Go to any FOB (fresh off the Boat) sounding Vietnamese club/bar, coffeeshop club, or stripclub in Hawaii and you'll find open conversation about the sex industry. This ranges from the club workers to the patrons sitting down to cruise with a beer $6 or two for $12. The men who come from Vietnam or California see tons of money in the Hawaii sex trade, and aren't shy to the matter. They love to boast that the industry is only going to get bigger and that they will have more money.
Some of the bars work in a normal way.
For me, however, yours truly;- they are ruthless financially and psychologically everyday pouring on the abuse. The club owners in Hawaii have many friends in high places in the Military branches, the Federal Agents, and Hawaii state Judges and police. First, they send an older Vietnamese gentleman to talk to me. Someone who wants to buy drinks for me and take me out to lunch or dinner. This man, as many in Hawaii has served in the U.S. military and has friends in military positions in Vietnam or abroad. He still has enough connections and friends he trusts to run a background check on anyone, including me. When and if he finds out you have worthwhile contacts for him to exploit;- he will be on the angry side if you don't hold "value" for him.
So, they let you work until they decide to get rid of you in one way or another.
One worker who was a hostess who sold drinks/ for her time I got to know;- made plenty of money and could afford an apartment. This hostess asked me to live with her as she was trying to maintain a respectable life. However;- problems ensued as she felt the need to install security cameras. The psychological abuse from the bar industry lead to comments meant to deface her relationship with her children. Even the men she dated, she suspected of abusing her children when she turned her back.
The installed security system wasn't even enough. She had a barrage of people who were raiding her Honolulu apartment.
One night, I waited in the car for her because she was moving. I saw definitely 3 people who I couldn't identify at different windows and at 1 doorway of her 1st floor house apartment. Seeing the one at the door, I decided to go in. I took a look around the almost empty apartment. I noticed several places where it looked like there had been manipulation of the slatted windows. She confirmed that people had broken into her bedroom and stolen belongings, and money since the bars pay cash only or give a bogus paycheck. The paychecks are inaccurate and pay that is nominal to still receive welfare benefits. The paycheck I received was barely $150 every two weeks, and I was unable to be seen at the Human Social Services office as they gave my appointment to someone else. Mind that they don't take fingerprints here in Hawaii to receive benefits. I had also known a man who worked as a server in one of the clubs I was put in when I arrived in Hawaii. He happened to be Israeli and shared his story of people breaking into his apartment on a 2nd story with slatted windows. He shared with me that he got to the point where he taped razor blades to the inside of the window slats and came home to blood on the windows. Aside from offering to get special locks for my doors at home;-
I too had given up as even my safe deposit box at the American Savings Bank was compromised by someone who had gotten my extra key.
So, my hostess friend, the next time I saw her was weeks later and I stopped by the hospital to drop off a pack of cigarettes to her after she went in for surgery from an assault.
The psychological/ emotional abuse in the clubs usually starts simple;-
the normal attacks are:
1. She's CRAZY!!! ;-- the Vietnamese MamaSan will call a worker Crazy in broken english. The broken english seems to give it more fun and drama to the outside english speaking world. Note that most Hawaii resident born families are 3rd or 4th generation Americans and can speak local, broken asian accents, as well as normal english just to handle the tourism. Others are fluent in more than one language due to mixed families. Remember I said the first Vietnamese gentleman served in the U.S. Military.
2. She's on Drugs!!! ;- the Vietnamese MamaSan will start accusing the worker of being on drugs in front of everyone to create high drama/ entertainment for the clients. Most of the workers go through times where the MamaSan will attack many people the same way. It's like a ritualistic type of emotional/ psychological abuse the Management/ Owner dishes out regularly almost on some type of schedule. Usually, the workers who are single and supporting children on their own have a hard time with this as they are trying to keep their children by being financially supportive and create a positive environment.
3. She's NOT ________, or You're not ___________;- Fill in the blank. This is the hardest emotional/ psychological abuse that ignites an industry conversation among other workers.
This statement generally encourages the "pro hoes" in the nearby vicinity to chide in and destroy a person's character. Its virtually the same as military tactics. If you try to defend yourself, they tell you you are crazy. They will have everyone who finds you a financial threat to themselves (almost anyone) join in and attack your real life outside the industry. When these things start happening frequently;- the next round is coming of more break-ins, theft, identity theft of those they hate, destruction of credit, tracking of cellular/ mobile phone, harassment by police who are friends of the sex trade industry.
Another issue with the Hawaii night club and sex industry, is that they target single workers and break-in and use the unattended apartment for prostitution. This happened to someone who found out they put a prostitute who looked like her at the bottom of her apartment stairwell. The pimp was a Church pastor and social worker who lived in the apartment below hers. He had easy access and could monitor the apartment for vacancy. He also had protection of the community.
The women in the Hawaii sex industry/ club industry or simply "Industry" are all the same. Many are single and got dragged into the industry by someone in law enforcement. It's almost as if the Hawaii Federal Agents and Honolulu Police Department selects who will be the night industry workers. Some of those who I spoke with have lost their nationality because they weren't allowed to travel back to their home country after Honolulu Police Department arrested them in a "domestic violence" dispute where the men attacked the women. Others who were younger, in their early 20's were arrested for no apparently criminal reason and thrown in jail for not being able to handle the bogus arrest on their own. I've already mentioned the other young women under 18 whose U.S. Military parents left them in the islands without any identification and refuse to cooperate, so the young women can't get a normal job and fill out a W-2. This is alot different than those young women who were being abused at home and ran away only to find some hope in the Hawaii sex & nightclub industry.
I was already targeted because of the Export-Import industry my relatives already ship steel in, before my bi-annual and 1 month vacation prior to arriving in the Hawaiian Islands. I was picked up at the Honolulu Airport and the Agent took my luggage and put it in his vehicle. He then didn't allow me to wait at the Rental Car company for my car rental reservation. It went downhill from there despite my trying to make the best of it due to the political nature of my relatives in Japan.
I'll add more if I can. The first point of issue I have with Export-Import is that people have been lead to believe that I am a "model wanna be" in Hawaii's slews of Import models. Around normal people they pass me off as "Crazy". This doesn't even begin to highlight the seriousness of the criminal activity that goes on in Hawaii. Obviously because of the political nature of Export-Import industry, it is prone to those who attack the industry itself. I am in the quagmire of sexist men in USA security and protection positions and being beaten up literally by the same men and their women who they benefit from in Hawaii's illegal sex trade.
I am at the point that I feel they should shut down 95% of extraneous bars, those bars that are separate from hotels as the license violations are a joke for the Honolulu Liquor Commission who turns a blind eye except when trying to extort a particular worker. This happens as many of the bar owners know that the "working girls" are from GOOD ASIAN families abroad. And, it is common knowledge that even a "dancer" who has a Honolulu Liquor Comission Licensed Dancer Card, aka Green Card due to the green band at the top of the card;- can't make money in any club by following liquor comission laws 100%. The Honolulu Liquor Comission knows this and benefits from payoffs by the club owners. "Fines" are given when they want to extort a particular dancer. There are drink sales in 100% of the clubs where the Hostess is paid 50%-75% of the drink price for "their time". The drinks range from $20-$80 for highballs and shots, and $100-$5,000 for champagne (Dom is @$900). Tips are generally given to the Servers and not to hostesses or dancers.
The definitions of prostitution are broad for those who work in the Hawaii nightclub scene and if enforced continuously are unforgiving to the worker. That is in addition to the industry, that seems legitimate by Hawaii licensing and practices makes the servers, hostesses, and entertainment vulnerable to a huge audience that needs illegal money in order to survive the High cost of living in Hawaii.
Additionally, that there should be some type of "dry town" designations for areas much like the New Jersey Shore area so that families are not subject to round the clock drunkenness. Although, many drunk drivers are also leaving the golf courses by 2pm.
Though, some of the places of Employment that serve Honolulu's tourism are legitimate;- many of them are crowded with workers who were unwilling to stay in Hawaii and legally decimated by HPD or the Federal Agents. Or, they are willing prostitutes from Asian countries who gain self confidence and money by hearing and laughing at those of us who were born American.
