For Immediate Release: Oct 8, 2022

Contact: Maggie Grundy, Communications and Graphics Coordinator, contacts@vayla-no.org

New Orleans, Louisiana

There are many societal issues that bring AAPIs to the voting booth. This election cycle, the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade foisted reproductive justice to the forefront of these issues. In New Orleans, where reproductive rights have been eliminated and rape is no longer classified as an emergency, some AAPIs are wondering if they want to continue living here at all.

It should concern our politicians that Louisiana’s near-total ban on abortion and disregard for bodily freedom and autonomy will drive many young AAPIs away from the state. As our Executive Director Jacqueline Thanh shared in her recent op-ed article, “A new poll by Axios and Generation Lab found two out of three 18-29 year olds consider a state’s abortion laws when deciding where to live. That’s going to include a lot of Asian Americans, the fastest-growing minority group in the country, according to Pew. This can spell disaster for a state like Louisiana with both a shrinking and aging population.” 

As election season ramps up, we remain anchored in community and will not be quiet. AAPI voters have proven to show up to polls in record numbers, but if our leaders continue to ignore our voices–how many of us will stay?

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VAYLA incubates AAPI leaders for a more just tomorrow. VAYLA exists as an embodiment and commitment to activating tomorrow’s AAPI leaders in New Orleans and beyond. We engender leadership to address social inequities facing our community while anchored in an anti-racist, Queer, Feminist lens. At the forefront of these issues we focus on environmental justice, reproductive justice, and civic engagement initiatives.