it.

Then there are others, who may argue for restricting immigration, citing other reasons, and push for protectionist policies. But if you look at it, the real original natives are the American Indians. The original colonists were themselves, immigrants. Even the founding fathers were immigrants or descended from immigrants. Are we confusing restricting immigration to racial intolerance where some immigrants are more equal than others, depending on their country of origin?

Then there is the conundrum of illegal immigration. Why are there so many illegal immigrants in our country? A number of them seem to be working and thereby contributing to society. By far, the jobs done by them may be menial, “underground” and unwanted by others. But these jobs too, have to be done. Can a way not be found to bring them under the folds of the legal umbrella, especially if they are contributing members, or give them opportunities to become productive members? Did our forefathers not travel across the oceans on ships, under difficult conditions, all seeking a better life in this land of opportunity? As long as there are opportunities for illegal low-paying jobs, there will be an illegal population waiting to fill that demand. So the way to curb this would be to plug those loopholes. And it is debate and discussion that will help us find ways to plug those loopholes. As far as government and state benefits go - especially basic health care and food - they should not be denied to any resident, legal or illegal. That is a fundamental human principle.

Throwing different ingredients together may cause a brief period of disharmony, as the differently sized ingredients brush against each other. But in the end, they all mesh into a cohesive whole and tasty salad.   The fact is that we have the freedom to debate both sides of the argument.  And that’s the definition of democracy.

Where we really fall short as a democracy is in the fields of basic health care and education. The US is a global leader in the fields of biomedical research and advances. Ironically in this same country, health care is neither affordable nor accessible to all its citizens. We are mired deep in layers of bureaucracy - more time is spent on paperwork (adding to un-necessary workforce costs) than on treating the actual illness. Are these cost-adding layers really necessary, and are they a useful tool to the progression of our society?

Our medical insurance system is reminiscent of a Mafia Don that terrorizes both the doctor and the patient.  If you don’t pay for protection (coverage in this case) - no health care for you! Even if you do agree to pay up, you are charged extra under the guise of labels like co-payments and deductibles. And if you have a pre-existing condition – why then you may be denied medical care altogether.

Likewise, if a doctor suggests treatment that is not cost-effective for the insurance, he is blacklisted. What doctor would dare go off the leash put on his by the insurance masters – it would be job suicide. It’s a sad state of affairs when basic medical care is driven by the profits of insurance giants at the expense of the health of our nation.

The irony is that there are developing countries out there that have a better medical care system than us. India is one such example. There are free public hospitals and small private clinics all over the cities. Service is quick and painless (maybe long waitlines in the lobby due to sheer populalation size. The doctor usually knows his patients so well that, many times he charges less for patients whom he knows are not economically well off, or helps them with cost of buying medicines by giving them free medical samples. Primary health care is so easy and so affordable. Many doctors routinely volunteer in rural and low-income areas and offer free health care. All these things are the sign of a humane society. Can the US doctors’ even dream of such a situation and would the insurance companies even allow them to do that? High quality surgeries and other medical procedures (e.g.: bypass surgeries) are so affordable by world-standards that there is now a booming medical tourism industry in India.

Health is both a physical and mental phenomena. Our health care has become too robotic and there is less and less human interaction in care. If a concerned and known ear accompanies the pills, recovery times would be quicker and last longer. Maybe there would even be less mental conditions such as depression in our society.

Our (US) research labs discover and market most modern medicines, yet these same medicines are less expensive outside the US. Our own citizens prefer to buy them from Canada and Mexico. It is a sad day in our country’s history when people have to run to other countries for affordable medical care and medicines.

It’s apparent that we’re ahead on the technology, knowledge and science but we kick on the delivery. Does it not then seem logical that we need to start by overhauling insurance in order to transform basic health care in our country?

And we have been through such other periods in our history. There was a time when factory owners exploited workers. It was always more profitable to have less safety standards or employ child labor. But was it the right thing to do? Debate and discussion resulted in enactment of Labor Laws and changed the face of the modern workplace. That’s freedom of expression at work!

Similarly, free Public Education is a wonderful idea in American society. It has helped generations of new immigrants integrate into our country.  We have made sure that every child in this country gets the chance at an education. Not all countries are able to pull this off.

Where we lack is that the quality of education is not uniform throughout the country. Our teachers help shape the next generation of American adults and visionaries, yet they are paid a pittance. Talented workforce will be attracted to this profession only if compensated well.  Isn’t this a worthwhile investment in our children’s future? And poor teaching in poor neighborhoods just breeds the vicious cycle of school dropouts, unemployment, and crime.

Even as we have ensured a free public education up to the high school level, our tertiary education has become unaffordable and therefore inaccessible for most people. This affects our competitiveness in the global market, especially given that we have top-notch university education available right at home. Our industries draw brilliant minds from across the globe. Ironically, we have so many more at home, just deprived of that opportunity to shine in that field.  Affordable college is again a critical investment in our country’s future.

Education itself is currently too narrowly defined. It is not merely learning to decode words that are written. It is not merely learning math and sciences either. Many students move through the education system without even grasping the applications and possibilities of what they learn, such that they can utilize it throughout their lives. Education has to move away from regurgitating facts to really having an appreciation of the subjects taught.

Education is the promenade of life. We have to prepare young minds to be responsible adults by also instilling “education in human values.” As a society, we can then, only progress from strength to strength.

What an absolutely profound concept – “Freedom of Expression”  - set in the framework of our constitution. And it has survived over 200 years. Let us not abuse it, but use it to mold the future of our country and the world. Our democracy will evolve and thrive as we uphold and continue to use this fundamental right.

My vision is one where there is peace amongst mankind and where every citizen is a contributing member of society in his own small way– in our country and globally.

It’s a definite possibility!