Domestic violence in Asian immigrant communities is a persistent problem, studies show, and research suggests it looms especially large for Korean immigrant women.
Now an advocacy group in Southern California is working to educate Korean pastors about domestic abuse in an effort that challenges both cultural norms and the traditional practices of church leaders.
Cultural taboos, a patriarchal culture, immigration and acculturation pressures, language isolation and alcohol can all play a role in domestic violence in the Korean community, according to Connie Chung Joe, executive director of Korean American Family Services. The agency, known as KFAM, works with both Korean victims and batterers to reduce domestic abuse.
"Men who are traditionally the breadwinners and considered the leaders in their family, they come to the U.S. and their wives are able to acculturate better, learn English faster and maybe they can get a job better," she said. "And a lot of the men really have trouble with this."