Warrior Prose

By Bonnie Chan, California Young Women’s Collaborative Coordinator

Today I find myself wanting to write about love and strangers. I’m thinking primarily about the strangers I met and talked with while in central Mexico this past January. At a remote indigenous community in the mountains near Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo, I attended a small encuentro in which we discussed issues of immigration and migration for three days. Most of the men in this community, and some boys as young as 13, cross the border annually and spend eight months of the year working on farms and in factories in Texas in order to send money home. Every year, these men and boys risk all of the perils that go along with illegal border-crossing like arrest, death, betrayal at the hands of middlemen they have no choice but to trust. In addition to this, they deal with the perils of being an illegal laborer with no possible leverage against an American employer.

For three days, these men sat and shared their stories with us–their varied experiences around the border, what Texas is like to them, what it is to not see their children grow up. The youth in the community talked, a little engaged and a little bored, about the impressions they had of what is available in that country directly north of the border–good jobs, good pay, cool shoes. We played basketball. We cooked and ate in the community kitchen.

And we shared. They also wanted to listen. Of myself and the group of friends I was there with, we were all American-born children of immigrants and displaced peoples: Immigrants from China and Mexico, children of Native America. What is it like to grow up in the U.S.?, these men wanted to know. Do you keep your culture? Is racism contagious, like a plague?

They listened to my account of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act; how my maternal grandfather came to the U.S. under a fake name and birth date; how he carried in his wallet a U.S. Coast Guard ID that notes that, along with having black hair and brown eyes, he had a yellow complexion. They wanted to know what it’s like to grow up yellow or brown in a country of white. They understood clearly that the U.S. is a nation of immigrants that does not treat its immigrants well.

Migration is a word that makes me think of birds, or of the humans who first crossed land bridges to find themselves on a new continent–journeys away from home driven by necessity and survival. Migration has always been driven by survival or need or the drive for a better life. And only humans have ever successfully placed barriers to migration, the wealthy limiting the ability of the less wealthy to pursue their own survival. Building walls and using guns to cage people within their own destitution. Making the word “migrant” a despicable thing–wanted by no one, belonging nowhere–rather than a celebration and testament to human adaptation.

I thought it astounding that these men, who risk their lives in such profound ways to survive, wanted to hear of my experience of what it is like to be a perpetual immigrant. Sharing our stories felt like the deepest love for the human experience.

I’m thinking about this today because it is May 1st, International Workers Day. Today there were thousands upon thousands of people marching in the streets all across the nation to speak out for the rights of immigrants. I happened to be graced by the presence of the folks who marched through the Fruitvale district of East Oakland, and my thoughts from today’s march were: 1) Where are all of the APIs in this new revolution?, and 2) How could any country or government long resist this wave of humanity and love, this call for the most basic of human dignity?

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) joins workers around the world in fighting for workers’ rights today, “May Day.” Also known as International Workers’ Day, May 1^st is recognized in many countries as a way to commemorate and honor the struggles and gains of workers and the labor movement.

In recent years in the U.S., May Day has inspired various social justice movements to stand in solidarity with immigrants to demand basic human rights for all. This year, May Day 2008 comes at a time when the alarming increase in deportations and detentions continue to criminalize immigrant communities, break apart families, and further expose immigrant workers to abuse and exploitation. As a heavily immigrant and diverse community, Asian and Pacific Islanders are particularly affected by anti-immigrant rhetoric and practices in the workplace and other public and private spaces. In light of the upcoming presidential elections, it is even more important that we fully and forcefully raise our voices and mobilize against policies that benefit from the labor of low-wage and undocumented immigrants while taking away their basic human rights. Immigrant women are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and human rights abuses, and we ask that you join the National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights, a growing coalition of immigrant and women’s rights organizations seeking to promote equality and dignity for all immigrant women and their families.

If you are interested in participating in a May Day event in Washington D.C., a coalition of immigrant rights groups is organizing a mass rally at Malcolm X Park (Columbia Heights Metro Stop) at 4 pm. For a listing of other May Day events, please click here.

By Liezl Tomas Rebugio, Anti-Trafficking Project Director

Last week I attended the Freedom Network Conference in Decatur, GA and caught up with many kick-ass progressive advocates! It was really incredible to be among so many anti-trafficking advocates that share the human rights approach embraced by NAPAWF. Some great organizations like the Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center, CASA de Maryland and the ACLU Women’s Rights Project also participated in the conference. Another inspiring part of the conference was meeting folks from organizations in different parts of the country, such as the Political Asylum Project of Austin and Raksha in Atlanta. A researcher from New York University School of Law that conducted research for the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, presented her findings in a report, Collateral Damage: The Impact of Anti-Trafficking Measures on Human Rights around the World. In fact, many of the recommendations in this report resonate with our recommendations in Rights to Survival & Mobility. It’s good to know we’re doing something right!

Coming together with other progressive advocates is really inspiring and rejuvenating for me. It reminds me that NAPAWF isn’t alone in this struggle to advance a progressive, human rights based movement to end human trafficking. Considering how much attention and resources the conservative-right wing receives from the federal government, it is easy to forget that there is a critical mass of like-minded advocates out there.

By Lisa Fu, Organizing Director

I’m not a regular blogger but I do read them! Over the weekend I caught up on some big things that happened in the women of color blogosphere earlier this month. Among a few things, well-respected blogger Brownfemipower pulled her blog offline and fierce sister Jenn from Reappropriate went on hiatus. Why? Well folks, racism and sexism within and outside of communities of color are all still alive and well.

Here’s a sample of what I’m talking about: “Yeah, I’m down. I’m all for the X movement…as long as you don’t check me on my privilege…why you gotta be so angry…this is your fault anyways.” Yes, people. This bulls*** exists even within the blogging community. In fact, this technological day and age allows for new ways of IN YOUR FACE (i.e. on your screen) words of hate, ignorance and pain. Yet at the same time, technology also allows for more love and pride to be shared within the blogosphere. Reading through the various women of color blogs that are writing about what happened, there’s a lot of love for the fierce bloggers who put themselves out there in the face of ignorance and attacking words. I would like to add to the love!!! For all of you fierce women of color bloggers (past, present and future), who represent, speak your truths, and claim your right to exist as fierce writers and thinkers and activists–from my screen to yours–thank you for your words, your stories and the power that you bring to all of us. I’ve got mad love and respect for you.

By Tracy Ng, Director of Membership and Operations

Back when I started at NAPAWF I remember speaking to someone that was interested in providing financial workshops for our members. I took her information, but in my mind, I was thinking that this wasn’t the right kind of programming for the folks we work with. I believed that like me, our members were more concerned with changing the world than managing their finances. Recently, I’ve started to become really aware of how important having a financial plan is for my future. Though economic justice is one of our platform areas, I can’t wait around until the day that everyone is paid a fair wage and no one has to stress about how they will provide for their families.

I was never given any tools in terms of financial management. I remember learning how to write a check, but not how to balance a checkbook. My parents gave us money randomly and we could spend it as we pleased. They didn’t tell us about how they spent money or budgeted. When it came to money, my parents always told us, “don’t worry about it.” It was nice being able to focus on my life, but it didn’t prepare me for a time when I would have to worry about it. Though I was indoctrinated into frugality thanks to my father’s obsession with keeping the house at a cool 64 degrees and my mother’s need to buy everything on sale, I never saw a bigger picture when it came to money.

The jobs that I have taken have been more for the content than for the pay–a fact made more dangerous by my lack of financial intelligence. I had a savings account, but with my salary, it was at about the same level as when I first opened it back in the third grade. Things were made worse when I moved from Ohio to the DC area and didn’t take into account the cost of living increase in my shopping and eating habits. I didn’t feel I was living an exorbitant lifestyle, yet at the end of the month, I had nothing to show for myself. It was easier to push reality aside than to face up to the fact that I was unprepared for the future. If anything happened to me and I was unable to work, I would have no way to support myself.

Working at a non-profit in a major metropolitan area, I have to be vigilant with my spending. With graduate school looming in my future, I forced myself to sit down and catalogue where my money was going. The major areas were food and visiting my family and friends. I also spent a fair amount of money on clothes and health expenses. I’ve cut back on my eating out, traveled less and not purchased clothes in the last couple of months. These actions have allowed me to begin saving again. After receiving advice during a free financial consultation, I opened a high interest savings account online, allowing me to grow what little savings I have.

I know there is more that I could be doing in terms of my finances, but I lack the time and resources to figure out where to start. Until we have economic justice, I think we need to work more with each other to be sure that each and everyone of us is financially stable and able to have the future they desire. It seems like people who have a lot of money, talk more about it and people who don’t have a lot of money, seem to hide this fact. If we talk about it, we can work together to figure out ways to maximize what we have, benefiting not only ourselves, but also future generations. Perhaps now is the time to take advantage of those workshops we were offered.

By Liezl Tomas Rebugio, Anti-Trafficking Project Director

March 31, 2008 was the official launch of NAPAWF’s anti-trafficking action agenda, Rights to Mobility & Survival: An Anti-Trafficking Activist’s Agenda. It was a great event that brought together 100 people to the Yesler Community Center in Seattle, WA! The audience members were mostly community and NAPAWF members, but there were also folks from academia, the labor movement, reproductive rights organizations, legislative staff, and allies from other progressive organizations. Founding Sister, Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, gave a powerful welcome followed by cultural performances by a super kick-ass Filipino women’s hip-hop group duo, 1st Quarter Storm.

We were also fortunate to have really incredible co-sponsors: Asian and Pacific Islander Women & Family Safety Center, Pinay sa Seattle, University of Washington Women’s Center, Honorable Velma Veloria, Hmong Association of Washington, Community to Community, Lao Highland Association, Asian Counseling and Referral Service, American Civil Liberties Union, Chaya, U.S. Women and Cuba Collaboration, Organization of Chinese Americans-Greater Seattle Chapter, National Organization of Women – Seattle Chapter, Communities Against Rape and Abuse, Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing Women’s Leadership Committee and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations. Stay on the lookout for pictures!

Folks were really excited to attend the event and shared with us that they learned a lot. Our event was just the beginning of a series of anti-trafficking events in the Seattle area. On April 12th, NAPAWF will be co-sponsoring an anti-trafficking conference, Asian Pacific Islander Community Responds to Human Trafficking: Working Together to Create Change, where our kick-ass Anti-Trafficking Intern, Mary Nguyen, and powerhouse Seattle Chapter Member, Ann Novakowski, will be facilitating a workshop on the intersections between reproductive justice and human trafficking.

By Dawn Philip, Reproductive Justice Project Director

On Monday, March 31, nearly 100 South Asian immigrant workers marched to the White House protesting inhumane living and working conditions and publicizing the dark side of the U.S. guest worker program. Chanting “All the way to the White House!” and “We want justice!” the workers, along with their supporters, gathered in front of the White House and demanded that Congress investigate their former employer Signal International, a marine construction company that held them in forced labor. The workers arrived in D.C. after a nine-day satyagraha or ‘journey for justice’ from New Orleans that drew wide support from clergy, organized labor and African American and Asian-American community leaders. Sunita Gupta, Executive Director of Jobs With Justice proclaimed: “We are standing in solidarity with these workers and asking the White House and Congress for a real investigation of Signal International, as well as a just immigration system that does not link the US economy to exploitable foreign workers while displacing poor and working-class American workers.”

The workers are part of a group of over 500 South Asian welders and pipe fitters who paid approximately $25,000 each to recruiters in Indian and the United Arab EmiratesUnited States. To pay these hefty fees, many of the workers sold their homes, took out large loans, and sold family jewelry. Upon arriving in the U.S., however, the workers experienced a very different reality. Far from being on a path to permanent citizenship, they found themselves at Signal International on ten-month temporary H2B “guest worker” visas working in Gulf Coast shipyards under deplorable conditions. According to the lawsuit filed on behalf of the workers by the Southern Poverty Law Center and other groups, the workers were forced to live in overcrowded guarded “bunkhouses” at Signal International, with twenty-four workers crammed into dormitory-like facilities sharing only two restrooms. They were isolated from the public and under constant surveillance by armed guards. after being assured that the company would help them become permanent residents of the

I had the opportunity to attend the rally in D.C. and was immediately inspired by the courage of these workers to lead this call for immigrant worker justice. One by one, they told their stories and by doing so gave voice to the many “guest workers” in similar situations they represented. Where are these stories (and there are many more of them) in the media and in the comprehensive immigration reform debate? As API women committed to ending the continuing labor exploitation in our own community as well as other communities, it is up to us to publicize the compelling stories of these workers. Unfortunately, the stories of these workers reflect the reality of too many immigrant workers who come to the U.S. in pursuit of an increasingly elusive “American dream.”

To find out more about the “journey for justice,” contact SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together). To donate much needed funds to the workers and the campaign, please go to The New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice.

By Mary Nguyen, Seattle intern

My Words

English doesn’t come as easily when you’re not born in the United States.

It’s a struggle.

I’m afraid to make mistakes.

I’m afraid of looking stupid.

I’m afraid of people’s scrunched up faces when they are confused at what I’m saying.

I hear you.

You do not have to talk louder.

That doesn’t make me understand you any better.

It makes me angry.

You have no idea how hard this is.

You were born here.

You have the ability to communicate with other people.

You don’t even appreciate it, do you?

Walk where I walk.

Talk two words at a time like me.

Pause and let out a huff when you can’t find the words.

Close your eyes and try to gather your thoughts.

Tôi không hiểu.

Can’t you see?

I’m trying here.

Vietnamese Baby

No milk

No bottle

Cough syrup for a meal

So baby will sleep all day in Mommy’s arms.

No whining

No crying

No feeling at all

Finally, Mommy can start a day’s work.

Mommy doesn’t clean or cook or sit behind a desk

Mommy’s office is the streets

Mommy’s clients are the tourists

Mommy holds the baby and begs for money.

Mommy has perfected her look

Teary eyes

Stringy hair

Ripped clothing

Naked baby

Nothing shields baby from the harsh sun.

Mommy has even learned English for her job

Mommy says, “Baby, for baby.”

What a great show Mommy puts on.

How lovingly Mommy holds the baby

A mother’s gentle touch on her sweet baby’s back.

Reaching out with her bamboo hat for offerings, Mommy gives a gentle smile

A few cents richer, Mommy nods in thanks.

By Tracy Ng, Director of Membership & Operations

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to learn more about some of the founding sisters of the Asian American and Pacific Islander women’s movement in the United States. In 1976, 20 years before NAPAWF was founded, a group of API women in the DC area established the Organization of Pan Asian American Women (”Pan Asia”) following a national conference hosted by the National Institute of Education. They were the only organization at the time that represented the voices of all women of Pacific Islander and Asian ancestry, and focused on the impact of national public policy issues on these “Pan Asian” women.

I came to realize that Pan Asia bore many similarities to NAPAWF. Not only were they a membership-based organization that worked on policy, they established a national office with staff for a couple of years. One of the main differences is that most of the members seemed to be in the DC area. In a transient city like DC, it was amazing to find a group of progressive API women who have firm roots in the area and a strong institutional memory of local and national movements over the past 30 years. Now that they are reaching the age of retirement, and no longer have children to take care of, they are interested in rekindling their activism. They were thrilled to see that the younger generation of API women activists, in the form of NAPAWF, was carrying on their legacy.

Pan Asia did a great job of documenting the work that they did–something that we as NAPAWF sisters need to do more deliberately. We need to ensure that future generations of activists know what has been achieved and pass on any tips and tools that will make their work easier so they don’t feel as though they are reinventing the wheel. In a monograph from 1985, Pan Asia cataloged their yearly accomplishments and the policy issues they were working on. Having this document allowed us to see what API women were working towards and against over 20 years ago. It also allowed us to recognize that our current work on civil rights, immigration and refugee rights and human rights is a continuation of the work they began many years ago.

There is a lot that NAPAWF sisters can learn from those that came before us. For example, it would be helpful to understand what happened to Pan Asia that caused them to disappear after so many years of vital involvement in the government and in the community. Nationwide networks are mentioned in the monograph, bringing the promise of other women across the country who can be drawn back into the movement and provide a history of the movements in our local communities. It is important that we share these stories so that the work of those who came before us is not lost on those who come after us.

Update:

As this press article reveals on the restaurant’s own website, the ad is only part of a larger marketing campaign that exploits women’s bodies. Chinese Laundry’s restaurant walls are decorated with “black and white semi-nude photographs,” and on opening night:

“For the VIP party only, Elkhay outfitted that private dining room with a model, scantily clad in red silk, to serve as a live platform for the wide selection of sushi that was set down on leaves… Once the model left, another female, wrapped in a sheet, appeared, only this one was a photograph, larger than life-size, embossed on the table.”

Objectifying Asian women on paper is bad enough. Actually using them as objects (i.e. serving platters) is reprehensible.

NAPAWF Denounces Ad Campaign for “Chinese Laundry” Fusion Restaurant

METRO WASHINGTON, DC - The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) joins community members and activists in expressing deep objection to an ad campaign printed in February and March of this year to publicize a new Asian fusion restaurant owned by Chow Fun Food Group, Inc.

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