Drawing on histories of war, displacement and resistance, Southeast Asian organizers expose how patriarchy fuels violence, erasure and division—and why intersectional justice must lead the way forward.
This essay is part of an ongoing Gender & Democracy series, presented in partnership with Groundswell Fund and Groundswell Action Fund, highlighting the work of Groundswell partners advancing inclusive democracy. You’ll find stories, reflections and accomplishments—told in their own words—by grassroots leaders, women of color, Indigenous women, and trans and gender-expansive people supported by Groundswell. By amplifying these voices—their solutions, communities, challenges and victories—our shared goal is to show how intersectional organizing strengthens democracy.
Fifty years after the U.S. wars in Southeast Asia—from the Vietnam War, to the secret bombing of Laos, and the genocide in Cambodia—Southeast Asian communities continue to grapple with the generational trauma of war, displacement and systemic violence. As we commemorate this pivotal anniversary, we are called to confront a global resurgence of patriarchal power—one that manifests in gender-based violence, anti-queer attacks, and the ongoing criminalization and deportation of Southeast Asian people.
The harms of patriarchy go beyond the power dynamic afforded to men, particularly white men. Patriarchy simultaneously forces rigid binary roles, restricting men’s ability to express vulnerabilities and empathy. During moments of crisis, it exacerbates gender-based violence—domestic abuse, sexual violence and attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals.
As the United States expands its deportation machine, refugees from the U.S.-backed wars in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are being re-criminalized and forcibly removed.
In Southeast Asian communities and beyond, four recent events expose just how deeply patriarchy is woven into our daily lives, our institutions, and our collective consciousness:
- A Khmer woman was convicted and sentenced for killing her longtime husband—a man who had subjected her to years of violence. The story of her abuse, like so many others, was completely invisible in court and in media coverage. The justice and medical systems further failed her as they have done often in these cases, offering neither adequate language support nor understanding of the gender-based violence she faced. She was sentenced to life in prison.
- A Hmong man murdered his wife with a gun, live-streaming the act on Facebook from Laos. The horror of this violence was intensified by its public display and multiple re-sharing of the act on social media, spreading trauma and fear far beyond the immediate victim.
- Federal funding for domestic and sexual violence programs is being dismantled. The U.S. government is not only slashing resources but also dictating how these issues are defined and addressed, undermining decades of hard-won progress.
- Congress passed legislation that seeks to strip gender-affirming care from essential health benefits, threatening the well-being of transgender adults who rely on Medicaid and Marketplace plans.
While each of these may seem disconnected, those of us who have been fighting gender-based violence for decades know they are a collective and clear danger sign. Patriarchal power is regrouping, seeking to reassert its grip. If we do not recognize and resist this realignment, we risk losing hard-won resources, protections and, most importantly, people.
In moments of political and social crisis and chaos, applying a gender and queer justice lens with simultaneous focus on class and race, provides clarity in our intention and action. History shows time and again that when anything goes wrong in public life, women and marginalized people are the first to be blamed. We cannot let old narratives and scapegoating take hold.
For decades, those on the frontlines to end gender-based violence have argued that solutions must be both systemic and cultural. But too often, the focus on systems only addresses individual accountability and ignores the community and cultural conditions that enable violence. Which is why we must address the patriarchal attitudes present within our own cultures and communities. These internal dynamics can be just as damaging as the forces we resist from outside.
Recognizing this dichotomy matters enormously, especially as the “culture wars” heat up, which is at heart, a battle to reinforce patriarchal control. The simultaneous rise in violence against LGBTQ+ people, women and people of color is no coincidence. Harmful stereotypes about immigrants and men of color—depicting them as inherently dangerous—are weaponized to justify further violence and exclusion, all while upholding white male authority as the only legitimate power.
As a community, Southeast Asians’ trauma is compounded by war and displacement. Nearly 16,000 Southeast Asian refugees face deportation; many live in poverty and fear, underserved by traditional systems and are often overlooked in broader Asian American narratives. As the United States expands its deportation machine, refugees from the U.S.-backed wars in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are being re-criminalized and forcibly removed. These deportations fracture families, destabilize communities, and retraumatize those already targeted by the carceral state. Gender-based violence and anti-queer violence only intensify those challenges.
None of these harms transpire in a vacuum. They are deeply interconnected—symptoms of systemic attempts to control, erase and divide us.
To those in our communities who support or enable patriarchal choices, remember: The very system you uphold will ultimately harm you, too. True safety and dignity cannot exist under the shadow of patriarchy and exclusion. The only way forward is to see these patterns for what they are—and to fight for a future where justice, safety and dignity are available to all.
Great Job Chhaya Chhoum & the Team @ Ms. Magazine Source link for sharing this story.
