This article deals with parents who arrive in
the U.S. claiming refugee status on the basis
of fears of female genital mutilation (FGM)
of their daughters. While a woman who fears
FGM herself may likely qualify for asylum,
the legal status of the parents seeking
asylum on this basis has not been treated
consistently by the courts. At the root of
this inconsistency is the reliance by some
U.S. courts on the fact derivative status is
only offered to spouses and children of
asylees, not the parents. Observers have
called for an amendment in the case of