Duke University Press – Blog

The Violence of Protection | The Weekly Read

Lee Ann S. Wang’s book *The Violence of Protection* critiques the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), arguing that its funding of law‑enforcement rescue operations creates new forms of racial violence against survivors, especially Asian American women. By framing victims as legal subjects, the work shows how state‑provided safeguards can expand punitive policing and immigration enforcement. The analysis blends feminist refusal, racial assemblage theory, and abolitionist feminism to expose how protection policies intersect with anti‑Black policing. The book, now open‑access, invites scholars and activists to rethink anti‑violence strategies that rely on law‑enforcement mechanisms.