LOS ANGELES–Join the Museum of Social Justice and the Thai Community Development Center for the exhibition and anniversary of the Thai El Monte Garment Workers, the first recognized case of modern-day slavery in the United States. About the exhibition Thai El Monte Garment Workers: The Return of Slavery and Trafficking in the Modern Era Twenty-six years ago, 72 Thai nationals were held as indentured servants under the threat of violence in a highly guarded compound in El Monte, California. On August 2, 1995, a team of law enforcement and officials, and Chanchanti Martorell from Thai CDC raided the compound, rescuing the workers from the captors. This commemorative exhibition shares the complete story of the Thai garment workers, aims to bring awareness of the prevalence of human trafficking of foreign nationals into the U.S. for sexual exploitation and slave labor, and to share the important role that California played in sparking garment industry reforms, creating legislation to protect worker rights, and launching a global movement against human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Thursday-Sunday, 10 am-3 pm June 10-September 5, 2021 Museum of Social Justice 115 Paseo De La Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012 This project is supported by California Humanities through a Humanities for All Project Grant.
