Ransmeier's essay "Sold People; Traffickers and Family Life in Northern China" examines the lives of those trafficked to North America. The piece claims that during the Republican and Late Qing eras, Northern China had one of the most active and extensive markets for the trade of child brides, slaves, wives, servants, and adopted children. (Ransmeier, 2). The fact that the Chinese transactional families heavily depended on the slave population to take care of their domestic needs led many to view them as extremely important. Additionally, the local trade helped with both disposing of unwanted offspring and hiring servants.The author argues that human trafficking during this period was considered as an essential part of the community and was not considered as morally reprehensive, the precipitating circumstances of the trade were not life-threatening (Ransmeier, 5). According to the author, some of the reasons behind the prevalence of human trafficking during the Republic and Late Qing period included financial gains from the sale, reducing the burden brought about by many children,
The author also argues that misfortunes arising from natural calamities such as famine also promoted human trafficking as it was used as a justification for the need to traffic children instead of allowing them to die of hunger. As a result in most instances families involved in human trafficking were acquitted by the magistrates because they would defend themselves on being forced to sell their children due to impeding starvation. On the other hand, traffickers would also be pardoned by the courts if they were able to demonstrate they had not forced trafficked victims; hence, their motivations were charitable.
How does the Author Support Argument
The author supports her arguments by using first-hand experiences of different people involved in trade or were closely associated with the trade either as victims or perpetrators (Ransmeier, 7). Apart from analyzing other author’s work such as Christian Heriot and Gail Hershatter on human trafficking, Ransmeier draws upon some of the local records both in Beijing and some of the surrounding areas in order to fully analyze and also describe the practices in a somewhat greater detail (Ransmeier, 19). To support his arguments the author also analyzes some of the legal cases and laws established in Northern China during the periods that were directly linked to the issue of human trafficking.
Effects of Human Trafficking
Girl’s experiences during this period also embodied a whole spectrum of domestic, reproductive and sexual services which often had negative consequences on the trafficked children. One of the effects of trafficking was that it increased children’s particularly girls and young women’s vulnerability to not only exploitation but also sexual violence. As a result of sexual violence, children ended up suffering from sexually transmitted diseases such as in the case of Xiaos. (Ransmeier, 162).
As a result, human tracking promoted the rise of brothels where young children were used for sexual services. The author also analyses the cruelty and torture trafficked children mostly those sold for domestic services faced in the hands of their employers, through Wei Dajin and her Sister Xiaosu’s story (Ransmeier, 156). After being sold by their father, the two girls endured brutal beatings and torture from their owners for simple mistakes such as waking up late. Violence often perpetrated by either the traffickers or the owners of trafficked children was not only physical but also psychological as it ensured that the trafficked children remained where they had been sold permanently (Ransmeier, 172). Another effect of human trafficking is that in most instances it resulted in the death of the child victims due to diseases, poor health, or as a result of physical violence from their owners.
Authors Perceptions of the Families and Children
According to the author’s view, most of the family structures during this period highly embraced human trafficking as a source of money where they sold their children for financial gain as well as a way to reduce the family's burden brought about by having many children. This indicates the presence of weak familial bonds. Human trafficking was also embraced as it helped in addressing domestic needs of the Chinese transactional families. The author also views both the children and family as easy to manipulate as they were often fooled by traffickers who made it part of their livelihood. The author also asserts that during this period the family bonds were weaker or rather fragile as compared the strong community networks (Ransmeier, 163)
Differences
Unlike the modern day human Trafficking, Northern China’s Late Qing and Republican human trafficking drew together family networks, traditional obligation, and expectations. Moreover, during this period, unlike in the modern world families were active participants in the trade as they sought to sell children. Another difference is based on the size of the market today human trafficking markets are minimal and are not open markets such as during the Republican and Late Qing periods.
Today human trafficking still occurs due to poor economic conditions whereby, people are forced to move to other places in search of employment in most cases such people end up being trafficked after being manipulated by traffickers who promise employment and a better life. Another reason is political instability and wars which result in massive displacement of people particularly children which in, turn, makes them vulnerable to trafficking (4 Causes of Human Trafficking). Lastly, trafficking also occurs due to financial gain, most of the traffickers make a lot of money thereby, this promotes human trafficking.
Work Cited
Ransmeier, J. S. “Sold People: Traffickers and Family Life in North China”. Harvard University Press, (2017). Pp. 409
“4 Causes of Human Trafficking “. Centre for Global Impact, (n.d.). http://centerforglobalimpact.org/cgi-kids/4-causes-of-human-trafficking/
