The Intersections of Race and Immigration
As in the cisgender intimate partner violence (C-IPV) literature, transgender IPV (T-IPV) is often presented as a one-size-fits-all phenomenon, where all transgender survivors experience the same IPV tactics and barriers to escape. Consequently, IPV victim service providers may falsely assume that most transgender survivors are white, native-born citizens. In reality, transgender survivors who are people of color, immigrants, and/or undocumented face a variety of unique IPV tactics and barriers to escape shaped by racism, xenophobia, language challenges, and fewer legal rights. This chapter reviews the still-emerging body of research on T-IPV and intersectionality, specifically the intersections of race and immigration, supplemented by studies on race and immigration in the C-IPV literature. Ultimately, this literature emphasizes the need for tailoring IPV victim services to the unique needs of various transgender subgroups.