Honolulu, Hawaii – Last Monday, on December 12, members of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) National Executive Board and staff convened a roundtable with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) to discuss the importance and alignment of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) issues within the broader Asian American community as it relates to mass incarceration and economic justice. 
 
Convening at CNHA member organization Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Center for its work to connect children with their mothers in the system, roundtable speakers included Michelle Kauhane, CNHA President and CEO; Annelle Amaral, member of Hawaii Paroling Authority and president of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Oahu Council; and a formerly incarcerated staff member at the center who graciously shared her story of reentry into society.
 
“The school-to-prison pipeline undoubtedly disproportionately affects Native Hawaiians as well,” commented CNHA President & CEO Michelle Kauhane. “40% of Hawaii’s inmate population is Native Hawaiian. We need to be looking at the root causes of our overly incarcerated population – lack of a living wage, poor public schools, an unfair criminal justice system.”
 
APALA National President Johanna Puno Hester added: “It is so important that we include Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in all policy discussions including efforts to reform the criminal justice system because there is so much alignment with the incarceration of Asian American folks more broadly. Even still, NHPI populations also experience different strains like being separated from their families as brothers and sisters are sent to do their time on the continental U.S.”
 
“We’re so excited to welcome Michelle Kauhane to APALA's advisory committee on NHPI issues, co-chaired by APALA National Executive Board Members Executive Secretary-Treasurer Josie Camacho and State Director of the United Public Workers, Dayton Nakanelua,” added APALA Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana. “Hawaii has the highest density of Asian American and Pacific Islander union members, and with this newly formed committee we hope to better voice the perspectives of the NHPI community in our advocacy, organizing and movement building.”
 
The APALA National Executive Board passed a resolution reaffirming our commitment to uplift Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander issues. To view the full resolution, please click here. APALA continues to advocate for a reformed criminal justice system through AAPIs Beyond Bars, a coalition of labor, education, civil rights, and criminal justice organizations addressing mass incarceration and deportation in the AAPI community. 
 

###

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO was founded in 1992 as the first and only national organization for Asian Pacific American union members to advance worker, immigrant and civil rights. For more information, visit www.apalanet.org and follow @APALAnational
 
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the well being of Hawaii through the cultural, economic, political and community development of Native Hawaiians.

​Honolulu, Hawaii – This past weekend, the National Executive Board of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) passed resolutions to resist all policies, appointments, and collaborations with the President-Elect’s administration and to hold our elected officials, especially the President-Elect, accountable for serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and broader communities of color and marginalized populations.
 
APALA National President and Special Assistant to the Executive Director at United Domestic Workers/AFSCME Local 3930 Johanna Puno Hester declared: “APALA's leadership has spoken. We do not see the President-Elect as a president who will represent and serve our communities. The campaign he ran – a campaign of racism, sexism, Islamophobia and xenophobia – is not what we envision our president to be, and his appointments thus far have confirmed the type of policy we expect to see. We will resist all forms of oppression against ours- and allied- communities and continue to fight for racial, economic and broader social justice.”
 
“This is not a drill. We must not sit idly by and allow the normalization of white supremacy, authoritarianism and fascism in the White House,” added APALA Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana. “We also cannot normalize acts of hate against brown and black bodies and communities. Now is the time to take a stand on the right side of history because we cannot let this President-Elect threaten the diverse fabric of our society.”
 
Monica Thammarath, APALA’s 1st Vice President and Senior Liaison at the National Education Association, stated: “The Trump effect is already being felt in our schools. It’s up to us to organize and mobilize our constituencies on the federal, state and local levels to fight against the attacks that we are already seeing in our communities. Don’t doubt that we will call out legislators who comply and collaborate with any backwards and harmful policies.”
 
APALA remains committed to advocating for worker, civil, and immigrant rights.  Please read the full resolution on the Trump administration and resolution to hold elected officials accountable here. To join us in the fight and commit your resistance to the Trump administration, please also sign the #NotYourModelMinority Pledge here.

###

​Washington, DC – Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Filipino Veterans of WWII Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015, which would honor over 260,000 Filipino veterans with the highest civilian honor for their service in World War II. The bill, which both chambers of Congress have now passed, awaits President Obama’s signature. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) applauds the congressional vote and celebrates this historic victory to recognize the contributions of the Filipino and Filipino American community. 
 
Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President, stated: “Our community has been waiting for over seventy years to be recognized for their service. This is a tremendous win to distinguish our community’s bravery and service in history. We are extremely thankful for the leadership of authors Senator Hirono and Representative Gabbard to see this important piece of legislation to fruition.”
 
Gregory A. Cendana, APALA Executive Director, commented: “APALA has a deep history in this fight to get our veterans recognized. Our leaders – many of whom are part of the Filipino American community – have been working alongside the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, which has tirelessly been leading advocacy efforts amongst other Filipino and Filipino American organizations, for almost a decade now.”

###