Clothes from Africa: What does it mean?
To the editor:
Bought a pair of pants from a mid-range clothing/department store recently and later noticed the tag, "Made in Swaziland."
I've experienced the cycle - from department store 4-cent "notions counters" of the 1950s, filled with "Made in Japan" tin and plastic toys, small household items, early ball-point pens, etc., the South's rise to become what's left of America's manufacturing center, China and Korea's export juggernauts, and more recently Mexico, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and even Vietnam.
Yet I still was surprised to find "Swaziland," a small Southeast African nation, on my pants!
Multi-national corporations, their allegiance to the almighty dollar rather than country, follow the cheapest labor, so perhaps it's natural that Africa is the next frontier.
I've since noticed major brand shirts "Made in Madagascar," another African nation.
(For those tempted to invoke the Obama race card, the pants purchase occurred last year, before he became the Democratic nominee).