FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 19, 2021
CONTACT: media@napawf.org | comrequests@advancingjustice-aajc.org

WASHINGTON D.C. — The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC) urges the nation’s highest court to reject a call by the state of Mississippi to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

Tomorrow, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. NAPAWF and Advancing Justice – AAJC filed an amicus brief for the case on September 20, 2021 that focuses solely on the experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander women in the United States. The “friend of the court” brief represents 29 community and civil rights organizations, as well as bar associations. A full copy is available at: napawf.org/dobbsbrief. 

“As outlined in our brief to the Supreme Court, abortion restrictions disproportionately impact women of color and low-income women. At a time when AAPI women are facing the highest rate of long-term unemployment and increasing anti-Asian hate and harassment, it is disheartening to see state laws restricting rights to abortion care,” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director at NAPAWF.

“Health care is an essential human right, but too often it is either withheld or subpar care is provided to immigrant and AAPI women – many of whom are lower-income, limited English proficient, and face a myriad of challenges,” said John C. Yang, Advancing Justice – AAJC’s President and Executive Director. 

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, legal abortion would effectively end in at least 22 states, several of which are home to large and growing AAPI communities. For instance, the AAPI population in Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina, has grown 138%, 128%, and 154%, respectively, since 2000. The rolling back of reproductive rights by banning access to abortion care will further jeopardize the well-being and financial stability for millions of AAPI women and families.

Tomorrow’s hearing comes on the heel of S.B. 8, a Texas law that effectively ended most abortions in the state, which the Supreme Court heard a mere month ago. 

“Abortion rights are under unprecedented attack this year, and the highest court in the land is enabling and emboldening these efforts, in conjunction with the Fifth Circuit, the same lower court that enabled Texas’ S.B. 8 to stay in place and cut off abortion care for pregnant people,” said Choimorrow.

“These new abortion bans deny the basic human right to health care and disproportionately affect immigrants and women of color who now face the prospect of losing their voices and agency over their own bodies if these extreme laws are upheld,” said Yang. “We will continue to fight for the immigrant rights of the AAPI community and all communities of color to have equal, legal, and accessible health care.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum 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.

The mission of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC is to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans. Advancing Justice | AAJC is a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 in Washington, D.C. Advancing Justice | AAJC is the voice for the Asian American community – the fastest-growing population in the U.S. – fighting for our civil rights through education, litigation, and public policy advocacy.