APALA

  • About
    • About
    • Our Work
    • National Executive Board
    • National Staff
    • Opportunities
    • Contact us
  • COVID-19
    • Guidance to protect AAPI workers
    • COVID-19 Fund
    • Worker Resources
    • AAPI Worker Stories
  • Membership & Chapters
    • Young Leaders Council
  • Take Action
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
    • Events
    • Donate
    • Labor Toolkit on Anti-Asian Racism
  • Media
    • Publications
    • Press Releases
    • APALA in the News
  • Shop
  • About
    • About
    • Our Work
    • National Executive Board
    • National Staff
    • Opportunities
    • Contact us
  • COVID-19
    • Guidance to protect AAPI workers
    • COVID-19 Fund
    • Worker Resources
    • AAPI Worker Stories
  • Membership & Chapters
    • Young Leaders Council
  • Take Action
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
    • Events
    • Donate
    • Labor Toolkit on Anti-Asian Racism
  • Media
    • Publications
    • Press Releases
    • APALA in the News
  • Shop

Press Releases

NCAPA Congratulates Vanita Gupta on Being Selected to Head the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

3/28/2017

 
The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) congratulates civil rights leader Vanita Gupta on her selection as the next president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR). Gupta most recently served as head of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Obama administration and will be the first woman, first Asian American, and first child of immigrants to lead the coalition of more than 200 diverse civil rights and social justice organizations. She will begin her role on June 1.

NCAPA and 10 of our members are also members of LCCHR. NCAPA leaders issued the following congratulatory messages:

Suman Raghunathan, executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a co-chair of the NCAPA civil rights committee: "Our work as civil rights advocates has never been more important, and now more than ever, we must come together to unite even stronger to combat hate. For the South Asian American community, this work is deeply personal as hate violence and xenophobic rhetoric have become increasingly too common. That's why the announcement of Vanita Gupta to head the Leadership Conference, a large and diverse coalition, comes at such a critical time. We commend Vanita Gupta for improving efforts to report hate crimes and data collection, and we are committed to collaborating with her and the Leadership Conference to build on this work."

John C. Yang,  president and executive director of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, a co-chair of the NCAPA civil rights committee: “Vanita Gupta is an outstanding trailblazer in the civil rights community. In such a turbulent time for immigration and civil and human rights, the selection of Vanita Gupta is a momentous occasion and a recognition of the important role of the Asian American community in civil rights. We are thrilled to see a child of immigrants in this important leadership position in human and civil rights advocacy.”

Quyen Dinh, NCAPA chair and executive director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC): “Vanita Gupta is an exemplary choice to lead the Leadership Conference, not just because of her impressive professional background, but also because she knows firsthand the challenges that immigrants and people of color face each day. At this critical moment in history, it is vital that the experiences of the underserved are heard, and I have full confidence that she will work tirelessly to advocate for issues affecting the daily lives of our communities.”

Gregory Cendana, NCAPA executive committee member and executive director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA): “I am thrilled for the Leadership Conference for having selected Vanita Gupta to head the organization. Her experience overseeing federal investigations of the Ferguson, Baltimore, and Chicago police departments to advance criminal justice reform and public safety will be instrumental in these challenging times where black and brown communities are under constant attack. As the struggles for broader racial, economic, and social justice move forward, it is vital that a large civil rights coalition like the Leadership Conference is led by someone who has fought for civil and human rights throughout her entire career. APALA has been a proud member and looks forward to this next chapter of our coalition and movement.”

Christopher Kang, NCAPA national director: “Vanita Gupta, who was the first South Asian American to lead the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights division, continues to make history in her leadership of LCCHR. This is a critical time for the civil and human rights movement and for the racial justice movement, and Vanita will bring her voice, her passion, and her experience to bear in moving our nation forward. We also thank Wade Henderson for his two decades at the helm of LCCHR. I have worked with Wade for many years, and his legacy in advancing the civil rights of all Americans and his tremendous impact will continue to be recognized and remembered for years to come.”
​

NCAPA members of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights are Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA), Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD), National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC), OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA), Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC).
###
​
Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 34 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.
See this on the NCAPA website. 
ncapa_congratulates_vanita_gupta.pdf
File Size: 312 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Announcing Transition & Executive Director Search

3/17/2017

 
​Washington, DC – In June of this year, current Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana will be stepping down as full time staff and transitioning from the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) and the Institute for Asian Pacific American Leadership & Advancement (IAPALA) by August. His visionary leadership and boundless energy will be sorely missed by the National Executive Board, staff, all members and supporters. Under Cendana’s leadership, APALA and IAPALA have grown from a single person staff person to nimble four-person team with a budget of almost $1 million, and have strengthened their partnerships and coalition building across community, labor, and youth. He was the youngest ever and first openly gay person to serve as Executive Director and during his tenure also served as the first Filipino and openly gay chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and youngest general board member of the AFL-CIO, a federation of labor unions representing 12 million working people. 
 
Johanna Puno Hester, APALA & IAPALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930 stated: “We’re greatly indebted to Greg. An organizer at heart, Greg has transformed APALA into a trusted progressive leader in labor and in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Words can’t explain how much Greg will be missed at APALA, and though I am sad to see him go, we are excited for Greg in his new endeavors and for a new Executive Director to lead APALA in our years to come.” 
 
Kent Wong, Founding APALA President and UCLA Labor Center Director, said: “I’ve known Greg for over a decade. He was one of the best student organizers at UCLA, became President of the U.S. Student Association, and has emerged as a national leader for worker rights and social justice.  Greg’s influence extends throughout the labor movement and Asian American community, and he has energized APALA by recruiting and training a new generation of young activists.  APALA owes a huge debt of gratitude to Greg’s leadership, and we know he will continue to make contributions to our movement.”
 
Gregory A. Cendana concluded: “What I find most inspiring about our AAPI labor community is that we strive to build a pipeline of new leaders and organizers who will elevate our voices where they’re needed most. These past seven years at APALA have been an incredible experience to create and strengthen relationships across movements, sectors and industries. I’ve worked with some of the best and brightest organizers throughout the country, and now it’s time to step back and create space for another emerging leader to organize and direct our resistance for the next 25 years. Special thanks to Johanna Puno Hester and the National Executive Board for the honor to serve--APALA will always have a special place in my heart and I'm proud to be a part of this family.”
 
We are now accepting applications for APALA and IAPALA Executive Director. The deadline to submit all application materials is Friday, April 7th by 11:59pm EST.
###
announcing_apala_executive_director_search.pdf
File Size: 290 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

APALA Outraged by “Skinny Budget”

3/17/2017

 
Washington, DC – In response to the first official budget released by the administration, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) issued the following statement from Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930:
 
“We are outraged by the proposed budget that would slash millions of dollars to key public programs that advance opportunities for working families, their children, and communities nationwide, and strive to protect the workers and the environment from exploitation and degradation. Instead, the increases we’re seeing to agencies, like the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense, serve only to fulfill Trump’s anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim agenda and promote the mass criminalization of people of color -- a divide and conquer attack to preserve the rich, wealthy, white status quo. Millions of dollars could be used to create jobs, strengthen infrastructure, and provide opportunities for workers, students, and the middle class. Yet, taxpayer dollars are being wasted in trying to promote an inherently racist agenda. We are not fooled by the budget nor will we accept any version of it, tactic, or policy that attacks ours and allied communities.” 
###
apala_outraged_by_skinny_budget.pdf
File Size: 358 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

<<Previous

    For Immediate Release

    Contact:
    apala[at]apalanet.org

    For full list of all press releases and statements, please click here.

    ​

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    April 2013
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    April 2011
    February 2011
    August 2007

    Categories

    All
    2016 Election
    AAPI Behind Bars
    AAPIs Beyond Bars
    #AAPIsResist
    Affirmative Action
    APAHM
    #BlackLivesMatter
    Black Lives Matter
    Civic Engagement
    Convention
    Corporate Accountability
    Criminal Justice Reform
    DACA
    DOL
    DREAMERs
    Economic Justice
    Education
    End Islamophobia
    Endorsements
    Every Vote Counts
    Gender Justice
    Gun Control
    Gun Violence
    Hate Crime
    Healthcare
    Health & Safety
    Immigration
    International Solidarity
    Leadership
    LGBTQ
    Living Wage
    Mass Criminalization
    Mass Incarceration
    National Executive Board
    NHPI
    Not Your Model Minority
    Police Brutality
    POTUS
    Racial Justice
    Reproductive Justice
    #ResistTrump
    Right To Organize
    SCOTUS
    TPP
    Trade Justice
    Unemployment
    Voter Education And Mobilization
    Women's Rights
    Workers' Rights
    Young Leaders Council

    RSS Feed

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
815 16th St. NW, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20006
202-800-5811 | info@apala.org

​Contact Us
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.
Quick Navigation
About | Our Work | Chapters | Take Action | Media & Resources 
| Shop | Privacy Policy