Domestic Violence in Asian Immigrant Communities

Evidence suggests that domestic violence is a significant problem health problem affecting the Asian American community. Hypothesized risk factors include acculturative stress, cultural and social isolation, few employment opportunities, limited English skills, and poverty.

In collaboration with colleagues at the Asian Task Force against Domestic Violence, the Columbia School of Social Work, and the National Latino and Asian American Study, I am working on several studies examining the structural, familial, and cultural factors that influence domestic violence risk, help-seeking, and psychological outcomes among Asian victims of violence.

Ongoing Projects

•  An ethnographic study of an Asian-specific battered women's shelter to investigate the structural, economic, and cultural barriers to service delivery
•  Analysis of the prevalence and predictors of intimate partner violence in a nationally-repre-sentative sample of Asian and Pacific Islanders
•  A mixed-method longitudinal study of Chinese American battered women. This project aims to understand how women respond to violence in their intimate relationships, the factors that influence their decisions about whether to seek help, and how acculturation processes influence relationship and psychological outcomes. Interview data will help to clarify the ways in which Chinese battered women reconcile American definitions female empowerment and independence within traditionally collectivistic value systems.