Who is Ai-Jen Poo?
You may recognize Ai-Jen Poo as a prominent activist and organizer known for her work advocating for the rights of domestic workers and caregivers.
Ai-jen Poo is a next-generation labor leader, award-winning organizer, author, and a leading voice in the women’s movement. She is the President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Director of Caring Across Generations, Co-Founder of SuperMajority and Trustee of the Ford Foundation. Ai-jen is a nationally recognized expert on elder and family care, the future of work, gender equality, immigration, narrative change, and grassroots organizing. She is the author of the celebrated book, The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America. Together with Alicia Garza, Ai-jen co-hosts the podcast, Sunstorm.
Most recently, the White House declared April as Care Workers Recognition month on the heels of a groundbreaking executive order by the Biden/ Harris administration to put into effect a set of executive actions to improve care in the United States.
The order puts into place more than 50 directives to allocate already available funds to support care workers and families alike. This will be the strongest budget proposals for paid leave and child, elderly and disabled care in the history of the nation. Poo has been a leading voice in the movement. Her advocacy for domestic workers’ rights and highlighting issues of labor rights, fair wages, and workplace protections for caregivers has made this possible. Ai-Jen is a recipient of numerous awards for her advocacy work and believes “these executive actions recognize the critical importance of care work.”
Ai -Jen Poo as a young immigrant watched as her family worked to find a place of belonging. She witnessed her family and other immigrant families like hers, strive to build up and support the community and families in this country. She believes this work, and her passion for it, found her. Her experience deeply influenced her work in what she is doing now.
Ai -Jen grew up watching the invisible work of women, especially ethnic women, and it resonated deeply with her how critical domestic workers are to families. She saw and felt that most of this labor was un-recognized and undervalued. That is why Poo is passionate about Domestic workers and caretakers getting the recognition and resources they deserve. She has seen first hand that the work and dedication of care workers is what makes the world a better place.
As we celebrate and honor Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders this month of May we want to highlight Ai- Jen Poo and all the awareness and positive change she has brought to the issues and needs surrounding domestic workers.
Change is on the way and although it may be slow progress Ai- Jen Poo is quoted saying “I consider it a real privilege to be able to be in this community, and I feel like I was raised by this movement of caregivers and domestic workers, so it feels like family, like we're in this together. We're in it to win it.”
That’s the focus for the future.
Ai-Jen Poo continues to be a strong advocate for the dignity and rights of domestic workers and caregivers, striving to bring attention to their critical contributions to society and in the wake of her advocacy comes serious change and hope for the future.
Sources:
https://people.com/human-interest/activist-ai-jen-poo-on-why-shes-fighting-for-domestic-workers/