Human trafficking is a global problem with local reach

Human trafficking – better known as modern day slavery – is a worldwide problem that affects even the bucolic Sonoma Valley. While 70 percent of trafficked victims are women and children who are forced into hard labor or sexual slavery, the plight also hits us closer to home, extending to migrant farm and construction workers, household employees, and workers in motels and restaurants.
January 11 is National Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery Awareness Day. On this Sunday, Soroptimist International clubs in Sonoma, Marin, and Mendocino counties are bringing awareness of this issue to citizens and agencies in the North Bay through a series of events at the Finley Community Center in Santa Rosa.
Jean Hopeman is the Soroptimist’s publicity chair and for her, the issue is about women. “As Soroptimists, we support women’s health, education and safety and because so many of the victims of human trafficking are women, this is something we just can’t ignore,” says Hopeman. “It’s easy to be in denial because this is such a clandestine problem but turning a blind eye is the worst we can do. Being aware is the first step toward change.”
Kathy Hargitt, a human trafficking consultant based locally, agrees wholeheartedly with Hopeman and for her, the event can’t come soon enough. “This isn’t something that happens in just far-flung places like Thailand, or even Oakland for that matter,” says Hargitt. “The trafficking of human beings happens right in our own backyards with Mexican labor in the vineyards, the hospitality industry and many other places. We need to recognize that this is a problem in our own county and do something about it.”
By Wikipedia’s definition, human trafficking is “the recruitment, transportation, harbouring, or receipt of people for the purposes of slavery, forced labor (including bonded labor or debt bondage), and servitude.” The National Human Rights Center in Berkeley, California, is quoted with the statistic that there are about 10,000 forced laborers in the U.S., with “around one-third [being] servants trapped behind the curtains of suburban homes. … No one can say how many of these victims are children.” And according to Hargitt, the total numbers are impossible to track. “Governments try to deflate the numbers while non-profits inflate them,” says Hargitt.
One thing the government has done is to create the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which grants a temporary visa for victims and their families while they deal with trafficking’s aftermath. A recent addendum to this act allows victims to apply for a green card granting permanent residency status.
For the Soroptimists and for Hargitt, this is a start but it’s not enough. “We’re just starting to scratch the surface here in the North Bay,” says Hargitt. “In terms of the exploitation of children, we need to train teachers and anyone else involved with youth to be able to spot the signs.” Hargitt goes on to explain that the signs can seem innocent, like the hottest new cell phone or the hippest clothes. But for an economically disadvantaged child, items of this nature seen on a regular basis should raise a red flag. Sonoma Mayor Ken Brown expects to give a proclamation at the next city council meeting on January 21 to recognize the importance of raising awareness about human trafficking and taking a stand against it.
“We’re hopeful that the January 11 event will help raise awareness of this not just as a global problem but one that is right in our own backyards,” says Hargitt. “This event and Ken Brown’s proclamation are acknowledgements and this is the first step towards change.”