WBAI radio, (wbai.org),would be doing an amazing public service by exposing Slavery in present day NYC.
Many Chinese, Mexicans, Central, and South Americans are held in servitude by various gangs. They'll be held till they pay off these guys for getting them into the country.
However with the $interest$ added to the original price of admission to this "land of the free" they'll never are able to make the pay off.
In other words they're Slaves.
If they try to run away they or a family member here or in the old country is killed.
...this happens.
Btw 'you' see Slaves everyday here in town.
They're some of the guys selling batteries, bootleg cd's, and dvd's, and assorted crap on the streets, and subway. Many others work in sweatshops all over the city.
One of these slave pens was "discovered", 'guess the gangs didn't pay the cops enough that week. Anyway a slave enclosure was "found" in Queens two summers ago.
The news story came, and went. No newspaper or broadcast stations followed up on the other slave pens. I mean after all they're all illegals so who cares.
...wbai should care.
I've advocated doing this scary story the Boss's for years.
So far no dice.
'Mind you this operation would take Brass Balls because we'd be going up against Stone Cold Killers, and assorted corrupt cops.
Any takers?
Count 'me' in. There's a sweatshop around the corner from me.
(...btw, that's the WBAI sweatshirt up there. I did the art. Cool huh.)
4 comments:
Uncle, the media DO expose these situations ans police do raid them several times a year. the problem is that the types of meat 'n potatoes readers of these tabloids don't give a shit about Mexicans, Chinese etc and, more often then not, it is "their own kind" exploiting them.
BTW: If you think that Mexicans have it bad here, you should see how my dear Thais treat the Burmese workers.
Burmese are among the sweetest, most gentle and often beautiful people you'll ever encounter, but they live a subterranean existence in the Land of Smiles.
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Back in 1996 a Mexican friend in one of my locations came to me with a troubled mind. He said that his wife was rounded up in a sweatshop raid and arrested for no doc's. He asked if I thought she was being beaten and raped while in detention.
These were two sweet young (early 20s)Mexican Indians she made the most delicious choc fudge brownies and churros....I did my best to assure him that his wife would not be abused. I called our family's lawyer who, in turn got a pro-bono immigration lawyer for my friend but it was too late, she was deported back to Mexico.. Miguel went to join her and later returned. She had been decently treated, thankfully.
No one should have to go through this just to cook burgers and sew clothes.
Having business dealings with alot of restaurants, I have unfortunately accumulated many stories of the hardships these people go through in the hopes of doing shitwork for others in exchange for scraps from our table of bounty.
It blows my mind that nobody's making a big stink about this. I guess imaginary child abuse is Satanic, but real-life slavery is A-OK by 'murrican standards.
That's unpleasant to hear about the Thai, Lino. I enjoyed my trip to Thailand, but to speak truth I didn't really care for it as prospective place of residence, which I had been considering.
Zaek, and Uncle, Thailand is not recommended at this time. Although Americans still get preferential treatment (to a degree) the fact is that Thais are extremely nationalistic and have been fed a diet of royal-ism and the myth that they were never colonized because they were "so mighty" etc.
The Thai government recently invoked added restrictions on foreigners trying to buy property through marrying Nationals...they revoke deeds outright and send them packing. Though again this usually does not pertain to Americans, (it's aimed at Japs and Chinese)in a country with endemic corruption you can never be sure of justice.
Finally, there are several major trouble spots on the horizon. There are huge and growing fissures between the various strata of Thai society, you may have seen the messes that occurred late last year and which ruined Songkran this year.
Then there is the -big one- succession. The current King is in his early 80s has had several major health problems and is barely understandable as of two years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFWG2xrxznc
He didn't even make a Birthday speech last year.
His heir is not liked at-all and after a reign of 60+ years there may be a real power vacuum filled by...who knows.
I have an apt in SiLom Bangkok with two Thai friends who live there and take care of it. If the country blows up I can walk away, but I won't be able to forget those that I have known.
In spite of the problems, Thais and Filipinos are special people. to me.
Lino
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