Washington, DC – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) is deeply saddened and disturbed by the shooting of two South Asian men in Olathe, Kansas, which left one man dead. Our hearts go out to families of Alok Madasani and Srinivas Kuchibhotla and the communities impacted by the hateful rhetoric and violence that led to this tragic incident.
 
“We are deeply saddened by the loss that our brothers and sisters in Olathe face today,” stated Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930. “Our nation is becoming less and less safe, at the hands of people who turn xenophobia and hate into the kind of violence that threatens our very existence. When will our bodies be safe from violence? When will brown and black bodies be able to live free?” 
 
Witnesses reported that the shooter believed these men were Middle Eastern, yelling racial slurs before opening fire on Madasani and Kuchibhotla. The FBI is currently investigating the case but has not yet classified this incident a hate crime. 
 
Monica Thammarath, APALA 1st Vice President and Senior Liaison at the National Education Association, added: “The Trump effect is real; white supremacy is endangering our families and friends. We’re seeing more incidents of hate against communities of South Asian – or those perceived to be – descent. It’s clear that more than ever we need to resist, organize, and fight back against any and all attempts that puts our lives at risk.”
 
“The news of the Kansas shooting was heartbreaking to hear,” commented Maf Misbah Uddin, APALA National Executive Board Member and President and Founder of the Alliance of South Asian American Labor (ASAAL). “We demand justice for Alok and Srinivas, and we are calling on our broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community and our allies to stand together against the rising trend of hate violence and growing anti-immigrant, anti-Black/Brown, and anti-Muslim sentiment we are facing today under the Trump administration.”
 
To read more, please check out the latest report by South Asian Americans Leading Together called “Power, Pain, Potential,” which details over two hundred occurrences of hate violence and xenophobic rhetoric during the 2016 elections alone. To help with the families affected, please donate here:

• GoFundMe page in memoriam of Srinivas
• GoFundMe page for Alok/Srinivas to benefit their families
• GoFundMe page for Ian Grillot

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​Washington, DC – This week, the Trump Administration issued rollbacks on guidance provided under the Obama Administration that allowed transgender students to use the restrooms matching their gender identity. The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) and the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) condemn these rollbacks that signal the administration’s betrayal of transgender and gender non-conforming students who deserve to go to school free from bullying and hate.
 
“Implementing policies that make our kids in public schools even less safe is reprehensible,” declared NQAPIA Organizing Director Sasha W. “Every child deserves to attend school without fear of discrimination, no matter where they are in the country. This a continuation of the administration’s attack on trans people - trans and gender nonconforming people were affected by the Muslim ban, by the escalation of this country’s deportation machine, and by the increase of power in the hands of police. This administration shamelessly continues to enact policies that simply do not work and that make our communities feel more unsafe in this country.”
 
“Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos did nothing to stop this rollback from happening,” added Monica Thammarath, APALA 1st Vice President and Senior Liaison at the National Education Association, the nation’s largest labor union advancing public education. “Now more than ever, we are calling on all states, school districts, and educators to support their students and double down on their own efforts to reject hate and discrimination. With DeVos at the head of the U.S. Department of Education, our organizing and advocacy becomes that much more important.”
 
Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, stated: “Though this is a devastating blow to our public schools, NQAPIA and APALA will continue to fight for AAPI- and all transgender and nonconforming people because it’s evident that the federal government sure as hell won’t. An attack on one of us is an attack on all, and we will resist all policies and attempts that heighten transphobia, xenophobia, white nationalism, and hate.”
 
Gregory A. Cendana, APALA Executive Director, concluded: “A little more than a month into his administration, we have already seen LGBTQ, Muslim, immigrant and refugee communities under attack by the administration. This is fascism at work, and we will do everything in our power to resist, organize and fight back against policies that undermine and endanger the margins of our communities.”

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​Washington, DC – Today, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) announces its endorsements for Maria Elena Durazo, General Vice President for Immigration, Civil Rights, and Diversity at UNITE-HERE and the only national elected labor leader running for party leadership, and New York State Assembly Member Michael Blake for Vice Chairs of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
 
Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, stated: “We are proud to back two more candidates for DNC Vice Chairs who are committed to elevating and engaging people of color, young people and working families in the party. At a time of divisive rhetoric, policies and leadership coming from the right, our party needs dynamic leaders who will prioritize building a pipeline of progressive, diverse leaders at the local, state, and national levels.” 
 
UNITE HERE General Vice President Maria Elena Durazo said: “APALA has been a central force in bridging labor and the greater Asian American and Pacific Islander community, so it’s an honor to receive APALA’s endorsement for my campaign for DNC Vice Chair. When we bring more working people and diverse voices to the table around issues of health care, fair wages and safe jobs, and immigration, we know we’ll have the power and base to win.”
 
Assembly Member Michael Blake added: “I am honored to receive APALA’s endorsement for DNC Vice Chair. If elected as Vice Chair, I hope to cultivate a new generation of leaders who not only win their elections but also pass progressive policies beneficial for all communities throughout the country. The much needed change in the party leadership can be the difference to more meaningful engagement of community leaders and organizers on the ground.” 
 
APALA Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana commented: “This week’s elections will be very exciting to see where the direction of the party is indeed headed. With more organizers of color -- and those who will champion issues most important to us -- at the helm of the DNC, we have hopes they will create a path forward that re-inspires communities of color and engages new allies in the years to come. We are in an important time for building, and Keith, Grace, Maria Elena and Michael are the type of leaders the party needs.”
 
APALA also previously endorsed Keith Ellison for DNC Chair and Congresswoman Grace Meng for DNC Vice Chair. 

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