Most people think of modern-day slaves as vulnerable, uneducated people. But the 350 teachers who were held in indentured servitude for over two years in Louisiana blow the lid off that preconception. They were recruited to teach in the U.S. because they had highly specialized skills, including robotics. And if engineers and teachers can fall victim to human trafficking, any one of us can.
Together, the teachers have filed a lawsuit against the two employment agencies which set them up with teaching gigs in Louisiana — Universal Placement International (UPI), based in Los Angeles, and PARS International Placement Agency, based in Manila. The teachers claim these agencies, along with at least three employees of the East Baton Rouge school system, helped recruit Filipino teachers for what they claimed were lucrative jobs in America. However, the fees to get visas and be transported to the U.S. were exorbitant, and the cost of the substandard housing they received was highly inflated as well. Teachers were expected to turn over 30% of their salaries for the first two years.
UPI brought the teachers to the U.S. on H-1B guest worker visas. These visas, which are often used by traffickers and people looking to exploit workers, give the carrier permission only to work for their sponsoring company. So if any of the teachers chose to leave her position at UPI, she could be deported back to the Philippines. The H-1B visa makes it almost impossible for someone who comes to America and ends up in an abusive job to simply move to another company. And it's a system that creates a perfect opportunity for exploitation.
Trafficking victims come from all educational and skills backgrounds. I've talked to trafficking victims who are illiterate, those who have bachelors degrees, and those who would beat me out for most professional jobs. Trafficking victims have been skilled craftsmen and artisans as well as unskilled workers. These 350 teachers were not trafficked because they were uneducated or stupid. They were trafficked because a corrupt and avaricious system took advantage of their desire to earn a good living teaching children. They were trafficked because neither the U.S. nor the Philippines had the proper safeguards in place to protect them. And they remained trafficked for over two years because no one in their community knew and understood what was happening.
If you see something suspicious and suspect human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888. So many human trafficking situations have been discovered because members of the community looked beneath the surface, understood what human trafficking is, and alerted the authorities.
Photo credit: Rex Pe
Amanda Kloer has been a full-time abolitionist for six years. She currently develops trainings and educational materials for civil attorneys representing victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence.
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