Protesters hold signs against Welfare Reform

Protesters hold signs against Welfare Reform

Protestors hold signs in a crowd. From left to right, the signs read: “No time to celebrate, Fight for our heritage;” “Southeast Asians are here to stay;” and “'Welfare Reform’ hurts Asian Americans.” Between 1996 and 2000, CAAAV organized their members to protest the federal Welfare Reform Act (WRA), highlighting its negative effects on the Southeast Asian community in the Bronx. CAAAV Youth Leadership Project (YLP) conducted a 1997 survey that revealed over 90% of Southeast Asian families polled received some form of public assistance. If Governor Pataki moved forward with the implementation of the WRA in New York, YLP asserted this assistance would be cut off. [1] For more information see “Demonstrators Rally Against Pataki’s Welfare Reform Impacting Southeast Asian Communities,” and “Flyer for Eating Welfare: Asians and Welfare in New York City”.

[1] “Voice Spring 1998,” CAAAV Digital Archive, accessed October 19, 2024, https://archives.caaav.org/items/show/2136.

May 1997

Digitized by: Arlene Gao
Cataloged by: Tess Derby

Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities.

Photograph

Photo598