America's Modern Day Slave Trade: Human Trafficking in the Sex Industry

You Thought Slavery Couldn't Still Exist in America? You Were Wrong

Slavery has been discarded as a terror of the past; seldom is it thought of as a threat in modern day society. This lack of awareness often leads to lack of action. Slavery, in one of its most sadistic forms, still thrives in the shadows of our streets. The modern day slave trade, called “human trafficking,” is a wealthy business on a global scale. Over 700,000 women are taken prisoner each year in the worldwide network of human trafficking. Approximately 50,000 of these women end up in the United States. To bring the point closer to home, on the East Coast there are many women, ranging between the ages of 14 and 35, being forced into prostitution. In fact, if you live in Raleigh, Miami,  Atlanta, DC, or New York, chances are you’ve driven past a brothel without even realizing it. The revelation is almost surreal, but the story is that of a frighteningly normal reality. 

The trafficking industry hides behind a facade of normality. By establishing employment agencies for immigrants, traffickers ensnare victims, usually women hoping to escape poverty in their own country or to send money home for their families. Often, these women immigrate to the U.S. after being promised a job through such fraudulent agencies. Typically, once they arrive they are stripped of their legal papers and passports, beaten, and locked in a room. Understandably confused, a captive woman may examine her surroundings to find a crude mattress on the floor and vermin for companions. Within a few hours, though, her first customers will arrive. Initially, the men, taking advantage of her confused state, may rape the victim. Armed men guard all the brothel doors, so escaping is out of the question. Language barriers usually prevent a victim from seeking aid, and, as brothels exist in the secrecy of the cities, most captured women are lost forever to the shadows.