The Survivor Restoration Program serves women of all ages and diverse backgrounds: 65% are Latinas, 24% are African American, 6.5% are Caucasian, and 4.5% Asian. (will verify these stats) The majority of our clients are mothers (87%). We have found a high incidence of violence among Latinas in San Francisco where many survivors of violence are undocumented and, as a result, may be reluctant to access services. We have focused additional resources to serve this population, in particular, because of their myriad of challenges including linguistic and cultural barriers, immigration issues, belief systems in the Latino community which can contribute to the violence and the lack of services for these women. All of our clients are low income, with many living below the Federal Poverty Level. Most lack adequate health care for themselves and their children.
A multitude of practical issues, such as financial dependence and inability to work legally, undoumented status or inaccessible community resources, also weigh heavily in preventing battered Latinas from leaving abusive relationships. The various obstacles presented by a woman being in the U.S. illegally cannot be overstated. A violent partner's abuse may extend to threatening to have her, or her children, deported, or to refusing to file papers to legalize her immigration status. He may threaten to or report her to the ICE/INS if she is working “under the table,” or may hide or destroy her important documents (e.g., a passport, ID card, or health insurance card). The partner may also lie about or perpetrate other emotional abuses related to her immigrant status. A woman facing these challenges or who lives in areas with small Spanish-speaking populations may be very socially isolated and/or prevented by her abuser from learning English, and may not be able to locate or access appropriate community-based domestic violence agencies offering culturally and linguistically competent services, if such services are available at all.
