FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2011
Contact:                Caroline Fan, 202-508-3734
 
Asian Pacific American Groups on the American Jobs Act
 
The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD) are encouraged by President Obama’s continued efforts to address the current economic crisis through the American Jobs Act that he introduced last week. As organizations that represent the underserved, APALA and National CAPACD request that any proposals and initiatives reach those most in need of assistance, including many Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities that continue to experience disproportionately high rates of unemployment and declining community wealth and assets.
 
The American Jobs Act will expand job opportunities for the unemployed, support small businesses to hire and grow, and revitalize our neighborhoods. The Act includes $35 billion to prevent layoffs for our teachers, cops and firefighters. It also provides $15 billion for Project Rebuild, a project that would stabilize neighborhoods by leveraging private capital to finance the rehabilitation of vacant and foreclosed homes and businesses. The plan includes $10 million to help minority-owned and disadvantaged businesses gain better access to transportation contracts for modernizing our nation’s infrastructures. The President is also proposing support for summer and year-round jobs for youth. For more details on the American Jobs Act and its impact in the AAPI community, click here.
 
“It’s time for Congress to do its job and pass legislation that creates jobs for working families. Right now AAPIs spend a longer period of time unemployed than other Americans. Deficit reduction and government budget cuts aren’t going to help hard working Americans put food on the table,” says Johanna Hester, the new President of APALA and Director of Organizing for the UDW/AFSCME Local 3930, the Homecare Providers’ Union.
 
However, as Congress looks to further reduce the deficit to pay for these proposals, we ask that critical safety net programs currently in place to support low-income communities remain intact. Further cuts to any of these programs will directly impact thousands of families while threatening to undermine the goals of the American Jobs Act.
We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to develop economic recovery efforts that reach our most vulnerable populations while ensuring that vital programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are protected.