CONTACT INFORMATION:
Emma Shainwald
emma@ncapaonline.org
[***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***]
RELEASE DATE:
June 24th, 2022
Washington, DC—As the Supreme Court overturned decades-long precedent set by Roe v. Wade, NCAPA issued the following response:
“We join in the collective outrage of this decision and the sadness and fear that countless Americans feel knowing that their right to choose–and protect their health–has essentially been taken away. The Supreme Court cannot hide behind a veneer of jurisprudence to justify its willful disregard for the health and safety of women and people all over this country.
In addition, we name the institutional decay that has brought us to this moment: it seems our system allows for individuals to claim one position for procedural expediency, and then put into practice views that are directly opposed. Some may call this politics; but this intellectual and moral dishonesty continues to erode the public’s confidence in our government.
Despite today’s gut-wrenching decision, we are reminded that we cannot stop fighting.”
Isra Pananon Weeks, Interim Executive Director and Chief of Staff of National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF):
This is a direct and pernicious assault on people of color, including Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities where the path to abortion care is riddled with language barriers, cultural stigmas, and low rates of insurance coverage among our most vulnerable community members. The cultural, economic, and logistical barriers for AAPI community members, especially those working for low-wages in frontline, service jobs, make traveling and getting an abortion often difficult if not impossible.”
Quyên Đinh, Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Resources Action Center (SEARAC):
“This decision’s criminalization of abortion and access to safe reproductive healthcare will place countless individuals, families, and communities at risk. Not only will this impact the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of those seeking abortions, but it also forces their families to bear an enormous and undue burden. Immigrants are at particular risk, with many now having to choose between an abortion or residency in the US. When we revoke access to comprehensive, necessary healthcare, we lose much of our progress in achieving equity. Pregnant people deserve the right to abortion, a choice that is often lifesaving in so many ways. We will not allow this decision to undermine the years of progress that community organizers and advocates have led in the fight for our care, and we urge President Biden and Congress to protect abortion access nationwide.”
Lakshmi Sridaran, Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT):
“From forcing sterilization to banning abortion, the U.S. government has a dark and hypocritical history of controlling women’s bodies, particularly women of color. With this cruel and unnecessary decision, women of color will be disproportionately burdened with accessing safe abortions in a country that already has one of the least accessible and least affordable healthcare systems in the world. Moreover, the U.S. has repeatedly demonstrated its immense disregard for human life from unjust wars abroad to lukewarm mask mandates during a pandemic to the repeated unwillingness to pass meaningful gun control reforms. It is more than evident that the preservation of human life is a dangerously false narrative to justify a ban on abortions.”
Thu Nguyen, Executive Director of OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates:
“OCA has passed a landmark resolution unequivocally in support of women’s health rights in recognition that the fight for equitable healthcare access, privacy rights, and equitable access to unbiased information is not just a women’s rights fight, but a civil rights fight. The infringement upon these rights undoubtedly impact the rights of other marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ and disabled, and the right to vote. Despite the dismantling of equity for women with this SCOTUS decision, we commit to standing with our national and local partners to protect reproductive and other healthcare rights.”
Alvina Yeh, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA):
“As a mother and someone who had an ectopic pregnancy, I am grateful that I was given safe, legal options to terminate a pregnancy that put my life in danger. Abortion access shouldn’t depend on how much you money you have or where you live. Yet, for too many, abortion is already too difficult to access. The Supreme Court’s opinion confirms our worst fears: the control of our bodies at the hands of the state. Reproductive justice is a worker’s right issue, and APALA will fight in solidarity along side abortion patients, advocates, and our partners to defend and protect our reproductive freedom.
Jeffrey B. Caballero, Executive Director of the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO):
“Accessible and safe health care, including reproductive care, is a human right. AAPCHO condemns the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Limiting abortion access and striking down the constitutional right to abortion that has been upheld by decades of rulings will reinforce further obstacles for communities who already face barriers to care, including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. AAPCHO will continue to work with our members and partners to fight against the Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women Health Organization ruling. We will continue to advocate for reproductive justice and equitable access to health care for all, and we encourage all members of the community to stand firmly against this rule.”
John C. Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC:
“Every individual should have autonomy over their own bodies, and our laws must reflect that value,” said Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC’s President and Executive Director, John C. Yang. “Bans on abortion care will heighten fears of adverse immigration consequences for undocumented individuals, refugees, and other immigrants regardless of their immigrant status. This decision today in Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization is tragically wrong – overturning decades of established precedent, eroding basic human rights for millions of Americans and taking our country backwards.”
Kenrick Ross, Executive Director of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA):
“Today’s decision to overturn Roe is devastating and heartbreaking on its own, and as part of a string of Supreme Court decisions this month invalidating the health, well-being, and safety of all Americans. Today, we affirm that reproductive rights and justice is an API issue, an LGBTQ issue, and an American issue of critical and profound importance, and we are dedicated to the actions and strategies to come to guarantee it for all. Today is also a stark reminder that there is nothing like ‘settled law and no right bigots find too sacred to attack. We cannot rely on court decisions or local and state laws to guarantee fundamental rights and liberties; we must codify protections on the federal level. That work continues, with a renewed urgency.”
Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote):
“The Supreme court’s decision is an assault on our democracy. This ruling ignores decades of precedent, blurs the line between church and state, and disregards the will of the American people. 74% of Asian Americans and over two-thirds of the American public believe in the right to choose. We cannot wait to vote every four years. For the issues we care deeply about, we must become civically engaged in every election and in-between elections. Our voices are powerful when we make them heard, and that is what we will continue to do here at APIAVote.”
David Inoue, Executive Director of Japanese American Citizens League:
“The Supreme Court’s decision is a tremendous step backwards in guaranteeing the fundamental human rights of women in this country,” said David Inoue, Executive Director for the Japanese American Citizens League. “The further implications are that the court under the faulty reasoning used to overturn Roe v. Wade, can begin to erode the civil and human rights of any group that is not explicitly guaranteed in the Constitution. In a decision that purports to be pro-life, the reality of the results for many women could not be further from the truth.”