Las Vegas NowAsian Community Leaders Gather to Fight Human Trafficking

Asian Community Leaders Gather to Fight Human Trafficking

Whether they come to America by choice or by force, Asian-Pacific Islander women make up the largest group of victims when it comes to sex slavery, bride trafficking and domestic violence. Now a local women's group wants to reach out into their own community to let these silent victims know that asking for help is the right thing to do.

"It's a huge, huge problem -- a multi-billion dollar illegal industry in Nevada," said researcher Dr. Alexis Kennedy.

When it comes to human trafficking and domestic violence, too much stays hidden often because of cultural values instilled long ago. "Because reaching out for help is seen as a weakness. We don't take our personal family business outside because it would shame the family," said Kathleen Bergquist, co-director of the Las Vegas Asian Pacific American Women's Forum.

Bergquist can understand that way of thinking. But for the first time, her group has invited outsiders in so that these problems often buried deep within the Asian-Pacific Islander community can be brought out into the open and resolved. "It's a relatively closed culture where people are not very willing to talk about their issues, especially with law enforcement. And part of the problem is the language barrier, because if we can't speak the language and build trust with potential victims, we're not going to get very far," said Richard Beasley with the Las Vegas FBI.

That's why members of local law enforcement and domestic violence and human trafficking experts gathered to talk about solutions for bridging both the language and cultural gaps that prevent Asian-Pacific Islander women from escaping abuse. "My message would be that there are people out there who care and you are not alone," said Bergquist.

But unfortunately, Las Vegas can be a very lonely and dangerous place when you're the target of human traffickers. "Las Vegas is the epicenter for prostitution in North America. We are a hyper-sexed community with pockets of legal prostitution just outside and with that comes other illegal activity, like child prostitution, which we don't want but is part of what we're selling," said Dr. Kennedy.

Cultural and language barriers aren't the only obstacles these victims are up against. Other issues such as immigration status and a lack of financial resources also keep victims in abusive situations because their abuser has all the power in the relationship.