Born February 8, 1937
Shanghai, China

Human rights activist

After nineteen years as a prisoner in China’s notorious system of labor camps, Harry Wu emerged as the camps’ most vocal critic. Wu moved to the United States and brought to light the fact that many Chinese exports are produced by forced labor in prisons. He has returned to his native land four times to document ongoing abuses in labor camps, using hidden cameras. On Wu’s most recent trip, in 1995, he was detained for two months and convicted of spying before being expelled to the United States.

Wealthy beginnings in Shanghai

Wu was born Wu Hongda (Harry was a nickname given him in school) in Shanghai, China, in 1937. His father was a banker, and the family lived a very comfortable existence in their three-story, art-filled home. Wu’s mother died when Wu was...