Abstract
This article presents qualitative findings from Vietnamese refugee women survivors of domestic violence in Seattle, Washington, US. Forty-three women were recruited and interviewed, through Refugee Women’s Alliance’s bilingual staff, client referrals, word of mouth and Vietnamese community newspapers. Acculturation, changing gender roles, and cultural persistence form the main themes. A brief overview of the role of women in Vietnamese culture is provided. Vietnamese women spoke about the general lack of awareness within their community regarding domestic violence. This lack of awareness seems to be a function of how marital conflict is conceptualised and labelled within Vietnamese culture. Forms of abuse were explored, including financial control by the abusers. Descriptions of abuse in Vietnam included husbands that had been political prisoners, which may require further exploration of the interactions between domestic violence, war, and the experience by abusers of surviving political torture. The other difference between abuse in Vietnam and the US related to the absence of laws against domestic violence in Vietnam as compared to the legal sanctions against domestic violence in the US. Women offered suggestions for addressing the needs of Vietnamese women, including the need to educate men on domestic violence.