When I was traveling in the Philippines with my boyfriend, he asked me if it bothered me to see the poverty around us. We were in the countryside of Cebu, my father’s birthplace, and there were ragged three legged dogs, people living in shacks made out of scrap metal and cardboard, and chickens and barefoot children running everywhere. What bothered me wasn’t the poverty there, but something greater that had made an impression on me during my travels in Asia. It was the idea that certain people only existed for the pleasure of others, a staple of the booming Asian sex trade. It bothered me that tourists and locals both seemed to think that because erotic services were so easily available in Asia, that it was socially acceptable to partake in them. I was traveling with a large group of married and unmarried Asian American men who involved themselves in such activities with the casual attitude of “while in Rome,” or “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” But we weren’t talking about sightseeing, or strip clubs, or gambling. These were real girls’ (most of them appeared underage) lives at stake. The proliferation of so many massage parlors, brothels, live sex shows, and other sex related services is a testament to how common my co-traveler’s attitude was. They were perpetuating the objectification and abuse of young women and children through their actions.
Too upset just thinking about it, will continue later.
