john, 

The month of May is designated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The annual celebration honors the many accomplishments of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians. To learn about the culture and recognize their accomplishments and contributions. The AANHPI community is as diverse as one would imagine, including any persons with origins from the Far East (i.e., East and Southeast Asia), the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands.

My grandparents immigrated from Japan to the U.S. in the early 1900s, and my parents, aunts, and uncles were all born here, American citizens by birth. Subsequently, most of them were incarcerated during World War II in prison camps like Heart Mountain, Wyoming, or Minidoka, Idaho. After approximately 2–2 ½ years, they were released to restart their lives; for my parents, that happened to be in Detroit, MI.

For my family, living and growing up in Detroit, it was more about assimilation than standing out, and we were not generally seeking out Asian role models to look up to—not that there were any at that time, or so I thought. That changed on March 13, 1969. My oldest brother Rick, a Private First Class in the United States Marine Corps, was killed in Viet Nam at the age of 19; he was the first Asian American from the state of Michigan to become a casualty of the Viet Nam War. There was a tremendous outpouring of love, sympathy, and recognition from our friends and the community. Even though my parents were not active with the Japanese American Citizens League, there were many Japanese Americans from around the state that honored my brother with their attendance at his funeral. What I learned over time was that my brother was a hero to me for all the things he had accomplished before he ever enlisted in the Marines.

As I got older, I began to realize that, as Asian Americans, my parents and my family had endured so much and thrived through it all. More importantly, I now understand better the responsibilities I have as a member of the AANHPI community. And the appreciation of the work of others, like Carolyn Classen of the Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Center. Carolyn did extensive work on the reparations for Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II while she was working for Senator Daniel Inouye. Or Jen Chau, the Executive Director of AANHPI for Equity, whose work has effectively increased voter registration and turnout of AANHPI voters to unprecedented numbers here in Arizona.

As one of the fastest-growing communities in Arizona and across the country, the AANHPI population contributes to every facet of our country’s growth and accomplishments. And with that comes its share of issues; politics notwithstanding, the increasing violence against Asians is endemic and has to stop. Language barriers, racial inequities, and discrimination plague so many communities of color, and it will take solidarity with all of us to combat the injustices that hold us back as a country.

But as I look around, I see so many reasons to be proud of our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander people. Whether it’s Brother Iam Tongi singing his way to the top on American Idol, Julie Su, our acting U.S. Secretary of Labor, awaiting Senate confirmation, or Union Leader Thivya Rakini calling for global solidarity with garment workers in India, we all have reason to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita
Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

Change The World Training

Are you passionate about fighting for reproductive freedom? Are you a community member looking to make a broader impact? Are you thinking about running for office in the future? Then join an EMILYs List Change the World Training to learn about what steps you need to take to be a future candidate. EMILYs List is here to help you level up your Democratic pro-choice leadership through elected office. 

The Change the World Trainings will cover:

• What Office Should You Run For - How to find the right seat for you
• How to Tell Your Personal Story - How to tell voters why you are running for office
• Building Your Digital Brand - How to use digital skills to talk about your campaign
• Fundraising Fundamentals - How to start raising the money

Deadline to signup is May 5 11:59 p.m MST

*This training is at no-cost for participants and lunch will be provided.

Julie Su Needs Your Help!

We know Su is the right person to support America’s workers. She’s never backed down from a fight when workers’ fundamental rights are on the line—and with your help, we’re not backing down either.

Railroads: Invest in Safety, Not Wall Street

We call on freight railroads to invest in public safety and their workers. It's time for freight companies to stop putting profits first and safety second. No more cash to Wall Street when freight railroads can't protect the workers who keep the trains running or the Americans whose communities these trains travel through. Add your name to tell railroad CEOs to take the pledge now:

National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

The 31st Annual Food Drive is Saturday, May 13, 2023!

Last year NALC members and volunteers collected over 41.2 million pounds of food. Customers will receive a Food Drive Flyer reminder the week prior and a bag to fill to put in your mailbox for pickup.

Alert: Protect Working People! Pass the PRO Act!

We join Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Reps. Bobby Scott (Va.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) in their call to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Work stoppages were up 52% in 2022, and the number of workers involved in stoppages increased 60%.

If we want to build up worker power, our outdated labor laws must keep up with the times. 

This is why now is the time to pass the PRO Act, just reintroduced in the House & Senate as the Richard L. Trumka PRO Act.

Request to Speak at Legislative Committee Meetings

Sign up and 'Request to Speak' to weigh in on bills directly with State Representatives and Senators during our Legislative Committee Meetings every Friday at 9:30 AM!

2023 Legislative Committee Meeting Alerts

Complete this form to be up on a list to get updates and alerts on the 2023 Legislative Session.

For additional questions, contact our Political Director; Joe Murphy at [email protected] 

Union Events and Action

We want to uplift what you are doing for our members and our community!

Please fill out all the required information to have your Local's event uploaded to our Arizona AFL-CIO website or featured in our next Labor Dispatch. If you have any questions please reach out to Alina Cordoba, Communications & Operations Director at [email protected].

The Fight for Justice Is a Global One 

"The Secretary-Treasurer of AFL-CIO says if we want living wages, basic rights, and dignity, we must stand together."

Solidarity Can Come From Anywhere: How a California Lowrider Club Has Been Helping the United Farm Workers Union 

"Si Se Puede is generally translated to English as “Yes, it can be done!” and it’s the rallying cry of the United Farm Workers (aka UFW, you know, the one made famous by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta) which has supported farmworkers’ rights for decades and which still struggles against incredibly harmful legislation, lack of awareness from the general public as well as hostility from growers all over the country. The car club that takes its name from this slogan has its roots in the communities most affected by the UFW’s work, and that’s part of what has inspired its founder and president, Andrew Rodriguez Sr., to give back."

Hollywood Writers Go on Strike, Halting Production

“Hollywood’s 15 years of labor peace was shattered Tuesday, as movie and television writers went on strike, bringing many productions to a halt and dealing a blow to an industry that has been rocked in recent years by the pandemic and sweeping technological shifts. The unions representing the writers said in a statement, hours before their three-year contract expired at midnight Pacific time, that they had “voted unanimously to call a strike.” Writers will begin walking picket lines on Tuesday afternoon."

American Airlines Pilots Authorize a Strike Mandate 

"North American pilots took fresh steps on Monday to press for workforce gains, with American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) pilots backing a strike mandate and Air Canada (AC.TO) pilots supporting a merger with a larger union. American Airlines pilots approved the mandate ahead of the busy summer travel season to further pressure the Texas-based carrier for a contract, although the chances of them actually walking off the job remain slim."

Teachers in Oakland, California, Begin Strike Over Pay and Social Issues 

"Public school educators in Oakland, California, went on strike Thursday after contract negotiations in which they’re seeking higher pay and more efforts to address social concerns failed to yield a deal – and the strike is set to extend into Friday, the district said. Oakland Unified School District schools still were open to the district’s roughly 34,000 students Thursday and will be throughout the strike unless otherwise announced, with principals and office staff helping educate and supervise them, district officials have said. The strike – the second in four years in Oakland – includes teachers, counselors and others represented by the Oakland Education Association, which has said it is seeking, in part, pay that would bring salaries up to the county median.”

150 African Workers for ChatGPT, TikTok and Facebook Vote to Unionize at Landmark Nairobi Meeting 

“The current and former workers, all employed by third party outsourcing companies, have provided content moderation services for AI tools used by Meta, Bytedance, and OpenAI—the respective owners of Facebook, TikTok and the breakout AI chatbot ChatGPT. Despite the mental toll of the work, which has left many content moderators suffering from PTSD, their jobs are some of the lowest-paid in the global tech industry, with some workers earning as little as $1.50 per hour."

10-Year-Old Children Were Found Working At A Louisville McDonald's Until 2 AM

"The revelation was part of an investigation into the child labor law violations in the Southeast. The agency also found three franchisees that own more than 60 McDonald’s locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio, “employed 305 children to work more than the legally permitted hours and perform tasks prohibited by law for young workers,” the Labor Department said in a statement."

Labor Participation Grows at Tucson May Day March; Organizers Spotlight Amazon Class Struggle

“Participating in the 2023 event were members of AFSCME, USW miners, Musicians, Machinists, SEIU, IATSE, AFT, Writers Union, Tucson Education Association, Defenders United, and the United Campus Workers, as well as Jobs with Justice, Salt of the Earth Labor College, and others. At the rally, PALF organizer Ryan Kelly pointed to the increased interest of working people in joining unions and detailed a list of successful union drives taking place in Arizona since the easing of the pandemic."

This Tucson Teacher Was Frustrated With His School's Leadership- So He Started a Union

“Teachers from BASIS North Tucson voted 34-17 last month to become the first unionized charter school in Arizona. The educators will be represented by the American Federation of Teachers’ Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff. Only about 12% of charter schools have unionized in the US."

Arizonans Won't Get Back Jobless Pay Cut Off by Gov. Ducey

“About 100,000 Arizonans whose extra federal unemployment benefits were cut off early during COVID by then-Gov. Doug Ducey, because he wanted them to go to work at restaurants and hotels, will not get the money they lost. Without comment, the Arizona Supreme Court declined Tuesday to overturn lower court rulings that Ducey broke state laws when he unilaterally halted the extra $300 a week unemployed residents were getting in 2021. This ends any chance of those affected recovering the money they would have gotten had Ducey not ended Arizona’s participation in the federal program 58 days early."

Honoring Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 

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