Saturday, October 4, 2008

Immigrant exploitation at dance clubs

As neon lights bathe the dance floor of the darkened nightclub, a group of young women from Latin America sit at tables, sipping water or soda and waiting for men to approach and hand them cash.

Women Say Dollar-Dance Clubs Have Darker Side

For $2, the women will dance one song. For $10, they will dance a set. Forty dollars buys an hour of their time.

The scene plays out in immigrant neighborhoods across New York City, providing a key source of employment for immigrant women and a haven for men seeking to stave off the loneliness of being far from home. It is a perfectly legal form of entertainment -- there is no stripping but plenty of hand-holding.

But some of the women say the clubs have a darker side. They complain about exploitative management, sexual advances from clients and even violence. A 24-year-old dancer was recently shot and killed in Queens, and one of the city's largest dollar-dance venues is now the target of a federal lawsuit.

For many dancers, the stigma of working at the clubs is the most trying problem.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is not immigrant exploitation but rather illgals participating in dubious entertainment activities that leads to criminal acts.

faster340 said...

This was done back in the 30's,40's and 50's... This isn't anything new... Except today you have a bigger chance of getting killed or hurt through one of these places.

Anonymous said...

I'm supposed to feel sorry?

Hell no. Never.

If these people stayed home and never crossed our borders uninvited and without asking, they would be safe.

If, when they were young, they had studied reading, writing and arithmetic, and picked up some useful skills or developed some talents, they would be home, safe and prosperous.

They listened to the call from cities like New York, with the turtle-faced dwarf commissar calling for servants for himself and his "precious", delicate cronies.

So, they come here, ignorant and unable to communicate, trapped by this scheming commissar, used as fodder for his wealthy developer cronies, lured by the false dream of owning an "affordable" home at taxpayers' expense.

While lining up for the dole, they scheme against us and each other, many ending up severely injured or some killed.

And the Commissar visits Bermuda. While he schemes to continue this for another term. And then another, and another ...

Anonymous said...

Oh My God I feel so sorry for these hardworking prostitutes. How dare you call them illegal aliens? How dare you say these people are breaking the law?

Don't you know there are two sets of laws? One for American's the other for illegal immigrants?

We have to give them what working American's don't get, free medical insurance and care. Let's call it 'embrace diversity' instead of what it is. An invasion.

these hardworking hos are getting Section 8 rent, WIC, food stamps, and welfare and what else for the anchor babies. Let's see... and Catholic Charities handouts, they'll take whatever you have going, and free legal representation and free education.

please hand me a hanky so I can weep some more for them.

oh God, they have to get paid in cash, those sweaty bills in those drunk's hands. I can't imagine how horrible that must be. they have no income to declare or taxes to pay.

Let's give them money so they can buy houses, cars and bring the old people here to get the SSI and the medicare.

Anonymous said...

Oh My God I feel so sorry for these hardworking prostitutes. How dare you call them illegal aliens? How dare you say these people are breaking the law?

AMEN!

Anonymous said...

They're not prostitutes, they are "sex workers." Actually, they're "erotic services specialists."

Some of the vocies on the far left seek not only to legalize their work, but also to unionize it. Ever read the Indypendent?

Anonymous said...

Does former C.M. "Pinky" Gallagher get a special rapist's discount on lap dances at any of these clubs?

Anonymous said...

It used to be 10 cents a dance
at these kind of clubs in the Times Square vicinity during the great depression.

We're approaching hard times once again and money is going to get scarce for all of us soon.

Maybe Latino day laborers
will soon be replaced by Americans on our local street corners.

Anonymous said...

^it's already like that. on another note, we all came from somewhere else to new york city (or our relatives/grandparents/parents etc) and at the bottom its always a lot more lousy.