USA: Wie der sexistische Kampf gegen häusliche Gewalt Migranten schadet

In den USA wurde vergangene Woche ein Gesetz gegen häusliche Gewalt erneuert, der Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Der Name dieses Gesetzes sagt schon alles Wesentliche dazu aus, und natürlich ringen Männerrechtler und andere Anti-Sexisten die Hände. In der Huffington Post erläutert Laura Enriquez, inwiefern dieses Gesetz auch Migranten schadet. Ein Auszug:

However, a significant number of men are victims of domestic violence and their needs should also be acknowledged. During my research in the undocumented community, I have spoken to a few undocumented men who are victims of domestic abuse. One man, who I call Pablo, explained to me that he was uncomfortable in his living situations with his citizen partner because she "has the power to deport me." While the relationship was not physically abusive, he talked at length about how she was "possessive." At times, when they disagreed, she would turn have the Internet or the cable turned off until he would defer to her; because she was a citizen and he was not, the bills were in her name and he could do nothing. He feared that if she got angry enough she could call the police and have him deported for simply disagreeing with her. As this continued, he became "afraid to argue with her."

The popular perception that domestic violence is a women's issue dissuaded Pablo, and likely other men, from perceiving this as abuse, let alone reporting it. As a result, VAWA serves to further support this gendered stereotype of domestic violence. While its statutes protect men, its name genders the law. In this case the law depends on an assumption that women are victims of domestic violence, ignoring the needs of men and the intersection of gender and legal status power relations that may play out within mixed status families.

Hier findet man den vollständigen Artikel. Probleme, die sich parallel dazu bewegen, gibt es natürlich auch in anderen Einwanderungsländern als den USA, darunter Deutschland.