Experiences of Transnational Abandonment in the Lives of Abused South Asian Women in the United States

To examine the experiences of transnational abandonment among abused South Asian women in the United States (U.S.) to be able to contribute to the scant literature on this topic.

The in-depth interviews of a sub-set of seven out of 40 South Asian participants experiencing domestic violence in the U.S. was analyzed to examine the patterns and experiences of transnational abandonment.

Experiences with transnational abandonment can be described through the following themes; (1) women already living in the U.S. coaxed or deceived and either sent back to their home country or rendered homeless in the U.S., (2) women who tried to come back to the U.S., asked to come to a new city where they did not have any social support; (3) impact of abandonment on relationship with their children.

It is extremely important that social workers and helping professionals demonstrate awareness and cultural sensitivity towards issues such as transnational abandonment and intervene to connect clients with resources so that they have the emotional energy to fight long immigration and custody battles. Practice and policy implications are discussed.