In this day and age, most people would think that slavery would have been completely abolished.
Like first-year film student, Mai Tran admitted, "I had no idea this was going on. I have heard stories here and there, but I thought it was all out-of-state in very bad areas."
Just because it is not an occurrence in one's life, does not mean the issue doesn't exist. Unfortunately, human trafficking is everywhere and third-year nursing student, Timothy Nguyen, seems to know why it is very much still prevalent.
“It affects so many people and it generates billions and billions of dollars. There is no way this ugly business is slowing down.”
Amy Mitchell has been on and off attending De Anza, and is a child development major. She is a single mother of two daughters and states "It makes me cry just thinking about human trafficking. These victims are close to the age of my two daughters and I can't even imagine what I'd do if something happened to my two most prized possessions."
David George, third-year kinesiology major, knows a bit more about how human trafficking can affect the victim and the people around him or her. Obviously there is a lot that can physically affect the victim, but David explains that most of the suffering is mental.
David can speak for this because his close friend was a victim of human trafficking. "When she was freed, I could barely recognize her. Not only was she covered in bruises and scars, but she did not want me to even hug her.
He explained that it hurt him to see her like that. "For the long years that I had known her, I had never seen her so vulnerable before. It completely broke my heart."
Unlike David, Mary Lee, second-year communication major, never had anyone in her life victimized, but states that she has volunteered at a number of human trafficking campaigns.
"With any issue, educating and raising awareness is key. Just because you keep a blind eye towards it, doesn't mean human trafficking doesn't exist."
