Washington, DC – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) applauds the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit’s ruling to uphold the injunction on the Muslim Ban 2.0, which bans the entry of individuals from six Muslim-majority countries. APALA issued the following statement from Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President & Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, in response:

“This is another huge victory for the resistance as well as worker, immigrant, and civil rights. We commend the Fourth Circuit’s ruling and its recognition to reject an agenda that threatens our country’s values of diversity, inclusion, and religious tolerance. Earlier this month, APALA was proud to declare #NoMuslimBanEver during our #AAPIsResist Month of Action because we know what is at stake. Our Asian American and Pacific Islander community deeply understands the pain and trauma of exclusion, incarceration, and deportation. The court’s ruling gives us hope that our collective resistance is not only working but is shifting the narrative. As we close out Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month in June, let us remember that while these victories are momentous, we need to continue to resist, organize, and fight back moving forward.”

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​Washington, DC – Yesterday, the administration released its latest budget that outlined significant cuts to social welfare programs, tax cuts that benefit the wealthy, and increases to border security, immigration deportation funding, and law enforcement. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) condemns this latest budget, which will widen the gap between the rich and poor and further enable a corporate, anti-worker, anti-immigrant, and racist agenda.
 
“We are not surprised by this budget – it confirms everything we have seen and knew would continue to happen,” stated Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930. “Our broken criminal injustice system already disproportionately impacts communities of color. With the government’s blessing for more agents and more detention beds, the private prison industry will continue to profit on the incarceration of Black and Brown bodies.”
 
APALA Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana added: “Budget cuts to social welfare programs and the repeal and replacement of critical healthcare will be detrimental to millions of people and working families throughout the country. The budget serves only to line the pockets of the wealthy 1% while taking away essential services for struggling families and communities only trying to make ends meet. We are calling on Congress to put people over profit and resist this xenophobic and white supremacist agenda.” 
 
Hester continued: “As an immigrant myself, I am disgusted that more taxpayer dollars are going towards the mass criminalization and deportation of immigrant and refugee communities. Instead of investing directly into workers, students, and putting more people on the path to the middle class, we’re seeing moves to a more militarized state. This administration has repeatedly shown its relentlessness to destroy our democracy and the values of freedom and diversity we hold dear. That’s why it’s important now more than ever to resist, organize, and fight back against these oppressive tactics.”

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​Washington, DC – Today, the National Executive Board of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) announced that Alvina Yeh has been selected to serve as the organization’s next Executive Director. 
 
Alvina has been an APALA member with the Washington, DC chapter for eight years and has served most recently as a chapter leader. There, she has helped facilitate and organize civic engagement programming in Virginia, various education roundtables, membership engagement events, and bolstered the DC chapter’s efforts with APALA priorities around supporting local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers and communities. Her prior experiences at State Voices, Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), and political campaigns, including the 2012 Obama presidential campaign, have also uniquely positioned her as an expert in electoral strategy, program management, strategic planning, and organizational development.
 
“In trying times like these, we need leaders to step up and prioritize movement building and intersectional organizing,” stated Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930. “Alvina brings years of coalition-building experience for amazing year round civic engagement, and knows how to organize on the ground to engage the AAPI community and broader people of color in the civic and political process. She is a fierce advocate for our community, and I am confident she will lead APALA and IAPALA to the next level.”
 
“I’ve known Alvina for almost a decade, and her vision, leadership, and track record show she's not only capable but the kind of leader we need in this political moment,” added outgoing Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana. “Rooted in the communities she serves, Alvina is an organizer at heart who will undoubtedly strengthen and expand APALA and our priorities. I can think of no person better to lead APALA into its next chapter. ”
 
Incoming Executive Director Alvina Yeh concluded: “I am so honored to serve APALA in this capacity. Ever since I became involved, I have always found a sense of community in APALA that you can’t get anywhere else. With such a supportive National Executive Board and staff, I am excited to hit the ground running this June, especially in a progressive space that is a leader in the resistance needed in the AAPI and labor communities.”
 
Read Alvina's biography here. Alvina will officially start June 12, and outgoing Executive Director Gregory Cendana will serve as a Senior Advisor through APALA's 25th Anniversary and Biennial Convention this August.

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