Throughout the years that KAN-WIN has been serving Asian American and immigrant sexual assault survivors, staff have uncovered numerous obstacles such as extreme shame felt by survivors and language barriers when dealing with law enforcement. Furthermore, while KAN-WIN has received numerous calls on its crisis hotline from sexual assault survivors, many callers struggled to follow through with services afterwards. There was a growing need to explore the barriers Asian immigrant survivors faced in receiving services and learn about the prevalence of sexual violence in the community. There has been, however, very limited research on sexual violence in the Asian American and immigrant community.
Thus, KAN-WIN launched this survey project with the goals to: 1) determine the prevalence of sexual violence within the target community; 2) explore how its community members understand the dynamics surrounding the issue of sexual violence; 3) examine barriers to seeking help and safety, and 4) identify more effective, culturally competent methods of prevention, intervention, and advocacy on behalf of sexual violence survivors. KAN-WIN hopes that this survey can encourage more studies and research to be conducted to improve assistance towards Asian American and immigrant sexual assault survivors.
Related Resources
Exploring the Cultural Contexts of Consent in AANHPI Communities
AANHPI communities tend to be collective in nature, as well as hierarchical, to varying degrees. Both contexts complicate the concepts of consent and boundaries, especially for AANHPI youth and young adults, who often do not have opportunities to learn about the taboo...
Centering AANHPI Survivors: Recommendations for Campus and Title IX Administrators
This summary report lifts up the experiences and needs of Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students and staff who face dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, or sexual harassment on campus. While focused on experiences of survivors on college campuses, the findings and recommendations may also have implications for AANHPI students in the context of K-12 schools. Many thanks to the AANHPI survivors and advocates who were willing to share their experiences and insists with API-GBV!
Webinar for Advocates and Adult Allies! Sexual Harassment & AAPI Teens
Do you know what signs to look for and what steps to take if a teen or young adult encounters sexual or other harassment in the workplace? At the EEOC, we have seen that young workers at their first jobs can be especially vulnerable to harassment whether due to sex, national origin and other characteristics. Make a difference in the lives of the Asian and Pacific Islander teens and young adults you serve by learning how to recognize and refer cases, and understanding the role you can play to address workplace sexual harassment.
Presented by EEOC San Francisco. Hosted by API-GBV.
How To Make Sure Immigrant Women Aren’t Left Out of Me Too
We need policies that ensure that all workers, whether they are employees or contractors, have access to safety and justice in the workplace.
Sexual Violence in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities, 2018
Research and data on sexual abuse in Asia and in the U.S, community-specific abuse, child sex abuse, sexual abuse among young adults, and help-seeking & services.
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in the Pacific Islander Community, 2017
Erin Thomas, Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP)
An overview of the geographical, historical, ethno-linguistic, and cultural diversity of Pacific Islander communities; historical trauma; and GBV trends.
by KAN-WIN
May 2017