North Star Blog

The Power of Survivor Voices on Human Trafficking Awareness Day

U. Tatunchak — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:26:04 +0000

On a cold and rainy Friday, legislators, community organizations, government officials, social service agencies, and concerned citizens convened on the front steps of the State House in Trenton, N.J., on January 11th , National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Armed with hats, scarves and umbrellas, gatherers huddled together in a display of public solidarity to draw attention to this latent and thriving crime. State and federal legislators alike, including Assemblywoman Valerie Vanieri-Huttle and Congressman Chris Smith, spoke about the importance of advancing legislation that will not only obstruct the evolving tactics used by perpetrators, but also ensure that victims and survivors are receiving the proper protections.

Leading up to the event, Polaris Project asked the survivors we serve if there was anything they wanted the public to know about trafficking on this particular day. One survivor, Sandra, wanted the public to know that human trafficking dehumanizes you. “It makes you scared and neglected,” she said. She urged the public to know that there are victims, even if you cannot see them or help them. Sandra came to the United States under the false pretense that she would be attending school. Instead, she was forced into a life of domestic servitude where she endured mental and physical abuse. After connecting with Polaris Project through the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline (1-888-373-7888), Sandra is an extremely positive individual. What makes her so happy? The simple fact that she is able to eat, drink, and go to school on her own accord.

Luisa, who was forced into commercial sex by a trafficker who she thought was her boyfriend, also wanted to share a few thoughts. Luisa was physically abused and threatened in a foreign country where she did not speak the language or understand the culture. She connected with Polaris Project and began receiving supportive services. A lover of dancing, Luisa wanted other victims to know, “Remember you are not alone. You are not alone.” Luisa asked the public to help expose traffickers and hold them accountable for their crimes.

As a child who grew up in an abusive home and subsequently became homeless, Rachel was particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. After courageously escaping her violent pimp, Rachel received services from Polaris Project’s New Jersey office. What does she want you to know about human trafficking? She wants you to know that the crime will not go away on its own. That we can stop this issue if we all come together to fight like we do for other causes. She urged the public to become proactive rather than wait until someone they know falls prey to the crime. “Be a true American Idol by contributing to our efforts to end trafficking,” Rachel said.

The Program Coordinator of Polaris Project’s New Jersey’s office, Kate Keisel, shared these words and more at the rally. In doing so, Kate was able to bring Sandra, Rachel and Luisa’s real voices to the audience, and prove that this victimization is occurring in New Jersey. One simply cannot speak about human trafficking without acknowledging the courageous and resilient men, women, and children who have been victimized by human trafficking. Their voices remind us of how important proactive efforts and supportive services can be and help to rally more supporters to take action and refuse to allow these crimes to continue.

Dear Mr. President (4/4 Letters from Survivors of Human Trafficking for Inauguration Day)

admin — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:55:05 +0000

Para El presidente obama,

Estas cortas lineas que escribo son con tode respeto y esperando que pueda llegar a sus manos y pueda leerla.

yo en lo personal estoy muy agradecida con esta organizacion que me apoya y siga creciendo mas. Polaris Project me ayudado mucho, me an brindado seguridad y muchos mas apoyos. La mentablemente de donde yo soy, no temenos este apoyo como el que me estandando.

-e agreadesco que nos tome en cuenta y nos ase sentir que un Rincon de Este Pais le importamos a alguien.

Me despido con un sincere saludo y muchas gracias.

Y mis agradecimientos para: POLARIS PROJECT…

Translation:

To President Obama,

I write these few short lines with all respect and hope that this is able to reach you and that you are able to read them. Personally, I am very grateful with this organization for the support and I hope it continues to grow. Polaris Project has helped me a lot and has brought me safety and much support. Unfortunately, where I am from, we don’t have this type of support I am receiving here.

I thank you for taking us into account and making us feel that we matter to someone out there in a small corner of this country. A sincere farewell and a thank you to you. And my gratitude to Polaris Project.

–

These letters were part of a series clients we serve wrote to the President after his speech at the Clinton Global Initiative. We’ve removed our clients’ names for their privacy and safety.

Dear Mr. President (3/4 Letters from Survivors of Human Trafficking for Inauguration Day)

admin — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:55:00 +0000

estimado presidente de la nacion

Mr. Obama.

Le agradezco em nombre de todas las victimas que pasamos por el oscuro tunel de degradacion y maltrato a maestro cuerpo, Que usted como president se preocupe de Nuestro Bienestar.

Le Imploro Sr president nos de la oportunidad de podor demonstrarle a Nuestra Sociedad que, no somos gente Inutil y que necesitamos sentirnos, mujeres de progreso y lealtad a este pais.

Muchas Hemos venido sabiendo y todos los paises del Mundo lo dice, America es El Pais de las Oportunidades. Muchas gracias mis Hijos tambien se lo agradecen, Qeseo Sor Madre ejemplo para mis 4 hijos y de los demas Hijos de las Mujeres como Nosotros que pasamos trafico Humano.

Translation:

Dear President of the nation Mr. Obama,

I thank you on behalf of all the victims that been through the dark tunnel of the degradation and mistreatment of our bodies, for you, as the President being concerned about our well-being.

I beg you Mr. President to give us an opportunity to show our society that we are not useless people and that we need to feel like women of progress and loyalty to this country.

A lot of us came here, knowing as all other countries say, that America is the country of opportunities. Thank you very much and my children also thank you. I wish to be an example for my children and to other women’s children like us that have been trafficked.

Sincerely,

–

These letters were part of a series clients we serve wrote to the President after his speech at the Clinton Global Initiative. We’ve removed our clients’ names for their privacy and safety.

Dear Mr. President (2/4 Letters from Survivors of Human Trafficking for Inauguration Day)

admin — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:05:59 +0000

Dear President Obama

I am 20 years old and have been a slave for 2 years but I thank God for helping me to escape from where I was. I was brought in USA to go to school but when I came here it became a nightmare & I starting working without pay, bitten, abused physically and mentally but the day I was expecting to be dead that’s when God made me a way to escape where I was bleeding, crying, not knowing what happening and Polaris Project found me and keep me safe

I belive I am the eye of my family because every body there their hope is in me but they don’t know what’s going on with me.

I thank you for thinking about people like me and those who are worse than me.

May God keep you and show you many ways to help us!!!!

Thanks so much & I am proud to be in America

–

These letters were part of a series clients we serve wrote to the President after his speech at the Clinton Global Initiative. We’ve removed our clients’ names for their privacy and safety.

Dear Mr. President (1/4 Letters from Survivors of Human Trafficking for Inauguration Day)

admin — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:55:41 +0000

To: President Obama

Dear Mr. President,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your efforts to end the growing problem of human trafficking globally.

I am confident that the world will see this horrible problem drastically reduce or stopped altogether with your continued good works.

God bless you for this.

Sincerely,

–

These letters were part of a series clients we serve wrote to the President after his speech at the Clinton Global Initiative. We’ve removed our clients’ names for their privacy and safety.

Bending the Arc Towards Justice

Jessica Dickinson Goodman, Online Outreach Specialist — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:52:07 +0000

When we hear about a child being raped, it provokes horror, revulsion, and for those who have survived sexual abuse, the potential for crippling flashbacks.

Yet, when we hear that someone has paid to rape a child, this is a particular brand of gut-punch awful. With every new story I read about children being bought and sold for sex, I question whether we can ever atone as a society for not protecting them, and whether we can ever create a world where all kids can grow up safely. It is a crime which degrades our common humanity and sometimes it is hard to see the future without slavery we all work for.

At these dark moments, I think of Dr King’s famous quote, inscribed in the wall of his recently finished memorial in Washington DC:

“We shall overcome, because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.“

There is something profound in this, but it seems from the quote that the arc bends by itself. I work for a free future because I believe nothing changes unless we change it, just as no children would be raped if no one raped them. President Obama’s interpretation of that quote in his speech as a Senator on the anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination in April 2008 helped me see differently:

“Dr. King once said that the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. It bends towards justice, but here is the thing: it does not bend on its own. It bends because each of us in our own ways put our hand on that arc and we bend it in the direction of justice.”

Every day, I see people bending that arc by communicating with each other online—the status updates reminding friends to vote, the questions about why this law is better than that one for protecting children, the RTs which alone only touch a few dozen people but which together amplify our messages to hundreds of thousands.

As we approach Martin Luther King Jr Day, I have one such opportunity to move that arc towards justice that I’d like to ask your help with.

We are working to pass what are known as Safe Harbor laws in 7 states this year: Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Texas. We have a petition that anyone in the country can sign. You should sign it. But you should also consider forwarding it someone you know in each of these states.

It is our hands which must bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice. Our hands and our actions can build a free future. Thank you for reading and for acting.

This Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Let’s Pass Safe Harbor Laws

Carolina De Los Rios — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:45:52 +0000

Tracey’s life changed forever on a walk to the corner store. She was 15 and trying to get a few minutes of peace away from her abusive home.

A guy she knew from around the neighborhood pulled up next to her and asked if she was ok. He offered her a ride and listened to her talk about how much she wanted a new life. After a few months of “courtship,” Jay began to get abusive and forced her to engage in commercial sex. When she wanted to stop, he and his friends beat and raped her.

Before long, even though Tracey was a victim of child sex trafficking, the local police arrested Tracey for prostitution and placed her in juvenile detention. Tracey’s future dimmed. She was getting punished for an act that she couldn’t even legally consent to. She was a kid who needed help and support, but she was being treated like a criminal.

I’m Director of Client Services for Polaris Project, an organization dedicated to ending human trafficking. Tracey’s story is the story of girls I work with every day. Tracey is a kid, not a criminal. She didn’t deserve to be locked up.

There are better policy approaches and better options, ones that literally save the lives of children and teens.

Safe Harbor laws are that better option. These laws define these sexually exploited children as victims of abuse, help them find protection and support, and grant them immunity from prosecution for prostitution while they are under 18 years of age.

Safe Harbor laws also can increase funding for specialized services like long-term housing, mental health care, educational support, and job training to help these children recover. Thirty-nine states lack these basic Safe Harbor protections – including Texas, Michigan, Nebraska, and Louisiana. Every state can do more to increase services for child victims of sex trafficking.

According to national estimates, there are 100,000 children in the commercial sex trade in the United States. Safe Harbor laws help all of these children get the care they so desperately need.

Polaris Project is trying to make 2013 the last year a 15-year-old can be tossed into jail and treated like a criminal despite being a victim of commercial sexual exploitation.

I cannot believe these laws have not been passed in every state. I cannot believe any lawmaker—any person—would look at an abused 15-year-old and think: jail. We must do better. Your signature tells your state legislators that you support these kids and support Safe Harbor laws to protect them. Thank you.

*Tracey’s story is the story of the 100,000 kids who are hurt by commercial sexual exploitation. To protect our clients, we’ve woven together a few of their stories.

Between pronunciation lessons, a friendship forms between a volunteer and a survivor.

U. Tatunchak — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 19:10:34 +0000

When I first received the email from Polaris Project New Jersey asking me to attend a volunteer orientation, I was nervous and excited at the same time. I had heard many stories about sexual and labor exploitation, but being a Ukrainian American, most of my knowledge was confined to that population. It was not until my volunteer experience with Polaris Project that I began to understand how the crime precariously ingrains itself into every aspect of American culture.

My first volunteer opportunity was to work with Nina, a client in need of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Upon my first meeting, I began thinking about how our class would go. I was feeling tentative and unsure of how to act. Should the mood be somber or happy? Should I smile a lot or a little bit? What if Nina decides I am a terrible teacher? What if she wants to talk to me about her trafficking situation and I respond incorrectly? All these questions and concerns continuously rotated through my mind. Yet, upon meeting my student, I saw the kindness in her eyes and her smile was genuine. I returned it and the concerns melted away.

I began working with Nina two times a week for an hour and half each day. We always conducted our classes the same way. Nina would write a journal entry at home about very basic and neutral topics such as a favorite food, movie, song, etc. We then moved onto dreams and aspirations. Describe your dream job. If you could visit one place in the world, where would it be? She would bring the journal entry for me to correct, and read it aloud so I could help her with the words she had trouble pronouncing. We then moved onto other pronunciation exercises. Little by little, in between exercises and journal reading, Nina began opening up about herself. She began regaling me with stories about her childhood and her home country. Since she did not have a large community in the U.S., she saw Polaris Project as her substitute family and she saw me as an essential member of that family. Although learning English was the main purpose for our meeting, our classes culminated into a time where she could just speak to a friend.

I was grateful that through volunteering, I was given the opportunity to meet a resilient and strong woman who craved a trusting community. Many times we overlook how simple, friendly conversations can provide lasting, emotional support. I was also glad to rid myself of the sensationalized picture of what the media has painted as the stereotypical human trafficking victim, because at the end of the day a victim is no different than anyone else. This volunteer position provided me with an invaluable experience that truly changed my life.

U. Tatunchak: Volunteer July 2010 – August 2011, current staff member at Polaris Project New Jersey.

Profile on Sex Trafficking Victims and Obtaining Self-Sufficiency

Meredith Owen Policy Fellow — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:30:56 +0000

Imagine a young girl who has run away from an abusive home and meets a man who promises to take care of her. He gives her food, shelter, and love. As this relationship develops, this man alters his role from caretaker and lover to pimp and controller. Suddenly, this young girl is transformed into a sexual object, a commercial item to be sold. The security the pimp provided earlier is now a debt to be paid off.

All too often, a pimp identifies a child in desperation and exploits her vulnerabilities. The young girl described above is a clear victim of the crime of sex trafficking, as she was induced to engage in prostitution to satisfy her pimp. However, according to several state laws, she was also a criminal, guilty of exchanging sex for money.

Estimates suggest that between 100,000 and 300,000 children are at risk of being induced into the commercial sex industry every year, and many of these children are prosecuted for, and convicted of, prostitution offenses. As a result, children who are victims of sex trafficking face cyclic vulnerabilities throughout their life. The criminal justice system is incapable of addressing the needs of sexually exploited and sex trafficked children if it inherently treats them as delinquent criminals.

Safe Harbor to Protect Sex Trafficked Children

Law enforcement often arrests both adults and children involved in the commercial sex industry, places them in lock-up, and initiates criminal prosecutions, thereby re-victimizing human trafficking victims. The good news is that this dynamic is starting to change. In more and more states, law enforcement is identifying these children as victims of a crime and giving them the opportunity to receive direct services.

This shift is occurring in states that have passed Safe harbor legislation, which recognizes that minors arrested for prostitution are actually victims of human trafficking that deserve services and support. Safe harbor laws shift the paradigm away from the criminal justice system and toward a child welfare response.

Vacating Convictions for Sex Trafficking Victims

However, the traditional treatment of prostitution as a nuisance and, by extension, of children in the commercial sex industry as delinquents has resulted in numerous prosecutions and convictions against human trafficking victims for engaging in prostitution offenses. These convictions can have unintended and devastating consequences in the future. For example, an adult or a juvenile with prior convictions is at risk of higher rates of unemployment because many employers refuse to hire convicted offenders. Beyond a simple criminal record, prostitution convictions carry a specific kind of stigmatization and invoke a sense shame against the children who were prosecuted for this crime.

Sex trafficking survivors, especially adult survivors who did not benefit from safe harbor laws, need additional protection. Vacating convictions legislation is a critical safeguard for survivors who have left their trafficking situations, but still have a criminal record. Such legislation permits victims of sex trafficking to ask a judge to clear his or her conviction for prostitution offenses because he or she was a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense.

These provisions give survivors of sex trafficking the opportunity to clear their records and to obtain employment. Consequently, children who were induced to engage in prostitution no longer have that stigma attached to their names. They are free to pursue any career path and employment opportunities without the specter of a prostitution conviction hanging in the shadows.

Ultimately, a young, sexually exploited girl should not suffer further re-victimization after having been subjected to a heinous form of human trafficking. Safe harbor laws and vacating conviction legislation are crucial tools to helping survivors of human trafficking recover from their trauma and rebuild their lives.

The NHTRC Turns 5! Celebrating Five Years of Connection and Support

Sarah Jakiel — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:01:04 +0000

Sarah Jakiel, Deputy Director: At 8:32am on Wednesday December 7^th, 2007, Polaris Project answered the first phone call on the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline. The night before, I hadn’t slept terribly well – knowing that all of our preparation for that first call would be put to the test.

When the phone finally rang, I didn’t know then that I was at the beginning of one of the most important journeys of my life. One that has taken me through the highs and lows of running a national hotline, of being on call 24/7 and learning to wake up at a moment’s notice, of building a team of professionals whose innovation and commitment would never cease to amaze me, and of connecting with thousands of callers, service providers, and law enforcement across the country who were as eager as I was to build a real response to fighting trafficking in this country.

Since that Wednesday morning we have taken nearly 65,000 calls, growing, refining, and striving to improve our services every single day so that we can identify, reach and support more victims of human trafficking. We are succeeding in this task. In 2009, we connected 975 victims to services and support. In 2012, we’ve connected more than 3,200.

When we receive a call, we try in whatever way we can to remind our callers that there is someone out there who can help them. Our goal and desire is to make them feel that they have found someone who will commit to helping them regardless of the challenges. We have operated for the last five years with a caller-focused mindset – we wanted to connect people, to create easy paths for survivors to access the services they need and to be connected to those services in the fastest and most thoughtful way possible. And we have been lucky enough to work with thousands of our peers across the country who stand at the ready to help survivors of trafficking in their communities. It has been an intense learning curve, where I have felt that every single day I have learned something new.

I am so incredibly proud of this program and in particular, of the purposeful and inspiring women and men who have built this lifeline for so many. Dozens of call specialists, program specialists, support staff, and more who have thrown their blood, sweat, and tears into this task for the last five years. Whether it was working weekends, long overnight shifts, or being on call, their quiet dedication speaks for itself. The hotline team has grown into a family – we support each other, we boost each other up, we inspire each other, and every day we get a call that sits gently in our hearts and minds and reminds us why we do what we do.

One of my favorite quotes from William Wilberforce on the subject of slavery is the following: “You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” We know that there are hundreds of thousands of people in this country living in modern slavery. At this very moment, some are considering suicide, some are struggling to get up wondering if their bodies can physically make it through another day, and others wake up with the same thoughts they do every day – thoughts of their home, of their children and families, and of returning to a life of their own.

Each and every one of these people is wondering if they will ever regain control over their lives or if someone will stand up for them and make a difference. Please call us today to find out how you can make a difference in your community. I’ve seen it myself — thousands of times over the last 5 years — the difference a single call can make. The neighbor who wonders about the nanny they met who isn’t allowed to talk to anyone. The trucker who sees a pimp force a young girl to offer sex at a rest stop. The teachers, nurses, taxi drivers, lawyers and more who all hear someone’s story and ask themselves, “Is this person a trafficking victim?” Their calls have led to a different reality for thousands of people – a reality of freedom, of choice, and of love.

So I challenge you to choose action this holiday season, to learn how to recognize the signs of trafficking, to share this information with your friends and family, and to join us in this fight.