Dear Friend,

 

Welcome to our final part of Adhikaar's summer newsletter - excited to share highlights of our Nail Salon and Healthcare programs, organization wide updates and our work on #StopAsianHate.
 

Adhikaar's Summer 2021 Newsletter

 

Nail Salon Program Highlights
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First in person check in with Nail Salon member leaders on the impacts of COVID-9 pandemic

The nail salon program completed another virtual 26-hour licensing course as part of the NYCOSH Beauty School, with 50 members, among which 35 had limited literacy (everyone in the cohort passed their final exam). We also continued coaching and developing three lead trainers for the 26-hour licensing course, all of whom have received their state teacher’s license. Along with the licensing courses, we trained over 90 members through Health & Safety trainings, including COVID-19 measures, domestic violence, and sexual harassment awareness. We also conducted separate Health & Safety training integrating workers’ rights to 30 Nepali-speaking nail salon owners. We conducted a voice-over project for the Health & Safety training that we are developing with our national partners at the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative. As part of our high road program, Adhikaar successfully assisted 13 nail salon employers to receive a Queens Small Business Grant Program in partnership with Business Outreach Center (BOC) with each owner receiving $25,000.

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Adhikaar's Nail Salon member leaders taking initiative to deliver and distribute food boxes to our members in Ridgewood, Queens NY.

In partnership with our coalition partners NYCOSH and Workers United/NY Nail Salon Workers Association, we continued lobbying meetings with electeds from Long Island, Brooklyn and Westchester areas in support of the Nail Salon Accountability Act throughout the remainder of the legislative session. As part of our continued work on exploring sectoral bargaining, our Workers’ Association Steering Committee leaders and main leaders group met for a total of 13 sessions to learn about the concept of sectoral bargaining and actively took part in brainstorming elements of potential state legislation. In the last three months, we conducted 550 one-on-ones with members on licensing, job placement, outreach, vaccines, and other issues.

Healthcare Program Highlights

As COVID-19 vaccines became available, we began to see a dire need for language interpretation and digital support to access appointments. Adhikaar hired its first-ever Health Intern, Manindra Kumar Bajracharya, who is a member leader from our TPS Committee and currently studying Nursing.

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Adhikaar's Health Intern, Manindra presents a video explainer on our vaccine program

In March, due to increased needs for COVID-19 vaccine appointments, we began coordinating with Congresswoman Grace Meng’s office for appointments at Elmhurst Hospital. We also secured weekday appointments for nail salon workers with the support of both Congresswoman Meng and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz. To address the increasing needs, we also coordinated with the NYC Mayor Office of Immigrant Affairs to secure vaccine appointments for members.

To date, we have assisted over 520 members with vaccine appointments, prioritizing those with limited digital literacy and essential workers.

 

We supported the COVID Alliance for Nepal’s campaign by promoting their online call to action advocating for COVID-19 vaccine distribution to Nepal, through our Board member Astha Sharma Pokharel. We posted graphics and sent email to community members to call the Senators in the U.S. Committee on Foreign Relations and their own Senators to support vaccines for Nepal.

 

We conducted over 875 one-on-ones with members for health insurance enrollment, NYC Care inquiries referral for undocumented members, healthcare inquiries, outreach and other issues. Adhikaar also participated in the APA State Advocacy Day and the 15% and Growing budget campaign day with the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) and other local partners. Our team also spoke on impacts of COVID-19 in the Nepali-speaking community, the need for data disaggregation, and asked for elected support for the Coverage for All Campaign and the NY Health Act.

Organization-Wide Highlights
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Virtual Nari Diwas and Nepali New Year celebration '21
  • In June, we distributed boxes of food to over 450 families in Woodside and also delivered boxes to our members in Ridgewood (sponsored by Councilmember Daniel Dromm and Met Council). Our Nail Salon member leaders Maya Bhusal Basnet, Bina KC and Rita Lamichhane Jha coordinated and led food box distribution to 40 families in Ridgewood, NY.
  • We distributed over 2,000 PPE packages and $94,000 in the second round of NDWA Care Fund to both New York City and New Jersey members.
  • We hosted the first-ever joint political education session series for our members in New York and New Jersey, bringing together nail salon, domestic worker and TPS member leaders (covering topics such as race, colonization, and community organizing). 
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Adhikaar's staff and members at the NYC Pride '21
  • We celebrated our first virtual Nari Diwas and Nepali New Year 2078 event in April (sponsored by the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families and Access Health NYC) where we launched our fundraising sustainer drive! 
  • Celebrating Pride Month in June, Adhikaar’s staff, youth and Civic Engagement members participated in the Queer Liberation NYC Pride march in Manhattan.

#StopAsianHate Awareness

After a Nepali Uber driver incident took place in California, many of the Nepali-speaking community started having conversations on to current issue of #stopasianhate. In response to questions on racial equity and how to address and report Asian hate crimes, our staff organized group check-ins with our members to hear their concerns and provide space to speak about their experiences. As part of our ongoing effort to support members on mental wellness, our Nail Salon member leader Yashoda Rai leads weekly outdoor aerobic classes. Over 20 of our domestic worker members also organized and took part in weekly meditation and yoga classes.
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Adhikaar's staff and members at the #StopAsianHate rally in Flushing Queens

On May 2nd, our staff, youth and community members took part in the “We Belong Here: Queens Rises Against Hate” rally and march organized by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng, and New York State Attorney General Letitia James. In June, our staff attended a virtual “Upstander Training: Standing Up Against Asian Hate” organized by Asian American Federation to assess the potential of having our member leaders join similar future trainings.

Adhikaar in the News

We have come to end of our Summer 2021 newsletter, thank you for taking the time to support and uplift our work.

 

As always, this important work relies on donations from supporters like you. Help us provide critical support to the Nepal-speaking immigrants and workers and develop leaders for the movement. Donate to Adhikaar today!

In solidarity,

 

Pabitra Khati Benjamin,

Executive Director, Adhikaar