ABSTRACT
Intimate partner violence has impacted and continues to impact on the lives of many women. Yet, this is not to suggest that women are necessarily affected in the same way.
The late 1980s and 1990s witnessed an intense period of reflection and debate for many feminists and activists on how women’s experiences had been conceptualised. A concern with all women’s experiences was seen as having glossed over the significance of other forms of oppression, especially those that related to race, ethnicity, immigration status and class, and had marginalised the experiences of women of colour. Whilst today there is greater awareness of how women of colour are affected by multiple systems of oppression and the tension that exists between the need for effective policy and the often-contentious intervention of the state in the lives of marginalised groups, significant gaps in knowledge remain regarding the specificity of experience. This chapter explores the findings of a research study on the impact of intimate partner violence on foreign-born Latinas and U.S.-born Latinas in New York City and the barriers that they face in seeking help. It documents the impact of the violence, the importance of understanding cultural concepts such as familismo (familism), personalismo (personalism) and, respeto (respect) as well as the gender scripts that shape the lives of Latinos. It juxtaposes the feelings of personal insecurity and precariousness felt by many of the women as a result of the violence, familial relationships, language barriers and access to appropriate services with current political concerns over national security, which have led to heavy-handed immigration policies leaving women, who are not citizens, at risk of harassment and deportation. By examining the specificity of experience and the needs of foreign born Latinas and U.S. born Latinas in New York City it is evident that ‘no one size fits all’ when it comes to intimate partner violence and policies and strategies for change must reflect this.
