The Trafficker Next Door

In The Trafficker Next Door (W.W. Norton & Company) Parreñas draws on 20 years of research to expose the harsh realities migrant workers face when working in people’s homes. Confiscation of personal belonging, food deprivation, and being placed in windowless rooms are just a few of the firsthand narratives included in the book to illustrate this mistreatment. Typically human trafficking is tied to sexual acts, but Parreñas argues the power dynamics between household employers and domestic workers creates the same culture of abuse. She calls for society to face these uncomfortable truths and take steps toward justice to ensure fair treatment for all.