The New York Asian Women’s Center (NYAWC) helps to bring much-needed support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking, mostly among the Asian immigrant communities in New York City. It tackles special problems of these groups, such as cultural stigma, language and institutional injustices that can render them all the more prone to failure. The organisation is highly aware of Asian cultures and makes services relevant to each community to the individual survivors’ circumstances so that they receive sensitive, culturally competent treatment.
At the heart of NYAWC’s services lies language diversity: the company provides services in more than a dozen Asian languages and dialects such as Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog and Hindi. Such multilinguality removes one of the biggest impediments to reaching out, so that survivors can be heard. Being able to speak with clients in their mother tongue builds trust and provides survivors with the sense that they are seen, heard and appreciated during some of their worst days.
Beyond linguistic help, NYAWC counters the loneliness that most survivors feel through intensive counselling and advocacy. It is also a time when survivors feel forced to keep quiet by family and society, often because of traumatic experience. As a place for survivors to be heard without judgment or retaliation, the company allows them to speak their own truth and start healing. Expert counsellors deliver trauma-sensitive treatment, which recognises the traumatic emotional and psychological consequences of abuse.
This is another pillar of NYAWC’s work. For many Asian immigrant survivors, the immigration issue overlaps with the abuse. NYAWC helps clients with all sorts of litigation from obtaining orders of protection to deciding on visa and immigration issues. It works with lawyers to make sure survivors know their rights and are able to get into the justice system. This advocacy removes the walls that keep survivors from coming forward to help in the first place.
Shelter and housing support is a vital part of NYAWC’s work because so many survivors live economically on their abusers. The centre houses victims in emergency and transitional accommodation, where they are allowed to re-enter their lives. Housing programmes should be culturally responsive and non-trivial, in which survivors have the feeling of belonging while gaining independence. In addition, NYAWC enlists clients in long-term housing stability to avoid relapse into abusive settings.
The power of money is one of NYAWC’s primary focus areas, as financial independence can be the difference between a survivor leaving an abusive relationship for good. The group offers job skills training, career courses and job placement assistance to make clients financially independent. In giving survivors skills for employment, NYAWC can help them take back their lives and develop a sustainable future for themselves and their families.
Another major area of work of NYAWC is outreach to Asian immigrant communities to help better understand how abuse plays out and what is on offer. Public workshops, education campaigns and culturally appropriate materials equip citizens to spot the signs of violence. They help not just survivors but also the community as a whole, to be responsible and preventative. Through involving men and boys as partners in these programs, the organisation addresses the source of gendered violence.
Collaboration with other institutions increases the reach of NYAWC’s work. Collaborations with healthcare providers, legal counsel and government agencies make survivor care seamless. Such partnerships allow the firm to respond to the complex requirements of its clients and promote structural change. NYAWC also advocates for policies to protect survivors’ rights and equal access to resources.
Cultural competence is still at the heart of NYAWC’s programmes. Since Asian diaspora have different histories and customs, the organisation tailors its offerings to celebrate those differences. From providing culturally relevant food in shelters to weaving reiki into therapy, NYAWC is committed to serving clients in a familiar and reassuring way. It does this both to make the services more efficient, and to show that the company values the integrity of each survivor and his or her dignity.
With its broad services and constant pursuit of equity and justice, the New York Asian Women’s Center is an ally for hundreds of survivors. Not only does it meet the immediate needs of victims of abuse but also the structural causes of violence cycles. NYAWC provides survivors with opportunities for safety, strength and change by raising awareness in communities.