Immigrant Women Too - Delaney Sears-Webb

After the election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States in the 2016 election, many immigrant communities felt as though their safety and livelihood were more threatened than ever. The policies of the radical conservatives in power mainly benefitted wealthy white Americans, and ignored, or directly oppressed, the needs and rights of immigrant communities in the United States. Additionally, Trump initiated the building of a physical border wall between the United States and Mexico, clearly intent on keeping all immigrants out of the country. Because of the goals and ideologies of the conservatives in power, the threat of deportation increased dramatically for undocumented individuals already in the United States, and more immigrants than ever were turned away at the border or kept in the horrible conditions of detention centers. In 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions took particular aim at immigrant women who were survivors of domestic abuse and violence, trying to rollback policies that allowed them to seek asylum for those very reasons (aclu.org). In response, the #ImmigrantWomenToo.movement was started in San Francisco, California with the aims of protecting the right of these women to be granted asylum based on the threat of domestic violence and abuse, and helping these women seek out resources to help their situations. As the #ImmigrantWomenToo initiative gained traction, it also developed the goals of “amplifying the voices of survivors [of domestic abuse]”, “mobilizing voters to demand that the United States continue to offer refuge to survivors of domestic violence and others fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries”, and “empowering attorneys and other advocates to vigorously defend asylum seeking women and secure victories in immigration courts around the country” (immigrantwomentoo.org).

The #ImmigrantWomenToo movement was inspired by the #MeToo movement, an initiative that reached its peak in 2017 after thousands of women came forward to share their personal experiences with sexual abuse and violence. As powerful and eye opening as it was, the #MeToo movement did not focus on the particular experiences of immigrant women, thus the need for the creation of another initiative that gave a voice to the underrepresented female immigrant communities in the United States. Through local marches, community gatherings, petitions, and voter mobilization, the #ImmigrantWomenToo movement was able to push back against the harmful policies of right-wing policymakers, and protect the rights of immigrant women. The #ImmigrantWomenToo movement has also collaborated with many other organizations, including the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Human Rights First, the Lone Star Victims Advocacy Project, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, the Tahirih Justice Center, and more to fight for the rights of immigrants and immigrant women. Currently, the #ImmigrantWomenToo movement does not have as much traction as it once did, likely because the radical conservatives who threatened migrant women are no longer in power, and the current administration lead by President Joseph R. Biden is pushing for more immigration reform. However, if the rights of immigrant women seeking asylum for domestic abuse are threatened again, the #ImmigrantWomenToo movement is sure to come back with force.

It is important to recognize that the #ImmigrantWomenToo movement is led by immigrant women, and is for immigrant women, giving a direct voice to those who feel the oppressive power of conservative, misogynistic, anti-immigration policies pushed by the right-wing. On its own, the organization being led by immigrant women is a form of resistance because it allows direct discussion between them and the larger governmental institutions that attempt to oppress them, as opposed to using a liaison to speak for them. Additionally, the #immigrantWomenToo movement fights against the narrative that migrant women are needy and helpless by making them the leaders and advocates for their own cause. The women who lead this movement, therefore, are not just “survivors”, as some movements make them out to be, they are leaders and initiators who fight for justice and rights that they inherently deserve.

It is also important to highlight the fact that the #ImmigrantWomenToo movement is led by women as opposed to men. In many other movements surrounding the issues of immigration, men tend to dominate the discussion and are the primary leaders and figureheads, drowning out the voices and unique experiences faced by immigrant women. While these movements may partially highlight the experiences of migrant women, they do not dive into the differences and unique experiences faced only by immigrants who are also women. This brings up the topic of intersectionality, where multiple identities overlap and converge, causing unique experiences of oppression and discrimination. Because of intersectionality, there is a need for movements that branch off of the ideas of larger ones so that more individuals can feel seen, heard, and represented in the larger community. It is movements like #ImmigrantWomenToo that combine multiple identities and highlight the unique experiences of immigrant women, allowing them to fight for their specific rights and needs. In turn, recognizing and embracing difference, as opposed to ignoring it, is a form of resistance because it acknowledges the importance of diverse and unique lived experiences. This helps eliminate ideas that undermine the culture and unique experiences of marginalized groups seen in phrases like “we are all people” and “we are the same”.

The #ImmigrantWomenToo movement is also unique in that it holds those not part of the female immigrant community or those with white privilege in the United States accountable for helping bolster and spread the goals of the movement. For example, one of the main goals of the #ImmigrantWomenToo movement is to encourage attorneys to help defend asylum seekers, specifically those who are seeking asylum specifically to escape domestic abuse and violence (immigrantwomentoo.org). Because they have power and privilege, these attorneys have the responsibility to support immigrant women and their initiatives. Pushing for allies is a form of resistance because it helps expand the reach of movements and organizations that may have smaller populations. Additionally, it educates individuals who are unfamiliar with the unique struggles experienced by migrant women, and encourages them to develop a more open mindset. This benefits not only the #ImmigrantWomenToo movement, but all other immigrant movements collectively.

Citations

About. www.immigrantwomentoo.org/about/.

“Jeff Sessions Slams the Door on Immigrants Desperate to Escape Domestic Violence.” American Civil Liberties Union, 24 Feb. 2021, www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/deportation-and-due-process/jeff-sessions-slams-door-immigrants-desperate.

News. www.immigrantwomentoo.org/news/.

Take Action. www.immigrantwomentoo.org/archive-public-health-comment/take-action/.