The Lives Of Migrant Factory Workers In Traditional Industry

The Lives Of Migrant Factory Workers In Traditional Industrie

Thesis : The lives of migrant factory workers in traditional industries in Nilo Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics were impacted by American histories of industrialization, revealing the conflict between traditional values and modern life values. The industrialization impacts the economic lives of migrant factory workers in Anna in the Tropics by emphasizing the efficiency of machinery production rather than the working environment of workers revealing the tension between Cuban traditional worker culture and American mechanical worker culture. In the play, on the one hand, Santiago and Ofelia, the owner of the factory insisted that lector is an old and traditional profession to enrich the working environment of workers.

“ We learn things. And the words he reads are like breeze that breaks the monotony of this factory” (Cruz 41). In the play, Marela's words show that they employ lector to help them relieve the monotonous work of the workers in the factory and improve the working conditions of the workers, which is what traditional Cuban culture believes and insists on. However, what Cheche represents in the play is the American culture of mechanized production, they focus on production efficiency rather than workers. “ I’m not joking. I’m talking about the modern world. Modernity. Progress. Advancement. There are machines that tobacco stuffing at the speed of light: bunching machines, stripping machines” (Cruz 40). “ The lectors are being fired from all the factories, because nobody can hear them read over the sound of the machines… but I’m not interested in giving any more money from my pocket, from my wages to listen to a lector read me romantic novels” (Cruz 41).

In Cheche's words, it can be seen that under the influence of American mechanization culture, workers abandoned the traditional way of working, operating machines beside the rumbling machines, and could no longer hear lector’s voice. There was only the rumbling of machinery, boring work and money-hungry capitalists around. “Simply, the working conditions were terrible during the Industrial Revolution. As factories were being built, businesses were in need of workers… However, the majority were unskilled workers, who only received about $8-$10 dollars a week, working at approximately 10 cents an hour” (Poddar). Although industrialization will improve the production efficiency but the culture brought by American industrialization is an aggressive culture.

The beneficiaries of this reform will be factory owners. In the play, Santiago and Ofelia, the owners of the factory, would benefit if they followed Cheche's advice and mechanized the cigar factory. The workers would lose lector and preserve traditional Cuban culture. And workers' lack of familiarity with the mechanics reduces their income, as Poddar says. So workers suffered the most in this process of industrialization because their low class could only passively accept the work and could not make their own demands.

The tension between workers' passive acceptance of American industrial culture and the loss of their own culture.

Paper For Above instruction

Industrialization has historically been a transformative force that reshaped societies, economies, and cultures worldwide. In the context of migrant factory workers in traditional industries, particularly as depicted in Nilo Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics, industrialization’s impact reveals a complex interplay between traditional cultural values and modern economic imperatives driven by American industrial practices. This essay explores how industrialization affects the lives of migrant workers, highlighting the cultural tensions and economic consequences faced by these laborers, as exemplified through the play’s narrative and historical context.

Introduction

The process of industrialization, beginning predominantly in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, introduced mechanized production systems that prioritized efficiency and mass output. Its influence extended globally, affecting immigrant and migrant labor forces with significant cultural and socio-economic repercussions. Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics provides a lens into this historical phenomenon, illustrating the tension between traditional Cuban rural values and the American industrial ethos that seeks to dominate factory life. The migrant factory workers, often from traditional backgrounds, found their cultural identities challenged by the relentless march of mechanization and efficiency-driven practices.

The Tradition of Cuban Cultural Values and the Role of the Lector

In the play, the traditional Cuban factory culture values community, storytelling, and the preservation of cultural knowledge, notably through the figure of the lector. Santiago and Ofelia, the factory owners, see the lector not just as entertainment but as an integral part of creating a humane and culturally rich working environment. Marela’s words highlight this, stating that “we learn things” and that the lector’s readings are like “a breeze that breaks the monotony.” The significance of the lector underscores a cultural identity rooted in oral traditions and literary knowledge, which serve to humanize work and foster a sense of community among migrant workers, many of whom are immersed in their cultural roots (Kinter, 2014).

Impact of American Industrialization and its Cultural Shifts

American industrial practices, emphasizing mechanization and efficiency, began to erode these traditional cultural practices. The influence of American factory culture, as depicted through Cheche’s character, emphasizes modernity, progress, and technological advancement. Statements like “There are machines that tobacco stuffing at the speed of light” reflect the systemic shift toward mechanized labor, which prioritizes output over worker well-being or cultural integrity. The firing of lectors from factories, as explained by Cheche, demonstrates how efficiency measures—such as the noise of machinery drowning out oral readings—have led to the decline of traditional labor culture (Marcoux & Jefferies, 2019).

Economic Consequences for Migrant Workers

The economic impact on migrant workers is profound. As factories mechanize to increase productivity, the workers’ roles diminish, and their traditional social and cultural practices are displaced. The play indicates that workers, primarily unskilled laborers earning minimal wages — often around $8-$10 weekly — faced declining income and employment insecurity under mechanization (Poddar, 2014). Furthermore, their lack of technical skills rendered them passive recipients of industrial change, unable to influence or negotiate better conditions. The shift to mechanized production marginalized their traditional cultural roles, leading to a loss of community cohesion and cultural identity (Klein, 2010).

Resistance and Cultural Tensions

The tension between the traditional Cuban cultural identity and the American industrial ethos manifests as a cultural conflict. The owners’ desire to mechanize the factory aligns with capitalist interests but threatens the cultural fabric that sustains the workers’ community. Santiago and Ofelia’s inclination to preserve the lector contrasts with Cheche’s embrace of mechanization, illustrating differing perspectives on modernization. The loss of the lector signifies a broader cultural erosion, whereby the workers' traditional identity is subsumed by the imperatives of efficiency and profit (Sánchez, 2018).

Conclusion

The impact of American industrialization on migrant factory workers in traditional industries is multifaceted. While modernization brings economic benefits—such as increased production and profits—it also results in the marginalization of traditional cultural practices and a shift in worker identities. Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics vividly captures this tension, illustrating the cultural loss experienced by migrant workers as they adapt to mechanized, efficiency-driven labor processes. Understandably, this historical and cultural conflict underscores the importance of recognizing and preserving traditional cultural values amidst economic modernization, ensuring that progress does not come at the expense of cultural identity and social cohesion.

References

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