Prostitution in the Chinese Communities of California: The Economics of the Massage Parlor Sex Trade

Abstract

Escorts, call girls, street walkers and masseuses are the most common manifestations of illegal prostitution in America. Each form of prostitution entails different risks and rewards. In many of the Chinese communities of California sexual services are bought from a masseuse. This project will explore the economic incentives and disincentives of prostitution from its origins to present day in the Chinese communities of California; as well as try to explain why the massage parlor is the most common facade for the sex industry in those communities. In 2009 the state of California enacted new state-wide legislation for the certification of masseuses and massage parlor ownership. During the summer of 2009, I worked for the Law Offices of Daniel Deng with masseuses, prostitutes and massage parlor owners explaining the new state legislation and its implications for the Californian massage industry. A recent increase in the amount of massage parlors in California, marks the necessity to study the economics of massage parlor prostitution.