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What's behind your clothing's 'made in Guatemala' label  October 28, 2025

 

What's up, sunshine? Welcome to the show. I'm Coy Wire. This is CNN 10, where I simply tell you the what, letting you decide what to think.

 

We have a lot of fascinating, even scintillating stories to tell you about, so let's get right to it.

 

scintillating [ˋsɪnt!͵etɪŋ] adj. 闪烁的；发出火花的；闪闪发光的

 

We begin today in Guatemala, where a months-long CNN investigation is highlighting a concerning trend in the country's textile industry. Thousands of workers, mostly women, pack the country's garment factories, or maquillas, to make their clothes for some of the biggest brands in the United States.

 

garment [ˋgɑrmənt] n. 服装，衣着

 

But many say they face impossible quotas, grueling conditions, and even threats of violence. Our Stefano Pazzoban investigates the truth behind those made-in-Guatemala labels we find on so many pieces of clothing.

 

grueling [ˋgruəlɪŋ] adj. 累垮人的；令人受不了的

 

In recent years, the garment industry has boomed in Guatemala.

 

Thanks to its proximity to the U.S., hundreds of Korean fast fashion companies expanded here to supply big American brands. But what happens inside these factories, called maquillas across the region, rarely sees the light of day.

 

Advocacy groups say the vast majority of maquilla workers are women who are paid less than $30 a day and are forced to meet impossible quotas.

 

Rutilia Cano worked for a Korean-owned factory providing to major U.S. retailers like Target, a company worth billions of dollars.

 

The disparity of what these people are producing and their purchasing power, it's just striking.

 

disparity [dɪsˋpærətɪ] n. 不平等；（不公平的）差异

 

In this complex supply chain, Korean manufacturers subcontract Guatemalan workers to benefit American consumers with affordable clothing.

 

subcontract [sʌbˋkɑntrækt] v. 转包；外包

 

When her factory suddenly closed, the employer denied Rutilia's wages and her pension benefits.

 

Target, as a third-party client, was not bound to pay. They decided to part ways with the factory after concerns surfaced over working conditions.

 

part [pɑrt] v. 告別，分手

 

Elsewhere, CNN spoke with dozens of maquilla workers. Seeking protection, Alexandra decided to join a union. We met a group outside their maquilla.

 

The products are destined for export to the United States. Household name Carhartt used to be among their clients, but cut ties in 2019. The workers told CNN the quotas imposed on them are thousands of pieces a day, almost two T-shirts every minute.

 

These women reported their allegations to local authorities.

 

But when the labor inspectors showed up, all the members of the union were laid off, opening a dispute that is yet to be resolved. CNN contacted factory owners and did not receive a response.

 

lay off 解雇; 停止使用

contact [kənˋtækt] v. 与……接触；与……联系

 

Most of these factories do not even tolerate a workers union and getting access to them has been even harder for us as journalists.

 

Only 76 out of more than 800 maquillas tolerate a union, but they employ tens of thousands of workers and are a crucial part of the economy.

 

For local authorities, enforcing rules without risking jobs is a fine line. We had a rare opportunity to put our findings to the Guatemalan president.

 

a fine line（两者）有所不同; 一线之隔；微妙的平衡

 

We are, for example, committed to the rights of labor. We have increased the minimum salary 10%, which is more than 6% for maquilla workers, but it is precisely in the line of recognizing that there is a need to support their well-being and we are going to continue to observe the situation.

 

precisely [prɪˋsaɪslɪ] adv. 清晰地，明确地

in the line of 与...一致; 符合

 

Bernardo Arévalo is the first progressive leader elected in Guatemala in decades.

 

His government raised hopes to tackle the rampant corruption that allowed workplace abuse to proliferate. The jury is still out.

 

rampant [ˋræmpənt] adj. 猖獗的

proliferate [prəˋlɪfə͵ret] v.（使）激增；（使）扩散

 

We go to Italy next, where there is an elite sprinter so prolific that scientists are studying her body to learn her secret.

 

prolific [prəˋlɪfɪk] adj. 得分多的; producing constant or successful results

 

And get this, she is 92 years old. That's right, she's no ordinary granny. This nonagenarian nonna is Ferrari-level fast.

 

granny [ˋgrænɪ] n.【口】奶奶；外婆；老太太，老奶奶

nonagenarian [͵nɑnədʒəˋnɛrɪən] adj. & n. 九十多岁的 (人)

nonna 意大利语中是「祖母」或「奶奶」的意思

 

Our Antonia Mortensen had the chance to catch up with the record-breaking runner to see just how she does it.

 

Emma Madenga is no ordinary 92-year-old. She's an Italian elite sprinter who has broken multiple world records.

 

Born in 1933, Emma made headlines when she broke the indoor 200m world record in her age group in 2024 with a time of 54.47.

 

She's a real testament that it's never too late to start again. Emma stopped training after college where she ran track. She became a high school teacher.

 

Got married, started a family. And then, at the age of 53, after a 25-year hiatus, dusted off her running shoes.

 

hiatus [haɪˋetəs] n. 短暂的中断

dust off 开始复习某事(尤指一段时间内搁置不用的技艺或语言)

 

How did you feel when you won your first world title?

 

It's beautiful because then you go to the podium they play the national anthem.

 

That's always a very emotional thing.

 

The nonagenarian's uniqueness attracted the attention of a team of Italian and American scientists. And she is now part of an ongoing international study trying to understand how someone her age can not only run, but so fast.

 

uniqueness [juˋniknɪs] n. 独一无二；独特性

 

So far, they've found that Mazinga's cardiorespiratory fitness is similar to that of someone in their 50s and her muscles' mitochondria function is as healthy as a 20-year-old's.

 

cardiorespiratory [͵kɑrdɪoˈrɛspərətɔrɪ] adj. 心肺的

mitochondrion [͵maɪtəˋkɑndrɪən] n.【生】粒线体，线粒体 (pl. mitochondria)

 

Pop quiz, hot shot.What's the world's oldest national public museum?

 

The Smithsonian, the Louvre, the British Museum, or the Guggenheim?

 

If you said the British Museum, your intellect is on exhibit.

 

The museum was founded in 1753 and opened its doors in 1759, making it older than the United States.

 

If you've ever wanted to dine with a samurai, the British Museum has dished up the next best thing. Some visitors had the chance to dine alongside ornate exhibits in the museum's Japan Wing.

 

It was part of a partnership with a popular noodle chain to help promote ohitori sama, the Japanese word for solo dining.

 

ohitori sama 日文: お一人様; 指的是单独用餐或单身顾客

 

And it's just one way some museums are using unique after-hours events to attract new visitors. While these nights at the museum may not feature exhibits coming to life and chasing you like that movie we may all know, there's plenty of quirky offerings on tap.

 

quirky [ˋkwɝkɪ] adj. 多变的；古怪的

on tap 需要时即可获得的

 

That includes silent discos or dino sleepovers at the Natural History Museum, and even glamping with the lions at the London Zoo.

 

sleepover [ˋslip͵ovɚ] n.【美】（小孩）在朋友家过夜的晚会

glamping [ˈɡlæmpɪŋ] n. 豪华露营（由 glamorous 和 camping 拼缀而成）; 舒适型露营

 

Staffers say it's been a great way to help bring the museum to new audiences and foster a sense of community. Sign me up for one of each, yes please.

 

foster [ˋfɔstɚ] v. 培养，促进

 

Today's story getting a 10 out of 10.My daughters are going to love this one. The global phenomenon known as Le Boubou, but make it bread.

 

Feast your eyes on this 7 foot 300 pound sculpture currently on display in front of a California bakery.

 

It's part of the annual Scarecrow Fest just outside of San Francisco. The bakery owner says they came up with this idea thanks to one of her grandkids.

 

scarecrow [ˋskɛr͵kro] n.（竖在田里吓鸟的）稻草人

 

They're calling this giant Le Boubou, Le Van Van, as a play on the word leavening, or the process of making dough or batter rise, which brings us to the fascinating way they made its face.

 

leavening [ˋlɛvənɪŋ] n. 发酵；发酵物

batter [ˋbætɚ] n.（用鸡蛋，牛奶，面粉等调成的）糊状物

 

This is something called dead dough, and dead dough has no leavening agent. It's nothing that's going to pop it up, and it bakes really hard.

 

dead dough 死面团 (不含酵母，烘烤后能保持原形，用于制作装饰品或中央装饰品)

bake [bek] v. 烘面包（或糕饼等）；被烘干

 

So we were able to sand it a bit, and sculpt it, and get it that actual look.

 

sand [sænd] v.（尤指用砂纸）打磨，磨光

 

Yeah, definitely not clipping that Le Boubou to your backpack or your belt. But if you ate it, you'd have to loosen your belt. Huge.

 

clip [klɪp] v. 夹上，夹住

 

All right superstars, it is time for some shout outs now, and this first one goes to Coach Clark at Lindale High School in Lindale, Texas. We got so many messages from your students saying that you are an amazing teacher, and they are so grateful for all you do for them.

 

And this shout out goes to Mr. Pinto at Furnace Horace High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, my home state. Rise up. Have an awesome day everyone.

 

Let's do it again tomorrow, shall we? I'm Coy Wire, and we are CNN 10.