She didn't speak English. She didn't know the way things worked here. And Maria, an undocumented immigrant at the time, figured that if she said anything, she and perhaps her eight children would be deported. Her husband had prepared immigration papers for her but had yet to send in the application. It became another source of control.
Violence happens between intimate partners, regardless of culture or ethnicity.
Last year, one in eight Oregon women from age 18 to 64 was a victim of physical abuse. As a result, a subcommittee of the council is considering a study of the specific needs of women of color. And a recent forum marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month focused specifically on domestic and sexual violence in the Latino community, the state's fastest-growing and largest minority population. Portland come from rural areas in their country. Some have little education and are poor.