Home > Modern slavery thrives in US: study
Modern slavery not only exists but also thrives in the United States, according to a study released Thursday by the University of California (UC) in Berkeley.
The report, named "Hidden Slaves: Forced Labor in the United States", found forced labor occurs in at least 90 cities across the United States.
And at any given time, 10,000 or more people are forced to toil in sweat shops, clean homes, labor on farms, or work as prostitutes or strippers, said the report.
The study, which covers the period of 1998 to 2003, was conducted by researchers from Berkeley’s Human Rights Center and the Washington D.C.-based anti-slavery group Free the Slaves.
The report also found that forced labor cases are concentrated in states with large immigrant communities, including California, Florida, New York and Texas.
Most victims of forced labor are trafficked into the United States from at least 38 different countries, with China, Mexico and Vietnam topping the list. Some are born in the United States and later held captive.
Forced labor occurs in such poorly regulated industries with a high demand for cheap labor as sweatshops, restaurants and hotels,in addition to agriculture and domestic work. A lack of official monitoring in these areas means unscrupulous employers and criminal networks can gain complete control over workers, according to the report.
The study found that perpetrators use a range of crimes, including fraud, coercion, physical and psychological violence, tohold their victims captive.
Although new federal laws have been passed to combat these crimes, the researchers called for much more needs to be done. Police officers are most likely to encounter forced labor but often mistake it for illegal immigration cases, the report says.
The researchers recommend launching a broad-based public awareness campaign; improving monitoring of industries vulnerable to forced labor; increasing training and coordination among law enforcement officials in the United States; and strengthening protections for survivors of forced labor. Enditem
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-09/24/content_2016210.htm
Forum posts
27 September 2004, 03:38
What about all of the citizens of this country who are in minimum wage jobs that do not pay enough to live on? As the Republican controlled house has just given each of its members a $4000.00 pay raise, they have voted down an few cents increase in the minimum wage.
Message: There are two classes of Americans the rich elitists, and the poor suckers who come clean up after us and take care of our kids, do the dirty work like a bunch of robots to make life cushie for the parasites who live off of taxes that are levied against the sucker class.