Sex trade exploits Asian women

Monday, November 30, 1998

Sex trade exploits Asian women

INDUSTRY: Wealthy men use global practice to rent young,
destitute females

By Lissa Balotro

Imagine basking in the sun, watching beautiful women perform an
exotic tropical dance and being massaged by a skilled masseuse
(your soon-to-be-wife) in a foreign land all for only $2,000. It’s
a perfect vacation day for a sex tourist.

Women, young and poor, and even children are the main
attractions in this atrocious industry. For years, especially those
following the Vietnam War, sex tourism has increasingly claimed the
lives of young women while catering to the pleasures of wealthy
men. These men travel from Europe, North America, Japan, Australia
and the Middle East for a guaranteed good time with "exotic,
erotic, subservient Asian women."

Many of these Asian women are poor, underprivileged, innocent
victims from the city slums. Their parents are often deceived and
sell their daughters off to "work." Some women are abducted by
pimps and brothel owners while others are raped and forced into the
industry, too ashamed to turn to their families for help.

An estimated 30 million women have been sold worldwide since the
1970s. According to the Earth Island Journal (Winter 1997-98), more
than 100,000 women are shipped to Asian islands annually. The
numbers are staggering, yet they continue to rise as the industry
becomes more popular.

Sex trade has become the leading business enterprise for
developing nations since the 1960s and 70s. The "trade" has
resulted from the prostitution establishments’ successes just
outside many United States military bases in Korea, Vietnam,
Thailand, the Philippines and Okinawa. The military term "R &
R" refers to the sexual activities that occur during the military
men’s "Rest and Recreation" time; some GIs called these periods "I
& I" for "Intoxication and Intercourse."

Ever since the economic boom created by this trade began, sex
tourism has become one of the biggest industries in developing
nations. Asia’s sex industry has attracted a new audience since the
end of the Vietnam War. They are not just American army men. The
tourists include businessmen and government employees; they are the
average men of society.

Some companies use Asian Pacific American stereotypes and
misogyny to encourage men to go on tours by asking them, "Had
enough of the American bitches who won’t give you the time of day
and only are interested in your bank account? In Asia, you’ll meet
girls who will treat you with respect and appreciation, unlike
their American counterparts."

The sex tourism operators all use similar themes of Asia being a
sexual playground for American men. They perpetuate the notion that
all Asian women are willing, docile and adoring.

Many of the sexual practices are illegal in a tourist’s home
country. As a result, they become frequent travelers and
participants on these sex tours. It is much easier to participate
in these practices overseas, because laws, the police and the
government do not regulate the industry.

A German tour brochure includes the following for a trip to
Thailand: "If you want extremely young girls, or, generally
speaking, if you want something for which you could get ‘hanged’ in
your own country, you can find (it) in these places without the
risk of getting hanged."

A Dutch tourist pamphlet demonstrates the ease by which a man’s
sexual fantasies may be satisfied for a fairly small amount of
money: "They (sex tours) offer meetings with the most beautiful and
young Eastern creatures (age 16 to 24 years) in a soft and sexy
surrounding and in the seductive and tropic night of the exotic
paradise."

You get the feeling that taking a girl here is as easy as buying
a pack of cigarettes. Many of the girls in the sex world come from
the poor northeastern region of the country or the slums of
Bangkok. It has become a habit that one of the attractive daughters
goes into the business in order to earn money for their
impoverished family.

The Internet is a free marketplace of ideas, with the sex
industry taking great advantage of its easy accessibility and wide
reach. There are more than 100 websites advertising the hottest
Asian commodity – Asian women. They include graphic pictures, tales
of Asian fantasies and mail order brides.

A sex tour package, which can cost as little as $1,400, includes
round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, and a guide who leads
male travelers through various night spots, helping to negotiate
the terms of sex. Usually the "bar fine" is roughly $24 for taking
a woman to a room for sex, but for a price, they can "rent" the
woman overnight or for a week.

Many people believe that these prostitutes deserve the life they
have chosen. They are often looked down upon by society. But these
women are not criminals and shouldn’t be treated as such.

All the while perpetuating misogyny in their communities, female
prostitutes confront a variety of issues in their lives, from
suffering from mental anguish and physical deterioration, to the
destruction of their family lives. They should not be penalized and
jailed for trying to earn money for their families and for
themselves. Often times, they are the sole source of family income
or are tricked into the industry and cannot face their families for
fear of experiencing great shame.

Although we would like to believe that we are isolated from the
problem, statistics estimated by the Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS) show that Los Angeles is a contributor to this
industry. There are 10,000 women in illegal brothels, 4,000 of whom
are Chinese women, and in San Gabriel alone, there exist 800
brothels.

What can we do to help these women and end the exploitation of
our Asian sisters? By raising awareness, by educating the public,
and by directing students and community members into organizations
such as Captive Daughters, the students of the Asian Pacific
American Leadership Development Program (APALDP) hope to put an end
to this repulsive practice.

Please join us for a forum on Dec. 1 in Royce Hall 162 from 7 to
9 p.m.

Comments, feedback, problems?

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