Sex trade exploits Asian women

Monday, November 30, 1998

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.

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