Maria Pesantez

Mexican American Culture

Domestic Violence in Mexican American Families
August 5, 2015

Are you afraid of your partner, boyfriend, husband or your father? The most of you would say no
right but for 1 of 4 Mexican American Woman the answer would be very different some of them
would say yes and others cannot not even answer. The problem that I want to address in this
paper is domestic violence in Mexican American Families.
But first what is domestic violence?
We define domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behaviour in any relationship that is used by
one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic
violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of
actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviours that intimidate, manipulate,
humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.
Physical Abuse: Hitting, slapping, shoving, grabbing, pinching, biting, hair pulling, etc are types
of physical abuse. This type of abuse also includes denying a partner medical care or forcing
alcohol and/or drug use upon him or her.
Sexual Abuse: Coercing or attempting to coerce any sexual contact or behavior without consent.
Sexual abuse includes, but is certainly not limited to, marital rape, attacks on sexual parts of the
body, forcing sex after physical violence has occurred, or treating one in a sexually demeaning
manner.

Emotional Abuse: Undermining an individual's sense of self-worth and/or self-esteem is

abusive. This may include, but is not limited to constant criticism, diminishing one's abilities,
name-calling, or damaging one's relationship with his or her children.
Economic Abuse: Is defined as making or attempting to make an individual financially
dependent by maintaining total control over financial resources, withholding one's access to
money, or forbidding one's attendance at school or employment.
Psychological Abuse: Elements of psychological abuse include - but are not limited to - causing
fear by intimidation; threatening physical harm to self, partner, children, or partner's family or
friends; destruction of pets and property; and forcing isolation from family, friends, or school
and/or work.
Who is affected by Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or
gender. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education
levels. Domestic violence occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships and can
happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, or dating.
Domestic violence not only affects those who are abused, but also has a substantial effect on
family members, friends, co-workers, other witnesses, and the community at large. Children,
who grow up witnessing domestic violence, are among those seriously affected by this crime.
Frequent exposure to violence in the home not only predisposes children to numerous social and
physical problems, but also teaches them that violence is a normal way of life - therefore,
increasing their risk of becoming society's next generation of victims and abusers (Sources: U.S.

Department of Justice, National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Center for Victims of
Crime, and WomensLaw.org.).
Hispanic or Mexican American community is not far from this statistics knowing in class and the
media that Mexico is one of the most violent country against woman and also that this Machista
behaviour is normal and accepted not only for woman but for the criminal justice system, in
Mexican cities like Juarez be a woman is been a constantly risk. But what is really happened In
Mexico and how this affect Mexican Americans behivior

According with Gab Chaparro

Steeped in Machista
Mexico is a country steeped in patriarchal tradition, says Gab, a machista background where
men are strength and women are love. Children grow up in these families, hearing of womens
obligations to their husbands, phrases that always start with you have to.
On top of that, children never see action taken against violence, and grow up with it
normalised, and even glorified, as rich drug cartels set a terrible example of what can be
achieved through violence.
The vicious cycle repeats itself through the generations, and there is no escape.
No matter how hard you study, travel or prepare yourself, as soon as you fall in love, all of this
is put to one side so you can make a family.
Women's 'Place' in Society

The low social status of women in Mexico has a huge impact on their situation. Women who
want to work are subjected to pregnancy tests, with a positive result eliminating them from the
selection.
Also disregarded are overweight women, women with tattoos, those who have recently married,
and those without a university qualification. Even after all this, and with qualifications, women
are never paid as much as men, and in instances of sexual harassment, it is the woman, not the
man, who loses the job.
On top of that, women with advanced qualifications like PhDs can sometimes receive a higher
wage, but when men are not the provider, it makes men feel emasculated, and the shame
associated with this often leads to separation or divorce.
Women Are Responsible for the Family's Honour
Another tradition is the notion that women are the bearers of not just their own honour, but that
of their families too. They uphold it and can ruin it. By damaging their own reputation, they also
detrimentally affect that of all her family. A woman's appearance and behaviour are paramount,
and her reputation hangs on what people are saying about her.
Verbal insults directed at a female family member by others, can lead to serious domestic
violence being committed. A brother, father, or another male relation in the family have been
known to beat, or kill the woman in question. This is to purge the familys name from her
disgrace.
Several Mexican regions have legal loopholes which allow for reduced sentencing in cases
of violence, or murder to avenge family honour. Prison sentences can vary from three
days to five years.

Women Lack Support from Authorities and Criminal Justice System

In Mexican culture, women are usually targeted and blamed for the violence committed against
them. The local authorities have been known to denounce rape victims as prostitutes. Not only
does this nullify any criminal complaint against the assailant, it can also endanger the life of the
woman.
Many victims of rape and violence never come forward, for fear of tarnishing their family
name. In addition, women are often told that they did something to deserve it, and the
perpetrators are never prosecuted.
Part of the problem is that domestic violence is pervasive in Mexico. This is exacerbated by the
rate of alcohol consumption, and there are no legal measures to help or protect victims. For
example, there are no restraining orders against an abusive spouse. And in some cases, when a
man is notified by the police that his wife has reported him for assault, he goes home and beat
her harder, or even kills her.
The fear of reprisal can prevent a woman from speaking out.
According to UN Women, 1,858 women were killed across Mexico in 2009, which was up by
500% from 2007. However, the levels of violence against women are unknown as the
government of Felipe Caldern collected no official statistics.
Gab explains that the anti-statistics law was passed to combat false figures. This was a result of a
combination of factors, such as corrupt organisations and unreliable sources. There are also
issues with underreporting from victims, and many media publications have stopped reporting
cases after journalists were threatened.

She says, however, that the lack of support from the authorities for cases they view as minor
issues has forced some women to exaggerate or lie about events, in an attempt to secure help or
even asylum abroad. This both skews the statistics and leaves other women with less serious
complaints without police resources.
Authorities Cover Up Violent Crimes against Women
Some critics think it has more to do with appearances. As cases of violence began to draw
international news coverage, the Mexican government did not look like it had control over the
situation, and may have resorted to hiding the truth to protect its reputation.
One example is Ciudad Juarez, a city near the U.S. border which was reported in the foreign
press in the 90s after massacres left dozens of women dead. Foreign governments and
organisations called for new policies to fight crime. However, it was in the news again recently
as mass graves were discovered in a valley near the city.
This international attention is negative for the Mexican government, which had promised
to lower the high murder rate and so cannot risk looking incompetent.
Gab argues that in cases that receive international press attention, the victims have been
threatened by the government in an attempt to keep them quiet.
By speaking publicly about their case, they are giving Mexico a bad name. Meanwhile,
the government denies that there is a crisis to hide its inefficiency in combating crime.
Maria de la Luz Estrada, a womens rights activist, agrees, saying there is a pattern of violence
against women, and the authorities are doing everything to deny this is happening instead of
working to stop the killings of women.

The lack of information surrounding the problem makes the situation worse. Gab explains that
they are living in an unreal world, where they have no notion of the extent of the problem we
are facing.
If they cant measure the problem, they cant begin to counter it.
Judiciary, Bribery and Vested Interests
The government is not the only authority to be accused of corruption. The local authorities and
judiciary services have come under fire as well. Gab explains that poor wages among the
workers at the bottom of the ladder, leave open opportunities for bribery.
At the same time, the people running the system often have a vested interest in one outcome or
another, for political or personal reasons. She says the system is based on mutual favours, and
not justice.
A recent case of judicial inaction was an unnamed woman who went to the police to report that
she was raped by a bus driver, Csar Librado. She identified him and his bus route, but no action
was taken. Librado went on to rape and kill eight other women in his bus, before a nationwide
media campaign finally forced the authorities to arrest him.
Even the few women in positions of power are doing little to further the cause women in
Mexico.
Gab explains that they seem to only have their own interests at heart, and are more often seen
posing naked for magazines than campaigning for equal rights.
Corruption in the Charitable Sector Makes Women Wary

Some charities meant to be helping women have also been accused of corruption and selfinterest. They rub shoulders with corrupt governors, and often have no accountability for
donations made to them. Gab says that donations made to charities are tax-deductible, so some
organisations are thought to exist purely for tax-evasion purposes. On top of that, donations often
pay for exorbitant salaries to activists, or get diverted to other causes.
According to her, these organisations have a negative effect on the problem, as they distract
attention away from the cause, and leave the people who need it without any help.
These people only hear promises, but they never see or receive anything.
The women who do want to help make a difference often go unnoticed.
The Effect of Women Living in Fear
All of this has a negative effect on the situation of Mexican women. They live in fear of
upsetting their families and of violent reprisals in their homes and communities.
It also affects their health, with breast cancer, diabetes, and obesity on the rise.
Some also vent their frustration in the direction of their children, which aggravates the vicious
cycle. Many women seek refuge or asylum abroad, where at least they and their children can be
safe.
Education and Awareness are Tools to Fight Inequality
To address the need for gender equality, Gab echoes the keyword from womens organisations:
education.

She thinks that young people are more open, as the digital age is changing the information they
receive. This will hopefully allow them to learn, change and act upon what they know to become
better citizens.
However, she thinks it would take years for any major changes, as the older, conservative
generations are set in their traditional ways.
Quicker changes can be brought about by raising awareness of the problems, and their
solutions. The authorities could work on better crime prevention methods and punishment
for assailants. This would set a better example of the consequences of violence. These
changes could be brought about by compromising between respect for traditions and
modernisation.
She says that the current problem is worsened because nobody has tried to understand and help
the people, who live in the villages of Mexico. The people inhabit the bottom end of the social
scale, and are the section of society that suffers the most. However, their issues are not taken into
account by policy makers or charities.
Nobody has tried to get to know the real women and children who are being affected by
this wave of violence.
How we see in those articles and in class we are what we have thought and what we bring from
our own culture and if this is normal for woman in a society is not big difference when they
move to a different location, they think that thats is the right thing to do and they still doing the
same this is what is happening in Latinos communities the statistic are pretty scary.
Hispanics

The rate of intimate partner violence for Hispanic women, like women of other races, peaked at
ages 20-24.
Overall, the victimization rates of Hispanic women peaked at lower levels than non-Hispanic
women in every age group, but spread over a wider range of ages.
(Estimates are provided from the National Crime Victimization Survey, which defines an intimate partner as a current or former spouse, girlfriend, or boyfriend. Violent

acts include murder, rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault.) Callie Marie Rennison, U.S. Dep't of Just., NCJ 187635,Intimate Partner

Violence and Age of Victim, 1993-1999, at 4, (2001), available a thttp://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/ipva99.htm

According to the Texas Council on Family Violence:

77% of all Hispanic Texans indicate that either they, a family member and/or a friend have
experienced some form of domestic violence, indicating that approximately 5.2 million Hispanic
Texans are personally affected by the epidemic of domestic violence. If the current prevalence
rates remain the same, by the year 2030, more than 12.2 million Hispanic Texans could be
personally affected by domestic violence.
64% of all Hispanic Texans indicate that they or a member of their family have experienced at
least one form of domestic violence in their lifetime.
36% of all Hispanic Texans report being severely abused in their lifetime.
2 out of every 5 Hispanic Texas females (39%) reported experience severe abuse.
1 out of every 5 Hispanic Texas females (18%) reported being forced to have sex against their
will.
40% of Hispanic Texans who reported experiencing at least one form of domestic violence took
no action.

63% of all Hispanic Texans recall recent communications concerning domestic violence.
50% of all Hispanic Texans believe domestic violence is caused by circumstances beyond the
batterers control showing that the Hispanic Texas community needs more information on
domestic violence.
82% of all Hispanic Texans believe that it is never appropriate to stay in an abusive relationship,
yet 46% acknowledge that leaving an abusive relationship can be more dangerous than staying.
83% of all Hispanic Texans agree that a husband who abuses his wife is more likely to also abuse
his children; yet only 47% indicate a belief that domestic violence passes from generation to
generation.
86% of all Hispanic Texans report that they would vote for a candidate who helps domestic
violence victims. They are the ethnic group most likely to indicate such.
That is Texas one of the lager Mexican American community and the difference in other states
like California or Utah are not different
According with Domestic Violence in the Hispanic Community
By Julieta Barcaglioni, Greenville Shelter Counselor, Safe Harbor
Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of physical, psychological or sexual abuse, threats,
intimidation, isolation or economic coercion used by one person to exert power and control over
another person in the context of an intimate relationship.
Domestic violence is a devastating reality in our communities and in our world today. Domestic
violence affects 1 in every 4 women in the United States. A case is reported every minute in this
country, and it is estimated that a woman is abused every 9 seconds. Also, statistics show that

domestic violence is the main cause of injury to women more than car accidents, muggings and
rapes combined.
Domestic violence is just as serious and prevalent in the Hispanic community as it is with other
racial and ethnic groups. Like other victims, Hispanic victims face important internal and
external barriers to leave an abusive relationship. These barriers include: hope that the abuser
will change or that the abuse will stop, embarrassment or shame, financial dependence on the
abuser, fear of emotional and physical retaliation if they leave, lack of supportive relationships,
hopelessness, and guilt among many others.
Hispanic victims, however, also face additional unique challenges when seeking help and
addressing their domestic violence relationship, making their situations even more complex.
Some of these barriers are discussed below. Even though native-born Hispanic victims and
immigrant Hispanic victims face differing challenges, they are grouped together in this article for
purposes of simplification.
While it is a common tactic for an abuser to isolate the victim, the victims isolation in the
Hispanic community may be intensified by a language barrier. Lack of English proficiency can
prevent victims from adequately knowing what kinds of resources are available to help them
leave their relationships. A limited knowledge of English can pose a barrier for the victim to
understand exactly what the services entail and how to access them. Also, it is important to note
that community outreach and education for Spanish-speaking victims of domestic violence is
almost non-existent. Few materials are created specifically for Latinas or even translated into
Spanish, making the language barrier much more real and difficult to overcome.

Another common tactic to gain power and control is constant threats and intimidation. Within the
Hispanic community, the threat of deportation is a powerful and intimidating control scheme and
is, again, very difficult to overcome. Lack of knowledge about their rights and immigration law
creates great worry and anxiety for victims, who are very often controlled with their abusers
threats to contact USCIS. Abusers may make threats like you will be deported, the
government will take the children, or the children will be given to me. A study of
undocumented female immigrants found that for 64 percent of Hispanic victims, fear of
deportation was a primary barrier to seeking help from service agencies. Many studies have
shown that there are psychological and socio-economic stressors associated with immigration
that increases the risk for domestic violence. A study by the National Latino Alliance for the
Elimination of Domestic Violence found that 48 percent of Latinas reported that their partners
violence had increased since they immigrated to the United States (2010:1-3).
Another difficult barrier for Hispanic victims to overcome is related to being part of a culture
where family and community are a central component. Liliana Espondaburu, from Casa de
Esperanza, states: A Latinas sense of responsibility, culture and love for her family ground her.
Leaving her family, going to a shelter, and living without this support is overwhelmingly difficult
and brings enormous loss. [] A Latina mothers strong sense of responsibility for her children
would probably cause her to choose not to enter such a shelter and separate her family. Services
that the domestic violence system offers as resources may actually be, for Latinas,
insurmountable barriers (Latino Families and Domestic Violence 2003:35-36). Given these
strong family values, many Latinas believe that families are supposed to stay together no matter
what and that children are supposed to grow up with two parents. Many think that a Latina who
cannot keep her family together is a failure. In fact, it is very important to note that, in Mexico, a

law called abandono de hogar (abandonment of home) punishes women who leave their
homes, even to flee violence. Women convicted of abandoning the home often lose custody of
their children. Some Mexican women who immigrate to the U.S. erroneously believe that this
same law applies here (Latinas and Domestic Violence, www.mujereslatinasenaccion.org).
Though abuse exists in all kinds of families, Hispanic victims who face domestic violence have
particular needs culturally, linguistically, and legally. To better address these issues, research
and intervention strategies need to take into consideration the unique needs of this particular
group. For example, factors such as a strong orientation towards family must be a central
component to culturally competent and effective domestic violence programs. Also, Hispanic
immigrant survivors of domestic violence should receive information regarding their rights under
the provisions of the Violence against Women Act. Our society needs to know that, regardless of
immigration status, victims of domestic violence have legal rights to shelter, restraining orders,
and other services that can help them break away from their domestic violence relationships.
What is happening in Utah?
I interview one of my friends Diana Villegas She was victim of domestic violence in 2010 She is
a Mexican immigrant from Mexico City who come to USA undocumented when she was 2 years
old. In 2008 She started dating Francisco Sencion a Mexican migrant from Jalisco and they have
a Mexican American kid in 2010 , after the baby was born he started to change calling her
names like fatty or ugly , the abuse was verbal in the beginning, and He started controlling her
phone , her friends , her clouding and He continued for months after the abuse started been
physic .She was so embarrassing to speak out , because he always said to her that She did not
have family here and that He call kill her and nobody is going to know and care. And if she goes

to the police they would take the baby away from her and she would get deported to Mexico and
thats why she did not call the police in several occasions.
One time they were fighting and a lady next door call the police and they arrived in minutes. he
was arrested and he was taken to the hospital with a insure after social workers talk to her in
Spanish and she could see that they would help her she agreed to talk about everything , she was
taking to the shelter and there she got more assisted, after weeks He went to court and charged
with domestic violence, and he was sentence to 2 years in jail and deported to Mexico , She in
the other hand was provided with food housing and she qualify for a visa u for victims of
domestic violence , now she is living happily with her kid and working legally.
What to do in this cases?
According with Alexandra Trujillo worker at West Valley advocate woman services in the
Hispanic community is very common to see woman who call the police and they husband are
arrested and they never take more action until something really bad happened ( in Utah there is 2
murders a month related with domestic violence).
After a woman calls the police and the aggressor is arrested the victim needs to put a protective
order to her protection and her family.
The police department would contact her immediately and provide her with bases needs as
shelter and make her do paper work to get financial assistant if they qualify they wont pay for
medical bills and they can get up to 10000 dollar to move out of her place and find other place
to stay.
If the woman legal status is no status they help to get applications to a U visa that would
provide her a legal status.

The help in Utah is very baste and a victim can find help in their own language Trujillo says.
My solution to this problem and how to finance it?
The only solution that I come out with is speak out, woman dont let no one to hurt your feelings
and never let an aggressor do it not even ones. Dont teach your kids that get hurt or beat is
normal , not wait until is too late and out of control to do something , sometimes the aggressor
does not know that his behavior is bad because thats the way he was teach , if that is your
situation look for help !
There are some classes and therapy here in the valley that help abused woman to understand
what the domestic violence and how to control these situations, they are free, there is one at West
Jordan court on Thursdays at 5 pm. You dont have to pay anything and you dont have to give
your real name, and it is in Spanish.
My solution is get into this classes, and organized abused women to share their testimony and be
volunteers to domestic violence programs I would also organize woman to share their stories in
the media, using Facebook, tweeter, to other people see how brave there are to be a survivor and
get other woman to do the same and get out of dangerous relations.

Work Cited
Barcaglioni, Julieta. According with Domestic Violence in the Hispanic
Community. 2004. August/3/2015.Web.
Hispanics Texas Council on Family Violence, Statistics. August 4,
2015.Web.
Trujillo, Alexandra. West Valley Domestic Violence. July/20 /2015.
Interview.
Latinas and Domestic Violence. Mujeres Latinas en accion . 2008.
August 4, 2015.Web.
Villegas, Diana. Victim of domestic violence August/1/ 2015. .
Interview.
Trujillo, Alexandra. West Valley Domestic Violence. July/20 /2015.
Interview.
What is Domestic Violence.National Domestic Violence Hotline,
National Canter for Victims of Crime, and WomensLaw.org. August /1/
2015.Web