Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Chai Douanglee

For Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today’s profile is Chai Douanglee of the United Steelworkers (USW).

Chai Douanglee, a welder at Newport News Shipbuilding, joined USW Local 8888 after the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to pivot careers, having never worked in welding or been a union member before. Now the proud immigrant from Laos who arrived in the United States at age 7 serves on six committees for a local with over 10,000 members. He’s come to see that understanding politics and having a voice at the table are essential for real change.