If you're looking for evidence of China's workforce superiority, the 2019 Netflix documentary American Factory delivers. The true story of how a long-defunct General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio was revitalized by a billionaire Chinese investor to become another plant for the Fuyoa Glass Company is compelling, intense and more than a little scary. The bottom line: The Chinese people have it all over us.
Fuyoa's CEO has high hopes of making millions in America, sending Chinese workers to Ohio for a two-year stint working alongside the locals eager for employment since the closure of GM left many families in poverty. At first it seems like a promising venture full of hope and excitement, but the two cultures soon clash and things go downhill fast, with profits not forthcoming.
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| The Chinese workers are dedicated to their task. |
The true stars of this film are the stunning, colorful photography of a gleaming state-of-the-art modern factory and a fascinating look at the process of making automobile windshields and windows from sand. Besides that, there are the different personalities of the people working there, some of whom we meet and spend a bit of time with.
The working-class Americans barely eking out a living are mostly bitter about their low wages and uppity Chinese bosses who "control everything." The Chinese workers are surprised by the low quality work ethic of the Americans, who seem lazy and uninspired in comparison to them. As one six-days-a-week Chinese worker says, "The point of life is to work, right?" But the Americans feel differently, caring little about what they do while seeking more days off, longer breaks, a better lunchroom facility and higher wages.
A fierce battle over whether or not to unionize the shop divides the company and adds to the tension. You'll have to watch it to find out who wins, but it's two hours very well spent that will fly by. You'll come away a lot smarter and with an understanding that the Chinese have much to teach us about how to live.
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