Alycia Asai
From the Triangle Fire to Today: Women, Work, and the Fight for Safety and Dignity
In March 1911, a fire raced through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, killing 146 garment workers—most of them young immigrant women. The sight of locked doors, broken fire escapes, and desperate workers leaping from upper floors horrified the nation and changed the course of labor history. This talk explores how the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire sparked new conversations about safety, workers’ rights, and the role of women in shaping reform. Attendees will meet the women who turned tragedy into action—including Frances Perkins, who witnessed the fire and went on to become the first woman in a U.S. Cabinet post, and Clara Lemlich, the fiery labor organizer whose words helped ignite the strikes that paved the way for change. More than a century later, the echoes of that day still shape the way we work—from modern fire codes and workplace safety standards to the continuing debates over fair wages and workers’ voices. Using images and first-hand accounts, she will connect the past to the present and uncover how a disaster in a New York factory continues to influence every workplace in America today.
Alycia Asai, MA, (civicsandcoffee.com) holds a master’s degree in United States history, with research interests in women, labor, and the evolution of the social safety net in America. Her writing has appeared in Nursing Clio and Inside History Magazine. She is the lead researcher, writer, and producer of Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast, which explores the people, moments, and stories of America’s past—usually in the time it takes to enjoy your morning cup of coffee. She is currently researching a book that examines the evolution of welfare policy in the United States—from AFDC to the Affordable Care Act—and the women on the front lines who worked to implement these sweeping federal changes in their local communities.
