Nihonmachi Legal Outreach

Programs: Violence against womeneach year, hundreds of survivors of domestic violence and individuals in crisis call our offices seeking legal advice and assistance. Some call from a shelter or a friends home, having left their batterers with literally only the clothing on their backs. Others are whispering, hidden in bedrooms or making hurried calls while their abusers are temporarily out of the home. They want to know what will happen to them, their children, their immigration status, if they move forward and leave their abusers. This past year, we represented more than several hundred of these survivors of domestic violence in four bay area counties: san francisco, alameda, contra costa, and san mateo. We provided legal counseling and referrals to thousands more. (continued on schedule o)

immigration and naturalizationwhile the hallmarks of the immigration project - direct services, community education and legislative advocacy - remained constant, our staff focused much of its attention during the past year to expanding access to our services to the diverse api community and continuing to combat the variety of punitive anti-immigrant policies that continue to be imposed. Some of the highlights included: * collaborated with api community groups such as the united laotian community development, chinatown cdc, the filipino bayanihan resource center, and the veterans equity center to make immigration services more accessible. (continued on schedule o)

human traffickingpreying on the desperation and dreams of vulnerable immigrants around the world, human traffickers lure their victims to the u. S. With false promises and tales of living the american dream. Most victims are pulled to the u. S. By the hope of opportunity and pushed from their home country by the lack of the same chances of making a better life for themselves and their loved ones. But once in the u. S. , the experiences of these individuals are strikingly similar: abuse, threats of violence and retaliation, elimination of personal liberty and free agency, and dehumanizing treatment that crushes the dignity, self esteem, and self worth of the victim. For the fortunate few that are able to escape their trafficking situations, these men, women, and children all too often deal with (continued on schedule o)