I got my nails done yesterday.
I couldn’t help but notice a young pregnant Vietnamese woman working next to me. First thing that crossed my mind was …WTF?! There are WAY too many chemicals in here! …Someone please take this lady home!!! Where is the guy that knocked her up?! Why is he letting her work …where are her parents? …Does she like working? …Does she not know the chemicals are bad? ...ARE the chemicals bad? …and that just got my gears going.
So then I looked up …to notice that in this particular salon …there were over 30 workers just standing around. I suddenly felt like I was in a sweatshop. It got me curious, and I have spent the day researching human trafficking to see if there are any ties to the nail salon industry. If it looks shady, and feels shady, it probably IS shady …right?! …Unfortunately the information is scattered and unclear… but there are several stories and articles linking the two. Paul Taylor, a former cop and inspector for the Division of Professional Licensure (who for years has been investigating the connections between nail salons and human trafficking) talks about the fact that nail salons are a cash business, So you can launder all the money you need out of there. The main article I keep coming across is a story about a multimillion-dollar human-trafficking scheme that operated out of nail salons in Ohio. Authorities are still investigating… Many victims from South Asia are trafficked and forced to work as indentured servants at nail salons in exchange for passage into the U.S. Many of the victims little or no money working at nail salons for two years, and they are required to live in on location.
They say ignorance is bliss… and sometimes I agree. BUT there was definitely something shady going on…
READ HERE: Ohio Investigates State-Wide Nail Salon Trafficking Scheme
…do you know what’s happening in your community?
( I bet Ohio thought they did)
I had some friends in high school who operated a family business. They were Vietnamese. Their parents owned a nail salon or three and paid for their home in cash. The only workers at these salons were their family members. I hope this helps and that you find some answers. 🙂
agreed. there are TONS of great loving family owned businesses. If you know of any in the LA area i would LOVE to support. My issue was with this particular salon. Things did not seem right. No one smiled. I cant describle the mood… but it was weird.