The Gory Details: Asylum, Sexual Assault, and Traumatic Memory
For asylum seekers to be granted asylum, they must convince immigration officials that they have been persecuted or that they fear they will be persecuted if returned to their home country. This article discusses the reluctance of asylum seekers to be forthcoming about sexual assault as a form of pe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Sexes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5118/4/2/15 |
| _version_ | 1827735611612594176 |
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| author | Connie Oxford |
| author_facet | Connie Oxford |
| author_sort | Connie Oxford |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For asylum seekers to be granted asylum, they must convince immigration officials that they have been persecuted or that they fear they will be persecuted if returned to their home country. This article discusses the reluctance of asylum seekers to be forthcoming about sexual assault as a form of persecution and the ways in which traumatic memory can affect narratives of persecution for rape survivors. Many asylum seekers, particularly those who have been sexually assaulted, show symptoms consistent with trauma survivors. Consequently, their narratives of persecution are often shaped by partial and incomplete memory recall. The result is that how asylum seekers who have been sexually assaulted tell their stories of persecution is the antithesis of the expectations of credibility. This article is based on qualitative research in Los Angeles, California, and New York City, New York, in the United States. It includes interviews with asylum seekers, immigration attorneys, immigrant service providers, asylum officers, and immigration judges; observations of immigration court hearings; and content analysis of asylum applications. I use these sources to argue that the harm of rape and its long-lasting effects evidenced by symptoms of traumatic memory impacts how asylum seekers articulate stories of persecution. How these stories are told can have devastating effects for asylum seekers that may jeopardize their ability to gain asylum if immigration officials do not view them as credible applicants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:56:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ad0eda64112046059af3f010bc5e5b5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2411-5118 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:56:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sexes |
| spelling | doaj.art-ad0eda64112046059af3f010bc5e5b5c2023-11-18T12:36:34ZengMDPI AGSexes2411-51182023-03-014218822110.3390/sexes4020015The Gory Details: Asylum, Sexual Assault, and Traumatic MemoryConnie Oxford0Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, State University of New York, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, USAFor asylum seekers to be granted asylum, they must convince immigration officials that they have been persecuted or that they fear they will be persecuted if returned to their home country. This article discusses the reluctance of asylum seekers to be forthcoming about sexual assault as a form of persecution and the ways in which traumatic memory can affect narratives of persecution for rape survivors. Many asylum seekers, particularly those who have been sexually assaulted, show symptoms consistent with trauma survivors. Consequently, their narratives of persecution are often shaped by partial and incomplete memory recall. The result is that how asylum seekers who have been sexually assaulted tell their stories of persecution is the antithesis of the expectations of credibility. This article is based on qualitative research in Los Angeles, California, and New York City, New York, in the United States. It includes interviews with asylum seekers, immigration attorneys, immigrant service providers, asylum officers, and immigration judges; observations of immigration court hearings; and content analysis of asylum applications. I use these sources to argue that the harm of rape and its long-lasting effects evidenced by symptoms of traumatic memory impacts how asylum seekers articulate stories of persecution. How these stories are told can have devastating effects for asylum seekers that may jeopardize their ability to gain asylum if immigration officials do not view them as credible applicants.https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5118/4/2/15genderasylumimmigrationsexual assaulttraumatic memory |
| spellingShingle | Connie Oxford The Gory Details: Asylum, Sexual Assault, and Traumatic Memory Sexes gender asylum immigration sexual assault traumatic memory |
| title | The Gory Details: Asylum, Sexual Assault, and Traumatic Memory |
| title_full | The Gory Details: Asylum, Sexual Assault, and Traumatic Memory |
| title_fullStr | The Gory Details: Asylum, Sexual Assault, and Traumatic Memory |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Gory Details: Asylum, Sexual Assault, and Traumatic Memory |
| title_short | The Gory Details: Asylum, Sexual Assault, and Traumatic Memory |
| title_sort | gory details asylum sexual assault and traumatic memory |
| topic | gender asylum immigration sexual assault traumatic memory |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5118/4/2/15 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT connieoxford thegorydetailsasylumsexualassaultandtraumaticmemory AT connieoxford gorydetailsasylumsexualassaultandtraumaticmemory |