Jessica Valadez

The Project

Jessica aims to support tribal communities and child welfare systems to prevent, identify, and address the commercial sexual exploitation of native youth in California through legal advocacy, education, and collaboration.

Centuries of eradication, erasure, and assimilation-based policies sought to separate and destabilize native families. As a result, a deep mistrust between native communities and local, state, and federal governments developed. These policies have resulted in native youth facing higher than average rates of addiction, suicide, health disparities, and low academic achievement. One of the most pernicious remnants of this systematic oppression is the ongoing commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of native youth.

Despite legal and policy changes across the state, recognizing that CSE is an issue of child abuse, little has been done to address this issue among native youth. Jessica is working collaboratively with government agencies, community-based organizations, and tribal communities to ensure Native youth have access to culturally appropriate legal services supports.

Jessica’s experiences as a parentified minor and first-generation woman of color drive her to advocate for youth and other vulnerable populations.

Fellowship Highlights to Date

During the first year of the Fellowship, Jessica has:

• Worked as part of a state-wide coalition to advance legislation (AB 124) to address the criminalization of survivors of human trafficking.
• Continued developing relationships with key governmental and community stakeholders.
• Deepened understanding of issues affecting Native youth and trained team on the Indian Child Welfare Act.
• Engaged Native and community-based partners in drafting guidance and recommendations on addressing the needs of Native youth who have been commercially sexually exploited.

Next Steps

In the next six months, Jessica plans to:

• Continue building her team’s knowledge and understanding of issues affecting Native American youth.
• Develop desk guide for child welfare workers and Native-serving organizations to provide background and guidance on addressing the needs of Native youth who were trafficked.
• Continue developing and deepening relationships with tribal, community, and government partners.
• Identify opportunities to center youth voices and leadership in her work.
• Work in partnership with Native-serving organizations and survivors to better serve Native youth.