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Press Releases

APALA Enraged by Asian American Officer Who Stood as a Bystander During George Floyd’s Violent Murder

5/27/2020

 
For Immediate Release:  May 26, 2020 
​Contact:
apala@apalanet.org 


Washington, DC - On Monday, May 25th, George Floyd, a 46 year old Black man, died after being violently arrested and pinned to the ground in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd had just moved to Minneapolis a few years prior to be closer to his family. He was a bouncer at a local restaurant but was hoping to train to become a truck driver. The news of his violent murder is heartbreaking for many who knew him, and for the nation that continues to grapple with racial injustice. 

It was just a few weeks ago that our communities had to rally for justice for Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. It has been six years since we heard Eric Garner cry “I can’t breathe.” We will not see justice for Black people until we address our nation’s violent carceral system, which is more clear than ever with the COVID-19 pandemic. Transforming our nation’s harmful carceral system means that police officers should maintain social distancing by decreasing their presence in our communities and that folks jailed, incarcerated, and detained should be released so that they can practice social distancing and better hygiene. 


Alvina Yeh, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance said
, “We are equally enraged and ashamed to learn that an Asian American police officer, Tou Thao, just stood watch as his co-worker treated George Floyd inhumanely. This hits home for us as we close out Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a time when so many of us reflect on our Asian American identity and how it had emerged from the Black liberation movement. We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again because the work continues; we all have a role in responding to atrocious acts of violence. As Asian American and Pacific Islander working people, we commit to leveraging our power to dismantle oppressive systems, addressing anti-blackness in the AAPI community, and loving and fighting for our black siblings.”

LCLAA and APALA Condemn the Brutal Murder of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor

5/15/2020

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 15, 2020

LCLAA Contact: Andrea Arenas / 202-316-1212

APALA Contact: Michelle Loo / 215-776-0632

Washington D.C.- On February 23 a young black man went out for a routine run in a Georgia neighborhood and was fatally shot, twice on his chest and once on his hand. His name was Ahmaud Arbery and he was only 25 years old. The perpetrators, Greg McMichael and his son Travis McMichael were not arrested until May 7, more than 70 days after the brutal murder. 

On March 13 a young black woman who was an EMT and aspiring nurse in Louisville, Kentucky, was shot eight times by police after they barged into her home in the middle of the night. Her name was Breonna Taylor and she was only 26 years old. The police officers made a mistake that cost Breonna her life. Her family is seeking justice for wrongful death, excessive force, and gross negligence. 

Once again we are witnessing the perpetuation of systemic violence within our nation’s carceral system. One that deliberately targets black and brown communities. It is especially heartbreaking during the COVID-19 pandemic where black folks, a disproportionate number of whom are our frontline workers, cannot safely go for a run or sleep in their homes. Black people and people of color across the nation are terrorized by racist and discriminatory acts like this every day.

“Unfortunately these nefarious and racially targeted attacks are part of a shameful and continued legacy of racism - which have undoubtedly increased in the past four years,” said Yanira Merino, LCLAA National President. “We stand in support with all those who are demanding a full investigation into Mr. Arbery’s death. Black and brown people cannot continue to live while hate crimes are legally disregarded, and our lives dehumanized.” 

“We all have a role in responding to atrocious acts of violence. What true justice for Ahmaud and Breonna looks like, is not limited to carceral systems. As Asian American and Pacific Islander working people, we commit to leveraging our power to dismantle oppressive systems, addressing anti-blackness in the AAPI community, and loving and fighting for our black siblings,” said Alvina Yeh, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance. 

###

The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) is the leading national organization for Latino(a) workers and their families. LCLAA was born in 1972 out of the need to educate, organize and mobilize Latinos in the labor movement and has expanded its influence to organize Latinos in an effort to impact workers' rights and their influence in the political process. LCLAA represents the interest of more than 2 million Latino workers in the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), The Change to Win Federation, Independent Unions and all its membership. Visit LCLAA on the web at www.lclaa.org, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO is the first and only national organization of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers, most of whom are union members, and our allies advancing worker, immigrant and civil rights. Since its founding in 1992, APALA has played a unique role in addressing the workplace issues of AAPI union members and workers and in serving as the bridge between the broader labor movement and the AAPI community. Visit APALAnet.org to learn more or find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

APALA Calls for Justice for Philando Castile

6/19/2017

 
Washington, DC – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) released this statement from Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930, in response to the acquittal of the officer who shot and killed Philando Castile in July 2016:
 
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Philando Castile. We are deeply upset that another Black brother’s murder has yet been brought to justice. The officer’s acquittal serves as a brutal reminder that our criminal justice system continues to fail Black and Brown folks. As people of color, we refuse to make normal the attacks on Black bodies for simply being Black as we continue to battle a system that bases criminalization on one’s proximity to blackness. Let us not forget that our freedom is indelibly tied to the freedom of Black folks everywhere. We call for justice for Philando Castile and will always say and live #BlackLivesMatter.
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Founded in 1992, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO, is the first and only national organization of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers, most of whom are union members and our allies, building power for AAPI workers and communities.
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