NPR

In U.S. Restaurants, Bars And Food Trucks, 'Modern Slavery' Persists

A new report highlights victims of human trafficking in the food industry, from farm workers to restaurant cooks and wait staff. Some victims are exploited for both sex and labor.
A new report highlights victims of human trafficking in the food industry, from farm workers to restaurant bus staff, cooks and wait staff. Some victims are exploited for both sex and labor.

They come from places like Vietnam, China, Mexico and Guatemala, lured by promises of better-paying jobs and legal immigration. Instead, they're smuggled into the U.S., forced to work around the clock as bussers, wait staff and cooks, and housed in cramped living quarters. For this, they must pay exorbitant fees that become an insurmountable debt, even as their pay is often withheld, stolen or unfairly docked.

In restaurants, bars and food trucks across America, by Polaris, an organization that fights human trafficking and helps survivors.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min readInternational Relations
Newly Elected Prime Minister In Solomon Islands Is Likely To Keep Close China Ties
Solomon Islands lawmakers elected former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as prime minister Thursday in a development that suggests the South Pacific island nation will maintain close ties with China.
NPR8 min read
How Some Faculty Members Are Defending Student Protesters, In Actions And In Words
The protests sweeping college campuses don't just involve students. Professors are increasingly pushing back against university administrations they see as infringing on students' free speech rights.
NPR3 min read
New York Police Have Cleared Hamilton Hall And The Encampment At Columbia University
New York police officers cleared pro-Palestinian student encampments late Tuesday night at two campuses as similar protests continued to simmer across the country's higher education institutions.

Related Books & Audiobooks