San Francisco Public Defender Candidate Rebecca Young speaks to Chinatown family association leaders for her run in November election

(SAN FRANCISCO) Rebecca Young, a candidate running for San Francisco Public Defender in November, addressed the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) leaders at its September meeting asking for support for her campaign to become the first Chinese American Public Defender in the history of San Francisco.

"With your support, I would be the first woman and first Chinese-American elected to be Public Defender in San Francisco’s history," said Young at the CCBA meeting on September 24. "I am the best candidate for Public Defender because of my combined 35 years of trial, leadership and community experience."

Young was born in New York State. Her father was a first generation immigrant from China and married to her caucasian mother.

Young has been a defense attorney for 35 years. For 19 years of those years, she served in the Public Defender's Office. Young joined the District Attorney's (DA) Office under Chesa Boudin administration.

After serving as a prosecutor for a brief time, Young left the DA Office after Boudin was recalled by voters in June this year. She filed papers to run for the Public Defender in the upcoming November election challenging Mano Raju who is running for reelection.

"As a first-generation daughter of my parent from China, I learned early about the challenges facing immigrants coming here for a better life or for safety. As a mixed race, Chinese-American girl confronting daily anti-Asian attacks in middle and high school, I pledged my life to fighting the racial injustice that runs deep in the American fabric," Young told the Chinatown leaders.

Young was recruited by late Japanese Public Defender Jeff Adachi in the 1990s. "I will unify what is now a deeply divided office and eliminate fiscal mismanagement by fully staffing the frontline workers who carry the office on their backs.," said Young.

One of the Chinatown leaders asked Young her plan for improving public safety and her legal career serving between the Public Defender's and District Attorney's Offices. Young responded, “When I am elected, I will immediately reach out to DA Jenkins to find our areas of common agreement, so that we can reduce caseloads and begin to ameliorate the trial court backlog."

"Addressing the tragedy we see on our streets every day will require the collaboration and political will of the Department of Public Health, the Mayor’s office and the Board of Supervisors." Young continued, "We will not change the homeless/drug/mental health crisis playing out before our eyes until we put in place the resources needed to address it, such as rehabilitation beds, housing and a sufficient number of case managers to work with the people struggling with mental health challenges and drug addiction. "