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Press Releases

APALA Decries Myanmar’s Unjust Execution of Pro-Democracy Activists

8/3/2022

 
For Immediate Release: August 3rd, 2022
Contact: Katie Moy Mostris, katie@apala.org

APALA Decries Myanmar’s Unjust Execution of Pro-Democracy Activists

APALA decries Myanmar’s Military for their recent unjust execution of four pro-democracy activists. These executions are the first reported judicial executions by the junta in decades. APALA represents AAPI workers across the U.S., including Burmese workers, and has previously condemned the military’s use of force to undermine democracy, advocated for the BURMA Act in Congress, and appealed for the urgent assistance of the U.S. Department of State regarding the safety and security of a high-profile Burmese union leader who has fled the country with his young family.

Myanmar has executed four activists, including two pro-democracy leaders allegedly charged under counter-terrorism laws. Their names were Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Jimmy, Hla Myo Aung, and Aung Thura Zaw. Little information is public or has been provided to the family as trials for all four were conducted behind closed doors, and the government had refused to share when or how the activists were executed. These executions come after the country’s military violently seized power early last year (2021). 

APALA Texas Chapter Leader and SIU Appointee Shwe Aung states, “The junta is attempting to intimidate and instill fear in the people of Burma. With 76 other political prisoners currently detained and many movement leaders fleeing for their lives in exile like my brother, these executions are a disturbing and heinous warning to all in Burma. We will continue to stand with activists to fight for democracy and self-determination while urging the U.S. government and other allies of democracy to take action. Now Burmese people are determined to end the military regime and urge you all to help by supporting the movement.”
​

Follow US Campaign for Burma for more updates on Facebook (@uscampaignforburma), Instagram (us.campaign.for.burma), and Twitter (USCB).

Reproductive Justice is a Worker’s Right: APALA Condemns U.S. Supreme Court Decision Overturning Roe v Wade

6/24/2022

 

For Immediate Release: June 24th, 2022

Contact: Katie Moy Mostris, katie@apala.org

Reproductive Justice is a Worker’s Right: APALA Condemns U.S. Supreme Court Decision Overturning Roe v Wade

Washington, DC - Today, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling on Dobbs v Jackson’s Women Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision which established a constitutional right to abortion. Effective today,  nearly 40 million women, girls, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people in 26 states will lose access to to abortion, a vital form of healthcare. APALA, as the first and only national organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander workers, condemns this decision and stands ready to join the fight for reproductive justice.

The resulting abortion ban disproportionately impacts AAPI access to abortion. Sixty-six percent of Asian Americans and 30 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders speak a language other than English at home and experience difficulties in accessing health care due to language barriers. In addition, a third of AAPI pregnancies end in abortion, underlining the necessity of this care in our community. In 2019, APALA passed a resolution on bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health that reaffirms our belief that “every that individual have a fundamental right to make personal reproductive health decisions free from coercion, discrimination, and stigma.”

The violence of patriarchy obscures the root cause of this issue which is to control the bodily autonomy and family making decisions of working people. Bodily autonomy is essential to our freedom and is a working a class issue. APALA will continue to stand in solidarity with people of color and other marginalized groups fighting for this freedom. As the Movement for Black Lives wrote in their statement, “Black women, girls, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people have been subjected to a long history of reproductive control rooted in the brutal legacy of enslavement—and denying access to safe, legal abortion and gender-affirming health services is a continuation of that troubling history.” APALA stands in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives and recognizes the disproportionate impact this decision has on our black and brown siblings. 

Jessica Tang, APALA National Treasurer and President of the Boston Teachers Union Local 66, said: “This ruling removes access to vital healthcare services, putting the health of women across the country at risk. In my journey to building my family, I was devastated to face choices that no expecting pregnant person wants to make. Due to a rare fetal anomoly that took a turn for the worse in my third trimester and medical complications resulting from this, I had to travel thousands of miles out of state to get a late term abortion. Access is already very limited, and I was lucky to have the ability and access to safe healthcare treatment, but under this ruling, many millions of families will be cut off from the treatment they need and it will become even more difficult for those who find themselves in situations like this. It is an economic justice issue and it is a health care issue, and our country has now gone backwards.”

Alvina Yeh, APALA Executive Director, said: “As a mother and someone who had an ectopic pregnancy that put my life in danger, I am grateful that I was given safe, legal options to terminate the pregnancy. Abortion access shouldn’t depend on how much you money you have or where you live. Yet, for too many, abortion is already too difficult to access. The Supreme Court’s opinion confirms our worst fears: the control of our bodies at the hands of the state. Reproductive justice is a worker’s right issue.”
​

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Founded in 1992, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO, is the first and only national organization of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers, most of whom are union members and our allies, building power for AAPI workers and communities.

APALA Honors the Legacy of Secretary Norman Y. Mineta

5/5/2022

 
May 5, 2022
Contact: info@apala.org

Washington, DC – Alvina Yeh, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, issued the following statement after the passing of Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, a prominent political leader who championed civil rights and served as the first Asian American cabinet member. 

APALA Executive Director Alvina Yeh states, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Secretary Norman Mineta. Secretary Mineta has left his fingerprints across every major organization in the Asian American community. He was a man who had many firsts and titles to his name but never forgot his humble beginnings nor the impact of incarceration on a generation of Japanese Americans. We mourn the loss of this tremendous man who mentored, inspired, and influenced many across the community.” 
The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) issued the following statement honoring the life of Secretary Norman Mineta. 

It is difficult to quantify the impact that Secretary Mineta has had on our community. His loss, while tremendous, pales in comparison to the massive legacy he leaves behind. One would be hard-pressed to find a leader amongst us who wasn’t shaped by Secretary Mineta’s wisdom, generosity and kindness. 

We send our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and the countless community members who were blessed to know him. While our hearts are heavy, we are resolved to carry on the work that he believed in so strongly. 
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Founded in 1992, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO, is the first and only national organization of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers, most of whom are union members and our allies, building power for AAPI workers and communities.
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