​Washington, DC - The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) issued the following statement in response to Trump's State of the Union address:
 
"Given the difficult year for workers, immigrants, refugees, women, and so many more, the State of the Union did not shed light to the true state of our union. Instead, Trump resorted to usual tactics and rhetoric, scapegoating and criminalizing immigrants and celebrating corporate greed at the hands of working people. Though Trump called for unity in a very polarized time, his speech last night meant nothing but damaging policies for our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers, families, and communities.
 
Trump's latest immigration proposal continues to hold DREAMers hostage by offering up our families, neighbors, and loved ones. DREAMers are not and should not be used as political bargaining chips, and we remain resolute to counter any attacks to pit our communities against each other. With the White House's white supremacist wish list to slash legal immigration by 50%, gut asylum laws and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) that offer refugees a new start, and build a mass deportation force, Trump is proposing measures that are a waste of taxpayer dollars and that have nothing to do with national security, instead of making long-term investments into communities.
 
Furthermore, Trump's empty words on his regime's impact on working families is grossly misleading as the administration has prioritized corporate greed over working people from the beginning. From the tax scam bill to rolling back protections to keep workers safe to potentially even stealing tips from workers, the wealthy 1% is profiting at hands of workers everywhere.
 
The true state of our union and our new American moment now lie in the organizing and mobilization of workers, women, people of color, and people from all walks of life who demand to live and work with dignity, safety, and respect. The power we are building together with national, local, and grassroots partners nationwide will not and cannot be stopped. We see it in our unions that continue to fight against attacks on the right to collectively bargain and organize. We see it in our communities who are turning out the vote in historic numbers. We see it in our APALA members who understand that an attack on one is an attack on all. This is the state of our union, and this is how we will win."
 
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Washington, DC - The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) blasts the Republican driven tax bill that passed in both the House and the Senate with no Democratic support. APALA issued the following statement in response:

APALA 1st Vice President Kim Geron stated: "What the GOP has done will have dire consequences for millions of working people throughout the country, including the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Instead of passing a clean DREAM Act for undocumented youth at risk of detention and deportation, the GOP continues to prioritize the insatiable greed of corporations and billionaires at the expense of those fighting for their lives."

"The self-serving GOP is clearly out of touch with its constituents and their families who depend on crucial services like public education, healthcare and other essential public services," added APALA Executive Director Alvina Yeh. "This bill will increase taxes on working families in the long run while continuing to pad the pockets of the ultra-rich and feeding into the growing wedge of financial and racial inequity between the rich and the poor. As the budget is negotiated, it is critical that Congress include a clean DREAM Act that recognizes the invaluable contributions undocumented immigrants have on our communities. Without a clean DREAM Act, the GOP will continue to betray immigrant communities aligning itself with a white supremacist agenda."

Geron concluded: "We are sick and tired living in an economy that is rigged in favor of corporate and wealthy interests. We need every single vote in 2018 to rid Congress of elected officials who do not accurately represent the interests of the people. The GOP should watch out -- we are coming in full force. Our fight is not over."

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​Anaheim, CA – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) condemns the brazen acts of hate and violence during the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA this past weekend.  APALA demands for justice for the deceased and all injured and joins thousands of labor partners, advocates and community allies to organize, resist, and fight back in response.
 
Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, stated: “The despicable acts of hate and racism we saw this past weekend cannot be called anything else but acts of terror. To water down the true intent and meaning of such a vitriolic rally is to be complicit in a system that accepts the debasement and dehumanization of communities of color and all marginalized groups.”
 
“We applaud the many peaceful counter protesters who stood shoulder to shoulder in the larger fight to dismantle racism,” commented APALA Executive Director Alvina Yeh. “Moving forward, we must remember the power that our communities have in numbers, especially in these times when our communities are under constant attack. We will not be silenced nor will we back down to the KKK, Neo-Nazis, and the administration, which continues to push policies of white supremacy and nationalism.”
 
Hester concluded: “APALA condemns this ongoing trend of white supremacy, racism, and outright bigotry, and we will continue to partner with coalitions and networks that build power for ours- and allied- communities and work towards a more equitable and just society.”
 
During APALA’s 14th Biennial Convention, APALA will be holding a vigil in solidarity of the deceased and the injured at the Hilton Anaheim on Thursday, August 17, 2017 at 7:00pm. Please join us and send a message that the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and our allies will not accept racism and acts of hate and violence. Click here to RSVP.

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