Inside a prostitution ring that lead to an interview with a Pimp

Previously i had wrote that i was working in two organizations in Mexico City on in particular is working with elderly sex workers. I have been there for 2 and a half months now and i feel that i have gained the support and respect of all but two. There are two sex workers whom cannot stand me, they won't even reply when i greet them. I have gotten used to the idea that women like them act childish and can hate you for no logical reason. I have also been going out to the streets with a Social Worker. She has introduced me to countless ex and current prostitutes and is helping me with my thesis.

This week was especially hard, Elena (Social Worker) usually takes me to go hang out with sex workers from el Centro Historico in front of "la santisima" church but today we did not stay there very long, as are accustomed to. But Today Elena decided to show me the rings of prostitution. They are called rings because about 20-40 young girls and women circle around and form a ring while clients, pimps and body guards are surrounding them, gawking at them while they circle around to give them a better look at the "merchandise." I visited two rings in one day, and i was surprised to see that they are out in the open, where people eat, drink and buy clothes.

The first one i went to was an Alley called Manzanares in "la Merced" a place in Mexico city known for underaged prostitution. I entered alone because Elena cannot go in because the pimps know her. I was very scared when i went in but i build up the courage and told myself i will make it to the end of the alley, i will be fine. The beginning of the alley is littered with food stands and people eating but as i kept walking i began to notice a crowd of men with their backs towards me. Since I am short I couldn't see what they were observing on the opposite side. I kept walking towards them passing food, vendors and people who sell immigration brand name clothes. Then i saw it... I saw women as if they were following the leader and walking in a a circle within the crowd of me. I got closer and finally the crowd opened up to allow someone to pass by. Apparently the women circling does not prohibit people from passing through them. So i went for it, i got the courage and passed in the middle of the women, whom were all dressed extremely provocative with heels that would hurt if worn more than 2 minutes, many were beautiful, and had bodies that anyone would envy. As i walked through the women every step felt as if it could be my last, i was terrified even though i was in public. I finally made it out on the other side of the alley, and waited for Elena as we had agreed upon. As i waited, for Elena to get there, i could still see the women walking in circles within the crowd of men. The crowd had parted and I could see not only their faces but all of them. I began to look them in the face, and a few of them made contact with me and turned away. They had hollow stares that were void of happiness. I will never forget the look i received from a girl whom looked as if she were 14. We made contact for a brief 2 seconds but in those two seconds her eyes were crying out to me, they revealed that she wanted to desperately get out of there, they cried for help. And it broke my heart because i couldn't do anything to get her out of there. I couldn't go to the police because they are hired by the pimps themselves to guard the area so I cannot go to them. Elena finally arrived and i swallowed my tears and walked towards her. We ended up going to San Pablo and passing through yet another Prostitution ring but this time together, this one was less crowded by men but there were more women. This one is located in the alley of El Puente de Santo Tomas. The alley is very popular and cannot be penetrated on the weekends, I was told that it gets so packed no one can pass. In order for men to get their turn watching they have to wait. We left the alley and made our way towards San Pablo avenue. We found the head prostitute and Elena asked her to call her pimp, she got her phone and called him and passed her the phone. They spoke for a few minutes and she told him he had to meet me, he agreed and i had an meeting with him the next day. I couldn't believe how fast and easy that was, I was going to met a Pimp, I was scared shit-less.

The next day Elena and I met him in the corner where the head prostitute works and where she and other pimps are securing the place. He didn't want to speak in the street so he lead us to a coffee shop called La Madonna. I got to the point and told him that i wanted to interview the women, but knew that i couldn't without his permission. Being the lying and manipulating man that he is, he denied being a pimp and told me that the women are free to speak to me if they choose to, and that he cannot force them to speak to me. I pretended as if I knew nothing of him and did not have a prejudice. He then began to gush about his life and how he got involved in working side by side with women from prostitution not, admitting that he lives off of them. He worked side by side other sex workers and even started an organization for sex worker rights, he stated that for him its all about sex education and but the women can care less about that, they seem to want an organization that will fight for their rights instead of having an org. that educates them on how to protect themselves. His organization did not last long for this reason and others took over what he started. He always kept reminding me that he is just someone who fights for their rights, not exploits them.

Three Cappuccinos later and a couple hours he told Elena and I to follow him. He went up to the head prostitute called Gertrude and told her that i was working on an anthropological investigation on prostitution and if she and her girls wanted to speak to me, they were in their right to do so or not do so. He basically confirmed to me his power over the women and i saw the respect they have for him. It was dark and the street was littered with more men then when I initially arrived. Some were in line waiting for their favorite woman (who was busy with someone else ) to be free. Some were checking out the ones that were coming out of the hotels and others were body guards and pimps controlling the situation. I wanted nothing more than to get out of there and get home safe. Elena and I said our good byes and left, we kept an eye on the back of us to make sure that no one was following us, thankfully no one was.

México

I have been in Mexico City for a month and 9 days and i have learned so much about myself. I have learned how to be on my own, how to take the metro system, buses on my own, how to blend in on the street, i feel accepted by my own people and even when they hear my Northern accent they figure i'm from Monterey or Baja California never American. No one asks me where i am from or asks me to identify my culture, i am here what i have always been, Mexican. Life here is very fast pace, people don't wait around, it would seem to an outsider that they are impatient but they are just programed to be on the go, because here if you lag around you will either get hit by a car, or by people. Something or someone will always remind you to keep going. Its the city that never sleeps, the New York of Mexico and it will make you fall in love and break your heart. Regardless, i love this city and i love its people and the culture of our native ancestors that has been tried to be buried by the white Spaniards, but has remained strong till this day.

During my month here i have acquired two internships in order to properly write my thesis on the sex and trafficking industries. I am working with The Coalition against Trafficking women and girls in Latin America and the Caribbean which works against corrupt governments and law enforcement to rescue women and children from prostitution and other forms of exploitation. Maestra Teresa Ulloa is the director and my hero, she was the pioneer in bringing traffickers to court in Mexico, and works really hard to make sure that they are prosecuted but its hard when money talks.


I am also working in casa Xochiquetzal which is a shelter for elderly sex workers whom were previously homeless. They live in nice housing on the wrong side of town, TEPITO. Which is one of the most dangerous places in Mexico City. The women here are so amazing they have lived lives that they don't wish on anyone, although they are damaged psychologically, physically and mentally they are still strong and survive each day with the burden of being rejected by mainstream society and their families. Its a hard life but they did not choose it, they were forced into it.
At an informal meeting

Working, a Volunteer and the Dupatta

I haven't wrote in many months. My life was chaotic and going at 100MPR while i was at school. I have been out of school for almost two months now and i feel as if i haven't done anything great to recount. So here is what you missed out on, which is not much...

I obtained a job at GAP and enjoy the staff that i work with. There is a bit of everything in that store, theres the gay, fun loving guys, the straight well dressed guys, the hippies, the conceited girls, the sweet girls and the ones' you never want to cross. Luckily the ones that work with me in the baby/children department are really nice. I'm glad that i don't work in the Adult department, there is too much competition down there to look a certain way, I'd rather work with moms/dads whom are interested in getting in and out in a timely fashion.






I have also started to volunteer in my church Immanuel Presbyterian in a program called WORKUP which helps at risk youth obtain Financial training, Educational and Vocational assistance as well as assist the youth in a social entrepreneur endeavor in their own community. Its a great program and i am loving the relationship that I am building with the youth. Since i am living with Prabha she has also volunteering in the program which makes me happy because we are doing it together.

I have also started wearing my Dupatta's (head scarves) when i walk in my neighborhood. I am tired of being blown kisses, told "mamacita" and "Hey what's your name?" by young and older men whom are clearly not looking at me as a human being but a piece of meat, therefore, i have found a guy repellent. When i don't wear my Dupatta over my head and i walk in my neighborhood i hear the whistles and the like (not that it has anything to do with my facial appearance) But when i do i hear nothing. The men that would usually whistle at me and tell me derogatory terms are silent, and not only silent, they won't even greet me with a hello, or look at me. It didn't take me long to realize why...they are uncomfortable with me because they think i am Muslim. It is a universal truth that people fear the unfamiliar and will avoid it because many people cannot step out of themselves to engage someone different from their norm. If people can't understand, or feel comfortable around a different culture group they will stay away. So i am using this to my advantage. I am walking down the streets of Koreatown and Downtown Los Angeles with my head up and with no whistles and cat calls. There are those who still cat call at me but the percentage has decreased exponentially. I have demanded their respect and have obtained it with their silence. It might not seems like respect to you, but it is to me. I feel respected by their silence and the lack of cat calls. I feel invisible and not another fish that men want to catch for their pleasure. I was blessed with a face which allows me to blend in with the South Asian and Arab populations that are Muslim, so i am not questioned. If i were white trying to wear the Dupatta everywhere, i know i will draw attention, but Thank God i look the way i do. By saying this i am not advocating that I am trying to be something I am not and that i follow the teachings of the Koran by wearing the Dupatta. If asked I will gladly tell people that i am Christ follower, if they are confused, that is not my problem. I am just repelling men.

So that is the highlight of my summer thus far I will keep you posted on the rest.

SHALOM

Aha moment

Its funny how as human beings we can give up on things if they get too hard or if we simply can't see rationally how it will work out. About a month ago i renounced he Idea of going to India due to my limited finances. I set my heart in Tijuana, Mexico where i would be great aid in Casa del Immigante. I was bummed out that i wasn't going to be able to do my Global Learning term in India, until my professor spoke really serious with me. He shared with me that there are options and that he could help me obtain the funds that i needed to go to India. He said he knew people who finance learning terms like my own, to promote peace and to better humanity through service. I cried many tears of joy and fear, because i didn't want to get my hopes up to just have them shattered. I looked into the organization and they give up to 25,000 for the year for those that are wishing to serve abroad. I don't know if i am going to get that amount but anything right now is helpful. So GLT update.. God is doing something, he is telling me not to forget about India, and so i can't pass up this opportunity.

If everything goes through i will be serving in an organization called SANLAAP located in Kolkata, India within the red light district. Its goal is to protect women and children from the vicious cycle of the sex industry.

They have partnered with many other organizations that work for similar relief. They fight the idea of legalizing prostitution, for the state to profit from it, which is what other organizations are trying to do in the area. Sex workers are demoralized, and their children are forced into the industry with no choice of their own. Sanlaap provides vocational, training, shelters, among other problems for the residents of the red light district.

Currently, there are 10 millions prostitutes in India, 400,000 children are forced into prostitution, 100,000 women subjected to commercial sexual exploitation in Kolkata ( 40% of them are under 18 years of age.)
3 million girls killed at birth each year, 50,000 million girls and women go missing, result of systematic sexual discrimination such as foeticide (the fetus- homicide), the physical removal of the fetus from the womb. (Stats from Sanlaapindia.org).

I can't sit silently while these injustices continue year after year. I know that i don't have the power or money to stop this from happening but working with this organization will help.

I pray that this be a possibility. As of Mexico, i will intern there for a month before i head out to India. This will be good for me, and i won't feel bad for disregarding Mexico.

It's all in God's hands...Inshallah.
-Eveline

Azusa the highs, lows and in betweens

I have returned to the predictable, the routine, the very place i left to find new meaning in life. Now that i have returned to this place i try to take the good out of the bad. I must say that i dislike being here, amidst many of my fellow students that don't give about anyone else but themselves. People who live in a bubble we call "APU BUBBLE" and so they are blind to the people and social injustices that occur outside of it. I wish i could pop everyone's bubble and make them see the real world that lies outside of it. Life is not what you can buy from it, but why wish i could make them see, i wish i could make them appreciated "the other" without imposing on them their own beliefs. I guess my feelings are a bit imposing as well. Who am i to change anyones paradigm, people don't have to believe what i believe. I long to be away from this place, i day dream about being back in Los Angeles, far too much.

The reason i hate this place is because here i need to work to pay rent and to buy my own food. I don't have a host mom that does this for me anymore. I have to work really hard, two jobs to be precise, and on top of that i am taking 5 classes that all demand much from me. When do i study? the weekends. Therefore, i have little to no time to socialize. My roommate Rosy is worried about me, i see it in her eyes. She's worried because i work to much and hardly sleep. She worries because I'm always tired. She's a good roommate, I wish more people were like her.

Although living with 5 girls can be stressful (especially if not all of them believe in cleanliness) I am learning to be patient, and to not let everything get to me like it did the first month. My thoughts are random and unorganized but i finally let them out.

Tijuana lead me to change my direction

My Immigrant L.A. class and I took a day trip to Mexico on Monday. We went with the mindset that it was not a short vacation, but an educational trip to gain an insider perspective on immigration issues in Mexico. Upon arrival there is a clear separation of two worlds and people, entering Mexico is so easy that i wonder if they even care who crosses their border. In contras The United States border has long lines, delays and people checking your bags to make sure you're not bringing anything illegal into the U.S. Why is there such a distinction? I asked this question as i entered Mexico and was immediately bombarded by people who wanted to sell me things. It was then when i realized i was nostalgic, and how proud I am to be Mexican. Mexicans are such amazing people, if you gain their confidence you are family for life. I met a woman crossing the border with me and although she didn't know me she invited me to eat with her and we shared our stories. She currently has to commute from the United States to Mexico to see her family because they could don't have the means to qualify for a tourist visa. Its a labor of love to take her family food, and trinkets.

One of the hardest parts of the trip was visiting a memorial site on the border that contains crosses with the names of people who have died trying to cross into the United States. When i saw it, i got a knot in my throat because i realized that many of these people could easily be my relatives. I couldn't just see this as a site with the names of those who died trying to get to the U.S, but i see these men and women as heroes who died in the pursuit of happiness. I cry in reverence for the many families whom have lost countless members in this pursuit. When will it end? and what can be done to make this situation better? I ask myself these questions on my way to the hardest part of my trip, a shelter called "Casa de Immigrante" In this shelter i saw the faces of those who succeeded in crossing the border but were deported back to Mexico. I got to hear their stories, shared in their grief, and was empowered to fight towards a solution here in the U.S. I remember in particular a man named Hector how had been in the shelter for 6 days and was desperate for resources that he did not have. He was desperate to find a place to stay, he only had 6 more days in the shelter and then he will be put out. The shelter doesn't do this to be malicious, but they cannot cope with the overwhelming task of aiding everyone long term, they have to make room for the newly deported that arrive everyday. Hector has been in the United States for over 10 days, he married an American woman and they have an 8 year old child. He misses his daughter tremendously and can't figure out how he will return to the United States. Smugglers charge 1,000-3,000 per person and there is no guarantee that one will make it across. It is getting tougher and tougher for anyone to cross. He was deported because he was not informed, his job site was raided by I.C.E and they threatened him with imprisonment if he didn't tell them his legal status. Then they forced him to sign a voluntary deportation order. He didn't know that he had the right to remain silent and that he did not have to sign anything unless it had his specific name and address. He was immediately deported and now he is separated from his family and his only means of support is a job that pays $15 a day. Leaving the shelter was as hard as entering.

Upon leaving I was approached by one of the women that work there, she offered me a bed, food, and internet access, if i consider interning with them in the shelter. After thinking about it and crying due to my financial situation, i have changed my GLT from India to Mexico. There is no way that i can afford going to India and i need to accept it once and for all. I am not financially able to pay for such a trip. Going to Tijuana was God's way of giving me an alternative. It makes perfect sense, and it won't cost me a dime. I will be working with those that have been deported from the U.S, and in my stay there i plan to record as many stories as i can, and then later write a book about my experience there. I feel that their stories need to be told to the world, the U.S needs to see their faces, and hear their disparity, this cannot be ignored no longer. I hope to embark on this trip in August of 09' and will be there until December. I am sad about India but i will have many opportunities to serve in India once i am done with school. Right now, my people need me.

Death on a Metro Bus

On Tuesday i was riding the bus towards my internship when a woman sitting next to me began seizing. She was a large rotund woman which looked about 50 years of age. It was so unexpected and we all tried to do all that we could while the ambulance arrived but our efforts were in vain, she died in our arms. I don't even know the womans name, because they kicked us all out of the bus but i could see the ambulance trying to resuscitate her and i don't know if they were successful. I wonder about her since then.