Tahirih Justice Center creates individualized escape plans for girls like Naila in forced marriage situations in the U.S.

Tahirih Justice Center, an advocacy group for immigrant women, reported that about 3,000 cases of forced marriage took place in the United States from 2009 through 2011.

Preventforcedmarriage.org is recognized as a groundbreaking, one-stop resource for individuals facing and fleeing forced marriage.

When Maria talks about how escaping her abuser has meant ending up in jail with her daughter, she can’t hold back her tears. Before more jails for women and children spring up across the country, our nation needs to hear 2-year-old Sophie cough and watch 18-year-old Maria cry, like I did.

The fourth installment of “Honoring Our Heartbeats: A Tour to End Forced Marriage in the U.S.,” which took place at the Rutgers University Institute for Women’s Leadership, incorporated two short films, a skit performance and an open panel discussion to talk about forced marriages and similar forms of domestic abuse.

What’s the most interesting question in the aftermath of President Obama’s executive action on immigration?

Martha’s gangster boyfriend threw her down a flight of stairs and struck her so hard in her head that her ears rang for hours. Now, a landmark ruling in August from the nation’s highest immigration court could help Martha and other domestic violence survivors.

I have had to endure my own journey with this book. When I first flipped through it I heard my blood loudly in my ears as I saw my face in the faces of the girls drawn in thick black lines. I remembered growing through the pain of cultural multiplicity as a young South Asian American.