Latin@ survivors have a unique experience in the United States that may not always be similar to other racial or ethnic groups.
In addition to cultural factors, there may also be external barriers to reporting sexual violence such as language or immigrant status.
In Pennsylvania more than six percent of the Commonwealth’s population identifies as Latin@. Spanish is the language spoken at home for approximately 510,000 Pennsylvanians, and almost 200,000 reported that they spoke English less than ‘very well’ (2010 U.S. Census).
Someone who speaks only Spanish or someone who is learning English after a lifetime speaking Spanish may be unaware of services available if resources are not available in Spanish.
If an individual is undocumented or has an unstable citizenship status, they may fear deportation or speaking with police in fear of being reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE, formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service or INS).