The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) is an impressive coalition of women working in a variety of disciplines for a singular, historically overlooked cause: social and economic justice and political empowerment for Asian Pacific American women and girls. A progressive organization that works on a diverse range of issues, it remains focused on the pressing needs currently facing the APA female community. Grassroots activists, organizers, policymakers, and laborers for justice will convene on March 26-27 at American University's Washington College of Law in Washington, DC for their national conference, "Building an Asian Pacific American Women's Movement: A National Economic Justice Gathering."

Because of the model minority stereotype, lack of understanding of issues facing the women of the APA community and the marginalization and silencing of immigrant voices, NAPAWF seeks to highlight and give voice to those who are most likely to be overshadowed by mainstream dialogues. Staff and volunteers mobilize specifically around the issues of civil rights, economic justice, educational access, health and reproductive freedom, ending violence against women, and immigrant and refugee rights. Having been founded in the wake of the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, the group has retained its commitment to women worldwide, connecting the issues of Asian American women to a broader global framework.

Given that broad scope, the conference agenda will address issues specific to economic justice. That umbrella topic will cover areas of concern such as sex trafficking, women working in the garment industry and the low-wage service sector, issues of deportation and immigration status in the post 9-11 America, and reproductive health. The workshops address specific policy recommendations, critique of current policies and practices, theoretical frameworks of understanding, and practical training in different areas of activism. NAPAWF is conscious of their language and is careful to include "girls," and with them, with the awareness of a younger generation of activists who are partners in the struggle for justice.

As a network of leaders and partners that span generations, span the country, and whose concerns spans the globe, NAPAWF is a space that connects folks with like-minded visions. Whether the women are nationally recognized activists or Asian American women politicians or community workers who may not receive attention for their much needed work, this gathering is a crucial one.

National Director, Kiran Ahuja, explains that this event is needed for Asian Americans because it is important for the APA community to "acknowledge that there are members in our community that do not live up to the model minority myth. We need to talk about these issues and the work that is happening locally, educate ourselves and others and build comprehensive strategy to combat these issues."

In October of 2000, in the early stages of the group's formation, Lora Jo Foo, a founding member of NAPAWF, was commissioned by the Ford Foundation with the task of writing a report centered on the concerns of Asian American women. The "Asian American Women Issues, Concerns, and Responsive Human and Civil Rights Advocacy" that resulted from Foo's research can be found at the websites of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy and the Ford Foundation.

Following up this work was a 2001 National Initiative and long-term campaign on the issue of economic justice. With the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor in the United States, that distance is perhaps starker in the Asian Pacific American community. The visible face of Asian America consists of successful women in corporate positions. The hidden face of Asian America includes women who continue to be trafficked through an unregulated sex industry, working for low wages as domestic help or in sweatshops, and who are fighting for their dignity and humanity.

"We are vigorously in dialogue to conscientiously define 'economic justice' in a manner that honors and defends all the many ways in which we are impacted by the global proportions of capitalism. This difficult, but the challenge reflects exactly the deepest purpose of NAPAWF: to infuse the struggles of APA women and girls into a national progressive agenda that builds movement towards social justice," writes current Southern California chapter representative, Maisie Chin, in an NAPAWF newsletter.

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