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Law and Society

Selected Works

Emily Ryo

2009

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in Law

The Lost Sanctuary: Examining Sex Trafficking Through The Lens Of United States V. Ah Sou, M. Margaret Mckeown, Emily Ryo Dec 2008

The Lost Sanctuary: Examining Sex Trafficking Through The Lens Of United States V. Ah Sou, M. Margaret Mckeown, Emily Ryo

Emily Ryo

Drawing upon original court records and other previously-unexamined archival materials, this article uncovers the story of one of the earliest reported and documented cases of sex trafficking in American history, United States v. Ah Sou, 138 F. 775 (9th Cir. 1905). Through Ah Sou’s legal challenge, we investigate the development of international human rights norms relevant to sex trafficking and the domestication of those norms in U.S. law. We then examine in detail the remedies presently available for sex trafficking victims and apply those remedies retrospectively to Ah Sou’s case. We conclude that despite the development of the law—both in …