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?

Psychological Scars: Stockholm Syndrome

              People that are forced into enslavement endure not only physical trauma, but mental trauma as well. Modern-day survivors of slavery need proper treatment and rehabilitation after being liberated. Unfortunately, many who have been slaves do not receive the help that they need and deserve. Being constantly abused, controlled and held captive can make the victim feel bonded to their abuser, even feeling sympathy for them, this is known as Stockholm Syndrome, formerly known as “Hostage Identification Syndrome”. 

       Psychological effects of enslavement cannot be seen, but they are scars that the survivors carry all the same. The medical dictionary defines Stockholm syndrome refers to a group of psychological symptoms that occur in some persons in a captive or hostage situation. The syndrome received its name from an incident in 1973 Stockholm, Sweden when bank robbers held three women captive. When the women were retrieved they felt anger and resentment towards the police, but love and protection for their captors. Seen repeatedly throughout relationships of abuse, isolation and slavery, adoration is establish as a tactic of survival.

Establishing a relationship with the person that is the controller in an abusive relationship is viewed as  allowing a better chance of survival to the person that is being abused.

       Traffickers use force, drugs, emotional tactics, and financial methods to control their victims. They have an especially easy time establishing a strong bond with young girls...These abusive methods of control impact the victims both physically and mentally. Similar to cases involving Stockholm Syndrome, these victims, who have been abused over an extended period of time, begin to feel an attachment to the perpetrator.¹¹ This paradoxical psychological phenomenon makes it difficult for law enforcement to breach the bond of control, albeit abusive, the trafficker holds over the victim.  
The results of Stockholm can lead to repeat offenses leading to further trauma, returning to the life and an altered perception of their living reality. To help combat Stockholm there needs to be more training on the syndrome, more research done so it is more recognized and can be treated through therapy.