White slavery

White slavery is a 19th century term for a form of slavery involving the sexual abuse of women held as captives and forced into prostitution.

Although this form of abuse did occur in reality (and still does: see the article sexual slavery for this topic), the name "white slavery" is usually used to refer to the original use of the term in a moral panic in late 19th century and early 20th century America, where there was a perception that this form of abuse was a danger to every young woman. In this moral panic, the selected scapegoats were Chinese immigrants, who were stereotyped and demonized as white slavers.

External links

• "White Slavery" As Metaphor: Anatomy of a Moral Panic (http://www.walnet.org/csis/papers/irwin-wslavery.html)
• Loose Women or Lost Women? The re-emergence of the myth of 'white slavery' in contemporary discourses of 'trafficking in women' (http://www.walnet.org/csis/papers/doezema-loose.html)
• Pressured by U.S., Israel Battles a Burgeoning White Slave Trade (http://www.forward.com/issues/2002/02.06.28/news10.html)