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J Fam Viol (2010) 25:533544 DOI 10.1007/s10896-010-9309-5
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Arrested Justice: The Multifaceted Plight of Immigrant Latinas who Faced Domestic Violence
Guadalupe T. Vidales
Published online: 28 May 2010# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
Abstract This study documents and analyzes the experiences of Latina immigrants, predominantly Mexican women in Southern California, who faced domestic violence. Using a comparative case study methodology, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with residents of a battered womens shelter and professional service providers. The study also administered questionnaires detailing demographic and self-help behavior information, and descriptions of the multiple challenges faced by this population. Findings revealed multiple and intertwining barriers that were described as structural, cultural, and institutional. Some of the most salient obstacles includes: language barriers, gender and economic inequality, and lack of knowledge of laws and services that can support them. In order to better address the unique challenges faced by Latina immigrants who are survivors or face domestic violence, governmental, educational, medical, and social institutions should collaborate in developing community based cultural-competent programs and policies that integrate the intersecting needs of Latina women in these circumstances.
Keywords Latinas . Domestic violence . Immigrants . Intersectionality
Violence against women in the U.S. has been well documented. The National Violence Against Women (NVAW) survey suggests that women are considerably more likely than men to be victims of domestic abuse by their partners (Tjaden and Thoennes 2000). The NVAW survey indicates that 25% of the women surveyed,
compared to only 8% of the men, experienced domestic violence. When evaluating the incidence of violence in the general population, these figures result in the estimate that1.5 million women in the U.S. annually experience domestic violence. Acknowledged to be underestimates, these figures nonetheless suggest that domestic violence is an everyday tale of cruelty that cuts across social divides. It is beyond dispute that any womanregardless of age, religion, education, occupation, socioeconomic condition, ethnicity or racial backgroundcan be a victim of domestic violence (Dobash and Dobash 1979; Field and Caetano 2005; Torres 1987; Walker 1984).
Although scholars have presented many theoretical perspectives regarding domestic violence in the general population, few have addressed the issue of domestic violence in minority communities. Crenshaw (1994) was the first to clearly articulate a multi-causal analysis concerning the lived experiences...