Essay : Made in China
Name: Shu-hui Lee (Angela)
Class: English 101
Instructor: Robert Holcomb
Date: 10/10/07 (3nd Revised)
Made In China Everyone needs to shop. We shop for daily necessities, such as groceries, clothing, shoes, , and the many products we need for basic every day living. Sometimes, we shop in a department store when we need to purchase an occasional gift for someone; we also need to shop for lots of Christmas presents every year too. Usually, we will compare prices before purchasing, but we may not realize by much our lives are dominated by the Made in China label on the products we buy. It is overwhelming. Obviously, consumers prefer to pay as little as possible for the same kind of product. In contrast, companies are seeking higher profits by reducing the cost of labor and raw materials. The first Barbie doll to hit the market in 1959 cost $3 each. Today, the fashion doll can be purchased on sale for $9.99. However, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the minimum hourly wage of workers has increased from $1.00 to $5.85 between 1956 to 2007. Barbie dolls now sell even cheaper than they did before. How can the Mattel company sell Barbie Dolls at such a good price without inflation raising the cost of the doll? The answer is that now the doll is Made in China instead of Made in the USA. China has become a major subcontractor for many US brand name companies. ( www.dol.gov, 9/30/2007). Even though the “Made in China” label is inserted on many US brand name products, China should not be blamed for any recalls. An example regarding this issue appeared on September 21,
Lee 2
2007, in the news article, “Mattel apologizes to China on toy recalls”. Mattel has recalled millions of toys made by Chinese vendors since August, 2007; and caused a global reaction of fear of products that are made in China. In the end, the Mattel’s executive Vice president of worldwide operations, Thomas Debrowske flew to China to meet with China’s quality watchdog Chief, Li
Class: English 101
Instructor: Robert Holcomb
Date: 10/10/07 (3nd Revised)
Made In China Everyone needs to shop. We shop for daily necessities, such as groceries, clothing, shoes, , and the many products we need for basic every day living. Sometimes, we shop in a department store when we need to purchase an occasional gift for someone; we also need to shop for lots of Christmas presents every year too. Usually, we will compare prices before purchasing, but we may not realize by much our lives are dominated by the Made in China label on the products we buy. It is overwhelming. Obviously, consumers prefer to pay as little as possible for the same kind of product. In contrast, companies are seeking higher profits by reducing the cost of labor and raw materials. The first Barbie doll to hit the market in 1959 cost $3 each. Today, the fashion doll can be purchased on sale for $9.99. However, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the minimum hourly wage of workers has increased from $1.00 to $5.85 between 1956 to 2007. Barbie dolls now sell even cheaper than they did before. How can the Mattel company sell Barbie Dolls at such a good price without inflation raising the cost of the doll? The answer is that now the doll is Made in China instead of Made in the USA. China has become a major subcontractor for many US brand name companies. ( www.dol.gov, 9/30/2007). Even though the “Made in China” label is inserted on many US brand name products, China should not be blamed for any recalls. An example regarding this issue appeared on September 21,
Lee 2
2007, in the news article, “Mattel apologizes to China on toy recalls”. Mattel has recalled millions of toys made by Chinese vendors since August, 2007; and caused a global reaction of fear of products that are made in China. In the end, the Mattel’s executive Vice president of worldwide operations, Thomas Debrowske flew to China to meet with China’s quality watchdog Chief, Li