Domestic Abuse among Immigrant Women

Earlier this past week, I had the unique opportunity to attend a workshop led by Leslye Orloff, the Director of the National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project at American University Washington College of Law. The focus of the presentation was educating the audience on ways to help immigrant survivors of domestic violence. The workshop was very detailed and included a lot of relevant examples, and by the end of the day, my head was bursting with information that I just could not wait to share with everyone I know cares about this issue. 

The focus of this post is the Myths and Realities about the instances of domestic violence among immigrant women. After perusing them, I quickly realized that most of these apply to any case of domestic violence. 

Myth # 1

Domestic violence is a private family business.

Reality

Domestic violence is a crime and everyone who experiences it deserves the protection, help, and services afforded to victims of other crimes.

Myth #2

Women are responsible for the abuse they suffer because they provoke it.

Reality

Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors that abusers use to impose their will and control their victims. The abused are not responsible for the abuser’s behavior and do not deserve such treatment by anyone, family member or not.

Myth #3

Domestic violence is a consequence of alcohol and drug abuse.

Reality

Many abusers don’t abuse alcohol and drugs and many people who abuse alcohol and drugs are not domestic abusers. Rather, domestic abusers often use drugs and alcohol as an excuse for their violent behavior and refuse to take responsibility for their actions.

Myth #4

If the immigrant woman leaves her abuser, she will lose custody of her children because she does not possess proper documentation.

Reality

In general, the judge is interested in protecting the rights of the children and looking after their best interest. The court will consider any evidence of abuse in the outcome of custody cases.

Myth #5

With no immigration papers, there is no right to receive social or legal services.

Reality

All immigrant victims of domestic violence, regardless of their immigration status, have the right to emergency services.

Myth #6

If the victim of domestic abuse calls the police, she will face deportation because she is undocumented.

Reality

The police have the obligation to protect victims of abuse regardless of their immigration status. Without calling the police, they will not be able to intervene and assist.

*The above information has been obtained from a pamphlet created by Sonia Parras Konrad, Esq. and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

 - Krasi

National Dance Day

It’s National Dance Day and what a better way to acknowledge the occasion than to take a break from whatever is overwhelming, worrying, or simply annoying you and join in on the fun with thousands of people across the globe (or at least around the United States). Similar to what they did last year, the creators of So You Think You Can Dance (my favorite show ever!) have offered a selection of routines for those interested to learn a few moves and relax. Being the great person that I am, I have posted these below. As James Brown would say, “Get up offa that thing/And dance till you feel better.”

Zumba

Hip-Hop Master Class 

 - Krasi

On Human Stupidity

A wise man once said, “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not sure about the former.” That wise man went by the name of Albert Einstein and he is considered to have also said, “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

I have no idea what Einstein meant by stupidity, but I understand it in a sense that transcends the modern surface-level acceptance that stupidity applies to those who are not able to achieve a high score on some test or obtain a degree or other such arbitrary measurement of one’s intelligence. 

Human stupidity is mostly expressed in people’s extreme level of arrogance and specifically the belief that we are invincible, powerful, and the ultimate rulers on the third planet from the Sun in the Solar System. We use resources as if they are limitless, we act as if we will live forever, we treat others and the planet as if they are made of indestructible materials, and we excuse all of the above as if that would make a difference to the negative impact we have on everything around us. Some of us comprehend that taking anything for granted on a personal level might have unpleasant consequences; not many, however, realize that taking anything for granted on a global level will have dire consequences. Then one day we wake up and wonder what happened. If that’s not stupidity, I don’t know what is.

Modern advances in science, technology, and quality of life supposedly suggest that the human being has evolved into a high-functioning and successful organism. However, when I look around and take note of the damage done and being done, I often wonder if instead of moving forward, we are unwittingly moving backwards and becoming less human. What is truly scary is that as Einstein realized years ago, human stupidity has no limits and just when we think that we can’t make things any worse, we surprise ourselves yet again. 

-      Krasi

Human Trafficking as the Issue of the Day

Now that I have my first year at DU completed, I have a lot more time to catch up on TV shows and films people have recommended that I see. After a few weeks of diligent watching, however, I have begun to notice an interesting trend in all the shows I focus on: no matter what the main theme of the show, there seems to inevitably be an episode that happens to revolve around, or at least briefly mention, the issue of human trafficking. 

Following the most recent depiction of the problem in an episode of Drop Dead Diva, I started to wonder about the importance of such presentations of a problem I am interested in investigating. After some reflecting, I realized that I am somewhat uneasy about human trafficking as the newest fad in subject matter for popular TV shows. I get the idea. This is a serious problem. Most people will not voluntarily educate themselves on such a problem. We need to get them to pay attention. So the topic is inserted in an episode of a show watched by millions. Is making people socially aware what the writers of TV shows are really concerned about, though? 

Furthermore, the manner in which the fictional characters across various channels stumble upon the issue appears to be very restricted. They are either outraged and surprised to find out that such an issue exists or they act as if this is a common problem most people are aware of. The truth is that advocates in the field have been fighting to expose the problem, investigate its characteristics, and find promising practices to eradicate it for years. Getting people outraged and determined to do something is not their ultimate goal, however. Acting with no idea what would work often brings more damage to those we are trying to assist. Engendering sustainable changes that would transform the way in which society is constructed and eventually lead to less vulnerability and opportunity for exploitation is hard to achieve, in one day or in one year. Simply stating that the goal is to free as many people as possible is not a solution. Freeing as many people as possible is not a solution. The issue is multifaceted so the solution will not be as simple as often presented in popular media. 

-      Krasi

Two Different Worlds No More

A little over ten years ago, when I first traveled to the United States, it was plainly clear to me that I was entering a very different world from the one I have known. Even though I moved from one small village to another (sorry Athens, WV, but by most standards, you are a small village:), the atmosphere and people’s attitude convinced me I was not in Kansas (or Krasnovo) any more. Aside from the obvious surface-level differences, however, what truly made an impression on me was the obsession with material items, credit cards, and any kind of products for any kind of occasions and moods and even more, the preoccupation with “beauty” or what advertisers and the media tried to sell as beauty. The one thought on my mind was, I am so thankful I did not have to grow up surrounded by such messages! Don’t get me wrong, I did get my fair share of brainwashing messages about the specific roles of girls and such on an everyday basis, but at least no one was urging me to buy stuff to be happy. 

Forward ten years later, and Bulgaria has not only reached America in its obsession with the ideal of beauty, but in my modest opinion, my fellow country-men (and women) have totally surpassed the attitudes of those in my adopted place of residence.

Multitude of media outlets now focus on the newest diets and the fastest ways to a sexy and toned body. The girls in high schools are more concerned about what’s the latest in fashion they need to buy and wear and less worried about tests and other school assignments. Often, when I go back and walk the streets of the city where I went to high school, all I see are girls in high heels and handbags (!) and no backpack with textbooks and notebooks in sight. And the saga does not end once they leave high school. There are plenty of websites with the newest fads when it comes to motherhood and what’s trendy in the stroller world. No matter at what stage in her life a woman is, she is bombarded with the best of the best of whatever products she is thought to need, desire, or without which she absolutely cannot live. 

The number of products one “needs” has increased exponentially and there is no hope for the end of this obsession with the material world and outrageous notions of beauty. Meanwhile, greedy businesses try to take over what I consider true beauty in nature and focus on building new resorts so people have somewhere to go and show off their new possessions.  

I am not sure if it is my recent attempt to read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld or my desire to view Bulgarian news online, but I am just fed up with this fixation on the idea of something perfect: the perfect look, the perfect job, the perfect life. I don’t know about you, but I have now developed the tendency to run in the opposite direction the moment someone mentions or offers a perfect something. Keep it to yourself, please!

-          Krasi

Why Can't They Just Leave?

Recently, I had a friend visit for a weekend and I just could not miss the opportunity to discuss the issue of human trafficking with her. Following a brief introduction to the problem and what it constitutes, the inevitable question came at me, “Why can’t they just leave?” Advocates of domestic violence and sexual abuse victims are painfully familiar with that question and have tirelessly worked for years to provide an answer that is concise and clear, but at the same time does not belittle or assault the questioner. Upon further conversations with my friend, it became evident that without a plausible explanation in response to her question, she, as many others unfortunately, was ready to conclude that there is just something about those people that sets them up for the kinds of situations in which they inevitably find themselves. In other words, it’s their fault. 

Such a conclusion, though, is quite easy to make when one views the issue from a privileged position and without ever having to experience such an abuse. Even more difficult to understand is the concept of psychological coercion. With the occasional ghastly exceptions, the majority of trafficking victims are not chained or in any way physically restricted. This fact makes it harder for my friend, and others unfamiliar with the power of psychological influence, to figure out why despite the horrendous conditions, trafficking victims stay. What they don’t realize, however, is that their exact attitude is one of the main reasons it is not simply difficult to leave a trafficking situation, but also it is often impossible to return to somewhat of a normal life. When a community views a survivor as faulty and broken, the reintegration of that person would be painful and far from successful. Consequently, when the time comes to choose between a return to normal life or a return to a trafficker, many women often make the latter choice. 

The bottom line is that leaving an abusive, destructive, dependent and violent relationship (whether it is a husband and wife or a trafficker and a victim) is extremely hard and requires a lot of strength and support. Until society grasps the validity of psychological coercion and its incredible impact on vulnerable populations, the element of protection when it comes to human trafficking will not be properly attended to. 

-      Krasi

2012 Human Trafficking reports

The past few months have been quite busy in the written world of anti-human trafficking efforts with the major organizations and agencies releasing reports and delivering the most recent data and information on the crime of the trafficking in persons. Even though personally I believe that it is hard, if not impossible, to estimate any numbers when it comes to a hidden criminal activity, others seem to be quite obsessed with statistics and numerals. Don’t get me wrong, I do try to read them in their entirety, but I often find contradictory information from one report to another and wonder if it might just be better to admit that we simply don’t know. 

Below is a selection of the most significant, or most discussed, or most criticized, or most (pick any strong verb here) ones.

Trafficking in Persons Report June 2012: Following years of dedicated focus on prosecution and putting traffickers behind bars, this year the report unveils an interest in the protection of the victims. To access the report, click here. 

International Labour Organization [ILO] Global Estimate of Forced Labour: The document includes a comprehensive review of each aspect of this so-called “modern-day slavery” and provides shocking estimates about the levels of rampant exploitation around the globe. To read a summary of the report, click here. 

Polaris Project Annual Report 2011:  The report analyzes data regarding calls received to the national human trafficking hotline [1-888-3737-888]. The document includes information about the types of calls, the callers’ demographics, the type of trafficking situation identified, and other valuable statistics. To read the report, click here. 

The Protection Project 100 Best Practices: Even thought a clear definition of a best practice is never identified and it is not suggested that what works under one set of circumstances might not necessarily work in a different environment, the document does provide a list of valuable efforts taking place around the world. To read about all 100 practices, click here.

-          Krasi