Human trafficking is a form of slavery that happens all over the world, including in the United States. It is when someone is forced or coerced into working against their will, often in dangerous and abusive conditions.
One place where human trafficking occurs is in nail salons, maybe on in your area, in the strip mall on your way to work, or the one where you just got a pedicure. In this article, a nail salon owner was sentenced to 20 years in prison for trafficking.
The women who were trafficked were forced to work long hours, sometimes up to 20 hours a day, with no days off. They were paid little to no money, and if they complained, they were threatened with violence or deportation.
The women lived in cramped conditions, often sleeping and living in the salon.
Time to Educate Yourself on Human Trafficking
Thank you for joining this important fight against human trafficking! Whether you are a nail salon employee, a frequent salon customer, or just a concerned person. Your education about human trafficking is critical in ending it.
In this article, we will talk about how recruiters find victims to traffic, define debt bondage, and discuss how you can spot human trafficking. We will also explain how to report trafficking if you believe someone is being trafficked.
Traffickers do not need to have locked doors, bars on the windows, or handcuffs to keep workers from leaving. They have a powerful psychological tool, debt bondage.
What is Debt Bondage?
In human trafficking, debt bondage is when a person is forced to work to pay off a debt that they may or may not be able to ever pay off. This could be from the cost of their transportation to the United States, housing, nail education, or other costs associated with their work. The trafficker will often tell the victim that if they leave, they will owe even more money. This debt bondage is one way that traffickers keep their victims from leaving.
How Human Trafficking in Nail Salons Begins
Let’s back up for a second and talk about how a nail employee got in this position. I will use a story to demonstrate how easy it is for someone to be trafficked.
Sunny is a young Chinese female that dreams of living in America. She responds to an online ad for a nail salon in New York City that is hiring. The job pays $100 per week plus tips, which Sunny is told will be very good because the salon is in a wealthy neighborhood. The only catch is that she has to pay $2000 upfront for her airfare and housing.
Once she arrives in New York, she is taken to a small apartment that she shares with several other girls who work at the salon. The apartment has no furniture and is dirty. They may or may not obtain necessary nail licenses in their state.
The girls are told they have to work 12 hours per day, seven days a week. They are not given any days off and if they do not make their quota of $500 in nails services per day, they are not allowed to eat dinner. If they try to leave, they are told they will owe even more money.
This is just one example of trafficking in nail salons. traffickers often recruit employees from other countries by promising them good jobs and salaries. But when the workers arrive, their passports are taken away and they are forced to work long hours for little to no pay. They may be threatened or physically harmed if they try to leave. They do not know the language or how to reach out for help. They may also be forced into sex trafficking and prostitution and are often drugged.
Isn’t it now understandable to see how young, naive, or vulnerable populations find themselves in this position? However, this person’s story does not have to end here. Victims can learn about the false narrative they have been told and can get the help they deserve. Today there is legal, housing, and financial assistance available to those who leave their situation. The Human Trafficking Hotline can help victims find these resources.
How to Spot Human Trafficking
There are many ways to spot human trafficking, but here are some common indicators:
-The victim may not be free to come and go as they please
-They may be living in cramped, dirty, or unsafe conditions
-They may not have access to medical care or food
-They may be working excessively long hours with no days off
-They may be paid very little or nothing at all
-Their documents (passport, driver’s license, etc.) may be held by their employer
How to Report Human Trafficking in Nail Salons
If you see any of these indicators, or suspect that someone is being trafficked, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline to report it. Do not approach the victim directly.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Phone: 1 (888) 373-7888
SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”)
Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Languages: English, Spanish and 200 more languages
Website: http://humantraffickinghotline.org
When you call the hotline, a trained specialist will ask you questions about what you saw or heard to help determine if what you’re seeing is trafficking. They will also provide you with resources and support, and connect you with law enforcement or social services if necessary. If you are a victim, they will get you the help you need to leave your situation safely.
In an emergency, always call 911.
What Is Being Done To Stop Human Trafficking in Salons?
Laws
In many states, you cannot live in a salon. This is to prevent salon owners from housing their employees in unsafe or unsanitary conditions.
Signs
In some states, employers must post human trafficking awareness information and hotline numbers in the salon. These must be in place during periodic salon inspections.
Continuing Education
Many states are adding required con-ed courses on human trafficking to the curriculum for cosmetology licensure and renewal. This will help ensure that new salon employees are aware of human trafficking and know how to report it.
Texas cosmetologists, nail technicians, and estheticians must take a human trafficking course for each license renewal.
4 Hour Texas Cosmetology Continuing Education Course (with human trafficking)
Texas massage therapists, and many other licensees under the TDLR, must complete an HHS-approved human trafficking course for license renewal.
1 Hour TDLR Texas Human Trafficking Course (HHS-approved)
Florida massage therapists must complete a 1-hour Florida massage board-approved human trafficking course each renewal.
1 Hour Florida Human Trafficking Course (Massage board-approved)
As of January 2019, human trafficking awareness training is required for all salon professionals in the state of New York.
Conclusion
You can make a difference by being aware of the problem and knowing how to spot it and report it. You can also support laws and regulations that are designed to protect workers from being exploited.
If you see something, say something. Together we can make a difference.
If you are being trafficked, there is help available to you!
Here is the hotline information again.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Phone: 1 (888) 373-7888
SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”)
Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Languages: English, Spanish and 200 more languages
Website: http://humantraffickinghotline.org
Sara
A friend who was a felon was told that if she was to pay the license fee plus a few hundred dollars extra and years apart from the date of the crime, she may possibly be able to get a Florida cosmetology license. It’s not that easy to get ahead with the pitfalls of the past, if she went back and finished the final exam, what are the steps for success?