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20. Turning Points: South Asian Feminist Responses to Gender- Based Violence and Immigration Enforcement

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Our Voices, Our Histories
This chapter is in the book Our Voices, Our Histories
33820Turning PointsSouth Asian Feminist Responses to Gender-Based Violence and Immigration EnforcementMonisha Das Gupta and Soniya MunshiShireen, a South Asian woman, is in a relationship marked by physical, sexual, and emotional violence. Shireen sometimes feels afraid of her abusive partner but is not sure whether she wants to leave the relationship. She simply wants the violence to stop.Shireen’s friend gives her the phone number of a local South Asian women’s organization. Shireen learns that she can be matched with a peer counselor. The organization can help her to get a restraining order and arrange for a pro bono consultation with a family law attorney and, if needed, an immigration lawyer. Shireen learns about public benefits and housing assistance. She is assured that she does not have to confront the situation alone. The advocate emphasizes that, above all, the organization will support what Shireen believes is best for herself.Shireen wants to make a safety plan. What can she do when there is another violent incident? Who can she call for help? She has few friends in New York City, where she lives. She knows one of her neighbors, but this person works eve-nings, when the violence usually escalates. Shireen’s family lives in South Asia. The advocate tells her that in an emergency, she can call the police.This last suggestion is fraught with complexity. Most anti-domestic-violence (anti-DV) organizations inform survivors that law enforcement is a resource, particularly in life-threatening situations or when their isolation prevents them from seeking other options. Yet there is no guarantee that the police response will be helpful. What if Shireen is not fluent in English and the abusive partner convinces the police that she, in fact, was the aggressor? In a jurisdiction such as New York with mandatory arrest laws, Shireen may find herself arrested and charged with a crime.1 What if she is undocumented? Since 2012, the federal government has required New York State to share arrestee fingerprints collected by local police with immigration enforcement. A simple fingerprint could lead to the activation of a deportation process. What if Shireen is Muslim or a mem-ber of another community that is profiled such that contacting law enforcement would be viewed as a community betrayal? What if she is economically depen-dent upon the abusive partner and worries that criminal charges may jeopardize
© 2020 New York University Press, New York, USA

33820Turning PointsSouth Asian Feminist Responses to Gender-Based Violence and Immigration EnforcementMonisha Das Gupta and Soniya MunshiShireen, a South Asian woman, is in a relationship marked by physical, sexual, and emotional violence. Shireen sometimes feels afraid of her abusive partner but is not sure whether she wants to leave the relationship. She simply wants the violence to stop.Shireen’s friend gives her the phone number of a local South Asian women’s organization. Shireen learns that she can be matched with a peer counselor. The organization can help her to get a restraining order and arrange for a pro bono consultation with a family law attorney and, if needed, an immigration lawyer. Shireen learns about public benefits and housing assistance. She is assured that she does not have to confront the situation alone. The advocate emphasizes that, above all, the organization will support what Shireen believes is best for herself.Shireen wants to make a safety plan. What can she do when there is another violent incident? Who can she call for help? She has few friends in New York City, where she lives. She knows one of her neighbors, but this person works eve-nings, when the violence usually escalates. Shireen’s family lives in South Asia. The advocate tells her that in an emergency, she can call the police.This last suggestion is fraught with complexity. Most anti-domestic-violence (anti-DV) organizations inform survivors that law enforcement is a resource, particularly in life-threatening situations or when their isolation prevents them from seeking other options. Yet there is no guarantee that the police response will be helpful. What if Shireen is not fluent in English and the abusive partner convinces the police that she, in fact, was the aggressor? In a jurisdiction such as New York with mandatory arrest laws, Shireen may find herself arrested and charged with a crime.1 What if she is undocumented? Since 2012, the federal government has required New York State to share arrestee fingerprints collected by local police with immigration enforcement. A simple fingerprint could lead to the activation of a deportation process. What if Shireen is Muslim or a mem-ber of another community that is profiled such that contacting law enforcement would be viewed as a community betrayal? What if she is economically depen-dent upon the abusive partner and worries that criminal charges may jeopardize
© 2020 New York University Press, New York, USA

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Introduction: Our Voices 1
  4. Introduction: Our Histories 8
  5. Part I: Early Era, Indigenous and Global Roots
  6. 1. Mālamalama: Reconnecting as Native Hawaiian Women through Cultural History 17
  7. 2. Global Roots and Gendered Routes: Early Asian American Women’s History 37
  8. 3. Two Sisters, Two Stories: Transnational Lives of Ume Tsuda and Yona Abiko 53
  9. Part II: New Intersections of Race, Gender, Generation, Communities
  10. 4. “Up to My Elbows in Rice!”: Women Building Communities and Sustaining Families in Pre- 1965 Filipina/o America 69
  11. 5. Stretching the Boundaries of Christian Respectability, Race, and Gender during Jim Crow: Chinese American Women and the Southern Baptist Church 87
  12. 6. Stepping Onstage and Breaking Ground: Asian American Dancers Complicate Race and Gender Stereotypes, 1930s– 1960s 106
  13. Part III: New Cultural Formations, New Selves
  14. 7. “She Speaks Well”: Language as Performance of Japanese American Femininity and Social Mobility in Postwar Hawaiʻi 123
  15. 8. History, Identity, and the Life Course: Mixed Race Asian American Women 140
  16. 9. Ancestral Ethics and Sāmoanness: Explaining the Contemporary Sāmoan American Women 155
  17. Part IV: Wartimes and Aftermath 171
  18. 10. Memories of Mass Incarceration: Mobilizing Japanese American Women for Redress and Beyond 171
  19. 11. Refugee Lifemaking Practices: Southeast Asian Women 189
  20. 12. “Defiant Daughters”: The Resilience and Resistance of 1.5- Generation Vietnamese American Women 205
  21. Part V: Globalization, Work, Family, Community, Activism
  22. 13. Precarious Labor: Asian Immigrant Women, 1970s– 2010s 221
  23. 14. The Backbone of New York City’s Chinatown: Chinese Women and the Garment Industry, 1950– 2009 238
  24. 15. Women’s Agency and Cost in Migration: Taiwanese American Transnational Families 254
  25. 16. “Revolutionary Care” as Activism: Filipina Nurses and Care Workers in Chicago, 1965– 2016 269
  26. Part VI: Spaces of Political Struggles
  27. 17. The Mother’s Tongue: Language, Women, and the Chamorros of Guam 285
  28. 18. Asian American Feminisms and Legislative Activism: Patsy Takemoto Mink in the US Congress 304
  29. 19. Opening the Path to Marriage Equality: Asian American Lesbians Reach Out to Their Families and Communities 321
  30. 20. Turning Points: South Asian Feminist Responses to Gender- Based Violence and Immigration Enforcement 338
  31. Part VII: New Diasporas, Diverse Lives, Evolving Identities
  32. 21. Locating Adoptees in Asian America: Jane Jeong Trenka and Deann Borshay Liem 355
  33. 22. “Let Them Attack Me for Wearing the Hijab”: Islam and Identity in the Lives of Bangladeshi American Women 373
  34. 23. Navigating the Hyphen: Tongan- American Women in Academia 388
  35. Part VIII: Gender, Cultural Change, Intergenerational Dynamics
  36. 24. Linked Lives: Korean American Daughters and Their Aging Immigrant Parents 405
  37. 25. Negotiating Cultural Change: Professional Hmong American Women 423
  38. 26. Stories and Visions across Generations: Khmer American Women 439
  39. Reflections 457
  40. Acknowledgments 465
  41. About the Contributors 467
  42. Index 475
Readers are also interested in:
https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9781479815067.003.0026

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Introduction: Our Voices 1
  4. Introduction: Our Histories 8
  5. Part I: Early Era, Indigenous and Global Roots
  6. 1. Mālamalama: Reconnecting as Native Hawaiian Women through Cultural History 17
  7. 2. Global Roots and Gendered Routes: Early Asian American Women’s History 37
  8. 3. Two Sisters, Two Stories: Transnational Lives of Ume Tsuda and Yona Abiko 53
  9. Part II: New Intersections of Race, Gender, Generation, Communities
  10. 4. “Up to My Elbows in Rice!”: Women Building Communities and Sustaining Families in Pre- 1965 Filipina/o America 69
  11. 5. Stretching the Boundaries of Christian Respectability, Race, and Gender during Jim Crow: Chinese American Women and the Southern Baptist Church 87
  12. 6. Stepping Onstage and Breaking Ground: Asian American Dancers Complicate Race and Gender Stereotypes, 1930s– 1960s 106
  13. Part III: New Cultural Formations, New Selves
  14. 7. “She Speaks Well”: Language as Performance of Japanese American Femininity and Social Mobility in Postwar Hawaiʻi 123
  15. 8. History, Identity, and the Life Course: Mixed Race Asian American Women 140
  16. 9. Ancestral Ethics and Sāmoanness: Explaining the Contemporary Sāmoan American Women 155
  17. Part IV: Wartimes and Aftermath 171
  18. 10. Memories of Mass Incarceration: Mobilizing Japanese American Women for Redress and Beyond 171
  19. 11. Refugee Lifemaking Practices: Southeast Asian Women 189
  20. 12. “Defiant Daughters”: The Resilience and Resistance of 1.5- Generation Vietnamese American Women 205
  21. Part V: Globalization, Work, Family, Community, Activism
  22. 13. Precarious Labor: Asian Immigrant Women, 1970s– 2010s 221
  23. 14. The Backbone of New York City’s Chinatown: Chinese Women and the Garment Industry, 1950– 2009 238
  24. 15. Women’s Agency and Cost in Migration: Taiwanese American Transnational Families 254
  25. 16. “Revolutionary Care” as Activism: Filipina Nurses and Care Workers in Chicago, 1965– 2016 269
  26. Part VI: Spaces of Political Struggles
  27. 17. The Mother’s Tongue: Language, Women, and the Chamorros of Guam 285
  28. 18. Asian American Feminisms and Legislative Activism: Patsy Takemoto Mink in the US Congress 304
  29. 19. Opening the Path to Marriage Equality: Asian American Lesbians Reach Out to Their Families and Communities 321
  30. 20. Turning Points: South Asian Feminist Responses to Gender- Based Violence and Immigration Enforcement 338
  31. Part VII: New Diasporas, Diverse Lives, Evolving Identities
  32. 21. Locating Adoptees in Asian America: Jane Jeong Trenka and Deann Borshay Liem 355
  33. 22. “Let Them Attack Me for Wearing the Hijab”: Islam and Identity in the Lives of Bangladeshi American Women 373
  34. 23. Navigating the Hyphen: Tongan- American Women in Academia 388
  35. Part VIII: Gender, Cultural Change, Intergenerational Dynamics
  36. 24. Linked Lives: Korean American Daughters and Their Aging Immigrant Parents 405
  37. 25. Negotiating Cultural Change: Professional Hmong American Women 423
  38. 26. Stories and Visions across Generations: Khmer American Women 439
  39. Reflections 457
  40. Acknowledgments 465
  41. About the Contributors 467
  42. Index 475
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