Priscilla Huang, JD, is the policy director for the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), a national health justice organization which influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Paulo Pontemayor is a government relations and external affairs advisor for the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), a national health justice organization which influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Prior to working at APIAHF, Paulo worked as a senior legislative assistant for U.S. Rep. Madeleine Z.

Before health care reform, I was denied a biopsy for a prominent and painful breast lump by a surgical oncologist who admonished me that, “Asian women don’t get breast cancer”. After seeking a second opinion and undergoing a surgical biopsy, I was eventually diagnosed with infiltrating breast cancer at the age of 34, and underwent a modified radical mastectomy, followed by combination chemotherapy. Ten years later, routine mammography revealed an unrelated breast cancer in my left breast, for which I underwent a second mastectomy.

The new Congressional leadership has announced that they will hold a vote on Wednesday, January 19th to repeal the historic health care reform legislation that was signed into law last year. Health care reform gives our children, families, and communities the freedom from worrying about losing their insurance or being denied health care because of pre-existing conditions. Urge your Representative to reject efforts to repeal health care reform!

To call your Representative, follow these simple steps:

1. Call the U.S.

APIAHF works with community advocates, public health leaders and policymakers to generate policy and systems changes that benefit our communities at the national, state and local levels.

As part of an ambitious framework for change in policies, in systems, and in the fundamental ways that we address health for our communities, APIAHF policy work focuses on:

1. Expanding access to health care
2. Improving the quality of health care through cultural competency, language access and diverse workforce
3. Increasing research and improving data collection about health issues faced by our communities