|
Due to the expedient establishment of financial stability and social community, South Asians are respected as a “model minority” (Abraham, 2000). Furthermore, our cultural values of family harmony and solidarity within the private sphere help create a perception of our communities as stable units. This model minority status can lead to the belief that Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is not common among South Asian communities; however, research among South Asian women in the United States shows that the rates of IPV are as high as 40% for physical and sexual abuse, increasing to about 50% if emotional/psychological abuse is also included in the figure calculation (Mahapatra, 2012; Raj &Silverman, 2002). IPV disproportionately affects South Asian women in the United States. Along with the physical and emotional trauma caused by IPV, victims within the community are concerned with the shame and stigma that come with disclosure of abuse, as there is an investment in maintaining the label of “model minority” (Dasgupta, 2000; Jordan & Bhandari, 2016). With a current South Asian population of 3.4 to 5 million (Pew Research Center, 2017; U.S. Census Bureau, 2010) and with high rates of IPV, helping professionals like social workers and health care professionals are more likely to come in contact with South Asian women in abusive relationships
The Hidden Wealth Foundation, in partnership with domestic violence centers and professional educators, is currently in the process of training a team of members from the South Asian community interested in working directly with victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and child abuse in the California Central Valley.
For more information on becoming a member of our HWF team, please contact us.