For Immediate Release: January 22, 2025 
Contact: Virginia Lucy, media@napawf.org

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today marks the 52nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. While flawed, the ruling granted people half a century of the constitutionally protected legal right to abortion. In 2022, the Supreme Court dismantled these protections by overturning Roe, stripping countless people of life-saving reproductive care and the fundamental right to bodily autonomy. 

On this solemn anniversary, Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), reflects on the ongoing fight for reproductive justice and the urgent need to build a future where everyone has the care they need, including Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other communities of color: 

“Fifty-three years ago, pregnant people and families were promised the freedom to choose if and when they wanted to become parents. That promise, already an imperfect patchwork of protections, was torn apart when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Since the Dobbs decision, federal politicians have done little to protect people, endangering the health and safety of millions, costing lives, and undermining fundamental freedoms.

“But restoring Roe alone is not enough. Even with its limited protections, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities faced significant barriers to accessing reproductive care, including language obstacles, cultural stigmas, and fears tied to immigration status. AAPIs experience some of the highest rates of maternal mortality and life-threatening pregnancy complications–a crisis only worsened by the overturning of Roe. We must and can do better.   

“It’s time to build a future where reproductive freedom and access go beyond the bare minimum. We aren’t just workers on Monday, caregivers on Tuesday, and immigrants on Wednesday–we carry multitudes, and our care must reflect that. The quality of care we receive shouldn’t depend on our zip code, income, or the languages we speak. We deserve a future where communities of color not only have the right to reproductive care but also the financial means and resources to access it.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only organization dedicated to uplifting and building power with AAPI women and girls in the US. Employing a reproductive justice framework to guide our work, we use organizing, advocacy, and communications strategies to assert full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.