The Harbor Offers Bilingual and Bicultural Support to Domestic Violence Survivors in Astoria

For many, Astoria is a place of day trips and weekend adventures. For others, it is their first address in the United States and a whole new world ripe with opportunities for their family. 

For newcomers and immigrants to Astoria, navigating various U.S. systems can be mystifying. In particular, accessing resources and support as a domestic violence survivor can be a difficult and isolating experience. But every day, The Harbor, Clatsop County’s sole advocacy center for survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking, works to eliminate barriers to all survivors in the region. Over the last four years, they have been able to increase their outreach and support to the Hispanic community members who make up over 8% of Clatsop County’s population. 

The Harbor provides critical services and supports that are trauma-informed and survivor-led. The criminal justice system focuses on the physical portion of the violence and the potential for harm, requiring that survivors relive trauma by repeatedly sharing their traumatic experiences. In contrast, The Harbor focuses on empowering survivors, helping them understand they have the tools to make their own decisions and reminding them they know what is best for their own healing. 

Maritza Romero leads the Latinx Outreach Program at The Harbor. In 2020 Maritza was the only bilingual and bicultural staffer, but today she leads a team of six bicultural and bilingual leaders. Her team works to inform community members, including hosting classes focused on pre and postnatal care and know-your-rights workshops. These learning opportunities offer more than just a deep dive into a specific topic. They are also a chance for The Harbor staff to introduce themselves as a resource, show what domestic violence can look like and slowly remove the stigma that survivors often carry with them. 

In the fall of 2021, the Latinx program hosted a 10-week, culturally specific workshop in Spanish, “Promoting Healthy Interactions” (PHI), in partnership with Leocadia Montero-Haniley from Leocadia Consulting, that created a dialogue with 26 participants discussing trauma, conflict and violence, as well as introduced the concept of restorative justice. The Harbor introduced restorative circles, a component of PHI, as a tool to help prevent and resolve conflicts. Several participants disclosed after the training that they were currently experiencing or experienced domestic violence in the past. 

With funds from the Justice Reinvestment Equity Program, The Harbor, in partnership with Leocadia Consulting, will bring PHI to even more residents of Clatsop County in 2024 by training bilingual/bicultural staff as PHI facilitators, as well as 2-4 Latinx community members.  

Most JREP grantees are also participating in JREP’s capacity-building program with coaching from the Latino Coalition. Maritza has met with Latino Coalition’s staff twice since the start of the grant and is excited to use their feedback and resources to build The Harbor’s capacity. The Latinx program has grown so fast, and Maritza is committed to using resources effectively and sustaining their services. Oftentimes when new programs enter the community, folks become dependent upon them, and then the programs end because they lose funding or staff members move on to new jobs. That’s the last thing The Harbor wants, and Latino Coalition’s capacity-building support will help them sustain their work long-term. 

Maritza is also working on how she speaks to the work and changing hearts and minds, “Our work is often behind the curtain. With data and storytelling, I want more community members to know the impact of our work and the story of survivors in a trauma-informed and survivor-led way.” 

Thank you to The Harbor for shining a light on those often overlooked and for being a part of JREP!

The Justice Reinvestment Equity Program (JREP) supports culturally specific organizations and culturally responsive services in communities most harmed and least helped by Oregon’s criminal legal system. JREP seeks to elevate organizations that have been overlooked by traditional funding streams with the goals of reducing incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal legal system, promoting healing and advancing community safety in Oregon. Learn more about JREP.