Kingston once buzzed with rows of industrial sewing machines in dozens of factories. Seated at these machines were women, many of them European immigrants and their descendants. Kingston’s garment workers supported themselves, their families, and their local economy by stitching shirts that clothed the country.
Today’s sewing jobs continue to attract immigrant women. Many bring sewing skills with them from their home country, and few garment factory jobs require English language proficiency. Many of Kingston’s immigrant sewing women were once from Italy and Eastern Europe, while today most hail from Mexico and Central America.
Today, though the height of Kingston’s industrial garment industry has long since passed, Kingstonians both old and new still use needles and thread to make a living, express creativity, and pass on traditions.
