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Slavery in America -- Today

Modern American Slavery Has a Mostly Foreign Face

By Jamie K. Wilson, published Mar 15, 2007
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In 1860, there were over four million slaves in the United States, about ten percent of whom were in states that did not secede from the Union in the War Between the States. By the end of 1865, slavery as an institution was destroyed in America, a status bought by the blood of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

But slaveryitself was not destroyed. In California after the Civil War, thousands of young Asian women were enslaved to serve as prostitutes for the Gold-Rush settlers. Chinese men were virtually enslaved to build the railroads and develop the Western mining industry. In the South, newly-freed slaves worked side by side with poor whites as sharecroppers, becoming serfs in all but name to new landowners from both the North and the South. This tradition of slavery continued throughout American history.

Today, at any given time, tens of thousands of people are working as slaves in America: cleaning houses, working on farms, or, most commonly, prostituting themselves for the profit of their owners. They are bought and sold, just like they used to be in the American South, and few of those who engage in slave trafficking are ever brought to justice.

Where Do Slaves Come From?

Most slaves in America are not Americans. They are often illegal immigrants from Guatemala or other Central American countries, young women and a few men who are brought over the border by coyotes. Their coyotes, after charging them money for their services, may sell them to confederates in the US, or the newly-arrived illegal immigrants may accept work from the wrong person.

Often, Chinese or Vietnamese immigrants, illegal or not, are brought to this country with the promise of education or work; they find themselves forced to work for most of the day, or turned into sex workers. Not knowing English or understanding how America works, they are trapped indefinitely in their new roles.

Takeaways
  • Slavery is a surprisingly common American crime.
  • The United States military is often the unknowing consumer of slave-driven services.
  • Diplomatic immunity in the U.S. often protects those engaged in holding slaves.
Did You Know?
Nearly half of all slaves in the United States are in the sex industry; most slaves are illegal foreign nationals, often in our country unwillingly.
Comments
Comments 1 - 10 of 10
 
 
I'm just so glad someone else is actually focusing on the "current" issues of our time. Thanks for the great article!

Posted on 08/11/2008 at 12:08:57 PM

 
Nice article! I'm doing a report and it helped me a lot! It's a shame slavery still exists, and 999/1000( or more) of the people don't know anything about it. Shocking, isn't it? Anyway,great site=].

Posted on 10/18/2007 at 3:10:00 PM

 
When I was 15 I was kidnapped and sold as a sex slave. I was lucky that I got away before they got me to Mexico, where I would of been sold again. Thank you for this article.

Posted on 08/02/2007 at 10:08:00 AM

 
Is this stuff real? I wish it weren't. But yes. There is more misery in the world than our spoiled American selves have any idea of.

Posted on 06/07/2007 at 2:06:00 AM

 
shocking!

Posted on 06/07/2007 at 2:06:00 AM

 
is this stuff real?

Posted on 05/22/2007 at 12:05:00 PM

 
Thanks for making this sweet site..its really helped me researh for a paper about modern slavery =]

Posted on 05/15/2007 at 12:05:00 PM

 
I'm not sure Bush was the original implementor, but it's important to note that he is supporting them fully.

Posted on 03/22/2007 at 2:03:00 PM

 
It is a shame that slavery still exists.

Posted on 03/22/2007 at 5:03:00 AM

 
Great article. It is nice to know that Bush has implemented efforts to end human trafficking in the United States. This is a very important issue that must be addressed and tackled.

Posted on 03/16/2007 at 5:03:00 PM

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