Travels of a T-Shirt 1-140

 Looking at things from a different perspective can often change your opinion, and looking at globalization through the eyes of a t-shirt is certainly a good example of that.  The book starts in a city called Lubbock in Texas, one of the largest cotton hubs in the world. I figured this made sense, as parts of Texas are especially flat, which are more preferrable for growing cotton and other crops.

    One other part that stood out to me was when they talk about the farmers themselves having to sell their own cotton.  Most farmers aren't properly trained in being able to market their product, but they had to anyway to make sure it got sold at all.  In the example of west Texas, it was even more difficult for farmers to sell their cotton due to its reputation for poor quality.  Reasons for this include the fiber generally being shorter and weaker.  It's generally suited to survive in Texas, not to thrive on the open market.  It makes a good transition from this to the next step, however, as most Texas cotton is exported to places such as China for production.  To me, marketing in your own general state/area seems particularly easier than marketing for foreign exports.

    The last sections of the reading cover the process of manufacturing goods with the exported cotton, specifically in China.  It was clearly hinted at throughout these sections that China was becoming one of if not the major clothing manufacturers in the world.  It cites the lower cost of labor and sheer population as the main contributor to becoming a manufacturing giant.  What saddens me is the fact that China had established things called hukous, which required one to stay within a specific region.  It was almost certainly a highly restrictive lifestyle which most would consider inhumane, but it was a major factor in China's producing income.  Although hukous have majorly slowed down, it's still difficult for people who live in rural areas to find accessible goods in urban regions, only giving them the illusion of making life work outside of rural life.