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Statement

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Women & Moms Deserve Fair Pay

May 3, 2022
Equal Pay

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement from leaders of MomsRising, the national online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day – the day that marks how long AAPI women have to work in 2022 to catch up to what White, non-Hispanic men were typically paid in 2021.

“Today is a painful reminder that Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women continue to face a punishing, unjust wage gap. On average in the United States today, AANHPI women are paid just 75 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men. That’s shameful, but what’s even worse is that many AANHPI communities face even wider, more damaging wage gaps, with AANHPI moms facing additional wage hits. The wage gap for AANHPI women persists across occupations, education levels and geography. Action to end unfair pay is long overdue. No one should be shortchanged on her paycheck because of her gender or race, or because she is a mom.

“This year, AANHPI Equal Pay Day comes later in the year than in years past, because the updated data calculation includes part-time, seasonal, migrant, and gig workers, who often face devastatingly low pay and are without the benefits we all need. Many of these women work in frontline positions and have kept our economy running throughout the pandemic. Everyone deserves fair pay, and we will not stop fighting until the wage gap is closed and we build an economy that works for all of us.”

-- Statement of Gloria Pan, Vice President, MomsRising

“The wage discrimination AANHPI women face makes it harder for to put food on the table and gas in the car, access safe housing, health care and education, pay for child care, save for retirement and more. That hurts AANHPI women, their families and communities, and our entire economy. While the ‘model minority’ myth falsely paints all AANHPI women as highly paid, in reality, AANHPI women are a diverse community and are overrepresented in low-wage positions. We must reject these stereotypes and dismantle the structural racism and sexism that AANHPI women face.

“We urge Congress to help close the wage gap by tackling its root causes, making our workplaces more fair and building the care infrastructure we all need to thrive. It’s long past time the U.S. Senate join the U.S. House of Representatives in passing the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and making comprehensive investments in child care, paid family and medical leave, the expanded Child Tax Credit, and home- and community-based services. And our country needs Congress to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act immediately to protect access to abortion care for all people. These policies would be a huge win for gender and racial equality. We also need Congress to pass the Raise the Wage Act because our nation’s poverty-level minimum wage and tipped minimum age keep families trapped in scarcity and widens the wage gap. 

“AANHPI women should not have to work 16 months to be paid what white men are paid in 12. We will continue to demand an end to the wage gap for AANHPI women – and all women.”

--Statement of Sara Alcid, Senior Campaign Director, Workplace Justice, MomsRising

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.