There Was
No Other Option

Interview by Abigail Eun

Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Luz Hernández. I’m a mother of three daughters and three grandchildren. I came to this country in 2003 from the state of Veracruz, Mexico.

Do you live or work in Koreatown?
Yes, I’ve been living in Koreatown for 18 years. I’m not working currently, but when I came to this country, I worked from 2003 to 2010.

Why did you immigrate to Koreatown specifically?
To be honest, it was because of my husband, who died two months ago. He was already in this country and lived in this area. 

What do you think of Koreatown?
Koreatown is an extremely diverse area with many ethnic groups. More than before, but with time, it has become a diverse mix of races. For example, I’m from Mexico and other people are from Korea. There are many different people that live here. 

What is your favorite thing about Koreatown?
My favorite part about Koreatown is the community [meetings]. Right now, they don’t have them, but I really like going to the community meetings in Koreatown. These resources have helped me sustain myself, with the community, and meet new people. 

As immigrants, community is extremely important because we are not from this country. Can you tell me about your hardships as an immigrant in the United States?
In the beginning, it wasn’t great for me, and it’s still difficult because of the language barrier.

Can you tell me about your favorite memory in Mexico when you were young?
Of course. I studied and worked. I finished my bachelor’s degree in primary education. I needed to study and work.

Please tell me about your experiences in the Garment District. 
When I came to this country in 2003, I was looking for work and had no previous working background in a sewing factory or the garment industry. However, I began working in the garment industry as a checker [for quality control]. After spending some time [as a checker], they made me the machine operator for making denim back pockets. And I worked there in the factory where they made pants. But as I mentioned, I didn’t have much experience in the industry.

Did you enjoy working in the Garment District?
Not precisely, but I wanted a different job than what I did in Mexico since I spent 18 years working as an educator. I wanted to give myself a break. I wanted to do a different kind of work that wasn’t in the school setting. I enjoyed learning and trying different things, something different.

Was there a community in the garment industry?
I had acquaintances and there were people from my hometown [where I worked]. Most of the workers were from Mexico. I think that [many people from Mexico usually work in the garment industry] because they have some prior knowledge of doing this type of work.

I put the back pockets [for jeans] and designs on them. There were special machines, so we worked with [computer] disks. Oh, it was almost like a computer that you programmed to make the design. I had to program the machine so that it could start to do the work — the design.

I learned a lot of different things to continue working there. Sometimes some workers only wanted to do one job; they weren’t scheduled for work again. I had to learn a lot of new things so I wouldn’t be sent home. 

Were you able to rest when you worked in the garment industry?
No, because I wanted to work and help my husband pay for household expenses. I had to find a babysitter for Kimberly because she was my youngest child. 

How many hours did you work in the Garment District?
Usually 40 hours per week. Eight hours per day for five days. 

Did they give you a break?
Yes, they gave us two 10-minute breaks during the eight hours, and they also gave us 30 minutes to eat. I didn’t have a lot of time to rest. Sometimes, they didn’t even give us a break, and we had to work seven days a week when there was a lot of work. There were occasions when I worked more than 12 hours per day. We didn’t have the privilege of vacations or time off. It’s very unjust, right?

Yes, it's very unjust because many other workers [in the United States] receive paid vacations, healthcare benefits, etc., but immigrants are excluded from all these benefits. 

It's sad, right? We are all human beings, but we don’t receive the same respect. 

How did you balance your time working and your time with family?
At that time, though I was working, I still had to take care of my youngest daughter, Kimberly. When I came home from work, I still had to finish my chores. I had to bathe Kimberly and put her to sleep around 11 p.m. or 12 a.m. so that we both could rest. The next day, I would have to wake up at 6 a.m. and take three buses to go to work. The place I worked [at] wasn’t nearby; it was in Montebello, and we didn’t have a car, so I had to take three buses to get to work. It was difficult, but I had to do it. I didn’t have another option. There was no other option. 

Now I must return to work because my husband passed away recently. He was the only provider for the family because I was sick. I have diabetes, which is why I couldn’t work. My sugar levels were above 400mg/dL, which causes me to feel dizzy.