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.
NYAWC provides practical resources in addition to the emotional assistance to enable survivors to reintegrate. They are emergency shelter, legal representation, housing, employment, and schooling. The organisation’s houses have children, which gives families in need a permanent and secure home. With this comprehensive set of services, survivors can both manage the short-term safety needs and provide the foundation for long-term stability and independence.
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.
Outreach and education is key to NYAWC’s work because it is essential to reduce the incidence of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking among Asian populations. The agency organizes workshops, seminars and public meetings to overturn culture that is silenced around abuse. By reaching out to local leaders, religious institutions and other community groups, NYAWC builds awareness among all of these groups that survivors matter and removes the stigma surrounding getting help.
The work of the organisation is supported by an engaged cadre of staff and volunteers, all with cultural competence and compassion. Most of their team members are immigrants or survivors themselves so they are authentic and relate to the clients. This peer-to-peer model of care builds trust and shows how lived experience fuels recovery and transformation. Training and development keep employees up-to-date with evolving issues in the workplace.
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.