Jacked Up and Unjust: Pacific Islander Teens Confront Violent Legacies

Based on a nine years of ethnographic research, the authors examine multiple inequalities that underscore youth violence. They feature the experiences of inner-city as well as rural girls and boys in Hawai'i who face racism, sexism, poverty, and political neglect in the context of two hundred years of American colonial control in the Pacific. Irwin and Umemoto highlight how past injustices endure as challenging legacies in the present, prompting teens to fight for dignity and the chance to thrive in America - a country that the youth described as inherently"jacked up" and "unjust." While the story begins with the youth battling multiple contingencies, it ends on a hopeful note, as we see the teens overcome numerous hardships, often with the help of steadfast, caring adults.