Human Trafficking, When the Slave is a Family Member

Seattle Women has an interesting article about Human Trafficking in its February issue.  One of the things I find interesting about it, is that, at least for the examples they provided, the instances of trafficking were not some big human trafficking ring, but intimate/familial relationships that were exploited. 

There’s the case of the “mail-order bride” who had an email exchange and he even came to Russia to meet her and her family.  But when she and her 10 year old son came to the States it wasn’t long before they were put in the role of servants/slaves where she was also expected to fulfill his sexual demands. 

Then there was the case of Moroccan girl who was brought the states by her uncle and his wife with the promise of an opportunity of school, instead she was put to work in their espresso stand. 

The article says that people trafficked by one individual or a couple are the most common types of clients seen at ReWA ( Refugee Women’s Alliance).  Like all forms of intimate violence, I will forever find this kind of violence the hardest to understand.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t understand the classic slavery system either, but how do you other your own nieces and nephews?  How do you so other someone you marry that you can treat them in this way?  How can you provide a space for someone in your home and then abuse them to such an extent? 

I also just don’t understand how we can be raised in today’s society that claims to be so anti-slavery and that there are people who think that their behavior is okay.  I have this question not just for when it’s one or two people in a familial situation of exploitation, but also in a larger context. 

Don’t get me wrong even as I say this I recognize how naive it sounds.  I know that when I go to Home Depot there are dozens of men, most visually look like they are probably from Mexico.  I assume that people will hire these men and pay them far below minimum wage for projects.  I volunteered in New Orleans and learned about how the H2B Visa can easily be used to make sure you have a form of indentured servitude/modern day slavery.  That H2B visas are set up in a way that almost encourages abuse.  They are connected to employment and legal status is revoked as soon as the job is gone, which provides an incredible amount of power for employers.  Employer who frequently exploit their power and who don’t pay, or pay far less than promised, or provide sub-standard housing conditions, or all of the above and so often people don’t have any recourse.  I know that employers are starting to recruit from Asian countries because too many people in the U.S. speak Spanish, making it too easy for Spanish-speaking employees to access resources to protect them. 

I know all these things, but knowing these things happen and understanding how any human being could enslave another human being are two very different concepts.