Like
many Filipinos, Josie Gutierrez and Cecile Venzon left their loved ones in the
Philippines in the pursuit of their American Dream. That dream soon turned into
a nightmare, and the two ladies found themselves victims of human and labor
trafficking. They are not alone, as countless immigrants fall prey to this
modern-day slavery. But thanks to the T-visa, an immigration relief that allows
for certain victims of trafficking and their immediately family members to
remain in the U.S., Gutierrez and Venzon have been reunited with their loved
ones. "Pinakamasayang nanay sa buong mundo! Nakita ko na mga anak ko!
Hindi na Facebook, personal na. (I am the happiest mother in the world! I have
finally seen my children! It’s no longer on Facebook, but in person.)"
Gutierrez said.
Yet the journey to reach this happy moment was a tough one. Cecile Venzon had worked 17-hour days for a diplomat in Englewood, New Jersey who paid her less than the $1,600 she was promised every month. She was not compensated for overtime hours and was not given any days off until she was able to escape. Josie Gutierrez underwent a similar ordeal with an employer who paid her only $400/month. These women were stripped of their freedom and constantly threatened with deportation, with their employers adding that they had no right to demand higher wages because they did not pay taxes and did not have Social Security. "She (Gutierrez) was in a trafficking situation for a long time,” Terri Nilliasca, an attorney for Damayan Migrant Workers Association, said. "The reason that happens a lot of times is that people don’t realize the situation they're in. They know it’s terrible, but they don’t know where to go, how to get help, and sometimes they feel that they owe some kind of debt to their employer and so they don’t want to leave, they can’t leave." Damayan Migrant Workers Associated helped the women to escape, and turn their lives around for the better. The group encourages anyone else who finds themselves a victim of labor and human trafficking to come forward and get help.
Yet the journey to reach this happy moment was a tough one. Cecile Venzon had worked 17-hour days for a diplomat in Englewood, New Jersey who paid her less than the $1,600 she was promised every month. She was not compensated for overtime hours and was not given any days off until she was able to escape. Josie Gutierrez underwent a similar ordeal with an employer who paid her only $400/month. These women were stripped of their freedom and constantly threatened with deportation, with their employers adding that they had no right to demand higher wages because they did not pay taxes and did not have Social Security. "She (Gutierrez) was in a trafficking situation for a long time,” Terri Nilliasca, an attorney for Damayan Migrant Workers Association, said. "The reason that happens a lot of times is that people don’t realize the situation they're in. They know it’s terrible, but they don’t know where to go, how to get help, and sometimes they feel that they owe some kind of debt to their employer and so they don’t want to leave, they can’t leave." Damayan Migrant Workers Associated helped the women to escape, and turn their lives around for the better. The group encourages anyone else who finds themselves a victim of labor and human trafficking to come forward and get help.
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