APALA and NAPAWF Releases Fact Sheets on Asian American
and Pacific Islander Women 

	Washington D.C.---The Asian Pacific American Labor
Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO and the National Asian Pacific
American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) released a series of
fact sheets on the demographics of Asian American and
Pacific Islander (AAPI) working women and the impact
of pay equity on AAPI women. 

	The pay equity fact sheets present statistics on the
wage gap between U.S. born and foreign born men and
women. The fact sheets also contain a separate section
on AAPI women in the workplace, which has figures for
the labor force participation, unemployment rate, family
life, and occupational information of AAPI women. 

	The figures show that as of 2000, U.S. born AAPI women's
median weekly earnings were only 79% of the earning
of U.S. born white men. Foreign-born AAPI women's median
weekly earning were only 70% of the earning of foreign-born
white men. While 43.9% of U.S. born AAPI women have
a bachelor'sdegree, these women earn a median weekly
income of only $826, compared to the $1121 earned
by U.S. born white males with a bachelor's degree.
Foreign born-AAPI women with bachelor's degree have
a weekly median income of $773, compared to $1199
earned by foreign-born white males. 

	"Since there has been very little available research
and data on Asian American and Pacific Islander women,
we are extremely excited about these fact sheets,"
stated Luisa Blue, National President of APALA. "It
is our hope that these fact sheets would not only educate
the public but more importantly encourage more research
in developing greater data on AAPI women." 

	"These statistics show that crucial research and advocacy
are needed to ensure equal treatment and benefits for
all AAPI women," stated Thu Quach, National Co-Chair
of NAPWF. "NAPAWF and APALA see this project as an
endeavor to address the lack of research and thus concerted
initiatives to improve the economic well-being of AAPI
women and their families." 

	Most of the information was collected from unpublished
figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and figures
form the Census Bureau and the Women's Bureau of the
Department of Labor. 

	The fact sheets were produced as a joint project of
APALA and NAPAWF. This summer APALA and NAPAWF offered
a joint internship to address issues of concern to
AAPI women and to respond to the overwhelming lack
of information and data on AAPI women. Maricar Camaya,
a junior at Oberlin College, was this summer's intern.

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	APALA, founded in 1992 with the strong support of the
AFL-CIO, is the first and only organization of Asian
American and Pacific Islander trade unionists. Since
its inception, APALA has been committed to organizing
the unorganized, mobilizing the Asian American and
Pacific Islander community for political action and
mobilization, advocating for worker rights, civil rights,
and immigrant rights, and building alliances between
labor and community.  

	Founded in 1996, NAPAWF is dedicated to forging a grassroots
progressive movement for social and economic justice
and the political empowerment of Asian and Pacific
American women and girls. NAPAWF unites our diverse
communities through organizing, education, and advocacy,
and works to connect state and local programs with
a national vision of change.