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APALA Applauds the Historic Confirmation of Asian American Women to the Federal Judiciary

12/17/2021

December 17, 2021
Contact: Michelle Loo, michelle@apalanet.org

Washington, DC - The U.S. Senate confirmed two Asian American women to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit just this week. Judge Lucy H. Koh became the first Korean American woman federal appellate judge. Jennifer Sung became the first Asian American person to serve on the Ninth Circuit in Oregon.

Executive Director Alvina Yeh states, “We celebrate the confirmation of these two women. As the daughter of immigrants and devoted public servant, we believe Judge Lucy H. Koh will be a strong leader on the court. We are excited for Koh to apply her extensive experience applying employment and labor law in the quickly-changing Northern California economy. Jennifer Sung has a deep background in labor from her time as an organizer at SEIU and formerly serving on APALA New York Chapter’s board. Her leadership is imperative during a time where workers are facing numerous hardships.

It has never been more clear that AAPI leadership is critical in our nation and this is one step towards the right direction.”

Underrepresented AAPI Leaders Elected for Inaugural Seats on APALA’s National Executive Board

12/9/2021

December 10, 2021
Contact: Michelle Loo, michelle@apalanet.org

Washington, DC - In a historic effort to share power with under-represented members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, APALA members passed a constitutional amendment that created four new seats on the National Executive Board. Today, we welcomed Alex Mabanta, Dim Mang, Pam Ng, and each member of APALA’s staff who will be sharing one voting vice-president seat to the National Executive Board.

The changes made to Article VIII. Sections 1, C2-C3 of APALA’s Constitution dictate that two additional At-Large Vice-Presidents shall be added to the National Executive Board with the intention of uplifting unrepresented and/or under-represented members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The two candidates who filled these seats are: Dim Mang, young leader in the Michigan Chapter and one of the main co-conspirators on APALA’s Burma solidarity work; and Pam Ng, secretary of the Los Angeles Chapter and organizer at OPEIU, who has been instrumental in building up the chapter.

The amendment established a dedicated position on the National Executive Board for a Young Worker Vice President. The Young Leaders Council elected Alex Mabanta, who is a member of Alameda Chapter and UAW Local 2865, where he is a delegate to the Alameda Labor Council as well.

Lastly, the constitutional amendment also includes changes to designate all permanent national staff as non-voting Ex-Officio members, while adding a new Staff Vice President seat to the National Executive Board. This seat will be assumed on a rotating basis by a designee among Vivian Chang, Sara Greiner, Michelle Loo, Kristina Romines, Maggie Tsai, and Alvina Yeh.

We are excited to support and work with these new leaders!

APALA Applauds U.S. House Passage of Build Back Better and Urges Senate to Advance Similar Legislation for AAPI Workers

11/19/2021

November 19, 2021
Contact: Michelle Loo, michelle@apalanet.org

Washington, DC - This morning, The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act that will bring us closer to a more fair and just economy for workers and families. APALA supports this bill and will continue organizing for the key provisions that our communities still need.

Building on the President’s framework, this bill prioritizes increasing access to child tax credit, paid family and medical leave, universal pre-k, stable housing, visas to reunite families, clean jobs that are good for workers and the environment, and so much more that we have been fighting for.

For Asian American and Pacific Islander workers, the bill would:

Ensure that working families earning less than $300,000 will pay no more than 7% of their income on child care and expands access to preschool for all three and four year olds. This is crucial for the 1 in 10 AAPI parents who report having to quit, decline, or make a major change in their job due to child care disruptions;
Fund access, construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of affordable and public housing. More than 25% of AAPI renters pay over half their income in rent;
Expand the Child Tax Credit, which will cut the AAPI poverty rate by 21.7%;
Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit, which will benefit roughly 678,00 Asian American low-wage workers, including cashiers, cooks, delivery drivers, food preparation workers, and child care providers;
Provide long-awaited reprieve to millions of immigrants by reducing family visa backlogs that keep families apart;
Restore diversity visas to people who had been racially barred from entering the U.S. by Trump’s Muslim and African Bans; and
Invest in the largest effort to combat climate change in American history by creating good union jobs that are part of the climate solution.

While we are thrilled that House leadership heard our demand to put paid leave back in the proposal, and that some undocumented immigrants may be newly able to obtain work permits and protections from deportation, we are disappointed that the Build Back Better Act has left out a pathway to citizenship for ALL undocumented immigrants and TPS holders. Going forward, Democrats need to deliver on these priorities for the AAPI workers and voters who organized and won in 2020. We have more to do and look forward to working with Congress to build a stronger future for AAPI workers and families.

Here’s what APALA members have to say:

“The Build Back Better Act includes many important provisions that invest in future technologies and the next generation of work, especially when it comes to electric vehicles. We must re-invest in domestic manufacturing with union workers making the vehicles of the future. This bill recognizes that union bargained-for wages and benefits are an important and valuable contribution to our communities and economy.” - Sandra Engle, APALA Secretary and UAW Appointee to the APALA Board

“Health care and child care workers cannot wait any longer for better wages and working conditions. My members and I are fighting hard for this bill because our clients AND our own family members need these provisions.“ - Yeon Park, Alameda Chapter Appointee to the APALA Board and SEIU 1021 VP of the East Bay

“Students and educators across the country are returning to outdated schools with inadequate ventilation, lead pipes that need to be replaced, inadequate broadband access, and other problems made worse by the pandemic. Far too often, these outdated schools are found in Indigenous, Black and brown, and rural communities. The Build Back Better Act funds modernizing public schools and investing in the community college infrastructure. Our students and educators are relying on this to ensure that they have safe and equitable learning conditions. Congress must act boldly to invest in our students to fund the schools every student deserves.” - Lindsay Peifer, NEA Appointee to the APALA Board

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Press Releases

APALA Applauds the Historic Confirmation of Asian American Women to the Federal Judiciary

Underrepresented AAPI Leaders Elected for Inaugural Seats on APALA’s National Executive Board

APALA Applauds U.S. House Passage of Build Back Better and Urges Senate to Advance Similar Legislation for AAPI Workers

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