Introduction
Transcending Boundaries:
Investigating Domestic Violence Among
South Asian Immigrant Women
In 2002, the Sara Lee Foundation funded a collaborative project between Apna Ghar Inc. and Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) to investigate:
• Effective models of service and outreach that are used to address the needs of domestic violence survivors within the context of South Asian immigrant culture and circumstance;
• The current status of policies and laws impacting immigrant women who access social services; and
• The incidence and the trends of domestic violence in Metropolitan Chicago, particularly with respect to the South Asian population.
Apna Ghar Inc. takes its name from a Hindi-Urdu phrase meaning “Our Home”, and since January 1990 has served over 4800 domestic violence clients. The mission of the organization is to provide multi-lingual, multicultural services including shelter to South Asian women and their children seeking lives free from violence.
Loyola University Chicago's Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) is a non-traditional university research center that builds and supports collaborative research and education efforts by connecting Loyola faculty and students with community and nonprofit organizations, civic groups, & government agencies.