I. IntroductionA sweatshop is a workplace where individuals work without benefits, with decent pay, and poor working conditions (Dictionary.com). Sweatshops can be found all over the world, especially in developing countries where local laws are easily corrupted: Central America, South America, Asia, and parts of Europe (Background on Sweatshops). China, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and Bangladesh are the main countries where most sweatshop products are manufactured (McAllister). Sweatshop workers are often people who have immigrated and work in other countries. Although many U.S. citizens do not know or believe that sweatshops exist in the United States, they do exist, and many are located in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles (Background on Sweatshops). Sweatshops gained popularity during the Industrial Revolution because farmers left their land to acquire new jobs in factories (sweatshops). The global economy should not depend on sweatshops, but developed countries that obtain services from overseas sweatshops should improve working conditions and provide a living wage for their workers.II. Historical Background Due to the large increase in immigrants to the United States in the 1800s, sweatshops began to develop in East Coast cities. Immigrants who were primarily destined to work in sweatshops came from European countries. These immigrants were not forced to work in sweatshops with poor working conditions, but they had few other choices because most of them were unskilled laborers in a new country. This situation facilitated the growth of sweatshops. Social and economic conditions in cities allowed sweatshop owners to choose from a large, desperate population of workers who...... middle of paper ......oup.com/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage /ReferenceDetailsWindow?zid=19404905dc531f1b8af14f1bbd4490f1&action=2&catId=GALE%7C00000000LVZ8&documentId=GALE%7CPC3021900163&userGroupName=p1841&jsid=f8d20a8f5e8c472f6ec2 51356fd9ca2 3>.“Sweatshops are the norm in the global garment industry. We are mobilizing to change this. International Labor Rights Forum. Np, and Web. February 6, 2014. “Uncle Sam’s Sweatshops.” Review pages. The New York Times, December 29, 2013. Web. February 6, 2014. .Velasquez, James. “Minimum Wage Debate: How Sweatshops Are Actually Good for the Poor.” » Micro politics. Np, June 9, 2012. Web. February 7. 2014. .