The documentary Made in LA is having an encore presentation on PBS stations in 70 cities next Tuesday, August 11. The film follows three women, Lupe Hernandez, Maura Colorado and Maria Pineda, who are garment workers in LA as they slog through a three-year fight against Forever 21, one of the largest fashion retailers in the country. I remember being a wide-eyed college student when the news of the successful settlement against Forever 21 was announced in 2004. It was around the same time that I started hearing about the many student activists around the country who were fighting to get universities to choose a sweatshop-free manufacturers for college gear. The whole thing was a direct challenge to my consumption habits. I am nuts about fashion and frequented L.A.-based Forever 21 for the cheap duds. But I also care about the rights of the people who make the clothes I buy. And so abuses in the garment industry were one of my entry points into worker rights, immigrant rights, women’s rights. Be sure to catch Made in L.A. next week. It is impossible not to be moved by these women’s courage and perseverance, and to question all of our roles in the global economy at the same time. Click here to check your local listings.