A Factory Girl
Xinjiang China 2003
Hundreds of sewing machines filled the huge room. Hundreds of young women bent to their task: pushing miles of bright-colored fabric under the needle. I wanted a photograph, but the forelady shook her finger at me.
Undeterred, I wandered away and found the stairs to the dormitory. I peered into rooms filled with bunks made of plywood. Each bunk was a cubbyhole that comprised a home away from home for farm girls come to the city to earn hard cash.
A young Uyghur woman relaxed on her bunk, the only person not at work. Perhaps she wasn’t well that day. When she saw me, she immediately straightened up. I pointed to my camera with a questioning look on my face. She smiled a lovely, sweet, trusting smile. She radiated dignity. I look at her portrait now and I still feel an affection for her, so young, so open, so brave.
If you are interested in China and want to read about the factory girls, I recommend: “Factory Girls” by Leslie T. Chang. The young women Leslie writes about are ambitious and quick to learn. They master the art of being a “Factory Girl”.