Locals from across Canada and the United States had their first ever Asian Pacific Islander (API) Summit in Toronto. SEIU-West sent two members to attend to participate in skill-building workshops focused on recruitment and organizing, and build connections, share strategies, and celebrate the richness of API heritage.
Read their reports below to hear all about it!
Jeanne:
First, I want to thank SEIU-West for investing in me to attend this event. It was very informative, improved and enhanced my growth as a labour activist, and widened my knowledge in union leadership and organizing.
I am grateful to be a part of this history, the first ever Canadian API summit, attended by more than 400 SEIU members across North America.
Nice to know that I am not the only one who felt unseen, unheard and invisible as a member of SEIU. I can relate with a lot of stories told during the event. Most of them made me realize that I really need to step up to be heard, seen and be visible and make a difference, not only as an SEIU member but as a union leader. If they can do it, I need to tell myself that I can do it too.
The following were discussed:
API Statistics and Workforce Breakdown
There are seven million Asian Canadians – nearly one in five, which is 19.3% of the entire population. There are 39,000 Asian Pacific Islanders (API) in Canada, and API population grew 127% in Canada between 2011 and 2021.
For every five API workers, only one makes it to leadership, and for API women, the gap is even wider. The wage gap is real, the leadership gap is deep, the union gap is wide, but so is our power and our solidarity.
API Stereotypes and Strength Workshop
Yes, a lot of API feel invisible.
Some of stereotyping API experience are as follows:
- being called as perpetual foreigner,
- thought of as quiet and passive,
- Asians are good in technology and math,
- API women are submissive, and
- all APIs are the same.
How to make invisible visible? We must turn stereotypes into strengths. Making others aware that our stories are complex, we need to lead with strength and lead thoughtfully. Also discussed, most APIs' confidence is blocked because of wanting to stay humble, not wanting to complain, and most of the time there is the fear of judgment.
There are ways to build confidence. First is owning your story, highlighting the struggles, what made you persevere and what empowered you. Second is reframing the narrative by actively sharing your story and by viewing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, that promotes resiliency. Third is using your voice, by making sure you are being heard, be a part of decision making and by not keeping your ideas to yourself and wasting good opportunities to make a difference. If you hear, see and experience violations, make sure you do something, and say something. Silence is not always the answer. We can be the voice for those who can’t speak. Fourth, celebrate every win; there is no such thing as small wins, every win needs to be counted. Every single victory brings a brighter future. Lastly, lead authentically, with genuineness and build trust and rapport, demonstrate adaptability and invest in the growth and development of others not only of oneself. We need commitment to growth by breaking through the bamboo ceiling. Not to stay too quiet and be or feel too small. APIs, we are here today—to lead, together, to be stronger.
API Immigration and Contributions
- Chinese labourers built the Canadian Pacific Railway under deadly conditions, systemic exclusion followed, then the railway was used to expand the colonial settlement.
- Japanese Canadians interned during WWII, they lost homes and businesses, then rebuilt through fishing, farming and entrepreneurship.
- Early South Asian immigrants fought for voting rights and worker dignity in British Columbia.
- Filipino farmworkers led the Delano, California grape strike to fight against the exploitation of farm workers.
- API garment workers led protests against unsafe conditions in New York and Los Angeles.
- Korean shopkeepers and South Asian taxi drivers fought for economic justice.
- Today API healthcare workers are leading today’s fight for public healthcare, staffing, and respect.
After all of the APIs' contributions mentioned, here are some real immigration challenges or realities in Canada and in the US: long wait times for permanent residency and family reunification, credential recognition barriers – overqualified or underemployed, language access, racism and discrimination at work, lack of culturally appropriate services and support, mental health toll from isolation, overwork and starting over, and sometimes we downplay our hardships just to survive.
What do unions do to resolve immigrants’ challenges? Together we rise, by having union solidarity for immigrant workers. We win immigrants' rights through bargaining, campaigns, and political action. We win language access and interpretation so every member can participate. We win support for international credentials and recognition of foreign training. We stand up against racism in the workplace and push for equity policies. We build leadership pipelines for immigrants and newcomer members.
What is Organizing & why is it important for API Community?
What doesn’t grow, dies. Same with our union. If we stop organizing, our union dies. We also need to organize the already organized workplaces, when a worker gets denied benefits due to accent, the union people show up. If a member gets discriminated against due to colour, race, place of origin, we will show up. Every member needs to be included, respected, protected and to be able to wear their identity with pride, no matter how hard it is at times. When we do all of this, our union grows stronger, our members fight with us and for us.
Also discussed was the importance of storytelling to reclaim the importance of our voice as APIs using generational stories, cultural heritage, challenges and adversities (example: colour of skin, background). Use storytelling as a tool to move and motivate others. Also, most of the time, when we tell our stories as APIs or newcomers, our new members can relate and sometimes that’s the start of getting them involved and more engaged.
What is digital organizing? It is using technology to build relationships, take action and grow power online and on the go. Examples are collecting leads with QR codes (brought some examples with me and will share with Organizing Director), Text blasts, text banking or DMs, WhatsApp groups for new leaders, sharing action alerts and graphics.
Cross Solidarity and Racial Justice
To Win Economic Justice for Working People, We Must Win Racial Justice. What is racial justice? It is the systemic fair treatment of people of all races resulting in equitable outcomes for all.
Our racial justice North Star, meaning a guiding principle for achieving racial equity and dismantling systemic racism, symbolizes commitment to a future where we have equity and eradication of discrimination and oppression. Our goal is to have an Anti-Racist Organization by actively linking economic and racial justice together, by working to eliminate racism and create equity within the organization and in the world, by supporting equitable power-sharing for People of Colour, by empowering all of us to know and own our stake in challenging racism and transforming policies, procedures and practices, and lastly, by fostering deep cross-racial solidarity. We can build cross-racial solidarity muscle. Recently, SEIU had cross-caucus solidarity, the caucuses were: Asian Pacific Islanders Caucus, Latino Caucus, AFRAM (African American) Caucus, Lavender Caucus (equivalent to our GSDC), Indigenous People Caucus, and People Working with Disabilities Caucus.
Building API Leadership
Brief history of API leadership:
In 2020, SEIU API leaders partnered with SEIU International to invest in the next generation of API organizing leaders. Partnerships formed with the SEIU Capacity Center and Locals to identify up and coming API leaders. The official program was launched in January of 2021. Twenty-five leaders with 18 locals were represented when it was first officially launched. Now, it's bigger and stronger, and still getting bigger with members coming from US, Canada, and Puerto Rico locals, and it’s now unstoppable.
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice is based on the reality that certain groups in society bear unequal environmental and economic burdens like: poor air and water quality, as well as unhealthy living conditions resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations and/or federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
Climate Justice, a form of environmental justice, is the fair treatment of all people and the freedom from discrimination in the creation of policies and projects that address climate change as well as the systems that create climate change and perpetuate discrimination. Scientific evidence is clear; climate change is a threat to human well-being and the health of our planet. People are experiencing climate change impacts now.
What can we do today? Show your commitment to environmental justice and climate justice and share to others why are you committing to the fight. Think about what you would like to see in your city and/or local union, like education, training, creating environmental justice committee. Get involved locally and weigh in on the environmental justice plan, think of how this builds worker power and advance your union’s work in racial, immigrant, gender, and 2SLBGTIQ+ justice.
Lifting the new wave of API Union leaders
Leaders and influential workers tracker reflects on your potential API leaders. Leaders speak out, take initiative. Connectors know everyone and build trust. Experts are the one with deep knowledge and skills.
Again, I would like to express how grateful I am to be able to attend and learn from this API Summit.
Yolanda:
I was so excited to be at the first Asian Pacific Islander Summit in Canada, to be a part of this history is awesome! Thanks to SEIU-West and to the Top Officers for allowing me to attend!
First of all, the vibes on the floor were so powerful; there were many cultures from many different countries, and we got a big warm welcome from Susan Li, the president of the SEIU International API Caucus. She's an amazing lady and you can see the leadership in her. We were also introduced Joseph Bryant, SEIU International Executive Vice-President. He’s a great guy. And also, Michael Guzman, API Caucus Vice-President of Canada and senior organizer was very down to earth and friendly. Then there was Tyler Downy, the SEIU President of healthcare in Canada. He also gave a very warm welcome to everyone. There were many more speakers, and you could see the leadership and unity between them.
Everyone had a story to tell. I met all sorts of new people, made new friends, and shared in collective stories. I also noticed the new API members coming out of their shells, having more confidence and becoming more comfortable taking the stage.
The leaders there were true leaders, their energy was contagious.
There were more than 400 attendees present. We celebrated our cultures, shared our struggles, celebrated each other's victories, and empowered each other to become leaders.
We had a strength workshop, we talked about API stereotypes, API immigration and contributions, and what is “organizing” and why it is important to the API community. We also talked about wellness and nutrition, cross solidarity & racial justice, as well as identifying and lifting API leaders.
Every speaker has inspired me. I recall one story of the mother who was separated from her kids to become a caregiver.
The location was great, food was awesome. It was really organized. It was excellent.
API community really stands up for each other and I would like to be a member; I think it would be awesome to have one or more members from the SEIU-West Workers of Colour Multicultural Mentorship Committee. We have lots of diverse workers in Saskatchewan that would really want to know about API and be a part of it, of course with SEIU-West and the Top Officer's approval!
To learn more about Asian Pacific Islanders in Canada, check out these statistics.