Domestic Violence | VivirLatino

Posts Tagged ‘Domestic Violence’

Lunes Libro : The Revolution Starts at Home

18 Jul 2011

The Revolution Starts at Home, edited by Ching-In Cheng, Jai Dulani, & Leah Piepzna-Samarasinha and published by South End Press, is an anthology/handbook/reference based on a zine that breaks the dangerous silence surrounding the “open secret” of intimate violence—by and toward caretakers, in romantic partnerships, and in friendships—within social justice movements.

As an activist, a member of multiple communities, a survivor of violence, and as a mami, I was excited to sit and read this book after hearing and nodding along to excerpts at the packed NYC release at Bluestockings. My pareja and I also wanted to read it as a shared exercise in working through how some of the violence in our previous relationships (movement-wise and personal) impacted how we treated each other. Divided into four sections, the stories, strategies, interviews and poetry seek to confront what usually is spoken about in whispers – how we as people in social justice movements, especially women, transgender, genderqueer people of color deal and are dealt with when there is an issue of violence within our circles. There has been so much talk about safety, accountability and justice when we struggle against institutions and individuals outside of our movement(s) but not enough talk/action about what those same concepts look like, feel like, and how they play out inside. The Revolution Starts at Home seeks to change that.

Stats on Hate Crimes Against Latinos Likely Undercounted Due to Deportation Fears

11:59 am By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|Secure Communities|Women · 1 Comment

28 Feb 2011

In an interview with NotiMex, the Vice-President of the National Council of la Raza, Lisa Navarrete, said that the stats on hate crimes against Latinos are an underestimate and part of that is because many of the undocumented who are the targets of anti-Latino and anti-Latino attacks are afraid of being deported.

The FBI statistics have shown a decrease in hate crimes against Latinos. In 2007, there were 830 reported hate crimes against Latinos. In 2008 the number dropped to 792. In the last year that data is available for, 2009, the number of reported and recognized hate crimes against Latinos is 692.

The latest threat, especially to immigrant women, is hidden in a program with a misleading name, Secure Communities. According to a recent article in Women’s eNews :

While federal law protects crime victims from having to reveal their immigration status, if these victims are arrested or have been arrested in the past Secure Communities now discloses that.

This can affect victims in a scenario where a police officer arrives at the home and can’t communicate with the couple. Police may arrest both parties or even arrest the victim if the abuser speaks English and twists the series of events that led to the police call.

This is not theory. We have already seen it happen.

Quick Link: The Gender Problem of Deportation

12:26 pm By la Macha · Immigration|Violence|Women · 16 Comments

2 Nov 2010

From Cara at the Curvature comes the news of the latest deportation situation:

Last year, a woman named Maria Bolanos called the police during a domestic dispute with her partner, hoping that they would protect her. Now, as a result of that phone call and the subsequent interaction with police, because she is an immigrant who is undocumented, it is probable that she will be deported soon.

Last Christmas Eve, Maria Bolanos made a decision she would later regret: During a fight with her partner, she called the Prince George’s County police and sought their protection.

The call for help had disastrous consequences for Bolanos, a 28-year-old undocumented immigrant from El Salvador. Within months, she found herself ensnared in an increasingly controversial immigration enforcement program designed to deport undocumented criminals.

Bolanos now faces deportation and possible separation from her 21-month-old daughter, who was born here and is a U.S. citizen

.

It’s the never ending heartbreaking situation that so many women who are facing deportation are enduring. Arrested for being “illegal” instead of getting the protection they deserve. Deported instead of being helped. Blamed for the violence they neither created nor supported.

When will this ever end?

Open Petition Appealing to All Americans Who Care About Women, Children and Families Hurt By Domestic Violence

7:00 am By Maegan La Mala · Justice|Violence|Women · 3 Comments

26 Feb 2010

This from VL amiga Angeline Hassell:

Hello All,

There is a growing epidemic that is spreading at unexpected speeds……Domestic Violence! The people who are most affected by this are women and children.

I myself for one happen to be a woman and I happen to also be a victim of domestic violence which is why I started this petition.

Whether or not you have ever been involved in domestic violence, I am asking for your help in calling public attention to the needs of women, children and families that have been hurt by this heinous act that all too many times gets ignored once they enter the court system.

Please , sign this petition today

I am calling on individuals who oppose this heinous act to please sign the petition which is calling for New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg to hold the Judges, Law Guardians and abusers accountable for their actions. Yes domestic violence is a big issue, but if we are steadfast in making our complaints known and voices heard then they cannot continue to ignore us. I am appealing to women and yes the honorable men who absolutely oppose violent acts committed against women and children to please sign the petition. Men you have mothers, daughter’s, sisters and nieces. You would not condone this sort of behavior against the female members of your family so please help us to speak out against this and sign the petition.

All too many times Domestic Violence cost’s mother’s their children and their happiness and in extreme cases their lives.

1 in 4 women are victims of domestic violence
Bureau of Justice Statistics (Intimate Partner Violence) states that more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day.
More and more women are losing custody of their children to their abusers/batterers.
Most people believe that if its not in their household that domestic violence does not affect them but this is untrue.

HELP BREAK THE SILENCE!

Please, please sign the attached petition

Your support is needed whether or not you have been a victim of domestic violence.

Your signature is simply a sign that you care.

An Open Letter to NYC Mayor Bloomberg on Domestic Violence

1:58 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · children|Family|New York City|Women · 4 Comments

4 Dec 2009

This summer, I first wrote about Angeline Hassell and her struggle to be reunited with her daughter. Now, with Mayor Bloomberg elected to a controversial third term, a mother struggling within the family court system of NYC asks what he has done not just for her lately, but for the too many women and children caught within a web that promised to help them.

December 3rd, 2009

The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor, The City of New York
Office of the Mayor
New York, NY 10007

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,

I remember reading in a newspaper that you stated, “The reason you ran for Mayor is because there’s no other job where you can have such a direct and meaningful impact on the day to day lives of so many people.”

Back in 2005 I had written to your office regarding my situation which involves domestic violence and immediately you had someone from your Domestic Violence Taskforce Unit call me back. I bring this up to say this – you were the ONLY politician that responded at that time when I reached out regarding my case. To this day I still have the original letter that I sent to your office. You were extremely helpful because you wanted to make sure that my daughter and I were safe. Your administration has consistently been in the forefront to bring awareness to domestic violence and you have implemented many resources such as the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence and The Family Justice Center just to name a few.

Now here it is 2009 and it’s very unfortunate that after all of your taskforces efforts to ensure that my daughter and I
were safe that those efforts may have been in vain. I say this because we have been thrust right back into the very same situation that made me seek your assistance back in 2005 by the Queens Integrated Domestic Violence Court itself. I know neither you nor Chief Administrative Judge Lippman would ever condone what has happened in this case especially given your continued pledge in the fight against domestic violence and especially with Chief Judge Lippman’s wonderful efforts from January 1996 to May 2007 in how he led the implementation of nationally significant reforms and contributed to the creation of the domestic violence courts which were put in place to solve problems. I am positive that what is going on in my case is not what you or Judge Lippman had in mind. As Mayor of New York City you have always said, “That you will hold everyone accountable for their actions and that you will not uphold them when they are doing wrong.” Which is why I felt compelled to write you this open letter.
Read more…

The Story of Angeline Hassell : The Double Victimization of Survivor’s of Domestic Violence

11:05 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · children|Family|New York City|Violence|Women · 4 Comments

30 Sep 2009

Angeline’s story isn’t new to us here at VivirLatino. Her struggle to assert her mami rights and her struggle against violence perpetuated first by her partner than by the family court system here in NYC is something I’ve posted on before.

Here’s Angeline, in her own words, with her own voice speaking about domestic violence and not from a place of theory but from her own personal experience. Angeline goes back to court here in Queens, NYC on October 19th.

New York’s Family Court System fails brown women and children

6:55 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · children|Family|New York City|Women · 1 Comment

19 Aug 2009

PLEASE FOREWARD WIDELY.

On March 3rd, 2009, Aniysah was taken from her mother’s arms by New York’s Family Court System and placed in the care of Aniysah’s father who has a history of domestic violence offenses. Furthermore, there were no records verifying that she would be taken to a safe living environment or that she was enrolled in school. Questions about her health and well-being went unanswered. That was over 150 days ago. To date, Aniysah remains lost in the family court system. A system where black and brown children go missing every day. A system where black mothers like Aniysah’s are often left to fend for themselves in a brutal, dogged battle just to make sure their children are safe. On the surface, this case appears to be a simple custody dispute, however, if one digs deeper it is a story about the injustices of New York’s Family Court System and how it fails brown women and children daily and how it can be used to further terrorize and re-victimize survivors of domestic violence.

Read more…

Chris Brown is “Sorry”

5:17 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities|Controversia|society|Violence|Women · 1 Comment

21 Jul 2009

Embattled R&B star and woman beater Chris Brown has something to say: he’s sorry.

Damn right he’s sorry. One sorry excuse for a human being. But that’s just my opinion.

What do you think? Are you convinced by Brown’s apology? Should the world just let him get on with his life as Rihanna has? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Via / YouTube

Chris Brown Gets Dissed in New Song

6 Apr 2009

Chris Brown may be getting support from some camps, but from others he’s getting dissed for being a domestic abuser. A hip-hop group called Jump Smokers is serving up some musical justice on Brown in the form of a song called “My Flow So Tight Anti-Breezy (Chris Brown should get his ass kicked)”. The lyrics are scarce, but have a distinct message:

“Boy hits girl/Boy should be taken down/No matter who’s around…All the money in the world but that’s no excuse/Career suicide, yo, here’s the noose.”

EOnline reports that Jump Smokers has vowed that “a portion of the proceeds from the single will go to various organizations for battered women.”

Check out the song above and let us know what you think. Is this just a way to capitalize on a tragic incident or an important message for listeners?

Via / Yahoo Entertainment

PSA Uses Rihanna Incident as a Lesson for Teens

20 Mar 2009

While some people downplay the brutal beating suffered by pop star Rihanna at the hands of her boyfriend Chris Brown, one organization is looking to make an example of it.

Non-profit organization DoSomething has taken the transcript of Rihanna’s declaration to police after the beating and used it, word by word, to re-enact the incident in a PSA in an effort to warn teens about the dangers of dating abuse. Check out the video above and let us know what you think.

Via / Yahoo News

Older Entries

Scrying Nicki Minaj, Stupid Hoe, and #Afrofutures | Nuñez Daughter: [...] forest of things that seem to matter a lot–like fingers waving in presidential faces� [...]

Karen: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/09/120109fa_fact_auletta [...]

Karen: I just read this about Rubio. Let's see the GOP make him a VP nominee. LOL http://www.democraticu [...]

Martes Media Minute : Roe v. Wade Anniversary, Medicaid Mama y Midwife Victory, Cervical Cancer Awareness month, & Mala’s Mami Closeup, | VivirLatino: [...] last week’s liveblog of a conversation on cervical cancer and Latin@s, Bianca Laureano s [...]

Emiliano: thanks for your reviews. i feel like you tell it like you really feel. [...]

VivirLatino