National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF)

It’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and we’re highlighting important historic events and figures in AAPI history. Since the first of the month is also International Workers’ Day, today we’re highlighting the 1982 Chinatown Garment Workers’ Strike! Garment work was common in Chinatown at the time, especially among immigrant women. The pay was low, conditions were cramped and dirty, and injury was common. But the union-negotiated benefits were strong, and included holiday pay, health center coverage, and a pension. In summer 1982, Chinese American manufacturers rejected the latest contract to try and reduce their workers’ pay and benefits. They hoped they could take advantage of the language barriers between the Chinatown shops and the broader International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. They also saw Asian American women as stereotypically meek and unwilling to challenge them - a sexist viewpoint that was completely disproved when the workers held the largest strike in NYC Chinatown history and forced the manufacturers to accept the contract. Read more about the strike at https://lnkd.in/gaevSV5N

What a privilege to be in conversation with Grace Meng about economic realities is AAPI women, especially those who have caregiving g responsibilities as well. So grateful for her leadership to amplify the stories of our communities in Congress and so grateful for the opportunity to elevate such an important issue.

Last week we hosted a conversation about the gender wage gap in AANHPI communities with NAPAWF Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow & Policy Manager Sydelle Barreto, along with Congresswoman Grace Meng, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV) CEO Monica Khant, and Estella Owiomaha-Church. This discussion connected the dots between the barriers to economic justice faced by AANHPI communities, such as language access, the lack of family and medical leave, and the compounding effects of wage inequity and gender based violence. Events like these are important to ensure AANHPI voices are heard and our lived experiences are accurately depicted. Watch the full conversation on our YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eRT_SGvz

Unequal pay adds up. For many AANHPI women, average losses to the gender wage gap can be tens of thousands of dollars per year, adding up to over one million dollars over the course of their career. Achieving wage justice will require a collective effort that tackles the underlying inequalities that contribute to the wage gap. Join us next Wednesday with Representative Grace Meng and members of our Gender Justice Collaborative for a virtual conversation about unequal pay! RSVP at https://lnkd.in/gWhkTNan

Last week, the NAPAWF team gathered in Washington, DC for a staff retreat! As a hybrid-remote organization with staff across the country, it was great meeting our coworkers in-person and discussing our future plans to build power with AAPI women and girls. We also recreated this iconic pose ⭐

Next week we're hosting a fireside chat with Representative Grace Meng and our Gender Justice Collaborative partners about AANHPI Equal Pay! Tune in to learn about the wage gap, data disaggregation, the policy landscape for immigrant families, and policy solutions for equal pay for all. Register at https://lnkd.in/gWhkTNan

Grateful for CAP’s partnership and their data crunching skills! As we mark AANHPI Women’s Equal Pay Day I encourage you to give this resource a read to better understand the barriers our communities face.

April 7, 2025 is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Equal Pay Day - the day in the new year when the average AANHPI woman’s earnings catch up to what non-Hispanic white men made in the last year. AANHPI women overall earn 83 cents for every dollar that white, non-Hispanic men make, but many AANHPI women face even wider wage gaps. Join NAPAWF and our partners today to raise awareness of how the wage gap affects AANHPI women and girls. Learn more at napawf.org/equalpay

Yesterday morning, the NAPAWF team rallied in front of the Supreme Court to make one thing clear: Medicaid patients deserve the freedom to choose where they receive care. If SCOTUS allows states to cut off access, the consequences will be devastating, especially for people with low incomes, people of color, and immigrants. AAPIs already face immense barriers to care, from language access and cultural stigma to immigration restrictions. Health care is a human right. No court decision will change our commitment to fighting for accessible, equitable care for our communities.

Tomorrow morning, our executive director Sung Yeon Choimorrow will be speaking in front of SCOTUS ahead of arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood – a case that threatens Medicaid recipients’ access to reproductive healthcare. Medicaid is a lifeline for 72 million people, including 4.5 million Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) who rely on it for comprehensive healthcare. Federal law protects Medicaid patients’ right to choose their providers, but South Carolina is attempting to block patients from getting affordable care at clinics that provide reproductive healthcare services. We must defend the right to essential care and ensure people have and choose the options that work for them. We’ll be joining the rally in front of the Supreme Court tomorrow to advocate for AANHPI women and gender expansive people’s freedom to make decisions about their healthcare and where they obtain it.