Sex Slavery: Living the American Nightmare

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“I could go to a truck stop in South Texas right now and get on a CB radio and ask for some sweet stuff, and someone’s going to come out and offer something to sell,” Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Burchell said.

A $9.5 billion-a-year industry
Federal officials agree that the trafficking of human beings as sex slaves is far more prevalent than is popularly understood. While saying it is difficult to pinpoint the scope of the industry, given its shadowy nature, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials estimated that it likely generates more than $9.5 billion a year.

Last year alone, the FBI opened more than 225 human trafficking investigations in the United States. Figures for 2008 are not yet available, but in a coordinated nationwide sweep in July, federal, state and local authorities made more than 640 arrests and rescued 47 children in just three days.

In congressional testimony this year, FBI Director Robert Mueller called sex trafficking “a significant and persistent problem in the U.S. and around the world.”

Slavery in the Chocolate Industry:

IMPORTANT POST: CCAT Weekend & Pertinent Links

So. The CCAT event that we are all ultimately working towards. Let me fill you in on a loose image of the event that is open to change (and will also be defined by our budget, which is in need of IU funding, which we will hopefully get).

THE BIG CCAT WEEKEND

Kevin Bales is a renowned expert on the issue of human trafficking and is the founder of the organization Free The Slaves; we have contacted him and he is very much interested in coming to IU, but he has a few requests that we need to fulfill: a) he needs 3 speaking platforms b) press coverage and c) a certain number of people (we're waiting for a reply with numbers) must attend one of the events.

The 3 speaking platforms we plan on providing are:
A) Classes--he can lecture in classes that are related to the issues of human rights, gender equality, criminal justice, social work, etc. This would happen on a Friday (or Thursday & Friday)

B) Conference--he will be amongst professors and members of the Bloomington community that voice out their concerns and their role in the fight against human injustices. (We were thinking of funding up to 3 guest speakers--airfare and hotel--so if you have any suggestions, please let us know) Kevin Bales would clearly offer a more global and scholarly perspective of the issue, but it would also be great to hear the stories of workers/residents from the Middleway House, for instance, which is a shelter for abused women and children. My vision of this is for it to be open and welcoming to the Bloomington community and not just students/faculty of IU. We are currently in the process of finding interested organizations on campus, such as yours, to help spread this message as far and wide as we can. Also, all groups involved would have the chance to speak for their group and their particular cause if desired. This would be Saturday afternoon?

C) Concert--this would be the final part of the event and I envisioned it to be a semi-formal sort of occasion (at which we would have a light dinner or an array of appetizers and drinks for the guests), and affordable tickets that could be purchased in advance or at the door. Possible venues include Alumni Hall at the IMU, or a room at the Neal Marshall center (that I have yet to see, but have been told that it is a good location and does not have nearly as many restrictions as the IMU). Any other suggestions? If we were to hold the concert or conference in the IMU & included food, we would be dishing out $600 for the room and $1500 for food because they don't allow non-IMU catered food... Anyway, the event would consist of various performances by groups and individuals on campus and possibly a children's performance by the kids from the MiddleWay House (just a thought). There are no limitations to performances that I can currently think of, but I hope to bring in cultural performances to expose people to the diversity that is present but forgotten at IU. (After conference, Saturday night)


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CALL + RESPONSE is a Fair Trade film production that is being screened in a limited number of theaters across the nation. A member suggested that CCAT take a trip to see it in either Cincinnati or Chicago if anyone is interested. Regardless, I recommend visiting the site: http://www.callandresponse.com/ to discover ways by which we can continue to fight slavery. There is significant change we can make in many lives by raising a very feasible amount of money. Much of our efforts right now seem like they will be focused on our major CCAT event in the Spring (unless CCAT is granted a grand sum of money in the near future) so this wouldn't be our primary focus this semester--but if our event is profitable, then this is definitely something to look into. The website provides valuable links (check out http://slaverymap.org/ )and other resources so I recommend that you check it out!

Domestic Slavery

In one of my class we just took a look at some of the 'domestic work' organizations that offer jobs to foreign citizens, such as ones located at the following websites:
http://www.hawthornedomestics.com/
http://www.dpnonline.com/

After looking at these websites, did you notice the different ways they try to lure in workers who are striving for a Westernized dream? Now check out the facts:
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/usadom/

"In the case of V.G., a Sri Lankan domestic worker employed from August 28, 1992 through December 17, 1992 by a Kuwaiti national studying at Boston University, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals found, "During the four months she remained in the apartment, V.G. was assaulted twice. On one occasion, when V.G. asked that the volume be turned down on the television while she was trying to sleep, appellant grabbed and threw her bodily against the wall. On another occasion, Abair Alzanki (the employer) slapped V.G. and spat in her face when she failed to turn off a monitor."⁵⁰ According to the court, on these two occasions, V.G. was "contemporaneously informed that the assaults' purpose was to keep her `in her place.'"⁵¹ The court also found that, "on another occasion, Abair Alzanki threatened to sew up V.G.'s mouth with a needle and thread, and throw her into the ocean."⁵²

Similarly, Tseheye Assefa, an Ethiopian domestic worker employed from February 1990 through June 1992 by an African senior research officer with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), alleged in her civil complaint, "Approximately one year after her arrival in the United States, she became emotionally distraught regarding her situation and was homesick and was crying. Her employer inquired as to why she was crying and proceeded to beat her for crying."⁵³

On one hand, I thought is was fantastic that we were discussing these things in a class. On the other hand, it's horrifying how carefully masked these organization are that sell women, men, and children into slavery

Child Abuse

Randi (a 5 year old) was, by then, sad and desperate, relatives say. She ran into the middle of the street and almost got hit by a limousine. Mr. Murray said she was screaming, "I want to get hit. I want to die."

"So I grabbed her and I smacked her," he said.

Randi sidled up to her invalid grandmother, Johnnie Mae Burton, one afternoon. Ms. Burton remembers the child saying, "Grandma, I love you. I wish somebody loved me."

The Whole Story

Just read it and wanted to share. People make me sad :(