UCLA

This dissertation asks: How does the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) impact Latinas in the Washington, DC area? My research focuses on the Violence Against Women Act and the ways in which the theory of intersectionality is absent from policy, although it is a necessary consideration when on-the-ground advocates are helping foreign-born, Latina, immigrant victims of intimate partner violence. I contend that Washington, DC is a new region for Latino/a communities and that Latinas are less likely to report violence against them. Through path dependency on the VAWA and qualitative interviews with advocates and Latina survivors, I conclude that VAWA has had positive effects on this particular group of victims. This was a qualitative analysis with primary data where I interviewed direct-service providers and conducted a focus group of foreign born Latina immigrant women who had applied for self petitions or U Visas as allowed by the VAWA. This dissertation brings together literatures from women studies, American and race and ethnicity politics. Other topics that are touched up on include immigration and theories of empowerment. The dissertation ends with a chapter on policy recommendations for policy makers.