In Remembrance of Kent Wong

WHEREAS, on Oct. 8, 2025, the labor movement lost Kent Wong—a proud member of UC-AFT and respected community leader, mentor, friend, educator and activist renowned across Los Angeles and the nation for his commitment to social justice, international solidarity, labor and immigrant rights advocacy; and 

WHEREAS, Kent was a catalyst for change and architect for justice who pushed the labor movement to be inclusive of all workers regardless of race, nationality, citizenship, gender and sexuality; and

WHEREAS, Kent was a professor of labor studies and Asian American studies at UCLA and served as the director of the UCLA Labor Center for three decades. His work led to innovative and transformational scholarship and elevated and amplified what we know about workers who had traditionally been marginalized in the history of the U.S. labor movement; and

WHEREAS, Kent’s commitment to Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander workers was instrumental in the first national gathering of AANHPI labor unionists and the founding of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance in 1992; and

WHEREAS, Kent’s commitment to education, teaching and mentorship played a significant role in countless students entering the workforce understanding the importance of labor solidarity and to new generations of changemakers who opted for careers in the labor movement; and

WHEREAS, Kent’s creation of the national Dream Summer, launched in 2011, has built an alumni network of over 1,000 young immigrant rights leaders who interned in unions and social justice organizations; and 

WHEREAS, Kent was a CFT vice president from May 2009 until October 2025; and 

WHEREAS, in March 2025, Kent received the Ben Rust Award, the CFT’s most prestigious award for commitment and involvement in education, politics and the trade union movement, and, in July 2022, Kent received the AFT’s Drum Major for Justice Award, which honors those demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to social justice, civil rights and equity for diverse communities; and 

WHEREAS, Kent’s commitment to organizing, mobilizing and nonviolent direct action created pathways for fighting tyranny, authoritarianism and oppression; and

WHEREAS, Kent’s ability to see the ties that bind worker struggles globally led to the development of a vast network of global labor leaders that cultivated their connection through international delegation exchanges to Japan, Okinawa, Vietnam, the Philippines and China, designed to help labor leaders from around the world understand each other’s struggles; and the establishment of labor centers globally; and

WHEREAS, Kent’s trailblazing leadership, vision and clarity of purpose inspired generations of new AANHPI leaders to organize and raise our voices not just in our unions but also across campuses and communities to advocate for Asian American studies, build multiracial and multigenerational coalitions, confront anti-Asian hate, address socioeconomic needs and strengthen our communities inclusively and visibly:

RESOLVED, that the AFT honor Kent Wong and carry on his legacy by committing ourselves to uplifting his life work and organizing around the struggles of AANHPI workers, promoting international solidarity, continuing to train for and execute nonviolent direct action as taught by his mentor Jim Lawson, and advocating for immigrants, undocumented students and worker rights; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT promote Kent’s co-edited book, Asian American Workers Rising: APALA’s Struggle to Transform the Labor Movement, which traces APALA founders through current leaders; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT heed Kent’s call from July 2025 to be an organization that is committed to ensuring that “the power of justice be more powerful than the forces of tyranny, hatred and racism; and that we stand together to stop deportation, to create a beloved community, to let each child in this country live with peace and with justice”; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT thank Kent and his family for his life of service to the federation, the labor movement and global social justice.

Adopted July 19, 2026