Sex Trafficking of Americans: The Girls Next Door Politics: vanityfair.com

Hey everyone!
Here's an interesting article about American sex trafficking written by Vanity Fair. It's always exciting to have the issue in mainstream media because it's rarely mentioned. Have a look and see what Vanity Fair has to say:

Sex Trafficking of Americans: The Girls Next Door Politics: vanityfair.com

-T

A post from ACT

Hello from a trying Spring in NYC blog readers!

Our club has had a thought provoking spring semester so far with the Fatal Promises screening and this got the discussion rolling on what the laws were against human trafficking. We were lucky enough to have the NYU against human trafficking law club come and speak with us and I wanted to write some important facts on here to share. Please excuse if the bullet points do not transition well. Thank you NYU law club for spreading the awareness!

-The two main laws against human trafficking are categorized into labor trafficking and sex trafficking.
-"Trafficking" is defined by any "force, fraud, coercion" to compel labor.
-The Palermo Protocol is the international law that is created by the United Nations.
-Check out the Coalition of Immokalee Workers that work to fight against modern-day labor slavery. Here is a really sad case on their website:  
U.S. vs. Flores -- In 1997, Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez were sentenced to 15 years each in federal prison on slavery, extortion, and firearms charges, amongst others. Flores and Gomez had a workforce of over 400 men and women in Florida and South Carolina, harvesting vegetables and citrus. The workers, mostly indigenous Mexicans and Guatemalans, were forced to work 10-12 hour days, 6 days per week, for as little as $20 per week, under the watch of armed guards. Those who attempted escape were assaulted, pistol-whipped, and even shot. The case was brought to federal authorities after five years of investigation by escaped workers and CIW members.
-Trials brought forth about human trafficking take much time and patience because it heavily relies on a victim's testimony and their ability to deliver it.
-A sex trafficked victim who is a minor is declared a victim no matter what, and cannot be prosecuted as a criminal (for prostitutes especially). This does not seem to be implemented in all cases, as some minors are prosecuted for prostitution. Federal and state laws seem to vary in this issue then.
-There is a sense of shame for these victims that they must face if they are trafficked from another country in their community. A sense of shame that they have failed to succeed in what they are coerced to do.
-A T-Visa is a non-immigrant visa for victims of a severe form of trafficking to stay in the US for safety. There are high standards and proof of "extreme hardship" that need to be met for this visa--this seems very controversial.
-A U-Visa is a non-immigrant visa for victims of designated crimes including trafficking.
-The Trafficking in Persons watch list is a report on the world's trafficking and the US created this initiative to exploit countries and reduce funding relations with countries that are doing poorly on the list.
-There is a lack of labor laws in the United States to prevent labor trafficking.

And lastly, Darren Geist, the law student who gave this talk pointed out that "trafficking is a crime of hope" where the trafficker and the trafficked often, though not always, believe that the crime will return a better life. This is an important perspective to have when dealing with legal issues and trying to understand the reasons behind the problem of modern-day slavery.

Again, thank you for the law club to share these ideas and facts with us!

-ACT NYU
tammy

Spring '11 Post

I am very into energy, and intention, so I honestly believe the Against Child Trafficking Club at NYU is influencing other dimensions into positive good. Just by meeting up, creating this blog, and actively thinking about how to come up with solutions, we are healing the world's energetic psychosphere, and building a defense for these poor women, girls, children, and men that are trafficked and slaved.

 For my blog week, I decided to do some very basic research on other against trafficking groups in New York. There were a bunch of things I found on meet up.com, especially a lot of events co-hosted by http://fightslaverynow.org/ .

here is their calendar: http://www.meetup.com/Fight-Slavery-Now/events/calendar/#initialized

 last week, I published a link to a small article on the website Good that aims to increase awareness about human trafficking. Good is a very reliable newsource. I have seen a lot of tweets about this very subject recently, and I'm glad it is getting more attention.

Anyway, the biggest topic in my mind has to do with the lack of awareness of this issue. It is so easy for us in America to think that the 1800s and the period of American slavery of blacks has been the worst. It's also really easy to think that we don't have slavery now, because of all the abolitionist laws and other things like that that were passed. I just get really upset when I see people care about stupid things are small issues, or issues that are really effective, when they would so want to help out with this issue if they knew they could and how.  I just want to and with this quote, because it simply calls for more action, and shows that our humanity is not getting better, and really is at risk.


There are more people in slavery today, than at any other time in human history.” ~Kevin Bales, author of “Disposable People”


 lots of love,
Lucy Drummond 

quick article by GOOD

 Fight Human Traffickinghttp://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1tSJnJ/www.good.is/post/good-and-cnn-ireport-are-working-to-fight-human-trafficking-help-out/

Romanian Father and Son Found Guilty of Human Trafficking

 A Quick Post...

While glancing at the CNN homepage today, I saw the main story: Sex slavery: A family business - The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery

Here's a synopsis, if you don't want to read the whole article (although I would definitely suggest it): A Romanian man, Marius Nejloveanu (23), was sentenced to 21 years in prison -- the longest sentence ever given for human trafficking in Britain. He and his father, Bogdan Nejloveanu (51), were convicted of running a sex trafficking ring, luring several women between the ages of 15 and 23 from Romania to work as prostitutes in Madrid and Manchester. One of the girls was Marius' cousin; their close family is in denial the father and son have done anything wrong. The two would beat some of their victims with a guitar. The UN calls Romania a "hot spot" for trafficking victims.

- C.I.

P.S.: The post I meant to put up a couple of weeks ago will also be up soon.

College-Educated Prostitute

As students at NYU, we perfect our resumes, prepare for interviews, and expect big-time jobs out of college - Wall St, the UN, Vogue Magazine, the Mayo Clinic. We know that with a college degree, our job opportunities are much greater; however, have any of us thought that our degree might lead us to the field of prostitution?

Nick Kristof, journalist and social entrepreneur at the New York Times, recounts the story of Yumi Li, a college graduate from China. With dreams of moving abroad after working as an accountant in China, she agreed to a smuggling operation that would bring her to New York City. She was told she would work as an accountant making $5,000, but instead she was ordered to work as a prostitute in a brothel on 36^th st. in mid-town Manhattan, and a short 20-minute walk from NYU.

Yumi worked as a prostitute for 3 years until she went to the police. She then found safety at Restore NYC, an incredible organization that works to help trafficking victims.

Modern day slavery is typically displayed as young girls trapped, of Asian descent, and all of who are helpless, nameless, and incapable. But how does Yumi fit this image? How does a college-educated adult become a sex-slave? With over 20 million victims of modern day slavery, the market is not simply dominated by one ethnicity or one age; the marketplace thrives of women across the world (yes, especially in the US- and more specifically, in our beloved NYC). Yumi’s story shows that slavery does not exclude people just like us- college students studying for a better, more successful future.

This is a quick summary of the article. Find it in full here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/opinion/28kristof.html?ref=humantrafficking

Drug Trafficking: Body packers

I have this habit of reading the full, detailed synopsis of movies I am not brave enough to watch. I can tell you the sequence of events in Requiem for a Dream, Blue Velvet, and The Human Centipede. I can recite the most intimate, raw scenes of rape and violence without ever having to bare witness to them myself; thus I am still safe behind this barrier of being an observer twice removed. I feel oddly drawn to these films, the ones that shed light on the uncomfortable grittiness, slums and fucked up people that share this earth with us all.

One movie that’s been on my mind for a few years is Maria Full of Grace. It is a film about a 17-year-old pregnant woman who becomes a drug mule, transporting 62 pellets of heroin in her gastrointestinal tract. That sentence alone imprinted my then-13-year-old brain when the movie first came out in 2004. I read everything I could about the movie but still refused to watch it. It’s fear that holds me back – the fear to address the very real, growing and merging industries of human and drug trafficking.  

Body packers, or mules, are the terms used to describe people who swallow or insert packages of illegal drugs into their bodies. The most common packaging material is made of latex, aluminum foil or condoms.  The first fatal instance of a body packer was documented in 1977. In 1981 the term, “Body packing syndrome” was used to describe 10 victims who died after swallowing packets of cocaine to avoid detection from US Customs officers. An examination of fatalities among body packers in New York between 1990 and 2001 identified 50 such deaths. The majority of these deaths were the result of acute intoxication due to the leaking or opening of drug packets internally.

Body packing is a method used to smuggle moderate amounts of high-profit drugs such as cocaine and heroin. This method may be utilized more frequently as a result of the increased security and checking of luggage instituted following the events of 9/11. In addition, individuals in poverty stricken countries like Columbia and Jamaica see body packing as a means to better themselves through this kind of illegal financial endeavors. The Jamaican government claims that one in 10 passengers from Jamaica is a "body packer," but the rate could be as high as 20 passengers per flight.

To postpone natural evacuation, especially for long flights, the body packers take high dosages of anticholinergic drugs. They also refuse to eat or drink during the flight. The role of radiographic examination in detecting the smuggled contraband within a body packer is unclear. Several studies have showed how unreliable contrast X-rays and ultrasound can be. The majority of drugs originating from South America are brought into the US via Florida because of the short flight time and usual lower airfare. The risk of a package rupture is dramatically increased with prolonged time in the air. 

I hope ACT can begin to expand the focus of human trafficking to also include the realm of drug trafficking. Though fictional, the character of Maria in the title film represents the face of a burgeoning market with an eager population to serve- including young mothers. It’s a life-threatening risk that some take in order to make a living for themselves… pretty backwards when you think about it.

- B.P.

The information on this post came from the following:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W9K-4C4FFFT-4H&_user=142623&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F1986&_fmt=abstract&_orig=search&_origin=search&_cdi=6685&view=c&_acct=C000000333&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=142623&md5=f6dc6273612fd9bfb7670e7d641f7579&ref=full