Three-way mirrors, fourth floor, Liberty, London.
Stack of painted wooden chairs, Liberty.
Like all big cities, Paris struggles with issues related to globalisation and immigration. The latest issue of the online magazine Triple Canopy explores the phenomenon of monoactivite: Chinese textile wholesalers taking over the Sedaine-Popincourt neighbourhood.
Local residents, angered by the displacement of boulangeries, bistros and longtime businesses, want the Chinese businesses gone. The French government is trying to further regulate the Chinese wholesalers, who sell garments only in bulk and block streets with trucks loading and unloading merchandise.
Chinese employers operate sweatshops behind elegant facades, piecing together goods arriving from China in partially-finished condition and adding “Made in France” labels. The goods are then shipped to developing markets. Jules Treneer, an Oberkamp resident, writes about Parisians' views on French culture and their ambivalence towards immigration and the global marketplace.
Human trafficking
It just boggles the mind that modern-day slavery - also known as human trafficking - is so widespread. Read Megan Butel's eye-opening blog post "Stop! Where are you going with this?"
Who's afraid of a book?
Think book-banning and book-burning is a relic of another era? Not in West Bend, Wisconsin, where a few dunces are determined to censor their local library's selection of books. Read Laura Miller's piece about the groups fearful of Francesca Lia Block's book Baby Be-Bop.
I find it infuriating that a small group of ignorant and judgmental people try to impose their narrow views on everyone else, never mind if civil liberties are violated in the process!
Oh honestly! Francesca Lia Block has woven more controversial topics into her stories than gay love. What about The Hanged Man or I Was A Teenage Fairy? Shouldn't we always encourage reading? How infuriating.
Posted by: Kat | 19 June 2009 at 00:22
Oh seriously, believe that sh*t! I live about 20 minutes from these book burning idiots! This state can be real a** backwards. These people need to get a life. If these people really stopped and thought about how inviting they were making these so called "inappropriate" books... Don't get me started. Wow! This is a state needs so much work.
xo
PS: These pictures are wonderful. The color is caught so vividly.
; )
Posted by: Christina | 18 June 2009 at 02:37
The part about the goods "Made in France" is despicable. Thanks for bringing this to light.
Love those aubergine-colored walls.
Posted by: dutchbaby | 17 June 2009 at 16:59
Since ever I can remember immigration has been a problem. People tend to stay in one area then it seems they have taken it over. All over the UK this has happened. Is it because they want to stay together or because they aren't allowed to integrate? In Northern Ireland yesterday a group of Romanians have taken refuge in a church because they are afraid this fear coming from attacks by extremist groups. When will it end? I wish I had a simple answer but alas I haven't.
Posted by: Di Overton | 17 June 2009 at 10:25
have you seen Bordertown? Our love for cheap goods is destroying so many lives.
Posted by: Stephanie | 17 June 2009 at 03:41
Oh I can't believe how many goods are sold "Made in China"...it seems they are taking over the world with their cheap and shoddy merchandise. I no longer buy "Made in China", and that is getting increasingly difficult to do.
I don't have a problem with the Chinese or Chinese people (at all! and I LOVE Chinese food! lol)so don't take this wrong, I'm just tired of not supporting MY OWN country.
How can our crumbling economy survive if we ship everything that needs doing overseas? How can that be a good thing? And don't get me started about the amount of pollution they are dumping into the ocean.....YIKES!
Love you!
xo
Posted by: Gillian daSilva | 16 June 2009 at 22:40
Beautiful images!
Sweatshops in Paris? - I had no idea. I agree with Merisi, how did such a thing even come about? I hope the French govt. is able to do something about it. I hope the pictures you take will help in this effort. Human traffickiing - I first heard about this from Oprah and felt...powerless to do anything about it. Thanks for the link. The more light shed on this subject the less traffickers will be able to prosper by their inhumane practices. Book banning - well, that kind of stuff only wants to make a person read the book in question even more! I'm certainly going to check out Baby Be-bop now...
Posted by: Cheryl de los Reyes Cruz | 16 June 2009 at 21:03
One small post, lots of big issues. Sigh...
Posted by: Jane Rosemont | 16 June 2009 at 20:15
I agree, Merisi. It's quite shocking this is allowed to go on in the EU - not to mention the misleading business practices of saying products that were (mostly) made in China were made in France. These sweatshops are making it intolerable for the local residents. Apparently they block the streets constantly with trucks, making normal vehicle traffic impossible. I am taking my camera and going to see for myself, soon.
Posted by: Tara Bradford | 16 June 2009 at 19:30
Lots to read here, Tara .
It boggles and saddens to be reminded of how many
narrow minds there continue to be .... .
Jjjj
Posted by: judith | 16 June 2009 at 18:59
Why is it possible to import such practices into the European Union?
How ironic that the workers in these sweatshops are not protected by our laws while we protest against these abuses in China?
In April 2007 there were violent protests in Milan's Chinatown by scores of Chinese immigrants, after police fined a Chinese woman for illegally transporting goods: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6550725.stm. I read about the story in Italian papers because I was in Italy at the time, the BBC story is a bit sketchy on what happened. I was surprised to read that in that particular area of Milan police hardly stares to enforce the country's laws.
Posted by: Merisi | 16 June 2009 at 18:09
Yes, say it like it is. It is so frustrating to have ignorant and judgemental people trying to ban books and create havoc where it is not wanted.
Posted by: marilyn | 16 June 2009 at 17:37
Beautiful images, sad news.
Will be back to read these articles.
Hope you are well Tara.
xox
Constance
Posted by: Rochambeau | 16 June 2009 at 17:28