"Not only does Jihye’s book present the first in-depth study on the history, growth, and challenges of Korean entrepreneurship in the Argentine garment industry, it also offers a testament to the appropriateness and practicality of some important theories and concepts in international migration studies, such as social capital or embeddedness, ethnic and class resources, a host country’s economic policies and labor market structure, and so on. From Sweatshop to Fashion Shop will be valuable to all academics in Migration/Diaspora Studies, Latin American Studies, Korean Studies, and Asian Studies.”

Joong-Hwan Oh, Hunter College

From Sweatshop to Fashion Shop: Korean Immigrant Entrepreneurship in the Argentine Garment Industry is a timely contribution to the scant literature on Korean immigration to South America. Through an in-depth examination of Korean immigrants in the garment industry in Argentina, the book offers a compelling account of the vital ethnic niche carved out by Korean Argentinians and their rapid ascent from sweatshops to wholesalers and retailers. This book is a must read for those interested in Asian immigration to Latin America and cross-national studies of the rag trade and immigrant entrepreneurship.

Dae Young Kim, George Mason University

Surprisingly, 80 percent of Korean immigrants in Argentina are concentrated in the garment industry. Even more surprisingly, second-generation Koreans there, unlike those in the U.S., are inclined to move into their parents’ garment businesses rather than into the mainstream economy. In her book, From Sweatshop to Fashion Shop, Jihye Kim persuasively explains the unusual occupational adaptation of Korean immigrants, using the concept of ethnic embeddedness and the host society’s economic uncertainty. Drawing on her ethnographic research and personal interviews, she has provided fascinating stories throughout her book. I could not put down her book until I finished it.

Pyong Gap Min, CUNY/Queens College