The analysis in this study is primarily based on the author's research of the Chinese garment industry in New York over the last ten years, her visits to a number of shops in Sunset Park, and her interviews with several dozen workers in the area. By representing a complex picture of the industry, it argues that while labor organizing and law enforcement remain important ways to address labor abuse in the industry, it is imperative for the law enforcement agencies, organized labor and all concerned individuals to understand the complexity embedded in the highly competitive structure of the garment industry, the multi-dimensional impact of labor legislation and law enforcement, and the need to develop new forms of labor organizing informed and responsive to the challenge of the time. Without such an understanding, any effort to curb the sweating phenomenon is likely to be sporadic and have no lasting effect on the industry.