For Immediate Release
September 12, 2025
CONTACT:
Amanda Cheung & Emily Espanol
Co-Chairs, Media & Publicity Committee
Asian Pacific American Librarians Association
communications@apalaweb.org
The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), the American Indian Library Association (AILA), and REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking stand in solidarity with marginalized communities facing increased intimidation and violence on their personal liberties. These incidents are not singular or isolated, and the recent Supreme Court decision on ICE raids in Los Angeles only compounds fear and distrust. APALA supports all those who are experiencing racism, harassment, and unjust imprisonment based purely on racial profiling. What we’ve seen in the last few months is an alarming trend toward blatant racism and discrimination. Our communities deserve to feel safe whether they’re at home, at work, or out in public.
As part of the five National Associations of Librarians of Color, we are committed to “advancing social justice and providing opportunities for dialogue,” and we strongly denounce this pointed persecution, which creates toxic environments for people of color. We acknowledge the complexity of intersectional identities and how multiple systems of oppression, such as racism, sexism, classism, ableism, and heterosexism (among others) overlap and escalate on the individual. We advocate for prioritizing the experiences and voices of marginalized groups and engaging in difficult dialogues to create a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive society.
We believe in the collective strength of people’s power and encourage our members and fellow library workers to take action and look out for each other in large and small ways in this political climate. The following resources are great starting points for yourselves and your communities:
- ACLU – Know Your Rights
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center
- National Immigrant Justice Center: Know Your Rights
We invite our communities to also share their own resources and/or other opportunities where we can build toward the action we want to see.
