AJSOCAL SAFE Space

Community safety

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Los Angeles County faces a critical shortage of AAPI language capacity in legal aid, despite a large and growing AAPI population—nearly two-thirds foreign-born and 39% limited-English proficient (LEP). AJSOCAL’s 2021–2023 data shows over 85% of DV/GBV clients were AAPI, 56.4% LEP, and 87% immigrants, primarily Korean, Chinese, and South Asian. Koreatown, with the largest Korean population outside Korea, has a 55% LEP rate among Koreans, and 60% of Korean women report experiencing domestic violence. South Asians, concentrated in Artesia’s Little India, are also underserved. To meet this need, AJSOCAL offers one of the most robust in-language legal aid programs in Los Angeles County, providing services in eight Asian languages including English and Spanish and integrating immigration support for survivors whose status is tied to their abusers.

AJSOCAL’s SAFE project serves between 800–900 clients annually, reaching 1,450 individuals in 2024 alone across Southern California. In Los Angeles, our traditional model provides appointment-based consultations that may lead to direct legal representation for cases meeting our internal criteria. These include obtaining restraining orders, child custody and support orders, divorce, parentage actions, and securing legal status independent of an abuser. We also assist survivors of labor and sex trafficking in obtaining immigration relief. Our staff attorneys and legal advocates offer consultations, pro per assistance, and in-court representation for family law matters.
In 2024, we launched our first “SAFE Space” workshop and clinic, offering free in-person legal consultations for domestic violence survivors, along with workshops on how to request a domestic violence restraining order and understand the basics of family law. This innovative model uniquely combines legal services with survivor education and community capacity building, ensuring that survivors are equipped with the tools and knowledge to protect themselves and their families. With funding from this grant challenge, AJSOCAL will expand the SAFE Space project to reach a broader segment of our target community, increasing access to linguistically and culturally competent legal support for AAPI survivors across the region.

If successful, AJSOCAL’s SAFE Space Project will help make Los Angeles County a safer, more supportive place for AAPI survivors of abuse. By providing culturally informed legal aid, the project breaks barriers like language access, stigma, and fear, giving survivors a path to justice. Its impact goes beyond individual cases – by fostering trust in the legal system and empowering survivors, it drives long-term systemic change. With strong in-house language capacity and deep roots in the AAPI community, AJSOCAL is a trusted resource for survivors referred by Los Angeles Superior Court, shelters, and service agencies. As the program grows, it will continue refining its culturally competent legal services and expanding its reach. Our vision is a legal system where AAPI survivors are fully supported and never left to navigate alone – ensuring they can rebuild their lives free from abuse.