Asian Indian Women and Feminism: A Double-edged Sword?

Abstract

This paper addresses the struggle of social work practitioners in working towards social justice while maintaining cultural and ethnic sensitivity. Issues specifically related to social work practice with Asian Indian women who have immigrated to the United States within a strengths-based perspective are explored. Possible directions for practice with the growing Asian Indian immigrant population in the US, at the macro and micro levels, which are both ethnically sensitive and empowering are offered. These directions for practice were generated through developing an understanding of the rich history and socio-cultural context of the lives of women in India. By understanding how Asian Indian women have struggled against oppression in their own country, opportunities for assisting them in overcoming oppression in the US can be discovered.