梅玖瑋：紐約華人製衣業的輝煌歷史

大家好，今天我很榮幸能來到這裡。我是大衣協會的會長，我們協會已經成立了93年。我們協會代表工廠老闆，而工會則代表工人。

在我投身這個行業的這些年裡，從1980年代開始，我們接觸了製衣業中的許多不同實體。一個多世紀以來，這個行業確實代表了來自不同背景的新移民——德國人、拉丁裔、華人、猶太人等等。它為這些新移民在紐約立足提供了途徑。當我們最初創辦這些工廠時，我們給予了新移民一個對未來的期許，使他們能夠在紐約建立生活並養家糊口。當時也有許多商業機會讓他們發展。

單就唐人街而言，我成長於此，我的工廠也設在這裡，曾經約有1,000家工廠，僱用約35,000名工人。這極大地支持了唐人街周邊的許多生意，例如餐館和雜貨店。當時，我們有許多新點子，並在曼哈頓地區主要發展各種不同的業務。我們看到許多新機會不斷湧現，因為這個行業裡的人數眾多。

然而，自2000年代中期以來，這個行業已經發生了變化。由於工廠遷至海外，紐約的製衣業經歷了痛苦的就業衰退。因此，許多移民現在依賴製衣業以外的不同途徑來維持生計，有些人轉而從事酒店或托兒業務。透過在此階段支持我們的新移民，我們確實正在搭建一座橋樑，幫助其他移民在製衣業之外生存下來。

我們現在展望未來，不僅僅是緬懷過去或我們曾支持的政策和夥伴關係。我們致力於繼續幫助新移民達到新的層次，透過在製衣業以外的各個領域支持他們。我們期待製衣業中出現許多新想法、新思維和未來的創新。

謝謝大家。

梅玖瑋 (Mei Jiewei) 紐約製衣總商會會長 2025聯合國世界文化多樣性活動組委會共同主席

The Glorious History of New York's Chinese Garment Industry

Hello everyone, it's my honor to be here today. I'm the president of the Greater Blouse Association, an organization that has been around for 93 years. Our association represents the factory owners, while the union represents the workers.

During my time in this industry, starting in the 1980s, we encountered many different entities within the garment industry. For over a century, this industry truly represented new immigrants from various backgrounds—German, Latino, Chinese, Jewish, and others. It served as a pathway for these new immigrants to establish themselves in New York. When we first started these factory businesses, we offered new immigrants a sense of a future, enabling them to build a life here in New York and support their families. There were also many business opportunities for them to grow.

In Chinatown alone, where I grew up and where my factories are located, there were about 1,000 factories employing approximately 35,000 workers. This greatly supported many businesses around Chinatown, such as restaurants and grocery stores. Back then, we had many new ideas and were pursuing different ventures, primarily in the Manhattan district. We saw numerous new opportunities emerge because of the large number of people in the industry.

However, the industry has changed since the mid-2000s. The New York garment industry has experienced a painful decline in jobs due to factories moving overseas. As a result, many immigrants now rely on different avenues for survival outside the garment industry, some finding work in hotels or daycare businesses. By supporting our new immigrants at this stage, we are truly building a bridge to help other immigrants survive beyond the garment industry.

We are now looking forward to the future, not just remembering our past or the policies and partnerships we supported. We are committed to continuing to help new immigrants reach new levels by supporting them in various areas beyond the garment industry. We anticipate many new ideas, new ways of thinking, and future innovations within the garment industry.

Thank you.

Mei Jiewei President, Greater Blouse Association Co-Chair, 2025 United Nations World Cultural Diversity Event Organizing Committee