For Immediate Release
Wednesday, 02/01/2017
CONTACT:
Melissa Cardenas-Dow
Co-chair, Communications & Media Committee
Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association
(909) 793-2030
melissa.cardenasdow@gmail.com
APALA releases statement opposing recent presidential actions and policies
The Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) strongly opposes the recent policies and practices of President Trump’s administration which censor research, stifle freedom of inquiry and the dissemination of information from government agencies to the general public, and enact an inhumane ban on immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.
Our organization is committed to “advancing social justice and providing opportunities for dialogue and networking to promote the needs of Asian/Pacific American [APA] professionals and those who serve APA communities.” As an organizational affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), APALA joins with ALA President Julie Todaro, who recently affirmed in a press release that policies stemming from the recent presidential orders and actions go against our profession’s core values, most especially access to information, democracy, diversity, intellectual freedom, the public good, service, and social responsibility.
Asian/Pacific Americans in the United States have fought against discrimination and dehumanizing policies, such as Executive Order 9066 of 1942 that incarcerated Japanese Americans in concentration camps, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 that limited immigration affecting ethnic Chinese people regardless of their nation of origin, and the racial profiling of many Asian/Pacific American individuals and communities, especially Arabs, South Asians, Muslims, and Sikhs, after the September 11, 2001 attacks. APALA supports our members and provides means for them to speak out against the continued discrimination of our communities and the attempts to silence our voices. We do not tolerate any form of censorship and we encourage our members to work together and collaborate with others to uphold our professional values.
APALA joins other organizations in the library and information professions who have publicly declared their continuing support for equity and information access:
- American Library Association (ALA) opposes new administration policies that contradict core values: http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/01/ala-opposes-new-administration-policies-contradict-core-values
- Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Board of Directors affirms commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access: http://www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/archives/13139
- Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and Association of American University Presses (AAUP) joint statement: http://www.arl.org/news/arl-news/4204-research-libraries-university-presses-oppose-trumps-immigration-order#.WJEGlxsrKUl
- North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG) statement of inclusion: https://nasig.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/nasig-statement-of-inclusion
- Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) statement regarding recent executive presidential order: https://ali.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&view=entry&year=2017&month=01&day=31&id=43:statement-regarding-recent-executive-presidential-order
- Society of American Archivists (SAA) statement on executive order restricting entry into the United States by individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries: http://www2.archivists.org/statements/saa-statement-on-executive-order-restricting-entry-into-the-united-states-by-individuals-
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Founded in 1980, the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All donations to APALA are tax deductible and support our work for library services, programs, scholarships, awards, and grants related to library services benefiting Asian/Pacific Americans and Asian/Pacific American librarians.