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Theresa Flores's The Slave Across The Street

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Theresa Flores’s “The Slave Across the Street,” is a personal anecdote whose main purpose is to make Americans aware of the reality of human trafficking being in the U.S. and in our neighborhoods. The book shows how even in seemingly good life situations, traffickers are able to pick out and victimize those that are vulnerable. This does not only happen in third world countries, or in inner city, low income housing. Human trafficking is apparent throughout the U.S., in all levels of socio-economic classes. By Flores telling her story, she achieves the purpose in showing a different side of human trafficking that most people do not realize it has. Flores begins the book by talking about her life prior to Detroit. This sets up the story well …show more content…

In the previous paragraph, we understand that the psychological problems trafficking causes can be just as devastating as the physical problems. When people discuss human trafficking, they often are confused as to why the victim didn’t just leave or tell someone. It is an accepted notion that majority of sexually exploited women have a degree of freedom; they are allowed to walk about the streets, allowed to contact “John’s”, and communicate with other women in the same business. However, what people often lack to understand the serious psychological grip that many traffickers have on their victims. In Theresa’s case, she had legitimate reason to believe that her family’s well-being would be in jeopardy if she refused to work or left the Chaldeans. While these treats from traffickers could very well be empty, the psychological torment victims go through cause them to believe they have no way out. This is why Theresa keeps continues to work for the Chaldeans, rips up the police officer’s business, and doesn’t tell anyone what is going on.
“The Slave Across the Street” is a heart-wrenching story that truly tells the personal battle of going through, and surviving human trafficking. It was interesting to analyze the differences between Theresa’s story to the common idea of human trafficking. It shows that human trafficking is not just an international problem, that it is here in the U.S. It happens in the city, and it also happens in white-collar neighborhoods. Flores’s story is imperative for Americans to understand that they must be aware of the dangers and must “sharpen your claws against wrong doing, against human suffering.” (Flores,

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