Suspicions Surrounding the Super Bowl

      For many years, people have feared the crowds attending the Super Bowl. The media portrays a crowd composed of “partying” men who are likely to purchase sex from the hundreds of women who are trafficked to the Super Bowl locations, year after year, to meet these needs. Governor Chris Christie spoke on the issue when the Super Bowl was in the New York/ New Jersey metropolitan area at the beginning of this year. He called it “the planet’s largest human trafficking event”. In 2012, Lieutenant Richard Kivett, the leader of the Indianapolis Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit, made a statement saying they were prepared for 400-500 human trafficking and prostitution related arrests. USAToday states that Traffickers capitalize on the “no consequences, guys will be guys” mentality of a weekend away. It makes sense that when there is a surge of people, there will be an increase in demand for all markets including hotels, restaurants, and according to many people, prostitution of trafficked and untrafficked sex workers. 

This is where they’re wrong. The group, Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), reported on the issue of human- trafficking during large sporting events. It found that at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, 40,000 trafficked women and sex workers would be present for the event. Yet, not a single case of trafficking was found during the event.

In the case of this years Super Bowl, an 11 month operation ended in 298 arrests just prior to the Super Bowl to send the message that the New York police were aware of the issue of human trafficking surrounding Super Bowls and were insistent on stopping it. Yet, the fact of the matter is, police were taken from their normal responsibilities to tend to the matter of human trafficking prior to the Super Bowl. Most of the 298 “criminals” were prostitutes that had been trafficked into forced labor. People believe there is a enormous human-trafficking and prostitution ring surrounding each Super Bowl due to hyperbolic and misinformed media, and because of this, women, who would normally be considered victims of human-trafficking are unjustly being arrested as prostitutes. 

Mogulescu, Kate . "The Super Bowl and Sex Trafficking ." The New York Times 31 Jan. 2014: Web. 8 Sept. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/opinion/the-super-bowl-of-sex-trafficking.html?_r=1>.

Ham , Julie . "What's the Cost of a Rumor." Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. Web. 7 Sept. 2014. <http://www.gaatw.org/publications/WhatstheCostofaRumour.11.15.2011.pdf>.

Alcindor , Yamiche. "Super Bowl On Guard for Human Trafficking Criminals."USA Today . 18 Jan. 2014. Web. 7 Sept. 2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/18/super-bowl-human-trafficking-sex/4592381/>.

Education - The Missing Link in America's Slavery Crisis

It is estimated that more than 11.7 million undocumented immigrants are currently living in the United States. They enter the United States by whatever means, and are promptly met by a world they do not understand. Many come from lives of immense poverty, and come to the United States hoping for a better standard of living. However, the majority lack any type of advanced education, let alone English skills. To illustrate a sliver of this: Mexico is the largest sender of immigrants to the United States. In a 2000 study, 63% of male and 57% of female Mexican immigrants had not completed high school. Another study from 2010 found that nearly 50% of Mexican immigrants have little to no English abilities. 

What this data promises for the state of slavery in the United States is imminent downfall. Every year the vast majority of immigrants arrive formally uneducated, without the means to communicate. This disadvantage is more than just inconvenient: it puts these newcomers at a disproportionately high rate of being trafficked or forced into a life of slavery. With little knowledge of how American society works, how to find better jobs, or even how to communicate with people, they are often isolated and make easy targets for someone looking for cheap labor. 

Ima Matul was a 17-year-old housekeeper in Indonesia when she moved to Los Angeles to work as a nanny for a seemingly promising family. A victim of modern slavery, she was overworked without any pay and was being physically abused. She sought to escape her situation, but was told by her employer that since they held her passport, she would be arrested for being undocumented if she tried to seek help. Worse, Matul did not speak any English – even if she had the opportunity to ask for help, she would not know how to actually ask. It took her three years and a note reading “please help me”, sent to a nanny down the street, to be rescued from her situation. 

Ima Matul

Ruth, a fifty-two year old woman from West Africa, found a housekeeping job in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Much like Matul, her work quickly escalated and she found herself facing what was essentially a twenty-four hour workday, as well as physical abuse. When she tried to get help from a police officer, he relied on her employers to translate her broken French; they took advantage of the situation and quickly had her back in their control. As described in Kevin Bales’ The Slave Next Door, “Ruth received no pay and never really knew anything of America except the site of her abuse…Ruth lacked the language skills to communicate outside of the house.” 

In both cases, there is an obvious connection that led to the continued enslavement of Ima and Ruth: neither was sufficiently educated in English or their basic rights as an immigrant worker. For example, even undocumented immigrants with very few rights are allowed access to education. Any victim of trafficking is also eligible for government assistance programs, no matter their immigration status. Many women trapped in domestic servitude find their only escape, literally and figuratively, to be Sunday church services – this is usually the only (if any) time housekeepers are allowed to take off work.  It comes as no surprise then that religious leaders are among the top reporters of trafficking. From here, these workers can be removed from their situation and given the information they need to create a new, successful life.

Ima Matul escaped her life in slavery, first living in a shelter run by CAST – the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking. For fifteen months she lived in the shelter while going to school and working as a fully compensated housekeeper. She received her GED, worked as a file clerk in a law office, and is now currently the Survivor Organizer at CAST. Education was the link separating her from a life of forced domestic servitude and one of passionate, fair work doing something meaningful and life-changing. Ruth eventually escaped as well, but did so without the same resources as Matul. Traumatized by her experience, she returned home to West Africa with nothing more than what she came with.

So how can the United States protect its immigrant workers, specifically those hoping for a job in domestic services? One main way is to provide more monitoring of workers in the country on a work visa. Different visa types currently require – or lack – different services. An example provided in Kevin Bales' The Slave Next Door illustrates the danger in this: a young western European woman working as an au pair would travel on a J-1 visa. This provides government monitoring of her situation, orientation programs, a set, guaranteed salary, and money to help pay for educational programs. However, the same woman coming from Cameroon would travel with a B-1 visa, receiving nothing more than a visual inspection by a customs agent. By fixing this incredible inequality, the United States could drastically reduce the amount of trafficking victims entering on work visas.

Another similar solution is to implement standardized testing for anyone intending to work in the United States. At minimum, it should require English competence and an understanding of worker’s rights – the essential tools to getting help if a situation is to turn dangerous. Though restricting the entering workforce could pose problems, it is far better to have a smaller, well-educated group of safe and monitored workers than the unacceptable situation the nation currently faces. 

Though the task appears impossibly daunting – monitoring and testing potential immigrant workers, creating new legislature on visa requirements – it is a very attainable goal when broken down. The United States is currently in a position to break new ground in the abolition of modern day slavery just through internal revisions. As the country with the largest immigrant population by percentage, eradicating its domestic slavery just might be the first step towards the final abolition movement.

Escaping to Slavery

Slaves are not seen as humans but as price tags

It is very common, in the United States, for people to get part-time jobs to help support their family, but what if your job sold you into slavery where you had little to no chance to escape? This is a common problem that people face that come to the United States in hopes make money so they can send it home to support their family. 

In many cases immigrants come to the United States hoping to find a low paying job in order to support their family but in reality they are unknowingly leaving their country to become a slave. According to Kevin Bales, a slave is someone who is forced to work without pay, under threat of violence, and they’re unable to walk away. These victims have no means to escape and are forced to work even though that is not what they were promised. 


Victims that come to America to work are constantly being exploited by traffickers and forced to do jobs that put their lives at risk. Before they come to America they are under the impression that they are going to experience the 'American Dream' and still be able to help support their family. They tend to give their traffickers all of their personal documents because they believe they are needed to find a job, but with doing this they are giving away their whole identity. Their traffickers never return their identification cards which makes it hard for them to return to their country if they were to escape. There are several instances where they are forced to work in prostitution, forced labor and jobs where they work to pay off their debts. 
It is easy for immigrants to get taken advantage of when they come over here for work because they have hopes for better living. Many do not know how to escape their slavery because they fear their life will be taken by their owner or they could go to prison. In other cases they fear escape because they believe they will be sent back to their country or their family could be harmed.

While anyone can become a victim of trafficking, illegal aliens are highly vulnerable to being trafficked due to a combination of factors, including lack of legal status and protections, limited language skills and employment options, poverty and immigration-related debts, and social isolation. The government needs to make it easier for immigrants to gain the proper legal documentation, that allows them to live in the United States, so they can continue to help their family. There also needs to be a process, if these victims were to go to jail, that makes them not responsible for their actions. The judicial system should work with these victims to help take their traffickers down, which would put less victims in the place of being coerced and being a victim of slavery. 

H.ealth I.s V.ulnerable

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The Polaris Project

There is no question if slavery still exist today; the real concern at hand is what is currently being done to prevent it? Throughout classrooms around the globe, students are being educated on human trafficking and the details of modern day slavery, leaving many students eager to help. With this kind of determination, 11 years ago one anti-trafficking organization was founded by just two college students which would unknowingly become the largest anti-trafficking organization alive. What is the Polaris Project? Named after the North Star slaves used to navigate their way to freedom,"the Polaris Project is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization working to combat and prevent modern day slavery and human trafficking". One of the largest anti-trafficking organizations active today, The Polaris Project works up close and personal with victims, working towards a solution on trafficking. The organization has organized crisis response teams that work with enforcement by setting up intervention services open 24 hours a day. The Polaris Project also provides housing and social services for trafficking victims. The Polaris Project also works with communities large and small, fighting for better state and federal anti-trafficking legislation. 

In 2012, the Polaris Project created the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC). This hotline for trafficking, available in more than 170 languages, is able to connect with victims in danger and help them out of their situation via text message or phone call. Not only is The Polaris Project aiding current victims of trafficking in the US, but also working for better ways to connect and help victims globally. Informing, treating and preventing human trafficking is what the Polaris Project works towards as a whole. With more organizations similar to the Polaris Project, trafficking could have the potential to come to an end. Combining education along with action is the most effective way when trying to fight modern day slavery and human trafficking. To become a part of this organization is as easy as going to http://www.polarisproject.org and pledging to fight to end modern day slavery. After all, the Polaris Project was founded by college students; change can occur when overcome by determination.

Corporate Responsibility: Using Wal-Mart to Change the World

Changing the World Through Wal-Mart 

Zoriah's Photojournalism

In 2006 a case of forced child labor came to light. About 300 children were found to be working for  The Harvest Rich Factory in Bangladesh, making clothing for companies like Hanes and Wal-Mart, while being beaten, overworked, and underpaid. Since many incidences like  The Harvest Rich Factory have come to light, corporate responsibility has become more important to consumers and companies. In 2006, the companies involved ignored a report from the National Labor Committee, and went so far to say that they could not find any children, and that the workers were just malnourished. Thugs came to working towns and harassed children and families into keeping what they knew to be true to themselves. With pressure from law-enforcement and consumers, Wal-Mart has begun to change their image and hopefully their ethics since 2006.

Large businesses have an impact on the environment, jobs, human rights, and global markets, but they don't always act with global issues in mind. Corporate responsibility is a call to wealthy corporations to do what is legal and ethical. The marginalization of human workers, increased negative impact on the environment, and the eternal goal of wealth, form a trifecta that negatively impacts the world in which we live. These are all huge problems that crop up in popular media, forming activist groups and spreading knowledge, but not enough is being done to hold greedy corporations accountable. Most Americans know that children are being used to produce the products we buy, but not all know that the conditions under which they work make them modern day slaves or the impact the use of forced labor has on competing "good guys". Because so many large corporations are cutting costs with child labor overseas, products made legally are more expensive. When business owners are utilizing safe building, taking into account environmental standards, and paying their workers legal wages, prices increase and profit decreases. Slave labor is controlling our market, and companies that use is are creating political, environmental, and economic issues, however, it is impossible to get rid of them. For example, Wal-mart plays a huge role in the global economy. An estimated 2,000,000 people work for Wal-mart worldwide, operating under the names Walmex in Mexico, Seiyu in Japan, and ASDA in the U.K., just to name a few. Instead of giving up on these companies, consumers and activists should harvest the power of influential companies to create social, environmental, and economic justice. In 2013, Wal-Mart has created a new Global Responsibility Report that explains how they have reduced waste, fed the poor, and worked on women's rights. Under the Ethical Sourcing tab, Wal-Mart acknowledges slave labor, forming alliances with activist groups like Free The Slaves. Through work with Wal-Mart, a company with seemingly endless resources, forced labor can be greatly diminished.

We as a society have openly condemned the use of companies that utilize sweatshop labor. Nike, LL Bean, the Gap and Walmart to name a few have all been known to have sweatshops, but have they been punished?