The Gender-Based Abuse of Asian Americans

The lack of comprehensive research on gender-based abuse among Asian Americans is a result of the difficulties in gathering data from minority populations. There are few studies to establish underlying trends and distinctions among minority societies since minority populations are frequently generalized. The frequency of gender-based abuse, which manifests as sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and controlling behavior, is particularly prevalent among Asian Americans. The culture in many Asian American societies prevents women from speaking out against the violence they experience in the family setting in order to maintain the honor and name of the family. Women’s voices are especially disregarded within the Asian American societies and the situation is exacerbated by the manner in which marital unions are formed. Arranged marriages, male order brides and the submissive role of women in the Asian American culture enhance the risk of gender based violence. Culturally responsive mechanisms that have been developed to counter gender based violence fail at the resolution of the underlying problems that cause gender based violence. This paper will undertake a study of gender based violence among Asian Americans in order to establish the need for gender abuse intervention strategies to supersede cultural responsive mechanisms employed so far. Culturally responsive mechanisms to counter gender based violence among Asian Americans only act to enable further violence as opposed to creating long term solutions that will effectively prevent their occurrences.

Significance of culture in gender-based violence among Asian Americans

According to Ung, marital narratives among Asian Americans within the United States provide insight into domestic violence within the communities therein (Ung). Four scenarios within the Asian culture relating to marriage are discussed in order to advocate for culturally responsive solutions. The scenarios are: arranged marriages, commercial matchmaking, trafficking or illegal matching for commercial gain and freedom in choosing one’s spouse by a woman. Three of the four scenarios are cultural phenomena within the Asian American society within the United States which do not adhere to federal and state laws within the United States. Marriage within the American state and federal laws is only recognized in the fourth scenario where there is mutual free will and choice to enter into a union. However, despite the fact that the practice within the culture is against the law in the country, there is continued practice of the oppressive cultural practices that deprive the women of their voice in marriage thereby making them susceptible to violence.

There is a cultural tolerance for gender-based violence among Asians within the United States. Culturally delineated roles such as housekeeping and child rearing by women are not only used to deprive them of economic empowerment that is crucial for enabling them to stand up against gender based violence but also used as an excuse for the vice. Interactive theatre use as suggested by Yoshihama and Tolman, for example provide insight into the underlying cultural attitudes within the Asian American communities (Yoshihama and Tolman). The study discusses community responses to particular instances of domestic violence including in the case of a working woman whose husband prevents her from attending an urgent work meeting under the pretext of taking care of the baby. Although the man is free and could also take care of the role, most responses show that the woman is chastised for putting her job before her family and child. The responses given which would enable the man to allow the woman to go to work and take care of the baby himself involve demeaning the woman in order to gain the trust of the man. Such cultural strategies to counter gender-based violence are ineffective.

Gender Based Violence among Asian Americans and its cultural effects

Gender based violence among Asian Americans emanate from cultural subjugation of women and a mentality of normalcy surrounding the behavior. Robertson et al., provide an insight into the relationship between family violence and sexual abuse in South Asian families in the United States (Robertson, Nagaraj and Vyas). The research conducted showed that exposure to domestic violence within the family setting was a precursor to some form of sexual abuse. Nearly half of the interviewed persons who had experienced sexual abuse as children had witnessed domestic violence in the family setting which could also be gender based. The results of the study provide an understanding of the manner in which the cultural power structure in the Asian community permeates the relationship between the perpetrators of such violence and the victims or survivors. The study further showed the manner in which future potential sexual abuse and suicide was related to initial domestic violence in the family setting.

The choice of the resolution of gender based violence within the Asian American communities further show the manner in which the culture is affected. Mental health has been cited as one of the adverse effects that are observed after gender based violence is experienced by members of the Asian communities. Depression and suicide attempts prove that although many victims either fear or are repressed from talking about their gender based violence experiences, many suffer in silence without a means of redressing the problems. According to a study conducted by Hahm et al., 14.3% or respondents admitted to having experienced forced sex by the time that they were twenty five (Hahm, Augsberger and feranil). The results show that mental health results from gender based violence as well as HIV risk behaviors and substance abuse among Asian women. Women who had experienced forced sex were proved to engage in sexual activity that could expose them to HIV. Substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors are far from the cultural design for women within the Asian American societies. Such effects on the society affect the entire population of Asian Americans and have adverse effects on the future of the people. Moreover, the results show that there is a need to eradicate the harmful cultural practices that exacerbate gender based violence in order to prevent the adverse effects that would affect the entire community.

Fallibility of culturally responsive strategies to combat gender based violence and suggested strategies

The fallibility of culturally responsive strategies in eliminating gender based violence emanate from the myth of infallibility of culture within the society. Culturally responsive mechanisms to combat domestic violence are formed with the aim of finding unique solutions that are tailored to prevent gender based violence within the Asian American communities in a manner that is sensitive to the culture. Despite the fact that gender based violence is not a unique problem to Asian Americans but is rather experienced in many different societies including by whites and blacks, the cultural responsive strategies aim at creating new solutions for the Asian American populace (Gray and Maharaj). The culturally responsive strategies are aimed at helping women who continually experience domestic violence to assess the risk they are in as well as enabling them to talk about their experiences without fear of dishonoring their family names or fear. The result is that an enabling environment is created for the perpetrators as women are taught to remain submissive within the environment of violence that they are continually exposed to.

Culture is fallible and should be criticized when it does not serve the best interests of the society. Domestic violence has more to do with the power structure in the society which is further magnified by economic inequalities and enabling factors such as culture and religion (Yuval-Davis). Culturally responsive strategies that ignore the fallibility of culture, for example do not question the arranged marriages and whether given the choice of economic empowerment, women would still stay within the environment of domestic abuse. Moreover, there are underlying cultural attitudes within the society that have to be dealt with straight on in order to eradicate gender based violence. The mentality that gender based violence within Asian American communities is unique to the community should be done away with and similar solutions to White and Blacks domestic violence adopted. Before the advent of feminism, the culture in both white and black societies was oppressive and subjugated women resulting in higher instances of occurrences of domestic violence than are experienced today. With feminism which offered a change in ideology; economic and political empowerment however; women in western societies have taken great strides that have significantly reduced the prevalence of gender based violence.

Conclusion

Gender based violence emanates from the power structures within the society which make the ‘weaker’ party susceptible to abuse. Although the definition of ‘weak’ is often misconstrued as physical aptitude, it goes further to economic, political and social aspects which make one gender be at a disadvantage when it comes to equality within the social setting. Culturally responsive mechanisms are designed with the aim of accommodating the cultural, social and economic imbalances within the society and as such, only serve to sanitize the underlying power struggle faced by women within the society. The result is continued prevalence of instances of gender based violence, mental health, sexual abuse, substance abuse and risky sexual behavior by the abused parties which exposes more people to HIV infection. It is important that culturally responsive strategies to combat domestic violence adopt mechanisms advocated for by the feminist movement, the legal stipulations which would protect women from gender based violence and mechanisms to ensure that women in the Asian American societies have a voice through economic and political participation and empowerment (Verloo). Affirmative action which was effective in the United States should also be adopted within the Asian American communities.

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