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Collective Action: The Lifeblood of American Democracy

Marius Alexander F. Falconeer

Arizona State University

PAF 112: Identity, Service, and American Democracy

Dr. Jonathan GS Koppel and Dr. Eileen Eisen-Cohen

May 5th, 2021

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The spirit of American freedom and democracy lies in that of the immigrant. The

desire to live a life free from the persecution of their mother country or to rise above

their station is what drove many people to make the trek across the sea to a brave new

world. As time passed, this beacon of liberty attracted more people from more parts of

the world, such as those from Asia and Oceania. As such, it is the duty of our nation to

look after the safety and welfare of all of its people in their pursuit of happiness, no

matter their origin. Yet, there are those who lash out at their fellow countrymen over

differences that should instead be celebrated. These actions, born of fear and

ignorance, painfully litter our nation’s history. While it is easy to say these events are a

product of a time with primitive notions of race and gender, these issues persist into the

modern day. Those of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage face a resurgence of hatred,

discrimination, and even violence as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly,

those in the workforce have long faced discrimination, harassment, and workers rights

abuses on the basis of race, gender, and national origin. The failure of those elected

into power to ensure the safety and civil rights of their citizenry is evidence of the need

for social and civil action. In order to take action against these civil rights abuses, it is

imperative that those influenced by such hatred band together. One such united front is

the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), whose mission is to ensure the

rights and address the issues facing Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the

workplace and beyond. The formation and collective action of organizations like the

APALA is the lifeblood of American democracy because it enables those with a shared

identity and vision to unite and become a force for greater societal change.
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The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance focuses on issues that Asian

American and Pacific Islander laborers face both in and out of the workplace. AAPI is a

broad term that encompasses many smaller identity groups such as Chinese,

Vietnamese, Filipino, Samoan, and many other ethnicities from the Asian and Oceanic

geographic regions. Though these myriad identity groups are all very unique

individually, all of these groups of people have faced similar discrimination and hatred

because of their origin. These hardships are echoed by those represented by the labor

movement, who seek to eliminate discrimination and ensure the fair treatment and

compensation of all workers. This common ground is identified in the APALA’s

Statement of Purpose, “The Asian Pacific American Communities and the Labor

Movement share common concerns for economic and political justice, equal opportunity

and an improved quality of life for all working people.” (“APALA National Constitution”

2017). This unity of purpose has resulted in a shared identity and steeled resolve since

the APALA’s founding in 1992, with a particular focus on ensuring AAPI workers’ rights

and safety both at work and home. The membership of this organization is restricted to

union members, but does not bar non-AAPI people from joining. As its focus centers

primarily around laborers, there are various economic and political dimensions to its

social capital. The APALA’s main area of economic influence lies in labor unions.

According to the APALA’s Untapped Power report, it took inspiration from organizations

such as Anak ng Bukid, or “Children of the Farm”, the first formal Filipino labor

organization, and the United Farm Workers Union, a union formed from Filipino and

Mexican workers banding together, the APALA was formed. Summarized in the

Untapped Power Report, “Throughout American history, these movements show the
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power of AANHPI workers when they unite with each other across ethnic and racial

lines,” (Loo et al. 2019). Due to its status as a labor union, it gets most of its funding

from its members, while specific chapters get additional funding from local organizations

and grants such as the Seattle Foundation and the WA Equity Relief Fund for

Non-Profits, according to the APALA 2020 Annual Report. Its political capital takes the

form of state representatives and voter outreach. In order to spread its message and

realize its mission, the APALA reaches out to AAPI voters with the aim of passing

pro-worker legislation and electing AAPI representatives who aim to work alongside the

organization to enable widespread reform. In order to further its mission the APALA did

the following, “Hosted 46 voter outreach events with more than a dozen labor and AAPI

partners advocating for…” (“2020 Annual Report” 2020). With voter outreach being the

primary method for acquiring social capital, each individual chapter also engages in

dialogue with local elected officials, such as the Seattle Chapter holding a gala with

State Representative My-Linh Thai. With its social capital, the APALA uses it to address

the increased hostility towards AAPI’s and works to fight for the communities it

represents. One such act of violence were the murders of AAPI spa workers that took

place on March 16th, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. According to an APALA press release

on the matter, “These murders were also driven by the demonization of China…” (Loo

2021). In order to address these issues Monica Thammarath, President of the APALA,

issued a statement of solidarity in the commitment to fight for the AAPI communities that

it represents so that tragedies such as the murders in Georgia cannot happen again.

The rhetoric of Chinese and other AAPI demonization is not new in America’s history.

Chinese immigrants have experienced legalized discrimination and systemic racism

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nearly since the nation’s founding. According to the excerpt “The impact of expansion

on Chinese immigrants and Hispanic citizens” in U.S. History, “Prohibited by law since

1790 from obtaining U.S. citizenship through naturalization, Chinese…” (Waskiewicz

2019). Despite all of the civil rights abuses that Chinese immigrants faced, the allure of

a better life for themselves and their families attracted waves of people culminating in

the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. It is this history of abuses that forges the

organizations and associations dedicated to correcting these legalized wrongdoings that

AAPI’s have suffered for over 200 years. Yet history often repeats itself, as AAPI’s now

face the brunt of the irrational blame and hatred stemming from the COVID-19

pandemic. The APALA recognizes these abuses and as such mobilizes its members

towards positive civic engagement. Through voter outreach, rallies, and partnerships

with elected officials and other organizations, the APALA is making the push to combat

the widespread anti-Asian racism, “In addition to the guidance released in March

protecting AAPI workers from pandemic related discrimination and harassment…”

(“2020 Annual Report” 2020). The methods the APALA uses to mobilize its members to

civic engagement is reminiscent of the United Farm Workers Union in which it partially

took its inspiration. The necessity to mobilize people across identity divides in order to

achieve a greater goal is what drives societal change. By doing this, the APALA is able

to advocate for the rights of not only its members, but the communities that it

represents. The actions undertaken by this organization are a prime example of what

makes associations the cornerstone of American democracy. The turbulent history of

American civil rights abuses and the associations and movements born of them are the

reasons why such organizations are a necessity. Without collective action, such abuses
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would compound upon each other until a tyrannical government, one that the founding

fathers sought to be rid of, would emerge. The French observer Alexis de Toqueville

observed that collective action is vital to American democracy stating, “A people

amongst which individuals should lose the power of achieving great things

single-handed…” (De, T. A. 2009). By coming together, Americans are able to achieve

great things. In order to do so, associations are formed so that people of a shared

identity can unite under a single banner to fight the injustices that are born of prejudice,

fear, and ignorance.

In conclusion, The APALA hopes to end the abuse of AAPI’s across the nation

through collective action that crosses the boundaries of ethnicity, forming a great shared

identity that collectively seeks to eradicate injustice. Taking a leaf out of the book of its

predecessor organizations such as the UFW, it seeks to leverage its social capital as a

labor union to call out to AAPI voters and allies to end the injustices of anti-Asian

racism. Such discrimination and hatred has haunted the United States for more than

two centuries. A lasting positive change where AAPI’s can safely pursue a better life

and rise above their station is long overdue. The APALA addresses the issues that grip

the public at large and have become the ideal example of why Americans coming

together to not only protect those who suffer from injustice and hardship, but to enact a

change on the societal level to prevent it from happening again is the essential lifeblood

of American democracy.
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WORKS CITED

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO

In 2020 Annual Report Asian Pacific

American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO

(section. 1, 2, 4, 9). Asian Pacific American

Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO

Loo, M. (2021, March 17).

APALA Grieves for the Asian Women Who

Were Victims of Targeted Shootings in

Georgia, and Condemns Misogyny and

White Supremacy that Motivated These

Murders. https://www.apalanet.org/press-

releases/Apala-grieves-for-the-asian-women

-who-Were-victims-of-targeted-shootings-in-

Georgia-and-condemns-misogyny-and-

White-supremacy-that-motivated-these-

Murders

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO

(2019). Untapped Power: The Strength

Of Asian American, Native Hawaiian,

And Pacific Islander Working People.

(pp.15) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m9xC

xKyWd6iOt33VAyAwtVPIAOtiFkBA/view
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Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO

(2017). National Constitution (pp. 3).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6vyE

G7F3GVCMVQzUkI4Q002REU/view

Waskiewicz, S. (2019).

“The Impact of Expansion on Chinese

Immigrants and Hispanic Citizens” U.S.

History (pp. 2). Openstax.Houston, TX:

OpenStax CNX

De, T. A. (2009).

Democracy in America : volumes i & ii

Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.

Cruz, A. (2016).

“The Union within the Union: Filipinos, Mexicans,

And the racial integration of the farm worker

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