January 13th, 2016 at 10:30 am at the
Thai Community Development Center
Speakers Include:
Aniwat Khadphab, API Survivor
Chancee Martorell, Executive Director, Thai Community Development Center
Connie Chung Joe, Executive Director, Korean American Family Services
Captain Merrill Ladenheim, LA Sheriff’s Department Human Trafficking Bureau
The Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), a coalition of 40+ community-based organizations that advocates for the rights and needs of the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Community in the greater Los Angeles area, has formed a new Task Force around the needs of API Human Trafficking Survivors. The task force brings together organizations that provide services to API human trafficking clients to strengthen services to API survivors, and jointly advocate for the needs of human trafficking survivors of API descent. To announce its official launch, the task force will hold a press conference on Wednesday, January 13th, at 10:30 am at the lobby of the Thai Community Development Center.
Anti Human Trafficking Task Force’s Goals:
• Bring together various organizations that serve the Asian Pacific Islanders (API) community to collaborate and strengthen services for API human trafficking survivors
• Raise awareness of the prevalence of human trafficking in API communities and advocate for the particular needs/issues of API survivors.
• Increase knowledge and usage of culturally responsive strategies to serve API human trafficking victims.
• Increase access to, and quality of, services for API survivors.
• Inform API survivors and other community members that we are here to serve them.
Human Trafficking Facts & Statistics
• In 2014-2015, Task Force agencies provided services collectively to more than 764 Human Trafficking clients in the greater Los Angeles area.
• 434 of those clients, or 57%, were Asian Pacific Islander (API).
• Among API ethnicities, Filipinos, Thais and Koreans had the highest numbers of Human Trafficking cases. (Thais: 228 survivors, Filipinos: 114 survivors, Koreans: 35 survivors)
• According to National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s 2014 Annual Report, California has the most human trafficking cases of any state in the U.S.
• California has the largest number of APIs in the U.S.
List of Partner Organizations
• Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council
• Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking
• Crittenton Services for Children and Families
• Filipino Migrant Center
• Korean American Family Services
• Korean Churches for Community Development
• League of Women Voters
• Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
• Los Angeles County Mental Health Commissioner Lawrence Lue
• Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office
• Pacific Asian Counseling Services
• Pilipino Workers Center
• Special Service for Groups/APAIT
• South Asian Network
• Thai Community Development Center
News Coverage:
Christianity Daily