On July 11, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) held an event to honor Luisa Blue’s election as the first ever Asian American Pacific Islander to serve as an international officer of the Service Employee International Union (SEIU). Blue was elected on May 22.
The event also celebrated the decades of Blue’s accomplishments as an activist in the Filipino community, an organizer and founding member of SEIU’s Nurse Alliance, founding member of APALA, Chief Elected Officer of SEIU Local 521, and currently as the highest ranking AAPI at SEIU.
As civil rights activism swept across the United States and the world, Blue joined the anti-martial law coalition against the Marcos dictatorship and regime. She was always active in the Filipino-American community, and worked on immigrant rights and discrimination issues, APALA said.
In 1977, while working as an RN at San Francisco General Hospital, she joined the union where she became more active and helped organize other nurses to become advocates for better patient care and working conditions.
“All communities need to work together for immigrant and racial justice this November,” Blue said at the event. “Together, we know our diversity is the key heading towards November.”
