Reviews the literature in the fields of law, medicine, and social science on the topic of violence against immigrant women perpetrated by their intimate partners. The literature search reveals that intimate-partner violence against immigrant women has reached astounding levels. Moreover, a woman’s cultural background and legal status may serve to increase her vulnerability to abuse, embolden her batterer, and create a barrier to seeking and receiving help. Immigrant women often find themselves living within conflicting cultures; when and if they challenge traditional roles within the family, it may be acceptable, within their culture of origin, for their partners to discipline them using physical force. The likelihood of abuse also increases with the social isolation of immigrant women, language barriers, lack of education and job skills, and immigrant status, with non-citizen and undocumented women being particularly at risk. Many abused immigrant women do not report the domestic violence they have experienced for fear of bringing shame on the family, risking deportation, or generating criticism of their culture or country of origin. Community education, tailored to specific cultures and involving community-based organizations and leaders, is necessary to protect immigrant battered women.
