API Mobilization
History
The Asian/Pacific Islander Community Response Plan (API CRP) group was first convened in 2001 by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD), located in Oakland, California. The API CRP group is a network whose members include community service providers that work with API youth and their families, representatives of local elected officials, city and county agencies, and community members.
The CRP group brings together organizations and individuals concerned with juvenile justice and youth violence prevention to:
- educate the community about the needs and issues facing Oakland’s diverse API youth population
- identify and advocate for specific mobilization of resources and policy changes
From 2001-2005, the CRP was part of the API Youth Violence Prevention Center, a collaboration of NCCD and the University of Hawaii funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2005 the API Center evolved into the Center on Culture, Immigration and Youth Violence Prevention.
Accomplishments
As the CRP group’s first major project, NCCD facilitated a data driven, research-based process, producing a landmark publication, Under the Microscope: Asian and Pacific Islander Youth in Oakland, Needs•Issues•Solutions (2003; 2nd ed. 2007). Under the Microscope provides disaggregated data on API youth in the areas of education, behavioral health, and juvenile justice. The report is an effective tool for increasing awareness about API youth’s needs and issues. Over 20 organizations helped determine the report’s content and recommendations.
Other accomplishments of the CRP group include:
- Producing a resource guide on API youth service providers in Oakland
- Creating fact sheets to supplement Under the Microscope
- Obtaining funding to develop a DVD for API parents, titled “What to do when your child is arrested”
- Organizing a statewide dialogue on API youth violence
- Serving as a resource to media covering issues about API youth
- Publishing a journal article about the CRP group and process
Current Activities
One key recommendation from Under the Microscope was to start youth centers at schools where API students and families could access services. This recommendation took on new urgency in 2006, when interethnic conflicts among local API youth were brought to the group's attention. As a result, the CRP decided to focus on advocating for a new youth center in Oakland.
In spring 2007, CRP members began fleshing out ideas for a youth center. This center, which will target API youth and be open to all youth, will provide comprehensive and coordinated youth development and violence prevention services. In fall 2007, NCCD hired a consultant to guide the CRP in planning a youth center.
The CRP is now engaged in a youth center planning process, which includes a Planning Committee as well as a Youth Advisory Council (YAC).
In spring 2008, the CRP conducted a survey and focus group process, which included obtaining input from over 500 local young people about what they would like to see in a youth center. The data collected from this process helped the CRP and YAC draft a proposal with the youth center’s vision, mission, goals, and programming.
For More Information
To learn more about the API mobilization effort in Oakland or the youth center planning process, contact Caroline Glesmann, Research Associate, at (510) 208-0500, ext. 321.
