Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center

Fostering social support, leadership competence, community engagement, and resilience among Samoan American youth.

“…In the 2010 U.S. Census, the number of Pacific Islanders (PI) in the United States increased to 1.2 million; however, their serious academic and psychological challenges remain relatively unexplored. Samoan American youth tend to reside in urban poverty (Samoan Community Development Center, 2008) and have the second highest arrest rate (Arifuku, Louie, Krisberg, & Tang, 2001). Moreover, approximately 60% of Samoan American high school students score below state proficiency levels on standardized tests, negatively contributing to their 10–15% college graduation rate (U.S.…”