HUman Trafficking

A term paper written in 2005 at Human Trafficking following a Lifetime miniseries.

 

A Hidden Crime: Human Trafficking

 

 

            A young woman walks into a crowed airport. She’s just come from a long flight over seas. She doesn’t speak English very well, and seems to be distracted. It would appear that she is looking for someone. After clearing customs and gathering her baggage, she spots a man. He waves her over. She smiled and makes her way toward him. He is accompanied by two other men. She introduces herself as Nadia. The two other men grab her bags and haul them to a large van. Nadia is lead to the car and roughly shoved in. Several other young women are already in the car. They seem terrified. Nadia looks at the men. They have her passport. Then before her eyes the passport is destroyed. This woman is a victim of Human Trafficking, a crime being fought not just through out the world, but within the United States.

            The Thirteenth Amendment of the United States, state’s that,

                        “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist with

                         in the United States.” (U.S. Constitution)

Human Trafficking is taking a woman or a young girl and forcing her to work for free. Many America’s may not even be aware that this is happening within the U.S. The fact is, that human trafficking does not just happen in poor and third world countries, but on our own homeland. Many times, the ladies who are abducted are between middle school age and their early twenties. They are brought into the country illegally through propaganda such as good work with decent wages and the opportunity to get married.

                        “Ultimately, they arrive in destination countries such as the United States,                                   where demand for cheap labor is strong. According to the Human Rights                                 Center's 2004 report, Hidden Slaves: Forced Labor in the United States,                            the market for forced labor thrives in legal and illegal industries that are                                  poorly regulated and fail to comply with US labor laws. These industries                                    include commercial sex, domestic service, agriculture, factories, and                               restaurant and hotel work.” (C. Thomas M.D. par.4)

            Once they are brought into the United States they are sold into brothels. These brothels can be disguised as bars and strip clubs. They can be anywhere, in populated areas of Las Vegas, or less populated areas near L.A. These brothels are everywhere, within the country, and through out the world.

                        “In June 2003, two men were arrested for operating brothels

                         in Austin, Texas, where Chinese women were forced to work

                         to pay off the alleged $50,000 cost of their “passage to America.

                        In January, three brothers were indicted on charges of prostituting

                        Mexican immigrants in Atlanta.” (M Todd p.4)

These brothels are everywhere, even in our own back yards. The “merchandise” are usually women who can not speak English, but on occasion the captors get stupid and snag a young girl who can speak English. In 2003, a young Mexican girl was captured on her way home from the grocery store in New Jersey. She was taken to a hotel room and forced to have sex with up to six different men everyday, at least until she was rescued. (M. Todd p.1)

             Men are not the only perpetrators of this heinous crime. Women are also known traffick young girls into the United States. Two women were convicted of trafficking and thus a new protection act was put into place. TVPA (Trafficking Victims Protection Act) requires that the abusers pay restitution, allows victims to apply for a US visa, and pressures foreign countries to crack down on this terrible crime. (M Todd p.4)

            This illegal form of enforced work, or slavery, brings in a high income. The perpetrators can earn billions a year by selling women.

                        “An ounce of cocaine, you can only sell it once. A woman or child, you                                     can sell them each day, every day over and over and over again. And the                                   mark up is immeasurable.” (Human Trafficking Mini Series)

Women and girls are third most trafficked next to weapons and drugs. While drugs and weapons can bring in a large sum of money, the retailer only gets to sell the items once. A brothel owner can sell the girls over and over again, making thousands more then a person selling drugs.

            While many would say that human trafficking is a form of slavery, there are those out there who would argue. The simple idea that the women come to the United States to get married could support their argument. Women who are coming to the US to simply marry an American man may indeed not mind working off the debts spent to get them into the country. The fact that many girls won’t come out and talk of their time in servitude may very well back up this idea.

            The victims are brought into the country from foreign countries like China, Korea, Russia and other non-English speaking countries. This leaves the women completely helpless, and thus creates a dependency on the captors. (C. Thomas M.D. par.6) This gives them free reign The captors can then manipulate the women into believing that they should fear the cops. (C. Thomas M.D. par 7)

            It is arguable that the women in the brothels have it better in prostitution than they did back in their homeland. Prostitution, however, is illegal in most places. In fact, it is hard to believe that prostitution is a better way of life. The selling of women into prostitution is indeed not a new idea. This act has been happening for hundreds of years. In Japan for example, young girls were sold into Geisha houses by their fathers to pay off land debts. This may have happened in other countries as well. It could very well be a way of life, a form of culture.

            Bringing women into the United States and selling them is not our culture. It is immoral. Many times reintegrating a woman into her homeland can be difficult. The fact that she was a prostitute, which is illegal in the US, reflects on her when she tries to go home.

                          “Victimized women may have been treated by law authorities as         criminals, either for prostitution or illegal migration, and, therefore face                              additional problems of employment or other forms of reintegration.”                          (Human Trafficking Homepage)

            Many times the paperwork belonging to the women are destroyed by their captors. When the woman is released from her captors, or is rescued, she has no way to identify herself. Thus she gains the label of an illegal immigrant. Since she has this convection hanging over her, she may be unable to support herself. TVPA was put into place to help protect the victims after they are rescued.

            On occasion the victims refuse to come forward because they have to testify against their captors. Many people argue that the help offered to the victims does not work because of this reason. The victims are already frightened enough, and may have been threatened by their captors into not saying anything. Those who agree believe that offering assistance to the victims only if they help prosecute their captors simply is not effective. (D. Carry Huston Chronicle)

            Molina, a victim of trafficking, sought help after escaping her traffickers. She said this in an article from the Huston Chronicle.

                        "The owner had always told me I would pay the consequences — or my                                   family in Mexico would suffer — if I went to the authorities," she said.                             "But I thought to myself, 'I don't want one more person to be in the                                   situation I was in.' " (D. Carry Huston Chronicle)

She was able to receive a T-visa. She was allowed to stay in the US for three years. After which she was allowed to apply to become a permanent resident.

             Many people feel that the government is not doing enough for the victims. The government, unfortunately, can not help the victims if they don’t come forward. This is such a silent problem; officials have set up web pages and hotlines for the victims to contact. TV campaigns and public service announcements help with awareness. While many American’s would like to believe that it is not happening here, they do need to be aware. Young women all over the world are potential targets.

            Victims of this crime do not usually come forward. The police can not help, or stop this crime if they have no leads. This crime is kept quiet because it is an embarrassment for the victim. In fact, this crime is kept so quiet that many people don’t realize that it is being fought. Or even that it is a crime. Upon hearing about it a person may become enraged, but because this issue is not brought out into the light, many people are unaware.

            This is a problem in the United States. It is not someone else’s problem; it is a problem in America. This is a silent problem. We as people have to take a stand, because one day the victim could be a relative. Human Trafficking is a crime. It should not be placed on the back burner.

 

Reviews

[Janie Lee]

If you think this is a huge problem women coming here and being enslaved, you should take a look at what they psychiatric psycho-social-court system is really doing. These are people that are already here and all their rights are being taken away and their job that they are coerced and forced into and do for free is becoming a mental patient. It sucks. Good point of view here though and it does bring about some awareness of this issue.

[Rei]

I am disgusted by this news, it sickens me to know that men and surprisingly even woman would do this. It is so sad that woman coming to this country for hope of a better life are then forced into such an autrocity. Like you said it is too bad that this crime is so silent because like spousal abuse and rape the more we talk and take action the faster the problem will be solved. Thank you for writing this so that we can all realize this terrible act and hopefully now do more about it.

[April]

This was very informative! I can't believe that something like this happens un our own backyard!

[Robert A. Pacheco]

Very Informative and sad.. Makes me angry that people who are involved with human trafficking can live in the same city as I do... I mean.. I don't know for sure or anything.. But you never know.. it is an underground operation..

Nice term paper,
Thanks for sharing.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

This was a great paper. And you showed some passion and compassion in your work with facts backing up the opinions, very nice!

[Ruby Moon]

it is informative without being too dry...
i am glad you shared this with me

[Benarsi]

Great piece of writing, Liz, with a powerful message. Very imformative, a very well-done term paper.

Thanks for sharing,

B.

[Robert Luna]

Great piece any time you can write something that truly captures my full attention and I am hanging on my set waiting for the next line it is a great piece of work. You had me at the beginning and never let go of me.


Wonderful job!!!

[Marie]

Great work. I actually saw the mini-series with Mira Sorvino. I was completely captivated by both. Your work was very informative.

[Brianna Brie]

Well executed term paper and very informative. Thanks for sharing, Liz.