LA Asian Migrant Sex Worker Outreach Fund

It is with a heavy heart that we reflect upon the 1-year anniversary of the Atlanta shootings where 8 people, including 6 Asian women, were murdered in 3 Asian-owned massage businesses.

 

Far from just an isolated incident, two more Asian women were murdered by gunshot this February while working inside massage establishments in Albuquerque in two separate incidents. These attacks are part of an even larger pattern of robberies of Asian massage businesses in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

 

These horrible acts highlight how sexism, racism, and xenophobia compound as violence against migrant massage workers who are--or are perceived to be--engaging in sex work.

 

In response to these dehumanizing acts against some of our most vulnerable community members, Sex Worker Outreach Project - Los Angeles (SWOPLA) and the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED), have joined efforts to create the Massage Worker Outreach Program. With guidance from Red Canary Song and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, this program aims to provide material support to migrant massage workers in Los Angeles Chinatown and, eventually, the Greater Los Angeles area.

 

Our goal is to raise $8000 to provide outreach support for Asian migrant massage workers, connecting them with cash assistance, care and self-defense kits, multilingual resources and information about immigrant and workers’ rights, and to build relationships with and among workers. Additionally, these outreach events will allow us to learn about the workers’ needs and mobilize support systems to address those needs.

 

Please consider donating to or sharing this fundraiser. Money raised will go towards expenses like translation, programming, and care packages, including cash payments for massage workers. Your contribution will directly support our efforts to build a safer world for highly stigmatized and vulnerable communities among us.

 

With love, rage and solidarity,

 

Sex Worker Outreach Project, Los Angeles (SWOPLA)
and
Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED)