The Smugglers’ Due

“I was introduced to Deng Chen through an attorney who had helped himwith some legal matters. Her specialty is trafficking, and when I toldher I was doing some research on human smuggling and its victims, shecautioned me to be careful about using the word “victim” and, more tothe point, not to confuse trafficking, which involves coercion, withsmuggling, which is by choice. But then she told me about Chen, who atage 14 was sent by his parents to this country from China, by himself,with the assistance of smugglers; over the next four years, Chen workedto pay off a smuggling debt of $45,000, plus interest.”

Interesting story from this past Sunday’s NY Times Magazine by Alex Kotlowitz. Click here for the full story.

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