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Alicia Zavaleta Venedicto

H. Batty

Sec.1290

10 May 2017

The Boy Who Dreamed: An Analysis on Human Trafficking

A young boy named Rodrigo Zamora age fifteen is a character in Alex Espinozas book

Still Water Saints. The young boy lived with his family but had the desire to leave home because

his home town did not offer much, Rodrigo dreamed of a better life a more fulfilling one.

Rodrigo envisioned leaving his hometown to move to California, he wanted to work to get a job

to earn his own money that would help him in life and eventually help his family. The boy also

wish to see his brother who lived out in Buffalo, California. This fifteen year old boy had dreams

and aspirations to better his life. Through his journey he finds himself being robbed, becoming a

sex slave and being trafficked into California illegally. Although Rodrigo has gone through

tragic situations like becoming a sex slave and being trafficked, I believe he is saint like because

through his hardship he inspires hope, still looking forward to a better life, wanting to learn

English and being kind to the ones around him.

Rodrigo who looked for a better life for himself and his family relates to many immigrant

women and children from Mexico, who also ended up becoming victims of human trafficking.

An article written by the Council of Hemispheric Affairs discuss the issue of human trafficking

how big of a problem it is and how women and children are more at risk at becoming victims

especially cities around the border. Human trafficking defined by the United Nations is, the

recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or

use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction [] for the purpose of exploitation.
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(COHA 2009) Women and children are either taken by deception or are taken unwillingly. In

Rodrigos case he was taken unwillingly, by an older man named Dwight. In Alex Espinozas

Still Water Saints Rodrigo works as a sex slave at a brothel called Estrellas where he meets

Dwight. One occasion Dwight visits the boy at Estrellas he appears to be very kind and gentle to

Rodrigo, which translates as deception. During a visit Dwight tells Rodrigo, you understand me

like no one else Im taking you away. Keeping you for myself. Dont want none of these

fuckers having their way with whats mine.(166) The tone Dwight has in this passage is not a

loving one he refers to the boy as a possession rather than a person, a human being. The

character Dwight buys off Rodrigo from Estrellas, illegally of course, paying off border patrol

agents, cops (167) That is how Rodrigo gets to California being bought like merchandise, being

trafficked. Even though he has been brought to California illegally and is not free to be his own

person or to make his own decisions Rodrigo hopes to see his brother who lives in Buffalo,

hoping for a positive outcome in this unfortunate event.

Rodrigo is in California with Dwight, who make promises to the boy of a happy life

together just the two of them, unfortunately for Rodrigo it was all a lie. Dwight starts doing

drugs and starts emotionally and physically abuse Rodrigo which then leads to Dwight

constantly raping the young boy. Many immigrants fall victim to human trafficking which

involves them being abused. In a Journal Called Revolution volume 4, Working with Immigrant

Survivors of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence by Jeanine Beiber and Kristi VanAudenhove

discusses how immigrants are more perceptible to sexual abuse. It states, Women outside this

country on entering relationships or participating in arrangements that bring them to America

seeking [] work and an income to support themselves and their families, education [] along

the way their hopes may result in rewards they seek or in just the opposite of what they had
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hoped for. (Beiber and VanAudenhove) These immigrant women seek to better their current life

situation. Rodrigo relates to these immigrant women because like these women he too is an

immigrant who left his old life and hope for a better one seeking a more fulfilling life, wanted to

work and earn money. As mentioned that is not the life Rodrigo ends up living. Rodrigo has been

sexual used, sold, deported and is regularly beaten and raped. In Alex Espinozas book Still

Water Saint the character Dwight is keeping Rodrigo captive not allowing him to leave the dirty

disgusting apartment where he is being held at. Dwight who, as stated in the book pulled

Rodrigo by the hair down the hall into the bedroom [] he bent him over, the boys face pressed

into the pillows. Rodrigo reached out, swatting the air with his left hand as Dwight raped

him.(170) The passage may be fiction but dont let that blind you. In reality in the real world

immigrant women and young children are suffering, being put in such horrifying and disturbing

situations. The Council of Hemispheric Affairs explains, nearly 50 percent of the victims are

younger than 18. (COHA) Rodrigo is a fictional character who is at the age fifteen, as

mentioned, but there are real living women and children who are being affected, being sold for

sex and raped.

Through assault and rape Rodrigo is still determined to learn English even though he is

suffering and in pain he manages to have a goal, giving him something to live for. The young

boy may be an immigrant who does not speak English but understands the importance of

knowing how. Rodrigo knows if he is able to escape the holds of Dwight he will need to know

how to communicate to people around him. In an article called What Immigrants Say About

Living in the United States written by Steve Farkas explains how critical learning English is for

success. The article reviews a study involving about a thousand immigrants entitled Now that

Im here: What America Immigrants have to say about Life in the U.S. Today it is reported that
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85 percent say it is hard to get a job or do well in this country without learning English

(Farkas) The report gives an instant view of the opinion immigrants have on the importance of

learning English once arriving to the United States. Just like the immigrants in the article

Rodrigo had the will and determination to learn the English language. The boys original life

plan was to seek a better life and succeed in a job he earned, which is talked about in the article

how most immigrants believe in a strong worth ethic. Do to the boys situation he is unable to live

the life he wanted that being said he still had the desire to learn English. His ambition was to

speak English for himself, he wanted to understand what was being discussed around him, what

his abuser was talking about because at this point in Rodrigo feared for his life. He feared that

Dwight would get rid of him, have the boy murder.

Rodrigo had such beautiful saint like visions for his life after he left home. Even though

he was surrounded by darkness being a victim of human trafficking and rape he was kind to the

ones he meet in his life, he had goals to learn English Rodrigo did the best he could in the life he

ended up living. While being held captive Rodrigo managed to escape to the outside world that

being compared to the world he knew as a prison in the apartment was held at. On one of his

adventures out he meets a kind elder woman named Perla, who he attaches himself to. The

woman reminds Rodrigo of his grandmother which gives the boy a feeling of trust and safety,

which he has not felt in some time. Perla is the one who starts to tech the boy some English, they

develop a strong relationship where Perla cares deeply for the boys safety and takes Rodrigo

into her home offering protection. Unfortunately the boy is frightened by people he encounters

and runs off. It is then implied that the boy may have been murdered as she reads a newspaper

report of a young boy who cannot be identified and has been burned alive.
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Works Cited

Coha. "Modern Day Slavery in Mexico and the United States." COHA. COHA, 21 Dec.

2009. Web. 11 May 2017.

Steve Farkas. "What Immigrants Say About Life in the United

States." Migrationpolicy.org. Migration Policy Institue, 01 May 2003. Web. 11 May 2017.

Beiber, Jeanine and VanAudenhove, Kristi. "Revolution." The Evolution of

Individuality (n.d.): n. pag. Virginia Sexual and Domestic Action Alliance, 2011. Web. 11 May

2017. <www.vsdvalliance.org>.

Espinoza, Alex. Still Water Saints: A Novel. New York: Random House Trade

Paperbacks, 2008. Print.