African Admits Smuggling Girls as Braiding Labor

[anon123]

Wow, I just would have never thought ! I've never been inside an African braid shop, though. That's just terrible. I wonder how widespread it is. Will there be more raids.

I've only been in a nail shop a couple times in my life. Are they, too, generally filled with young girls?

I'm named after an African country and recognize the names of many places in Africa...but I still wouldn't have known what a Togolese was.

Oo, oo, can I guess? Your name is Kenya? I was having a fun (to me) conversation on what countries make acceptable names. Tanzania seems like it wouldn't be good, and Central African Republic seems even worse.

Well, I'm glad we all learned the new word "Togolese". I knew where Togo was, but didn't know what a person from Togo was called. Maybe we can try more to refer to African countries by their names precisely so we can learn this info and not have to remain in ignorance. (this is the strangest "thumbsup" smiley ever. it looks like someone giving you the finger) This is a fun game, y'all :
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Games/GeographyGames/Geospy

 

[cutiebe2]

Ohhhh...that's a good point. You know if the title had said "Togolese" I might have read the article just to figure out what a Togolese was. But admittedly I would have thought it was a small asian country/city/province or something.

I would have misread it as Tongalese....Tonga being that asian-pacific country

Oo, oo, can I guess? Your name is Kenya? I was having a fun (to me) conversation on what countries make acceptable names. Tanzania seems like it wouldn't be good, and Central African Republic seems even worse.

My cousin is named Mali and I know a girl (have puerto rican half greek) named Namibia. Both work IMO

 

[cutiebe2]

Well, I'm glad we all learned the new word "Togolese". I knew where Togo was, but didn't know what a person from Togo was called. Maybe we can try more to refer to African countries by their names precisely so we can learn this info and not have to remain in ignorance. (this is the strangest "thumbsup" smiley ever. it looks like someone giving you the finger) This is a fun game, y'all :
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Games/GeographyGames/Geospy

I'm afraid to tell my score

In my defense I was many times just one country off...as in I would click to the country next to the correct one

 

[lilsparkle825]

Oo, oo, can I guess? Your name is Kenya? I was having a fun (to me) conversation on what countries make acceptable names. Tanzania seems like it wouldn't be good, and Central African Republic seems even worse.

Well, I'm glad we all learned the new word "Togolese". I knew where Togo was, but didn't know what a person from Togo was called. Maybe we can try more to refer to African countries by their names precisely so we can learn this info and not have to remain in ignorance. (this is the strangest "thumbsup" smiley ever. it looks like someone giving you the finger) This is a fun game, y'all :
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Games/GeographyGames/Geospy

 

[missnappylady]

Oo, oo, can I guess? Your name is Kenya?

LOL! That was my guess too.

 

[Solitude]

This story is really sad, horrifying even.


@ the conversation about the name of the country...I don't get the controversy. People say "Asian" "European" and "North American," "South American," etc. in everyday conversation. What's the big deal about saying "African" about people from Africa??? Come on, now......also, I am an "educated," American and I don't know the name of every single country in the world, on any continent, period.

 

[Sugar]

Wow, I just would have never thought ! I've never been inside an African braid shop, though. That's just terrible. I wonder how widespread it is. Will there be more raids.

I've only been in a nail shop a couple times in my life. Are they, too, generally filled with young girls?



Oo, oo, can I guess? Your name is Kenya? I was having a fun (to me) conversation on what countries make acceptable names. Tanzania seems like it wouldn't be good, and Central African Republic seems even worse.

Well, I'm glad we all learned the new word "Togolese". I knew where Togo was, but didn't know what a person from Togo was called. Maybe we can try more to refer to African countries by their names precisely so we can learn this info and not have to remain in ignorance. (this is the strangest "thumbsup" smiley ever. it looks like someone giving you the finger) This is a fun game, y'all :
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Games/GeographyGames/Geospy

@ the Tanzania comment

Yes, my name is Kenya. Like most children I hated my name growing up. I wanted to change it so bad. But I started looking up the names of other African countries and places and realized I got off easy...it could have been much worse. I can't even spell the one my Mom said she could have named me. At any rate, my name eventually grew on me and its meaning suits my personality very well.

 

[Sugar]

I would have misread it as Tongalese....Tonga being that asian-pacific country



My cousin is named Mali and I know a girl (have puerto rican half greek) named Namibia. Both work IMO

I like the name Mali. Namibia would grow on me. It sounds like Nivea and I can't have folks calling my baby lotion.

I would have had one of two thoughts if it had said Togolese:

1) Oh lawd the Koreans are importing braiders now too???? They aren't content with owning all the BSSs???????

2) I would have confused it for Tagolog and accused the Filipinos of smuggling braiders in for the Koreans.

 

[SND411]

This story is really sad, horrifying even.


@ the conversation about the name of the country...I don't get the controversy. People say "Asian" "European" and "North American," "South American," etc. in everyday conversation. What's the big deal about saying "African" about people from Africa??? Come on, now......also, I am an "educated," American and I don't know the name of every single country in the world, on any continent, period.

We are talking about a newspaper that is supposed to be "informative." So you wouldn't think it would be weird if there was a headline: "Asian caught in financial ruin," or "Latino involved in a drug bust?"

 

[SND411]

And to let everybody know, the whole African vs Togolese issue does not take away from the horrendous crime taking place around the world

 

[LaidBak]

This makes me angry!!! How can you do that to other people...hell your own people?!!

The idea of one African enslaving another is not so strange, culturally speaking. From what I understand slavery has been a part of some African cultures for centuries. And most African-Americans have been taught that some of our ancestors were sold to white slave traders by other Africans.

 

[Sugar]

The idea of one African enslaving another is not so strange, culturally speaking. From what I understand slavery has been a part of some African cultures for centuries. And most African-Americans have been taught that some of our ancestors were sold to white slave traders by other Africans.

This is true. People always complain about folks thinking Africa is a country and not a continent...but then expect all the inhabitants of that large continent to be a cohesive group. This could not be further from the truth. For example, Ethiopians (who I am descendant from) and Eritreans hate each other and all kinds of violence takes place between the 2 groups.

 

[Honey Bee]

This story is so messed up. In Harlem, you can barely walk down the street in some blocks without 13 'African' chicks asking you if you "want hair braiding." I find it offensive (um, are you saying my hair ain't done?), but, what can you do, everybody gotta eat. But, in light of this new information, about the smuggling and all that, that's crazy. I hope they throw the husband, wife, and son under the jail. Down south somewhere. (I know that's probably not legal, I'm just saying)

Now, on the topic of AA's not knowing African countries, to be fair, most Americans don't know the name of most countries, period. It's disingenuous to single out AA's like, just cuz we're black, we should somehow have this inherent knowledge (or desire to acquire said knowledge). Sadly, most Americans simply do not care. Not just about Africa, I mean, 'we' don't care about anything that takes place abroad. In a way, I think, it's a kind of international 'good neighbor' policy: unless it spills out into the 'international street', we don't concern ourselves. I hesitate to say this, cuz it sounds rude, but, vis-a-vis Africa, the way it works out is, unless 'you' had a civil war or 'we' wanna steal your resources, we don't know about you. Which isn't entirely bad. erplexed

 

[Jewell]

This is sad. Makes me wonder how widespread this practice of Africans being forced into labor in braiding salons really is. It boils down to nothing short of pimping, just not as frowned upon. I hope they are all sentenced, not just the headmaster...the ex-wife needs to get it too. I'm sure she was luxuriating with that money something serious.

 

[GV-NA-GI-TLV-GE-I]

Why not say Togolese? Because less than 1% of American readers would even know what that meant. A good chunk of Americans (blacks included ) think Africa is a COUNTRY. It's sad.

Man, this is such horrible news. I had wondered why those braid shops were such rank places to be... no TP, no soap in the bathroom, chicks mean-mugging the whole friggin day. I'm glad I started braiding my own hair years ago so that I wasn't giving money to some POS smuggler/human trafficker.

Nah, they just don't care that it's a continent. Even worse, they only want to adopt the "cuter" babies from approved "cuter" countries.

 

[Honey Bee]

. It boils down to nothing short of pimping,

Exactly, that's how I described it to my man.

I'm sure she was luxuriating with that money something serious.

You know that's right. And she was probably real mean to those girls too, just given the politics of the situation. Terrible.

 

[SVT]

Wow, I just would have never thought ! I've never been inside an African braid shop, though. That's just terrible. I wonder how widespread it is. Will there be more raids.

We have African braid salons in Texas and some techs do not speak English. This story has we wondering.

 

[GV-NA-GI-TLV-GE-I]

This is sad. Makes me wonder how widespread this practice of Africans being forced into labor in braiding salons really is. It boils down to nothing short of pimping, just not as frowned upon. I hope they are all sentenced, not just the headmaster...the ex-wife needs to get it too. I'm sure she was luxuriating with that money something serious.

Well, let's just say that braiding hair (minus any possible sexual assaults) might be better fate than those unfortunates of the Nigerian sex trade in Italy.

 

[MizzBrown]

Hmmm, when yall ladies go to these Braiding shops and its time to pay, do you pay THEM or do they make you give the money to the "receptionist".

Most African braiders I see always advertise some ridiculous amount for braids. And we pay it because we think they know how to braid the best...Nope!

 

[Almaz]

This has been going on for a long time and this is not news. Slavery is still going on and its sad

 

[Ivonnovi]

Traction Alopecia Queens. Thats all I'll say!

 

[Crackers Phinn]

I knew where Togo was, but didn't know what a person from Togo was called.

Yep.

I would have misread it as Tongalese....Tonga being that asian-pacific country

Pretty much.

@ the conversation about the name of the country...I don't get the controversy. People say "Asian" "European" and "North American," "South American," etc. in everyday conversation. What's the big deal about saying "African" about people from Africa??? Come on, now......also, I am an "educated," American and I don't know the name of every single country in the world, on any continent, period.

Exactly.

 

[AfroKink]

I knew that Togo is an African country and what part of the continent it was found. I made it my business to know all of the names of the countries in Africa. It was/is important to me.

I don't like to just talk about these things. What can the average person living in America do to stop this?

Lys