A Lithuanian student who came to US on a J-1 cultural exchange visa says she had a terrible experience working under a boss she claims “preyed on foreigners”.27-year-old Ugne Duncyte travelled to Colorado to work two summers in Estes Park as part of the J-1 visa programme, which is run by the US State Department and is meant to promote cultural exchange. Duncyte said her time working at a local diner left her emotionally disturbed. “I was crying a lot back then,” she said.Duncyte said her manager frequently spoke about her behind her back and nearly fired her for reasons she did not understand. She later learned that the man, David Morales, who was in his 40s, was a convicted sex offender who had previously served prison time for second-degree assault and attempted sexual assault, according to court records.“I felt so disappointed,” she said.The student described how helpless she felt because she could not reach out for help: “I never had a similar situation in my life. I’m just a girl from Lithuania. Nobody can protect me, nobody can explain what’s happening. I was very lost.”Morales was arrested in August by Estes Park police on suspicion of providing alcohol to minors at a closed restaurant and failing to register as a sex offender. His cases are ongoing, reports the Denver Post. Duncyte’s story was not the only one. Interviews with more than a dozen participants revealed claims of verbal abuse, sexual harassment, overcrowded housing and jobs that did not match what was promised.One student from Turkey said managers shouted at him and humiliated staff, while female colleagues were sexually harassed. Others said they lived with up to 14 people in shared housing, with four people in a single room. Several J-1 workers have filed lawsuits against employers, accusing them of exploiting cheap labour without offering meaningful cultural exchange.More than 9,000 people came to Colorado last year on J-1 visas, working in roles such as restaurant servers and ski resort staff, to researchers. Many were placed in tourist towns near national parks and ski resorts where seasonal labour shortages are common.The J-1 programme was created in 1961 during the Cold War to promote mutual understanding between nations. However, a US Government Accountability Office report as far back as 1990 warned that parts of the programme were inconsistent with its original purpose. Investigations since then by the Associated Press and The New York Times have documented abuse and exploitation across the country.
