Asian Women Workers in Massage Parlours and the Sex Industry and Their Fight Against Anti-Asian Racism

This article examines how Asian migrant sex workers have continuously been targeted by the “carceral web” of Canadian laws and policies at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. A case study of Newmarket, Ontario’s municipal council’s recent “crackdown” on personal wellness establishments illustrates how systematic racism and “whorephobia” are embedded in the regulations targeting low-income Asian migrant women, particularly those who work in massage parlours and the sex industry. The article ends with a discussion of how Asian workers in massage parlours and the sex industry are actively working to resist, fight for their rights, and build solidarity to push back against racist oppressions targeting them

Massage · Racism · Sex workers · Solidarity · South asia · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Sex work and related issues