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It is a sunny spring Saturday in western North Carolina, one of those days when the best local plan is to hike to a waterfall or climb to the top of a mountain.
But inside this windowless room, with high ceilings and bright fluorescent lights, the scene is different: the sound of sewing machines, fabric being cut and several Latina women listening closely to their sewing instructor.
They have been in class since 9 a.m. and will stay until 5 p.m. They also attend classes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. They are part of the Intensive Industrial Sewing Workshop, a popular education initiative by Poder Emma.
The goal: to train the Latino community in a trade that can provide job opportunities and, above all, to move forward with a long-term plan to create the first textile cooperative run by Latino workers in the region.
“Here, people can learn at their own pace, in their language, with coffee, bread and conversation,” Alan Ramírez, coordinator of the initiative and a sewing enthusiast himself, told Enlace Latino NC.
The program has 23 straight-stitch machines and 5 overlock machines of different types: some for heavy fabrics, others for leather. The machines were donated by The Industrial Commons and previously belonged to a sewing workshop at AB Tech community college.
“But not many people participated: first, it was in English, the cost was high and the schedules were complicated. Those are a lot of barriers for our community,” he said.
At the Centro Cultural y Económico El Porvenir, where the workshop is held, things are different. The curriculum totals 80 hours; it has been fully translated into Spanish and the instructors are Hispanic. And it is free. Students must complete 12 products in total: they start with a keychain and finish with a large zippered bag. Upon completion, students receive a state-recognized certification.
But the dream is bigger:
“One day, we can create a worker cooperative where people can work and earn enough to make a living from it. But we’re not at that point yet. We’re just beginning to see how to open this space for people in a safe way,” Ramírez said.
A community sewing program
“The Industrial Sewing program operates within the Universidad Popular, which is part of the Poder Emma ecosystem,” Ramírez explained. In addition to this workshop, they currently offer English and computer classes for the community.
The workshops respond to the needs and interests of the community. For example, the Sewing Workshop emerged from a community survey in which sewing appeared as one of the most frequently mentioned interests and job opportunities among the local Latino community.
According to Ramírez, one of Poder Emma’s goals is to build sources of employment to strengthen the community and support efforts against displacement. In Emma, 80% of residents live in mobile homes and most work in low-wage jobs: hospitality, domestic work and construction.
To achieve that, Ramírez said, they must take another step: “We can’t just provide services. We have to learn how to sell a product. In our ecosystem, there are childcare providers, accountants and interpreters. But they all sell services. We want to learn how to sell a product.”
For now, this is the learning stage. Most students are residents of Emma-Erwin, though some come from farther away. This group includes a 22-year-old woman with her own boutique at Mercado La Pulga in Fletcher; a woman with a small machine at home; and others seeking jobs in textile factories.
“We’re figuring out what our industry will be. But it starts with knowing how to use a machine.”
A trade with roots in the community
The textile industry has deep roots in North Carolina. Although it is smaller today, it once played a major role in the state: in 1996 there were 2,153 plants with more than 233,000 employees.
But 10 years later, the number of plants had fallen by 40% and employment by 65%. Among the reasons for this decline are cheaper international competition, free trade agreements and automation, according to the report Key Industries: Textiles & Apparel.
In the western part of the state, however, it remains a key industry: there are nearly 50 outdoor equipment manufacturers producing tents, hammocks, kayaks, bags, life vests, bicycle components and technical mountain apparel.
The role of the Latino community
The Latino community is part of that history. According to Ramírez, many people have sewing experience: those who worked in factories in their countries of origin, those who worked in textile plants in western North Carolina and those who learned the trade at home, passing knowledge from generation to generation.
“I think it has always been a good source of income for the community, but more and more barriers have emerged.”
In 2008, immigration agents detained 57 workers at Mills Manufacturing, a parachute factory for the military in Asheville. It was the largest immigration operation in the area and still affects the community today. “It was a difficult time,” Ramírez said.
Another barrier has been the implementation of E-Verify, a federal system that requires employers to verify the immigration status of their workers. Since 2013, it has been mandatory in North Carolina for all companies with 25 or more employees, leaving many in the community without job options.
These challenges are compounded by language barriers, lack of training, low wages and the physical demands of the work.
The workshop aims to change this reality and contribute to revitalizing the textile industry while creating job opportunities for the community. “Our mission is to change the narrative that this work is for poor people, for single women, as in other countries,” he said. “To ensure respect for this industry and for the people who work in factories.”
The sewing lab
In addition to classes, they offer what they call a “Sewing Lab”: open hours for the community to use the equipment. For example, those who have completed the training and want to start a business can do so at the workshop. Others can use the machines for personal projects.
“There are many people who have sewing machines at home. They like to do their own alterations, curtains and other projects. But they may lack formal training or additional materials. And many don’t know how to repair their machines,” he said.
“Our initiative is to bring in people who enjoy sewing and want to keep learning and growing in the trade.”
Ramírez hopes this is the beginning of a new chapter for the neighborhood, where sewing work is valued and allows workers to have a dignified life: “We want to be part of that revitalization and get young people and others interested in this trade, which is so essential in society.”
PODCAST
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Hace un año, el huracán Helene golpeó al oeste de Carolina del Norte. La comunidad latina respondió con algo más fuerte que la tormenta: solidaridad.
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