API youth may face a range of problems, including lack of a strong family structure, limited English proficiency, intergenerational conflict (often expressed as a “culture clash” between youth and their parents), mental health issues, economic insecurity, and immigration experience. These challenges may lead to several issues, which in turn could result in encounters with the juvenile justice system. Regardless of the cause, API youth involved in delinquency have a variety of needs that must be addressed.

AYAN’s Juvenile Justice Subcommittee was established to ensure greater oversight and advocacy for API youth and families, particularly those within or at-risk of entering the juvenile justice system.

Asian and Pacific Islander youth, which make up 43% of San Francisco’s under 18 population, have lacked community-wide advocacy to ensure that they are treated with fairness and dignity in the juvenile justice system. The Asian and Pacific Islander Youth Advocacy Network was established to ensure greater oversight and advocacy for API youth and families, particularly those within or at-risk of entering the juvenile justice system.

While all API youth are not disproportionately represented in the juvenile justice system, further analysis will show that there are disproportionate numbers of Southeast Asian and Pacific Islanders in the system. Once in the system, API youth and families face specific cultural circumstances that create unique obstacles and challenges for them within the system. We must work together to ensure that communities are provided with the appropriate resources and cultural understanding to best work with at-risk youth.