Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

Filipinos in brokered marriages cited

Saying Asian women have one of the highest fatality rates in the US, a women’s organization is urging local and federal governments to include this group in current research on domestic violence.

"Demand that more research be conducted on Asian women and domestic violence," the National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) said in a statement.

"Data should be disaggregated by ethnic subgroups to give an accurate illustration of the prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities," it added.

The NAPAWF, the only national, multi-issue organization involved with Asian Pacific Islander women, held a conference in Las Vegas last Nov. 4 to discuss domestic violence against women in Asian communities.

The group was in the city to create awareness as well as drum up support for Asian women whom they cited as being at a high risk for domestic abuse. What makes the situation worse is the culture of silence among Asian communities that prevents victims from seeking help, the group said.

"Invisibility is not acceptable when the stakes are so high and the consequences are so harmful for Asian communities," the group said.

As such, they also encourage Asians to come forward and report incidents of abuse. At the same time, they are encouraging women to volunteer in helping fellow Asians who are victims of such violence.

At the conference last week, representatives from various Asian communities in Las Vegas were invited. These include leaders from the Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Filipino communities. They were invited to share their stories and other concerns about the situation of Asian women in the city.