These days, I've been passionate about reading and watching stuff about cultures between countries, so I often search some good books and vlogs online.

Last night, I happened to find the documentary American Factory. Acutually I heard about it from some bloggers before, but I didn't pay attention to it or simply because I didn't have mood and time for documentaries.

But last night I watched it over and was thankful for wacthing such a good documentary.

Since it is a documentary, it is 100% real. At the beginning, it tells us the background.

When the GM plant closed in Dayton, Ohio, over 10,000 local jobs were lost.

In 2010, Chinese companies began ramping up investment in the U.S manufacturing, re-opening shuttered American factories.

The Chinese-invested Fuyao Glass Factory was bulit on the plant where GM  used to be.

The locals were very grateful for they finally got something to do.

One of the locals when interviewed said that he kind of welled up the first time back there, coz he had nothing during a year and half, thanks for Fuyao, he had something to do.

It is an international company with both Chinese and American employees, so in this melting pot you can clearly identify different thinking and cultures.

One big conflict in the factory is whether to set up a Union or not? 

To be honest, it is the fist time I have come to deep undertand the "Union".

Cao Dewang, the Chinese chairman resists having one. He thought the Union would impact the efficiency, hurt the company and create loss.

If the Union comes in, he would shut down the company. He is pretty determined about it. But a bunch of  American employees insist have one, which causes the conflict.

From Cao Dewang's words, we can learn that the American workers are not efficient and output is low. They are hard to manage. When you try to manage them, they threaten to get help from the union.

And I also read a piece of artical in which it is said that the GM was to a large extent devastated by such kind of Union. I don't know if that's true but I'm pretty sure that's the reason why the Chinese managers are strongly against it.

Because the efficiecy is rather low, a few Americans of the company came to Fuyao company in China to see how it works in China.

In the welcoming meeting, we could see the Americans were very direct in expressing their anxious to see how the process runs in China and look forward to taking back some new ideas and implementations to help them run better as well.

When those Americans visited the Chinese plant, they were amazingly shocked by the disciplined and diligent workers.

The American manager complained that the the American workers were too lazy , chatty and hard to manage. They came to work to make money, not to make glass.

From the documentary, the Chinese manager talked a about the big differences between Americans and Chinese.

One point worth being mentioned is that the American children are showered with encouragement, so everyone who grows up in the US is overconfident.

Americans love being flattered to death. You will get into trouble when you fight with them. Donkeys like being touched in the direction their hair grows. You should touch donkeys in the direction their hair grows. Otherwise it will kick you.

The Americans thought Chinese worked nonstop, worked their tails off. They were not getting patted on the back but they were still working there everytime.

They also claimed the factory didn't respect their right, didn't garantee their safety, always took advantage of them.

They thought Fuyao didn't provide the good and safe job they deserved.

But, what is the sarcastic is at the end of this documentary.

No matter how hard the Americans fight for their right, how unsatisfied they are with the managemet of Fuyao, how hostile they are toward Chinese, how tough it is for them to accept Chinese company in their country, they have to face the fact that because of automation, they have to find entirely new kinds of jobs in the coming future.

In the end, I want to post the words said by Chairman Cao Dewang  and one of the American workers.

No matter where you die or are buried, you will always be Chinese. Today, Chinese come to the US to operate factories. The most important thing is not  how much money we earn, but how this will change Americans' view of the Chinese and towards China.---Cao Dewang

We are on one planet, somewhat we are divided, but we are one. --- An American