After reading this book, the "Made in China" label will be more than a whisper in your ear. It will be a slap in the face. The Chinese Communist Party is actively involved in using "reeducation camps" as a source of cheap or free labor. The conditions are horrendous. This book gives firsthand accounts of the treatment given to the occupants of the camps and some of the methods of torture used to achieve the desired result. Make no mistake, this is no different than the methods employed in Nazi Germany. Specific ethnic groups and religious faiths are among the targets. This is chilling. Amelia Pang includes tips on how we can all change our shopping habits to alleviate demand from this part of the world. We can also be responsible consumers by making ourselves aware of the brand names who have a history of outsourcing with slave labor. If you don't want to spend time reading this book, you can read Sun Yi's story in the documentary "Letter from Masanjia."

A big thank you to Amelia Pang for sharing the stories of these brave men and women who have made such great sacrifices to help others be free. Also thanks to Alongquin Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

From Shelf Awareness Pro, Jan 15 2021:

Oregonian Julie Keith was decorating for Halloween in 2012 when she came across an SOS letter, written in careful English with a mix of Chinese characters, stuck inside a package of cheap decorations she'd purchased at Kmart years earlier. The letter, from Chinese political prisoner Sun Yi, sparked a series of news stories and interest in Chinese forced labor camps. Despite the international attention turned toward the "open secret" of the Chinese manufacturing world, little changed in the long run--in large part, argues journalist Amelia Pang in Made in China, because of Americans' demand for trendy products at impossibly low prices.

Pang, a journalist with ties to the religious activist group of which Sun Yi also was a member, spent three years peeling back the layers of this stranger-than-fiction story, including interviews with Sun Yi, undercover trips to China to pose as a buyer, and covertly following trucks in and out of various Chinese factories to track suppliers and producers. Made in China is a careful account of all she learned, from the establishment of the first Chinese labor camps in the 1930s to the persistence of the present-day laogai ("reform through labor") industry--which "remains the largest forced-labor system in operation today... a vast network of prisons, camps, and various extralegal detention centers." (As recently as 2016, the Laogai Research Foundation, a human rights organization focusing on these Chinese gulags, estimated that more than 1,400 of these camps and prisons existed.)

Pang's investigative journalism is global in scope, drawing on interviews with human rights activists, government watchdog groups, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and laogai prisoners, as well as extensive research in news archives and analysis of various corporate purchase orders and supply chain records. Made in China is not cumbersome, however, despite these many threads; each is necessary to understand the laogai system as a whole, and what drives it. Pang draws clear lines between each seemingly disparate piece to reveal the "darker side to China's rags-to-riches transformation--and our [Americans'] own pleasure in the cheap products we consume daily." With clarity and sensitivity, she exposes the human cost of the global demand for cut-rate products, and provides clear calls to action for individuals, corporations and governments to stem these abuses. Any reader with half a heart will be hard-pressed not to re-examine their own buying habits after reading this incredible, moving account. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm

Shelf Talker: Journalist Amelia Pang peels back the layers of one Chinese prisoner's SOS letter to reveal the human cost of American demand for cheap, trendy products in this moving account of China's forced labor industry.

This book provides a small slice into the harrowing reality behind most of our products. The market is rife with blood, dripping with it, and this story is only a small window into it. Still, it'd serve as a bracing, much-needed education for those new to the realities of global production and trade.

CW: confinement, death, emotional abuse, forced institutionalization, genocide, gore, grief, medical content, physical abuse, police brutality, racism, religious bigotry, sexual assault, slavery, suicide, torture, violence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

My thoughts on this book are conflicting. On one hand, this is an extremely important topic that definitely needs more discourse and considerable policy change. On the other, I did not enjoy this book and think it could have been much more effective.

Before I jump into my review, I think I need to share the position I’m coming from. For as long as I can remember, my family has always tried to avoid purchasing products made in China, something I rarely see others discuss. I don’t know where this decision originally came from, but growing up I always thought it was because these products were considered poor quality or there were concerns about toxic chemicals, not that it was a system of exploitation further fueled by global consumerism. I do remember the curious looks from my friends whenever I would share that my family tried to avoid products made in China; the thought of avoiding specific manufacturing locations had never crossed their minds. In fact, the term “ethical consumption” has only entered my vocabulary within the past two years; clearly there is substantial room for consumer education and progressive change.

I was looking forward to reading Made in China because my family and I still try to avoid products made in China (although it can be extremely difficult to impossible in some instances), and I now know the reasons we avoid products made in China are much more complex than simply “it’s cheaply made”. My hope for Made in China was that would help me gain a better insight of why my family would have originally made the decision to avoid products made in China and evaluate if we were right in sticking to that decision.

In short, the answer is yes: we will continue to avoid, to the best of our ability and resources (and because we have that flexibility in most instances), products made in China. Made in China explains in detail the laogai system (which translates to “reform through labor” but really means forced-labor in essentially concentration camps) and the multitude of human rights violations that go into manufacturing cheap products for the rest of the world to consume. I think it’s also important to note that “cheap” products just mean somewhere in the manufacturing process corners have been cut, and more often than not it's the workers creating the product that suffer, not the company’s profits.

However, there are two main reasons I could not rate this book any higher. First, I don’t believe I would have read this book if I knew it contained graphic descriptions of torture, and because this content was never disclosed (in any promotional blurb or as a content warning at the beginning of the book), it has negatively affected my rating. Graphic descriptions of sensitive topics (such as torture) are definite deal-breakers for me.

Second, while this book does cover many aspects of this issue, it fails to cover several important points, including: 1) the role of capitalism and big business in pressuring these systems to continue with their current loopholes and horrific conditions, and 2) the privilege of being able to use your purchasing power (such as my family does) to avoid the cheapest options of products: those who do not have financial flexibility LITERALLY don’t have any other options and can’t afford to buy the higher quality item.

Overall, I’m still not completely sure how I feel about this book. It could have been less graphic and been much more effective, for my reading tastes anyways. It’s not that this story should not be told, it’s that it could be told in a different way. The fact that China is violating human rights in such blatant attempt to eradicate dissidents and ethnic and religious minorities from their culture needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. Hopefully, Made in China will be the last stone needed to bring an avalanche of awareness and momentum to this issue.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

Although this is a nonfiction title about forced labor camps, the story is very compelling and reads like a good novel. The book makes modern Chinese history accessible to the general public. There are enough citations for it to be very dry, but it is not. The narrative starts out from the point of view of an American woman who finds an SOS note in a bag of old Halloween decorations. It follows her journey to try to find and help the man we learn was Sun Yi, whose incredible story is told in detail.

Bottom line after reading this is that I never want to buy anything again! But when I do, I’m going to do my homework first. Thankfully the author provides tips at the end for the best ways to shop with a conscience. Recommended for anyone curious about where that SOS note came from and why.

...and this is true....I can’t even......
I did not think I could ever be more disturbed over true content than the Holocaust, but, people, if this is happening in China or other countries we cannot live our lives or close our eyes at night again without seeking help for the oppressed.
There were moments when my heart was racing so fast, I became nauseous and lightheaded. Each chapter was shocking with the torture Sun suffered in one of the China work camps, better known as Re-education camps the Chinese Communist Party assembled to create cheap products on the backs of starved, beaten and electrocuted and even worse....men, women and children. Working 18 hours a day....7 days a week....
If they are executed, their organs are harvested, which is a whole other story itself.
Sun is tortured night and day in a camp until he seeks help by putting SOS letters in packages from the factories heading to the U.S. into the stores of H&M, Walmart, Kmart, Amazon and many others. Thank goodness someone opened it and took heart to seek help and justice. Unfortunately, this hasn’t stopped.
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy for my review.

An eye opening account of the horrible suffering of the citizens of China by the Communist party. When an Oregon mother finds a hidden note in Halloween decorations, she strives to make a difference. This factual account will make readers think twice before buying cheaply made trinkets and decorations. Recommended!

There are books, articles, etc. out there about Chinese factories, and I’m sure you’ve seen or read them over the years. Even just the phrase “Made in China” can fill the modern Western consumer, myself included, with a sense of dread. We live with this unease because we know working conditions are not ideal in Chinese factories, yet we rely on these goods every day and can hardly escape them we tried.

This isn’t the standard “sweatshops are bad” book, and for that reason I recommend it highly to anyone interested in minimalism, consumerist culture, the environment, and obviously human rights. This book is about China’s forced labor camps, or “laogai,” and how these terrible labor practices are driven by the developed world’s ever-present demand for affordable, nice things. All the things: decorations, electronics, clothing, household goods and, shockingly, human organs. Even if you think your purchases are ethical and aren’t from forced labor — surprise! They definitely are. The sheer amount of stuff we consume forces factories into near constant production, and our demand for cheap and affordable pricing devalues human labor so these camps, in turn, devalue human life.

The connections between all these points are complicated, and the author admirably connects these dots while focusing on humans at the center of this story: Sun Yi, a political prisoner who drafted an SOS note to slip into a package of Halloween decorations, and Julie Keith, the suburban American mom who found it. This personal focus, especially Sun’s experiences, really make an impact.

Readable, illuminating, and concludes with steps we as consumers can take, and questions we can ask, to hold companies’ feet to the fire. I read this as an arc (thanks to the publisher), and my only complaint is that the book would benefit from some structure - sections, chapters, etc., which I assume are coming in the final edition as they’ll assist the reader to navigate the complex story Pang so deftly weaves.

Could not read. Technical problems prevented me from being able to access the book. I would have loved to been able to read the book as the title and description sounded very interesting

Eye-opening and educational. Also, when I found myself asking "why do we keep buying cheap goods potentially made by Chinese labor camps," the author provides an explanation of the human psyche. Speaking out and having the ability to educate ourselves about the injustices of the world can make a difference.

This was a really tough one to read. I found the history detailed and well researched because I was not familiar with many of the events in China that led to forced labor camps. The descriptions of what people endure were graphic but I think they were necessary. I will certainly be looking at more companies that ethically source their materials and labor. You often think that the cheaper price is your "gain" but I had to really assess my own buying and spending habits after reading this book. A solid non-fiction that I think will appeal to people who like both history but also modern day issues that impact us. I did think the book was a balance of blame to go all around- blame for the horrid conditions people face in factories but also blame for us because we are always chasing the "best price."

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

An American mom finds an SOS note in a package of Halloween decorations written by a prisoner in a labor camp in China begging for help. Investigative journalist Amelia Pang tells this prisoner's story as well as relaying the horrifying truth of how many of our products coming from China are produced.

This book tells the story of what the Made in China label means. You can not get around buying things made there. However, it makes you think twice when you are picking up a holiday decoration or an unneeded chotskies from the shop. We hardly ever stop to think about what it is like to work in the factories that make our goods. Definitely an eye opening read.

This book is very interesting.

Most nonfiction is written in a way that feels dry, no matter how interesting the subject matter, but this book is almost suspiciously conversational and easy to focus on. And yet, it's clear that the author has done extensive research in addition to her extensive personal experience investigating the issue of Chinese labor camps.

I learned the word "laogai" here, which I'm embarrassed that I only recognized from <i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i>.

This chronicle of human rights abuses is told in a personal way, through the story of a man who experienced arrest, forced labor, and torture himself. I had never heard of the Falun Gong before, either; I expected this book to feature much more on Xinjiang but, while the camps there are certainly discussed, most of this book's focus is on a system that preceded the more recent large-scale crackdown on the Uighurs.

Though it is unapologetically accusatory toward China, this book is also not blind to our own flaws, which I appreciated. It is terrifying to think about how many ordinary, unnecessary knick knacks on ordinary store shelves were made at the cost of some "disappeared" prisoner's literal blood, sweat, and tears.

Should you buy something "made in China"? Although this book doesn't really answer that question, it will certainly cause you to rethink your purchases with that label. Focusing primarily on one person and the note he smuggled out of a Chinese prison in Halloween decorations purchased in an Oregon KMart. Research on the part of news outlets and others revealed a pattern of using forced labor (prisoners - criminal, political & religious) in Chinese camps to manufacture items sold around the world.

This is a heartbreaking story, focusing on the human side of this issue and highlighting the oppression of religious minorities in China. Although (it seems) that many US companies attempt to expect & even demand reasonable working conditions for workers in Chinese factories, this work explains the difficulties in actually enforcing those expectations. Clearly written, well researched and documented (a full 30% of the book contains the footnotes), this is an important work and should be read by anyone interested in human rights issues.

It is hard to not be affected by this book, as it tells the human story behind the fast fashion and retail we have all become accustomed to. It could be preachy and it could have been written in a manner to shame us with our desire for cheap goods, but instead Pang lets the people she interviews tell the story of how we all came to be in this situation, and how well this type of exploitation is hidden. A must for those who need the push to become conscious shoppers, but also a well-written, accessible piece of journalism.

I found this book fascinating, while also horrifying. That this should happen to anyone is beyond cruel and unconscionable. I will re-think every purchasing decision regarding inexpensive products as well as the "made in china" label.

Brilliantly told, this is an eye-opening book that must be read. There are plenty of details that successfully captured the atmosphere of what was going on with the persons involved. This is a riveting narrative nonfiction.

What an eye-opening read! We hear things, but the cognitive dissonance helps keep us from really thinking about them (us as in 'the masses') when we're at the store trying to stay within budget. The author has done an amazing job of humanizing and personalizing these human rights violations by taking us into the life of one man and his life's journey through the system. Anyone who reads this book and comes out unchanged simply doesn't have a heart at all...

Firstly, allow me to show appreciation to the author, publishers, and the Netgalley team for giving an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Allow me to start with the idea, that this is a very heart-breaking and painful read, considering that we are discussing violence and crime against humanity that is happening nowadays, invisible and yet very much existing.
What is the cost of all the "stuff" that we are accumulating, with the hope of using one day or using and tossing immediately, without thinking? No, it is not just a dollar or so, it is actually stolen human life, oppression of will, mind and body, starvation, body horrors, forced extended hours...
Under the veil of the regime, the people who think and believe differently, not even criminals or problems to a society, just people, who are confronting the regime and present revolution threats just for their being, are being exploited in the forced work camps, producing cheap ( and may even not) goods, which we use, abuse and toss, without even thinking... You may think is it my doing to fix this issue, that is thousands of miles away and far beyond my powers, but reading horror stories that are happening to humans like us, our brothers and sisters in another country, we just have to appreciate the goods and try to support fair trade, stop pouring money to support the regime that is built on human pain and suffering...
The book presents several life stories and the "threat" that regimes perceive from regular citizens and made them suffer and work for just the luxury to stay alive, creates a bureaucratic system to oppress you, make you less and less every day.
What this book does: makes you think, rethink your own ways of living and possibly make a change in behavior, and stop human slavery....
Definitely a five star read, heart-breaking, but so necessary.