For Immediate Release: January 20, 2022
Contact: media@napawf.org
Washington D.C. – Yesterday, the Senate failed to pass voting rights legislation critical to safeguarding access to the ballot box.
In response, Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director of National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) issued the following statement:
“Fifty-two senators refused to protect our right to vote. They are on the wrong side of history and we will not forget. NAPAWF will continue to organize and grow our grassroots power across the country to fight for our rights and continue to hold decision makers accountable.
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters are turning out to vote more than ever. In 2020, NAPAWF turned out a record number of first-time AAPI women voters and Asian Americans voted by mail at the highest rate compared to all other racial groups in the general election. NAPAWF is laser focused on carrying this trend into 2022 and will double down on our efforts to enfranchise our communities. In addition, AAPIs have some of the highest rates of limited English proficiency. Voter restriction laws that limit absentee and early voting, and other barriers, are designed to discourage AAPIs from exercising their right to vote by making it harder to navigate the increased bureaucracy to cast their ballots.
We are a powerful voting block and the nation’s fastest-growing population – laws that make it more difficult for people to vote strip away our rights and directly harm the families and communities we care for every day.”
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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build collective power so that all AAPI women and girls can have full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.