*Content Note: domestic and emotional abuse*
I never thought it could happen to me. As a child, I grew up in a fairly safe, upper-middle-class community. I found myself doing an excessive amount of extracurriculars and was always well-taken care of by loving parents. I am Guyanese, but I’ve never visited Guyana nor resonated with the stereotypes that plague our community. Although I am aware of the intergenerational barriers of domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health, I never pictured myself intimately interacting with each. I can name so many women who have been killed or abused extensively by domestic partners but have never truly felt their stories within the depths of my heart—until now.
I met my abuser in September of 2018. Naive and gullible, I loved the bad-boy persona he exuded and the overwhelming wannabe ‘gangster’ persona he portrayed. I found myself confused at first, knowing this wouldn’t be a man that my parents would embrace. I played along, listening to story after story of his time spent in jail, his ex-girlfriend’s parents hating him and kicking him out of their home at the tender age of 14, and we laughed the severity of his actions off.
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I am culpable for blanketing the grimness of the situation because after all, I saw a future with him, right? I quickly realized just how wrong I was. His rage was frequent, violent, and aggressive. He would force me to apologize, threaten to ‘violate,’ and insult me, turning the deepest secrets I shared with him into ammunition. He quickly commanded control of my social media, rectifying his authority by claiming that was what “a stable relationship” was like.
On the worst nights of my life, he forced me to slit my skin in anger and during the early stages, threatened to call my parents and reveal our relationship if I didn’t press the glass against myself. I caved, wearing the defeat on my skin, on that night and still to this day. He forced me to eat a tissue on another occasion, simply stating that I “had no right to be crying or wiping my tears” and that a tissue “wouldn’t kill me, I was just being dramatic.” I constantly found myself expressing aggression towards my friends, family, and those I loved.
I isolated myself from them, lost my confidence, and often stuttered as I spoke, a far cry from the girl who loved public speaking before this wave of terror hit. I always wanted to leave but didn’t know how to. I defended him in the face of my family, protecting him from their judgemental glares and assumptions.
[Read Related: Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Breaking Free from Generations of Abuse]
On the night he tried to kill me, I was ignoring him. I didn’t want him bothering me because my cousin was getting married and I didn’t want my family to meet him. He somehow tracked me and showed up, directing me to a dark street corner where he proceeded to strangle me.
I was never hit as a child, nor was I physically punished. I was astounded that this was the first time someone had ever put their hands on me in anger. The magnitude of this night and his abuse was something I never truly grasped until I decided I was done with our relationship.
Victim blaming is real, especially in our community. His friends (both male and female) ridiculed me, laughing his vile actions off. My father blamed me, too, for “loving an idiot” and for “embarrassing him,” but later realizing his faults and the lasting implications of the stereotype he branded me with, in anger. I lost myself and the girl I once was in the face of all the hate I received for being a victim of abuse.
There is something to be said about the frustrating reaction of police to domestic violence. I was interviewed by 3 officers who initially promised me safety and the issuance of a warrant, but nothing was done. My report was essentially discarded and no further action was taken. After exhausting every single domestic violence line in NYC, I finally gave a report. It took me days of tears, frustration, and angst to realize that although women are constantly blamed for not going to the police, many do.
[Read Related: Private: Learning to Listen: Volunteering Domestic and Sexual Abuse Survivors]
In instances where women have been critically injured or killed by their abusive partners, there is often a communal assumption that the woman did not try to leave, or seek legal help. The truth is, the system can be exhausting. Police simply are not receptive to our pain and immediate needs as abused women. A 3-5 day wait time should not be a reality for someone who has received numerous death threats, is being stalked and repeatedly harassed online, regardless of whether the threats were validated. Our community needs to do better, as a collective and I hope this story helps procure change.
As for myself, I am currently on the path to recovery. It is important to own the independence in affirming your truth after a year of being told you were a lie. I’ve always been the narrator for stories that aren’t mine, however, the anonymity of this article allows me to share my truth in my light, from my heart.
I hope that these words reach the gullible girl that I was, loving a man that didn’t deserve the peace I’ve attained. I hope it protects more women who are currently undergoing the thralls of an abusive partner. I hope we can rise up as a community and bring on the necessary changes to our society and its definition of abuse. Although change is inevitable, this change is integral in protecting our women and children from partners who justify their torture in the name of love.
If you suspect you or someone you love is experiencing abuse, the following South Asian organizations are available for assistance:
SOUTH ASIAN RESOURCES BY STATE
ALABAMA
AshaKiran
P.O. Box 1021, Huntsville, AL 35807
24-hour Hopeline: (256)-509-1882 and toll-free crisis line: (800)-793-3010
Email: ashakiran@ashakiran.com
Phone: (256) 698–4446
Website: ashakiranonline.org/
ARIZONA
ASAFSF, Arizona South Asians for Safe Families
P.O. Box 2748, Scottsdale, AZ 85252-2748
Hotline: 1-877-SAFE-711 (1-877-723-3711)
Email: info@asafsf.org, asafsf@gmail.com
Website: asafsf.org
ASAFSF is a registered, nonprofit, community-based organization providing support and services to victims of domestic violence in the South Asian community in Arizona.
CALIFORNIA
Maitri
P.O. Box 697 Santa Clara, CA 95052
Helpline (888) 8 MAITRI (800.862.4874) Mon- Fri 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Office: (408) 436 8398
Fax: (408) 503 0887
Email: maitri@maitri.org
Website: maitri.org
Cultural displacement, conflict resolution, and domestic Violence – Transitional House services available.
Narika
P.O. Box 14014
Berkeley, CA 94714
Hotline: (800) 215 7308
Office: (510) 540 0754
Fax: (510) 540 0201
Email: narika@narika.org
Website: http://www.narika.org
DV organization
Orphans & Battered Women Foundation International, Inc.
2680 N. Vista Glen Road
Orange, CA 92867-1739
Office: (714) 637 1613
Fax: (323) 725 6969
Sahara
17918 South Pioneer Blvd. Suite 206
Artesia, CA 90701
Hotline: (888) 724 2722
Office: (562) 402 4132
Fax: (562) 402 6096
Email: saharaorg@yahoo.com
Website: charityfocus.org/sahara
DV organization
My Sahana
P.O. Box 361301
Milpitas, CA 95036-1301
Office: (408) 657 9569
Website: mysahana.org
Awareness about mental health, emotional health, and overall well-being in the South Asian community by providing culturally-sensitive information as well as helpful resources and tips.
South Asian Network
18173 South Pioneer Blvd. Suite 1
Artesia, CA 90701
Helpline: (800) 281 8111
Office: (562) 403-0488
Fax: (562) 403 0487
Email: saninfo@southasiannetwork.org
Website: southasiannetwork.org
Trikone
P.O. Box 14161
San Francisco, CA 94414
Voicemail: (415) 487 8778
Email: trikone@trikone.org
Website: trikone.org
Serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender South Asians.
CONNECTICUT
Sneha
P.O. BOX 271650
West Hartford, CT 06127-1650
GEORGIA
Raksha, Inc.
P.O. Box 12337 Atlanta, Georgia – 30355
Office: (404) 876 0670
Toll-Free: (866) 725 7423
Toll-Free: (877) 672 5742
Helpline: (404) 842 0725
Fax: (404) 876-4525
Email: raksha@mindspring.com
Website: raksha.org
DV organization
ILLINOIS
Apna Ghar
4753 N. Broadway, Suite 502 Chicago, IL 60640
Crisis line: (800) 717 0757 Illinois only
Out of State: (773)334 4663
Office: (773) 334 0173
Fax: (773) 334 0963
Email: info@apnaghar.org
Website: apnaghar.org
DV organization – shelter services available.
Hamdard Center
228 E. Lake Street, Suite 300
Addison, IL 60101
Office: (630) 835 1430 (630) 860 9122
Email: admin@hamdardcenter.org
Website: hamdardcenter.org
Khuli Zaban
Chicago/Illinois/ Ohio/Michigan/Indiana areas
Phone: (312) 409 2753
The South Asian/Middle Eastern lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women’s organization.
MARYLAND
ASHA Asian (Women’s) Self- Help Association
P.O. Box 34303
West Bethesda, MD 20827
Hotline: (800) 799 7233
Office: (202) 207 1248
Email: asha@ashaforwomen.org
Website: ashaforwomen.org
DV organization.
Counselors Helping Asian Indians (CHAI, Inc.)
4517 Redleaf Court
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Office: (410) 461 1634 Ext 2
Email: raziachai@hotmail.com
MASSACHUSSETTS
Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence
24 Hour Multilingual Hotline: (617)338-2355
Email: info@atask.org
Website: atask.org
Saheli
P O Box 1345
Burlington, MA 01803
Office: (866) 4SAHELI
Website: saheliboston.org
MICHIGAN
Michigan Asian Indian Family Center (MAIFS)
28650 11 Mile Rd Suite 218 Farmington Hills, MI 48336
Hotline: (888) 664 8624
Office: (248) 477 4985
Email: info@maifs.org
Website: maifs.org/
Helping DV victims, widowed/divorced spouses, mental depression, and medical illness patients, and elderly persons.
NEW JERSEY
Manavi
P.O. Box 3103 New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Office: (732) 435 1414
Fax: (732) 435 1411
Email: Manavi@manavi.org
Website: manavi.org
DV organization, transitional house services available.
NEW YORK
Womankind
24-Hour Multilingual Helpline: 1.888.888.7702
9 Mott Street, Suite #200
New York, NY 10013
Monday, Wednesday-Friday: 9 am-6 p.m.
Tuesday: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Islamic Center of Long Island, Domestic Violence Committee
835 Brush Hollow Road
Westbury, NY 11590
Office: (516) 333 3495
Fax: (516) 333 7321
Email: icli.icli@verizon.net
Pragati
11-45 Union Turnpike, Lower Level
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Office: (516) 487 0929
Fax: (718) 459 2971
Email: pragatiinc@aol.com
Saathi of Rochester
P.O. Box 92
East Rochester, NY 14445
Office: (585) 234 1050
Email: saathi_rochester@yahoo.com
Website: saathiofrochester.org
Sakhi for South Asian women
P.O. Box 20208
Greeley Square Station
New York, NY, 10001
Helpline: (212) 868 6741
Office: (212) 714 9153
Fax: (212) 5648745
Email: contactus@sakhi.org
Website: sakhi.org
NORTH CAROLINA
KIRAN
1012 Oberlin Rd, Raleigh NC, 27605
Office phone: 919-831-4203
Office fax: 919-839-6203
24/7 Crisis Hotline: 1-877-NC-KIRAN
Email: kiran@kiraninc.org
Website: www.kiraninc.org
DV organization – Promote the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner.
OHIO
ASHA- Ray of Hope
4900 Reed Road, Suite 300, Columbus Ohio 43220
Email: asharayofhope@sbcglobal.net
Office number: 614-326-2121
Helpline number: 614-565-2918 (24/7)
OREGON
South Asian Women’s Empowerment and Resources Alliance (SAWERA)
P.O. Box 91242 Portland, OR 97291-0242
Helpline: (503) 778 7386
Office: (503) 641 2425
Email: sawera@sawera.org
Website: sawera.org
DV organization provides free referrals to South Asian women domestic violence (DV) victims seeking shelter, legal help, job placement, childcare, and counseling.
PENNSYLVANIA
Service and Education for Women Against Abuse (SEWAA)
P.O. Box 1591 Havertown, PA 19083
Office (215) 62 – SEWAA
Email: sewaa@sewaa.net
Website: sewaa.net
TEXAS
Asians Against Domestic Abuse (AADA)
P.O. Box. 420776 Houston TX 77242
Office (713) 339 8300
Email: info@addainc.org
Website: aadainc.org
DV help to all Asian women
An-Nisa’ Hope Center
P. O. Box 1086, Spring, TX 77383-1086
Tel: (713) 339-0803 Fax: (281) 719-0355
Email: info@annisahopecenter.org
Website: annisahopecenter.org/
Services include education and career training, shelter, medical and legal assistance, and outreach. Promoting a new beginning through outreach, education, counseling. Bridging the gap with: training, job placement, medical, and legal aid. Other goals: providing a safe and healthy, Islamic environment
Chetna
P.O. Box 832802
Richardson, TX 75083
Email: chetna_dsw@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 571774
Houston, TX 77257
Office (713) 981 7645
Email: info@dayahouston.org
Website: dayahouston.org
DV organization
Saheli
P.O. Box 3665
South 5th Street
Austin, TX 78764
Office: (512) 703 8745
Email: saheli@saheli-austin.org
Website: saheli-austin.org
DV Organization – to work toward preventing abuse in family relationships, to break the cycle of violence, and pursue a cycle of peace.
WASHINGTON
Chaya
P.O. Box 22291
Seattle, WA 98122-0291
Toll-free: (877) 922 4292
Hotline: (206) 325 0325
Office: (206) 568 7576
Email: chaya@chayaseattle.org
Website: apichaya.org/
DV organization – provides translation and interpretation services, referrals to shelters, counseling, medical services, legal and immigration services, community outreach, and training.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
KhushDC
Website: khushdc.org
DV organization – provides a safe and supportive environment, promotes awareness and acceptance, and fosters positive cultural and sexual identity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning(LGBTQ), and additional gender or sexual minority South Asians in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area.