Suspect my nail salon has human trafficking going on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not just sex workers trafficked, it's the ladies doing your mani pedi. Most nail salons use slave labor around here.

Even the Red Door salon. The nail employees don’t talk and always keep their heads down. They seem very unhappy and stressed. It’s weird and uncomfortable . I don’t plan to go back to have my nails done there anymore.

I have seen happy nail techs who talk and seem like regular women with kids, husbands and opinions. But it's an exception.

It is. No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh great, it's not enough that white women are calling the police on black people for merely existing, now they're moving on to Asians too.

My Vietnamese relatives own several nail salons and the women who work there are all cousins, friends of cousins, etc.

How about you stop buying your cheap clothing made by REAL slave labor in Bangladesh if you are so concerned.

Don't bury your head in the sand, there are many slaves in the USA working out in public and in homes as domestics.

No one is burying their head in the sand. The issue is that OP offered not a shred of support for her theory. And there is a lot of veiled racism and lack of understanding about these cultures in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh great, it's not enough that white women are calling the police on black people for merely existing, now they're moving on to Asians too.

My Vietnamese relatives own several nail salons and the women who work there are all cousins, friends of cousins, etc.

How about you stop buying your cheap clothing made by REAL slave labor in Bangladesh if you are so concerned.

Don't bury your head in the sand, there are many slaves in the USA working out in public and in homes as domestics.

No one is burying their head in the sand. The issue is that OP offered not a shred of support for her theory. And there is a lot of veiled racism and lack of understanding about these cultures in this thread.

Everyone should trust their gut. If the authorities inspect the nail salon and finds that no one is working there against their will then what could be the issue? If the workers are enslaved, they would be glad someone noticed and did something to help them.

[Anonymous]

This is so funny. Everyone now is being trafficked!! Not half of the people, but EVERYBODY in these shady industries! OOOOK

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh great, it's not enough that white women are calling the police on black people for merely existing, now they're moving on to Asians too.

My Vietnamese relatives own several nail salons and the women who work there are all cousins, friends of cousins, etc.

How about you stop buying your cheap clothing made by REAL slave labor in Bangladesh if you are so concerned.

Why pick on Bangladesh and not China, Vietnam, India? Do your own clothes with homemade cloth? Do you make your own shoes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so funny. Everyone now is being trafficked!! Not half of the people, but EVERYBODY in these shady industries! OOOOK

Maybe the workers are not enslaved, but just being paid very little (less minimum wage) because they are here illegally. Either way it's abuse.

[Anonymous]

There aren't a ton of jobs that lower educated, non-fluent English speaking immigrants can get in the US. Someone who works in a nail salon can substantively contribute to their family's income. I do believe that it's possible that some of them could be trafficked, especially if you think they are sex workers on the side. But, don't discard the legit ones who are doing what they can do to support their families and, frankly, dominating the industry. Check out this article on the history of Vietnamese and the US nail industry.


https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32544343

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes, when I was in my 20s I went to some "lower quality" nail salons with men heading to the back where the waxing rooms were. And I can think of a couple of places in Rockville/Bethesda where there's a guy in charge not that an Asian woman in charge can't also be involved in trafficking.

Cindy’s on Rockville Pike is one that I suspect. The male owner is extremely overbearing, and the huge amount of technicians and chairs seems disproportionate with the demand. It’s like a factory. Very odd setup.

I go to Cindy too, and disagree. They've had the same nail techs for YEARS. It's not random people in and out. The owner and his wife are running a business, and their techs have all their licenses/certifications displayed. I've been in there plenty when it's full and there are people waiting. It's not odd at all for what it is (a big, not high end but not super cheap nail salon).

I go there too and its often packed on the weekends. I agree they have had the same people working there for years. One think I've noticed that is a little odd is that the wife of the owner is always completely decked out in designer gear and huge diamonds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine has men going in now. Never saw that until recently. I know men manscape now but it seems weird.

39 year old mal, over a pedicure and foot massage once a month and men’s manicure every other week. Typically with DW sometimes not.

What is odd about it ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes, when I was in my 20s I went to some "lower quality" nail salons with men heading to the back where the waxing rooms were. And I can think of a couple of places in Rockville/Bethesda where there's a guy in charge not that an Asian woman in charge can't also be involved in trafficking.

Cindy’s on Rockville Pike is one that I suspect. The male owner is extremely overbearing, and the huge amount of technicians and chairs seems disproportionate with the demand. It’s like a factory. Very odd setup.

I go to Cindy too, and disagree. They've had the same nail techs for YEARS. It's not random people in and out. The owner and his wife are running a business, and their techs have all their licenses/certifications displayed. I've been in there plenty when it's full and there are people waiting. It's not odd at all for what it is (a big, not high end but not super cheap nail salon).

I go there too and its often packed on the weekends. I agree they have had the same people working there for years. One think I've noticed that is a little odd is that the wife of the owner is always completely decked out in designer gear and huge diamonds.

Is she? I haven't noticed. She's the best for bikini waxes there! My sense is the owners do well, and they also work very hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are all Asians and there is a boss lady (Asian) who walks up and down and watches the nail techs. The nail techs looks intimidated and don't talk much. I have gone to the same lady several times and when I ask her about her life she has told me different conflicting stories - she has kids, doesn't have kids, lives in a house with her family, lives in a condo somewhere else. Weird.

Maybe she just doesn’t want to talk to you. I don’t know why you think asking about her personal life is fair game.

No, that's weird. I've been going to a place for years and the owner is lovely, the staff loves her, and her staff are very personable and fun. All Vietnamese and exactly the type of immigrants we want more of. If you have a gut instinct, OP, follow it. That's the only way people are rescued from human trafficking is people following their gut.

Did you really just type, "...the type of immigrants we want more of."? Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you know and who would you call about it?

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/nyregion/at-nail-salons-in-nyc-manicurists-are-underpaid-and-unprotected.html

The industry is terribly abusive to the workers. Americans don't care because we like cheap luxuries. I only get my nails done at day spas where the workers are usually American (of any race) because then I can be certain they aren't be held captive or being trafficked. I pay much more for these pedicures ($75 instead of $35-40 at the cheap places) but for me, the peace of mind that I am not supporting a shady industry is worth it. I get fewer pedicures.

We want cheap nails, cheap lawn care, cheap cleaning services in this country and our actions show that we view the workers serving us as disposable. It's deplorable.

This is kind of hilarious and ironic. Where are the products from that your spa uses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine has men going in now. Never saw that until recently. I know men manscape now but it seems weird.

39 year old mal, over a pedicure and foot massage once a month and men’s manicure every other week. Typically with DW sometimes not.

What is odd about it ?

That is super odd and I would assume my husband was gearing up to leave me for a man or confess his women’s panty stash if he started gettting pedicures once a month and manicures every other week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Done, I urge others to do the same.

I hope you have good evidence other than "my technician is not talkative" and that you haven't ruined the business of a hard working immigrant family and all the workers who depend on their income there so that you can feel like you are a "good person".

They investigate, they find nothing, no problem. Why are you shaming someone for doing what's right?

Or they investigate, they find nothing, so they make something up because they are assholes. Or they find out that someone's grandma is an illegal immigrant and deport her. Don't be naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh great, it's not enough that white women are calling the police on black people for merely existing, now they're moving on to Asians too.

My Vietnamese relatives own several nail salons and the women who work there are all cousins, friends of cousins, etc.

How about you stop buying your cheap clothing made by REAL slave labor in Bangladesh if you are so concerned.

Don't bury your head in the sand, there are many slaves in the USA working out in public and in homes as domestics.

No one is burying their head in the sand. The issue is that OP offered not a shred of support for her theory. And there is a lot of veiled racism and lack of understanding about these cultures in this thread.

Everyone should trust their gut. If the authorities inspect the nail salon and finds that no one is working there against their will then what could be the issue? If the workers are enslaved, they would be glad someone noticed and did something to help them.

This is so naive and potentially dangerous. Many peoples "guts" are incredibly racist and ignorant even if they don't realize it. And if you think that calling the police/ICE/whoever on a minority owned business won't have any impact whatsoever on them if they don't have slaves working for them- you are even MORE naive.