AAPI Advocates Denounce Texas’ Assault on Reproductive Rights
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2021
Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org
Washington, D.C. — OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates denounced Texas’ new abortion restrictions on Friday, joining other groups serving Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in condemning the state’s unprecedented assault on reproductive rights.
“Safe access to abortion is a right that has been affirmed by the Supreme Court,” said OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ National President Linda Ng. “Lawmakers need to empower women to make their own decisions—not restrict them from accessing the care they need.”
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the enforcement of S.B. 8, which bans abortions after doctors detect a “fetal heartbeat,” usually around six weeks of pregnancy. Because most people do not know they are pregnant by six weeks, the law effectively prohibits a vast majority of abortions in Texas. Notably, S.B. 8 does not include exceptions for rape or incest.
“Texas’ unconstitutional abortion ban is not only an attack on women, it is also particularly an attack on low-income folks and communities of color, including millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It is incredibly frightening to imagine the dangers and financial burdens that women and their families now face,” said OCA’s Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen. “We strongly oppose any policy that threatens the dignity, health, and autonomy of AAPIs.”
Nearly two million Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders live in the state, according to the latest 2020 Census redistricting data. Meanwhile, the latest polling from the Pew Research Center indicates roughly two-thirds of Asian adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
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Founded in 1973, OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national, member-driven civil rights organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.