May gives us plenty of reasons to celebrate, from May Day honoring workers around the world, to Mother’s Day, and AAPI Heritage Month, recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander communities!
For this month’s edition of the Repro Roundup, we want to reflect on the unique challenges that AAPI communities face and celebrate the powerful ways they’re organizing for change.
AAPI is an umbrella term that includes over 50 ethnic groups, each with their own unique experiences and relationships to health care.
The AAPI community is richly diverse, made up of dozens of cultures, languages, and histories. When we treat the community as a monolith in conversations about reproductive health, we risk overlooking the specific needs and barriers faced by different groups within it.
For many people across AAPI communities, conversations about mental health, reproductive care, and gender identity can still carry cultural stigma. These experiences are shaped by a wide range of factors, including migration histories, language access, intergenerational trauma, and family or religious expectations. As a result, it can be difficult for people to seek out support or feel fully seen in mainstream health care systems.
This month’s round up includes ways to engage with the AAPI community, amid the mounting threats and pivotal decisions in the fight for reproductive and gender-affirming care around the Pacific Northwest.
Learn more about the organizations, issues, and stories highlighted in this month’s newsletter.
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
NAPAWF empowers AAPI women and girls by advocating for policies that advance reproductive justice.
Their work addresses key issues such as immigration reform, affordable health care, and gender-based violence. Learn more here.
API Chaya, ACL Spokane, UTOPIA
In Washington, organizations like API Chaya, ACL Spokane and UTOPIA Washigton are working directly within their communities to address the barriers they face. They build trust and power in ways that reflect the realities of the people they serve.
We encourage you to engage with these organizations and make a long-term commitment to support their work.
Abortion Clinic in Wyoming
Last month, we shared a story about Wyoming Health Access, the last abortion clinic operating in Wyoming.
Now, a Wyoming judge has extended injunctions against the state’s sweeping abortion bans, keeping them on hold while legal challenges continue. Read the full story.
Gender-Affirming Care in Seattle
LGBTQ+ rights groups, including Pro-Choice Washington, are urging Seattle Children’s Hospital to begin offering gender-affirming surgeries to patients under 19, citing Washington’s progressive legal landscape and the urgent medical needs of trans youth.
