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Alicia

Batty

English 101

30 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

wished 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 discusses the issue of human trafficking

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

especially in 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) Women and children are either taken by deception or 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. On several

occasions 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 involving

himself in drugs and starts emotionally and physically abusing 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
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of what they had 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 hoped 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 sexually used, sold, deported and is regularly beaten and raped. In Alex

Espinozas book Still Water Saints 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 being 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 a thousand immigrants it is reported that 85

percent say it is hard to get a job or do well in this country without learning English (Steve
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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 also talked about in the

article how most immigrants believe in a strong work ethic. Due to the boys situation, he is

unable to live the life he wanted. With 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 the story 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 met in his life. He had goals to learn English and did the best he could in the life he

ended up living. That makes Rodrigo saint like, consistently striving for better through his pain.

Rodrigo did not give up, he did his best to stay strong, and kept fighting because he wanted to

live. This is not the life he dreamt. He gives us this saint like vision that we should all strive for

our dreams and goals and to not give up but to push through our situations that seem to keep

holding us back.
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Works Cited

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

.Coha. "Modern Day Slavery in Mexico and the United States." COHA. COHA, 21 Dec. 2009.

Web. 11 May 2017.

Espinoza, Alex. Still Water Saints: A Novel. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008.

Print.

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

Migration Policy Institue, 01 May 2003. Web. 11 May 2017.