(5 Dec 2010) HEADLINE: AP Impact: Exchange Students Abused in U.S.
CAPTION: Lured by unsupervised, third-party brokers with promises of steady work and a chance to sightsee, an untold number of exchange students experience an ugly side of the U.S. The AP's Jason Bronis explains. (Dec. 6)
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"It was really dark. Smokey."
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"There was about two stages and four girls dancing."
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"This feels strange. I am not supposed to be here."
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WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ADVENTURE FOR A BRIGHT TEEN FAR FROM HOME TOOK A DARK TURN INSIDE A DETROIT STRIP CLUB.
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"I was just scared. No English. Zero. I didn't know how to say anything. They did write me down how you say, 'Do you want a dance?'"
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Airplane.
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TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE THE JOURNEY EACH YEAR.
THEY FLOCK TO BEACH TOWNS, TOURIST HOT SPOTS, AND TAKE JOBS IN RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, THEME PARKS.
THEY MAKE MONEY, MAKE FRIENDS, EXPLORE AMERICA, AND AFTER A FEW MONTHS, RETURN HOME.
EXCEPT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS WHAT HAPPENS.
IN STARTLING NUMBERS, THE YOUTH WHO COME HERE ARE BEING EXPLOITED, EVEN ABUSED, WHILE THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT OPENS AMERICA'S BORDERS TO THEM SEEMS TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY.
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"The State Department is responsible for the program. The solution has to be with the State Department to find a way to fix the system."
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GEORGE COLLINS IS AN INSPECTOR WITH THE OKALOOSA COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE _ WHERE THE EXPLOITATION OF TEMPORARY WORKERS FROM OVERSEAS HAS EXPLODED OVER THE LAST DECADE.
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"They end up getting ripped off so badly, I'm afraid the lesson they take home is that in America, the little guy gets screwed."
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THE STATE DEPARTMENT-ISSUED J-1 VISA FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS IS ONE OF THE MOST OFTEN ABUSED.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT RELIES ON PRIVATE COMPANIES KNOWN AS "SPONSORS" TO RECRUIT THE STUDENTS AND SET THEM UP WITH SHORT-TERM JOBS IN THE U-S.
THOSE SPONSORS THEN FARM OUT THE WORK TO THIRD-PARTY BROKERS _ MIDDLEMEN UNREGULATED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
OFFICIALS AT STATE _ WHO DECLINED INTERVIEW REQUESTS _ ROUTINELY RUBBER STAMP THE APPLICATIONS FROM J-1 VISA CANDIDATES.
SOME STUDENTS ARRIVE TO FIND THE JOBS THEY WERE PROMISED BY THE BROKERS DON'T EXIST.
FOR OTHERS WHO HAVE WORK, OFTEN THE MIDDLEMEN TAKE MOST OF THE PAY.
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"I have seen where people have gotten paychecks that literally say zero dollars that they are going to get paid after deductions."
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"They open the paycheck and it says zero. You have zero money."
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WE FOUND IEVGEN (YEV-ghen) KONDRATENKO (con-druh-TAIN-koh), AN 18-YEAR-OLD J-1 VISA STUDENT FROM UKRAINE, LIVING IN A DIRTY, BUG-INFESTED APARTMENT IN DESTIN, FLORIDA.
THE HOSPITALITY LABOR COMPANY THAT PROVIDED KONDZATENKO AND FOUR OTHER FOREIGNERS WITH JOBS DEDUCTED 75 DOLLARS EACH WEEK FROM THEIR PAY FOR RENT.
THE STENCH OF ROTTING FOOD IN THE REFRIGERATOR _ LEFT OVER FROM PREVIOUS TENANTS _ WAS INESCAPABLE.
EVEN THOUGH ONE OF THE OTHER FEES THE COMPANY DEDUCTED FROM KONDZATENKO'S PAY WAS FOR CLEANING SERVICES.
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"Five people paid for the cleaning lady, so I asked them to bring the cleaning lady over and my supervisor said that the students have to do it."
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OVERCROWDING IS COMMON.
IN A NEARBY COMPLEX, WE FOUND FIVE TURKISH STUDENTS ON J-1 VISAS _ THREE WOMAN AND TWO MEN _ SHARING A ONE BEDROOM ONE BATHROOM APARTMENT.
ONE STUDENT TOLD US SHE WAS COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTED IN THE PROGRAM AND WANTED TO GO HOME.
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