0:00 - Introduction of Agnes Wong and her immigration story moving from China to Hong Kong to the United States. Agnes details the circumstances leading to her immigration to the United States, including working in Hong Kong meeting her husband, who was a US resident, and marrying him before following him back to the United States. Agnes talks about her initial impressions of the United States after arriving in Chinatown and her expectations before emigrating from Hong Kong in 1974.
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9:30 - Agnes begins to talk about her work at a Chinatown garment factory, her initial hesitation and training, job bonuses and quality of working life. Other details include participation in garment workers' unions, work expectations, and pay. Agnes recalls that union participation was encouraged by factory owners during the 1970s and that working in the garment industry paid better than other opportunities such as working as a bank teller.
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17:30 - Agnes continues working in garment factory going forward but changed factories in 1980 and describes the different garment workers unions she is familiar with, such as the “25” [presumably the local 25 of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union], “23-25”, “199”, and “100”. Agnes continues with the topic, discussing membership numbers and union participation among newly immigrated workers.
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22:31 - Interviewer asks about the unions and the impact it has on Chinatown’s garment factories. Agnes talks about competitors such as China with cheaper labor and the current niche that Chinatown’s garment factories have to now fill to survive. This business impact discussion leads to the impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Chinatown’s garment factories. Agnes states that the factories were severely impacted, leading to months without work and wages.
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32:20 - Agnes is asked about the biggest changes she noticed in Chinatown, and she talks about the change in population and size of Chinatown. She recalls the cost of rent and local environment when walking down the street. When asked whether she is happy here in the US, she reiterates her garment factory work experience, the people she met, and also her family home in Brooklyn.
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