​Washington, DC – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) strongly condemns Trump’s latest executive orders that would build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, increase enforcement and detention, and withhold federal funding for sanctuary cities, in addition to the expected actions to ban Muslims and refugees.
 
“There is no doubt that this a direct attack on the majority of the country. Trump’s unabashed advancement of right-wing policies reflects his gross neglect of what is profoundly American: to value diversity no matter faith, nationality, skin color—or any self or perceived identity,” declared Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930.
 
Not even a week into his term, Mr. Trump continues to forge a dangerous path for any type of serious conversation that could bring our country together. Instead, his demagoguery is so polarizing and continues to criminalize people of color, immigrants and refugees, Muslims, women, LGBTQ and indigenous communities.
 
“No person should fear to simply exist. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the incarceration of Japanese Americans to the Southeast Asian deportation crisis, our Asian American and Pacific Islander community intimately understands the deep arc of racial violence, oppression, and criminalization against our community,” added Monica Thammarath, APALA 1st Vice President and Senior Liaison of the National Education Association. “And still, our Black and Brown brothers and sisters from all backgrounds continue to face persecution.”
 
Hester continued: “The economic and cultural contributions of immigrants and refugees on our history and strength as a nation have been immeasurable. To denounce and minimize their existence is to denounce our ideals of freedom and equality that we as Americans hold dear. As an immigrant myself, I am ashamed that the so-called 'leader of the free world' is prioritizing, promoting and expanding state-sanctioned prejudice that panders to a white supremacist status quo.”
 
“The danger that this administration poses on freedom, civil liberties, and equality has the potential to mar generations to come. This is no time to be complicit with the administration; this is no time to remain silent,” added Yves Gomes, APALA National Executive Board Member and member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 400.
 
Needed now more than ever is to work with community leaders, organizers on the ground, and local and state representatives in government to protect our communities, our children, and our families from the hateful, racist, Islamophobic, and xenophobic actions that will arise from such orders. We stand side by side with our allies, organizing our bases to protect all immigrants, Muslims, and refugees that are targets of Trump’s deplorable executive actions.
 
We’re here to stay. We declare black lives matter. We demand not one more deportation. We are better than this – we are stronger than hate.
 

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Washington, DC – Today, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that outlines his administration’s plan to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Having opposed the trade agreement since its inception, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) welcomes the withdrawal from TPP, but remains vigilant for additional executive orders that would severely impact the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and other allied communities.

APALA National President Johanna Puno Hester and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930 commented: “Bad trade agreements, like the TPP and NAFTA, have too long put profits over working people. The TPP could have devastating ramifications for working families in the U.S. and even more workers in the global economy, so we’re naming this a victory for working people who fought against the TPP even before Trump’s campaign.”

“We’re tired of trade policy that benefits the 1% and hurts working and middle class families. As an organization dedicated to economic justice, we want fair trade, and we’re not going to get that with TPP,” said APALA Executive Director Gregory A. Cendana. “However, we also can’t let this one win eclipse other policies that will likely be at the cost of people of color and other marginalized communities, and we remain watchful for policies that will be harmful for ours and allied communities.”

In addition to the executive order withdrawing from TPP, Mr. Trump also signed two more orders to freeze federal hires, and to ban federal funding for foreign organizations that provide or promote abortion services.

Monica Thammarath, APALA 1st Vice President and Senior Liaison at the National Education Association added: “The ‘global gag rule’ seriously threatens access to reproductive healthcare and will no doubt increase dangerous and unsafe abortions worldwide. This is a slap in the face to the millions of women and allies who protested last weekend during the Women’s March, one of the largest worldwide demonstrations in history.”
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“Today’s executive orders are just the beginning of a treacherous path that we know will threaten the safety of and curb the rights of our communities here and abroad,” Hester concluded. “But don’t doubt that we will resist, organize and fight back.”

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​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.

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