Case Example

Lived Experience: Nicole’s Story

Read Nicole’s Story: 

Nicole was promised a job as a physical therapist in the U.S. and then smuggled into the U.S. from the Philippines. Once in the U.S. she was taken to Acucare massage parlor in Emeryville where she was told she would be under the care of the “spa operator” – a woman in her late thirties. Shortly after arrival Nicole was told she would be performing sex acts for men who came in. When a man entered he was allowed to choose which woman he wanted and what sex act he wanted. There was no time limit for how long the men could be with the women. Nicole had to turn over a large sum of the money she earned to the spa owner. She stayed with other women from China, Japan, Thailand and Korea who had all also come to the U.S. the same way she had and who also worked for Acucare.

Read more about Nicole’s case here.

Now, let’s think about Nicole’s case in light of how laws define “human trafficking”. 

The “WHAT” is that Nicole was recruited and transported by her traffickers to work in the U.S. 

The “HOW” is that Nicole’s case included fraud, a false promise of work as a physical therapist, and coercion, in cultural and linguistic isolation.

The “WHY” is that Nicole was asked to participate in labor AND sexual acts at Acucare. 

Interested in learning more about these different types of trafficking? 

Take a deeper dive into these issues and visit the modules for Intro to Labor Trafficking [link to sub-module] and Intro to Sex Trafficking [link to sub-module].

And, now, breathe… 

Learning about human trafficking takes up a lot of emotional and cerebral energy. There is so much to absorb around the gravity of the matter, the laws, and realities of its prevalence. Let’s take a moment to pause, take a deep breath, and check in with ourselves.

We initially grounded in the journeys that brought us here today. Take a look at the notes you took earlier. What resonates, what’s changed, or what’s moved you now that we’ve explored more deeply the issue of human trafficking?

There is so much to navigate as we think about combatting this issue, but you are certainly not alone. There are resources to support you as you continue to deepen your understanding of human trafficking, and spaces for us to join in collective action which we will be talking about at the end of this module. 

We are going to pivot into talking about how human trafficking shows up individuals, the signs to look out for, and ways in which trauma can defined and experienced by trafficking victims.