This stereotype exists because women in abusive relationships are oftentime portrayed as undeducated, weak and ignorant. Immigrant women may have a harder time seeking help while in America due to language barriers, especially if their abuser speaks English and limits their contact with the outside world. If the woman is an ilegal immigrant, her abuser can threaten her with deportation if she threatens to leave. We don't have domestic violence here. The shelter is mostly always filled to capacity.
Domestic violence is everywhere.
Men can be abused as well, emotionally and physically. In the majority of abusive relationships, women are the targets, but abuse towards men in relationships does exsist. It is also very difficult for a woman to leave her abuser if she is economically dependent on her abuser, if she has children, if she lives in a rural area far away from any shelter, if she lives in a city and the shelters are full to capacity and she is on a waiting list and if her abuser threatens to kill her if she leaves. Leaving a violent relationship is extremely dangerous for women. It is not the woman's fault.