Center for Asian American Media

DAUGHTERS OF THE CLOTH is a stirring portrait of a Korean immigrant family, working in the downtown Los Angeles garment industry. Mr. and Mrs. Bang worked for over 17 years in the business, starting out as sewing laborers and later founding and operating their own sewing contracting company. Now retired, they watch as their three daughters, who decided to strike it out on their own, struggle anew. Navigating at various levels of the industry – from a retailer at the top, a manufacturer and a contractor in the middle, to workers at the bottom – the Bang daughters search to find their place within a cutthroat apparel business. What unfolds next are the challenges of their small business ownership, family unity and their very survival.

In an industry notorious for exploitation of immigrants, DAUGHTERS OF THE CLOTH offers an in-depth look into an increasingly tangled global economy, reflecting on a local dichotomy through the Bangs’ daily struggles.

College/Institution

K-12/Public Library/Community Group