My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Soroptimists April 28, 2011 Human Trafficking in our Region

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Hour multilingual help line 6 bed shelter Women to Work Program Outreach and Education Four Core Components

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Achievements Provided over 2300 nights of shelter Answered over 500 crisis lines phone calls and conducted health and safety planning Trained more than 2,600 individuals on signs of domestic violence and human trafficking Provided over 1000 legal consultations Awarded national recognition as a Great Food and Shelter Program One of only 46 in U.S. to receive federal grant to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Our Safe Haven 6 bed shelter private residence no 24 hour staff confidential

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Women to Work Program Self-sufficiency Financial Independence For all survivors of all races and ethnicities “so they can get back on their feet and on with their life”

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Services New Beginnings support group Health information and referrals Transportation Clothing Mentoring Program Child care Housing Assistance Employment and Career Guidance Individual peer counseling Volunteer Psychiatrist Volunteer Acupuncturist Volunteer Attorneys

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: (Anti-) Human Trafficking Program

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: MSH Experiences Trafficking Domestic Violence Mail-Order Brides Servile Marriages Domestic Servitude Involuntary Servitude

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: What is human trafficking?

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: U.N. Definition The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: U.S. Definition The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery OR Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: California Definition All acts involved in the recruitment, abduction, transport, harboring, transfer, sale or receipt of persons, within national or across international borders, through force, coercion, fraud or deception, to place persons in situations of slavery or slavery like conditions, forced labor or services, such as forced prostitution or sexual services, bonded sweatshop labor, or other debt bondage

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Nevada Definition A person who knowingly subjects, or attempts to subject, another person to forced labor or services by: Causing or threatening to cause physical harm to any person; Physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain any person; Abusing or threatening to abuse the law or legal process; Knowingly destroying, concealing, removing, confiscating or possessing any actual or purported passport or other immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of the person; Extortion; or Causing or threatening to cause financial harm to any person.

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Elements of Trafficking Action Recruiting, Harboring, Moving, OR Obtaining a person Means Force, Fraud, OR Coercion Purpose Sex Trafficking, Labor Trafficking, OR Debt Bondage

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Labor Trafficking (Forced Labor) Domestic situations (nanny, maid, caretaker) Service industries Sweatshops, janitorial jobs, construction sites, farm work, fishing industry, food services hotel and tourist industries, organized panhandling

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Sex Trafficking Commercial sex Massage parlors, spas, brothels, strip clubs, bars, night clubs, escort services, internet, porn, street prostitution, sex tours, militarized prostitution, mail order brides, servile marriages Anyone under 18 years of age in sex industry

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Who are the victims?

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: % Women

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: % Children

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: California

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line:

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Asian Massage Parlors

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Nevada

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Legal Prostitution

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: “Sin City”

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Whatever Happens…

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line:

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Nevada Resources Primary partners: LV Metro Police Dept and Salvation Army Received over 1 million dollars in federal funds. Among goals, ATLAS was to raise public awareness, identify victims of all forms of human trafficking and provide direct services to those victims. HOWEVER, the task force disbanded in 2009, and no records/results/data is available.

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Nevada Resources Aftermath ATLAS disbanded few victims identified no prosecutions Some partners continued as The Southern Nevada Human Trafficking Task Force Narrower geographical focus of resources --> Clark County

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Elements of Trafficking Action Recruiting, Harboring, Moving, OR Obtaining a person Means Force, Fraud, OR Coercion Purpose Sex Trafficking, Labor Trafficking, OR Debt Bondage

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Case Study 1 Cora was recruited to come to the United States as an acrobat performer. She was told that she could work for them and her housing would be paid, and they would pay her $ each performance. Cora was provided with a valid work visa and departed for the United States with her new employer.

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Upon arriving in the United States, Jen was kept in isolation in a locked room of a home. She shared the single room with 19 other performers, was forced to sleep on the floor, and fed very little. She was told not to speak to anyone or she would be deported. Cora worked long hours performing, but was never paid for her work. She felt that she had no one to turn to for help. Case Study 1

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Case Study 2 Law enforcement raided a brothel operating out of a home in the suburbs and arrested young girls and boys, and some men and women for prostitution. The people were interviewed and law enforcement learned that they were smuggled into the United States, and forced to work off their debt as prostitutes.

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Case Study 3 A young girl in an affluent neighborhood was introduced to a boy by a mutual friend. It turned out the boy also lived in her neighborhood, and they spent the next weeks hanging out. One day the girl disappeared. Over a year later, the girl managed to contact a friend, who told the girl’s parents and the police. The police were able to locate the girl, and found the boy was using craigslist to sell the girl all over California.

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Some Things You Observe Heavy surveillance (locks) Always have an escort, even to medical appointments Victim cannot speak for him/herself, someone always speak for them Physical abuse or threats Victims are submissive or fearful Many individuals in a small space Some Things You Learn Victim does not hold important documents Victim does not control their money Always asks for permission to eat, sleep, go to bathroom Afraid to leave their job Summary: Signs of Trafficking

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Mindset of Victims o Do not speak English o Do not understand American culture o Living daily with inhumane treatment o May not know where they are o Fear/Distrust of Police, government o Fear of deportation or fear for family back home o Might blame themselves o Develop loyalties or positive feelings toward trafficker o Might even try to protect trafficker o Unaware what is being done to them is a crime o Do not consider themselves victims

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Sacramento Rescue & Restore Coalition Sacramento Rescue & Restore Coalition WEAVE My Sister’s House Opening Doors Sacramento Training & Employment Agency (SETA)

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Ways to Take Action 1.Educate 2.Volunteer. 3.Organize. 4.Donate. 5.Stay Informed. (Join our E-newsletter, Twitter, or Facebook.)

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Questions?

My Sister’s House A safe haven for battered Asian & Pacific Islander women & children MSH © 2011 Crisis Line: Thanks - Salamat