Seeking to Destigmatize Domestic Violence in Houston’s South Asian Community

HOUSTON “There is so much silence in the South Asian community about abuse. While this is partly due to the person’s immigration status, women of South Asian descent often do not report violence because they are worried about how their story will affect their family and society. They don’t think about themselves.

There is a deep stigma against divorce, which in South Asian culture is seen not as a personal failure, but as a family failure. When one family member gets divorced, it can greatly affect the ability of his siblings or cousins ​​to marry. For lack of a better term, it becomes a stain on both men and women.

“It’s all about keeping the family together, not breaking it up when you’re actually in an abusive marriage. This family is already broken. So, the work we’re doing here is healing the family, and we’re doing it by reimagining what a family can look like,” said Rahna Khare, CEO of Daya.

In South Asian culture, you often deal with multiple bullies. This can be not only the spouse, but too often the husband’s relatives. Advocates say this applies to the vast majority of survivors they work with.

“They will turn to other agencies that may not be able to serve someone whose abuser is not their spouse but their mother-in-law, you know, and so our services become very necessary, and some of these cultural deep-rooted things, oh whom you speak; from dowry to arranged marriage, you know, it’s still very common in the homeland, as it is here,” Khare said.