America has recently rediscovered its sweatshops. High profile scandals-from Kathy Lee to Nike-have brought the shocking and substandard conditions of factories to light, causing more Americans to become aware of the relationship between the American consumer and foreign laborer. Focusing on sweatshops located in the United States as well as those abroad whose products are purchased by American consumers, these essays offer a historical perspective on sweatshops and on their role in global migration and economics. They also chronicle efforts to control and eradicate sweatshops and suggest how these campaigns were and remain both national and global.

Memory and the Impact of Political Transformation in Public Space explores the effects of major upheavals-wars, decolonization, and other social and economic changes-on the ways in which public histories are presented around the world. Examining issues related to public memory in twelve countries, the histories collected here cut across political, cultural, and geographic divisions. At the same time, by revealing recurring themes and concerns, they show how basic issues of history and memory transcend specific sites and moments in time. A number of the essays look at contests over public memory following two major political transformations: the wave of liberation from colonial rule in much of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America during the second half of the twentieth century and the reorganization of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc beginning in the late 1980s. This collection expands the scope of what is considered public history by pointing to silences and absences that are as telling as museums and memorials. Contributors remind us that for every monument that is erected, others-including one celebrating Sri Lanka's independence and another honoring the Unknown Russian Soldier of World War II-remain on the drawing board. While some sites seem woefully underserved by a lack of public memorials-as do post-Pinochet Chile and post-civil war El Salvador-others run the risk of diluting meaning through overexposure, as may be happening with Israel's Masada. Essayists examine public history as it is conveyed not only in marble and stone but also through cityscapes and performances such as popular songs and parades. Contributors James Carter John Czaplicka Kanishka Goonewardena Lisa Maya Knauer Anna Krylova Teresa Meade Bill Nasson Mary Nolan Cynthia Paces Andrew Ross Daniel Seltz T. M. Scruggs Irina Carlota Silber Daniel J. Walkowitz Yael Zerubavel