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Our mission is to build healthy and safe communities by addressing the root causes and consequences of family violence and violence against women. We are committed to meeting the specific cultural and language needs of Asian and Pacific Islander women and their families.
Our vision is of an Asian and Pacific Islander community that embraces healthy relationships and works in partnership with other communities to eradicate all forms of violence.
We are committed to creating an anti-racist and equitable organization. CPAF’s Equity and Justice Committee is committed to creating an anti-racist and equitable organization. We will collaborate with CPAF leadership in order to establish values of racial justice, equity, and radical empathy within CPAF structures, policies, and practices. Taking an anti-racist approach to our work means not only recognizing that racism and oppression exist in the world, but also actively dismantling racist policies, habits, and ways of thinking. Standing against racism is also inherently linked to standing against other systems of oppression that reinforce patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia, classism, ableism and other forms of violence. The mission of the Equity and Justice Committee is to reflect CPAF’s core value of nonviolence by helping establish an organization that champions equity and justice among our staff and among the communities we work with. We will encourage staff and each other to practice radical empathy to understand the marginalization of individuals and communities in order to advocate for a more just world for all.
Center for the Pacific Asian Family (CPAF) began in 1978, when Nilda Rimonte, a Filipina American woman, questioned whether an immigrant Asian and Pacific Islander (API) woman experiencing domestic or sexual violence could get help – any help. When she found no clear options available, she pioneered the programs we use today at CPAF. Check out these LA Times articles from 1981 and 1982.
CPAF is a non-profit organization recognized nationally for its pioneering work in addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse within the Los Angeles API community. We created the first multi-lingual 24-hour helpline assisting API survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in the nation.
In 1981, we opened the first multi-lingual and multi-cultural domestic violence emergency shelter in the nation that specialized in serving API survivors. We were also the first to open a multi-lingual and multi-cultural transitional program focusing on the needs of survivors who seek to establish independent, violence-free lives. In 2005, we expanded our community program focused on community engagement and violence prevention programs. We provide a wide range of comprehensive services, all free of charge, in up to 30 API languages.
CPAF founder, Nilda Rimonte
Created by a survivor, our tree captures the essence of our work – to heal and empower individuals, families, and communities who appear to be just a sapling, but given time will grow to be vibrant, healthy, and violence-free.
We believe in every person’s right to live violence-free lives and are committed to ending all forms of violence and oppression. We each take responsibility in learning and practicing nonviolence in our individual actions and in creating safe space for each other.
Confidentiality is essential for the safety of the women and children who have experienced violence in their lives. We must not reveal the personal stories and information that we learn, nor the location of the shelters.
We believe that each of us know what is best for our lives, and have a right to make decisions about our own lives. We are committed to creating an environment that nurtures everyone to explore their potentials and possibilities.
We respect each other and the unique perspectives, life experiences, and strengths we bring, and the important roles we play at CPAF. We are all responsible for doing our part, as well as assisting others in accomplishing their tasks.
We believe that individual, organizational growth and development takes place in a safe, non-judgmental environment, where all views and opinions are expressed through honest dialogue. We will individually, and as a team, remain open and flexible to introspection, constructive critique, and learning.
We are committed to working collaboratively in the community. Family violence and violence against women are problems that permeate all aspects of our community. We welcome agencies, groups, and individuals who will add to the solution.
Developed in 2022 during Bridgespan Leadership Accelerator’s Investing in Future Leaders program, CPAF nurtures six core competences and six leadership competencies in staff and leaders.
