Asian American Women: Issues, Concerns, and Responsive Human and Civil Rights Advocacy by Lora Jo Foo 2002 Ford Foundation Contents Preface 7 Introduction 11 Acknowledgements 21 Part 1 Economic Justice Chapter 1 Welfare Reform’s Impact on Asian American Women 25 Chapter 2 The Trafficking of Asian Women 47 Chapter 3 Asian American Garment Workers: Low Wages, Excessive Hours, and Crippling Injuries 63 Chapter 4 Other Low-Wage Workers: High-Tech Sweatshops, Home Care Workers, and Domestic Workers 81 Part 2 Health and Well-Being Chapter 5 Health Care Needs of Asian American Women 101 Chapter 6 Sexual and Reproductive Freedom for Asian American Women 115 Chapter 7 Domestic Violence and Asian American Women 129 Part 3 Special Focus Chapter 8 Hmong Women in the US: Changing a Patriarchal Culture 145 Chapter 9 Hawai’i–The Asian State 163 Chapter 10 Asian American Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgendered Persons–Moving from Isolation to Visibility 175 Appendix: List of Interviewees 187 About the Author 193 Credits 195 Preface (cid:2) (cid:2) F ifty years ago,the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights declaring that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,including the right to life,liberty,and security ofperson;the right to be free from hunger; and the right to have clothing,housing,and medical services.Yet, these fundamental human rights ofAsian American women are denied every day. For example,they are trafficked into the US for sexual or severe labor exploitation, they work excessively long hours and earn poverty level wages as garment and domestic workers,they are slowly poisoned in high-tech jobs and endure degrad- ing treatment when they try to access the US immigration,welfare and health care systems.In addition,prevailing racist and sexist stereotypes create a perception of Asian American women as the “other”and,as a result,their lives and issues are practically invisible to mainstream America.The Ford Foundation commissioned Lora Jo Foo to assist it in learning about the social and economic justice agenda of Asian American women.1Her report,Asian American Women: Issues,Concerns,and Responsive Human and Civil Rights Advocacy,illuminates the current situation of Asian American women in the United States. This report builds on work done in 1997 and 1998 by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) to identify the issues facing Asian American women.NAPAWF held meetings with Asian American women in San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City, and Minneapolis, the results of which helped provide the framework for this report.The report “puts meat on the bones” of that framework, focusing on the two states with the largest Asian American populations,California and New York,and devoting special attention to the State ofHawai’i2,which has the highest percentage ofAsian Americans,and to Minnesota,the state with the second largest number ofHmong Americans (after California).The first draft ofthis report was presented to a meeting convened by the Ford Foundation in June 2001 of longtime Asian American women activists from around the country who worked on the issues covered in this report.The final report incorporates their comments,critiques and invaluable contributions. Only empowered Asian American women can make lasting changes in their communities and beyond.To achieve this,as the report shows,grassroots organ- izing and base-building efforts are crucial.An equally effective advocacy model has been the coalition work used by Asian American women.To build on what has been achieved,for Asian American women to move their social justice agenda and 1 The issues facing Pacific Islander women are not covered in this report.Not having sufficient familiarity with the Pacific Islander communities,Ms.Foo felt she could not write about or do justice to their issues.A report on Pacific Island women is more appropriately written by a Pacific Islander woman. 2 State residents prefer this punctuation. 7 Preface make the systemic changes needed to end the civil and human rights violations inflicted on them,a significant infusion of resources is needed to strengthen the capacity ofthe grassroots,base-building organizations and coalitions and to build regional and national infrastructure and institutions. The issues facing Asian American women are dire but the resources available to them are disproportion- ately low for the size ofthe population. Although Asian American and Pacific Islander Americans (APA) are the fastest growing groups in the United States and significant numbers live well below poverty levels, very few resources are devoted to improving their situation. According to a study by Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy,while Asian Americans represent 4% of the US population, only 0.2% of foundation funds were given to organizations working specifically on Asian American and Pacific Islander concerns.Unable to access major sources of foundation funding, Asian American communities have the weakest national infrastructure and insti- tutions,and smallest budgets compared to their counterparts in other communi- ties ofcolor.There are only two small national Asian American women’s advocacy organizations with paid staff3,two fledgling national women’s membership organ- izations without paid staff4,and five national Asian American organizations5whose advocacy work,though not targeted at women’s issues,has had an impact on Asian American women. Despite the paucity offunding,beginning in the late 1960’s,Asian American women organized against the civil and human rights violations inflicted against their sisters.Lacking strong national and women’s organizations,the advocacy on behalf of Asian American women,then and now,and as reflected in this report, tends to be at the local level and through nongender specific organizations. However,the impact ofthese efforts has gone beyond the local level because Asian American women have worked with or led multiethnic coalitions in both joint advocacy and organizing efforts.6As this report explains,these groups have suc- ceeded on many fronts including the legislative arena,in union organizing,and in consumer education campaigns,advocating for culturally and linguistically acces- 3 The Asian and Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Institute and the National Asian Women’s Health Organization. 4 The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum and the Asian Pacific,Lesbian,Bisexual and Transgender Network. 5 The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium,the National Korean American Services and Education Consortium (NAKASEC),the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center,the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (AFL-CIO),and the Asian Pacific Islander Health Forum. 6 For instance,the San Francisco-based Asian Law Caucus led the successful statewide effort in the passage ofthe Sweatshop Accountability Bill,which will help women garment workers through- out California.The Caucus was also active in the effort to raise the minimum wage in California, which resulted in an increase in the federal minimum wage.For many years,the San Francisco- based Asian Women’s Shelter and other local shelters engaged in advocacy in California for culturally and linguistically accessible domestic violence services that also had national impact. 88 PPrreeffaaccee sible services and breaking the silence on issues not previously considered appro- priate for public discussion in many Asian communities. Asian American Women: Issues, Concerns, and Responsive Human and Civil Rights Advocacy speaks to foundations and charitable organizations; local, state, and federal level policy makers;advocates for social justice;universities and schol- ars;and members ofthe public committed to strengthening democracy.I hope the courage and integrity with which Asian American women speak through Lora Jo Foo’s work on this report inspires and challenges institutions and individuals to join in this conversation and respond to this call to action. Barbara Y.Phillips Program Officer Human Rights Peace and Social Justice Program The Ford Foundation 9 Preface
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