The Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies is currently seeking a Vietnamese-speaking undergraduate student at the University of Washington for a paid internship position with Seattle’s Massage Parlor Outreach Project (MPOP).

MPOP provides outreach support for Asian immigrant massage workers in Chinatown ID, connecting workers with resources and information about workers and immigrant rights, and seeking to build community. To learn about MPOP’s work in the wake of the Atlanta murders of Asian massage parlor workers, read this recent article in Mother Jones, which highlights the group’s work in the Seattle area.

This specific internship will support the Massage Parlor Outreach Project (MPOP) with outreach to, research about, and advocacy with Vietnamese-speaking workers. MPOP works in the realms of culture, support systems, migrant connection, and healthy working environments to uplift sex worker and labor rights of massage parlor workers.

This position is offered through the Building A Movement (BAM) Labor Internship, a paid internship program that connects undergraduate students at the University of Washington with the local labor movement, through partnerships with community organizations engaged with this work on a variety of levels. Students who are invested in labor and social justice advocacy are given the opportunity to explore how organizations work to make systemic and community-level changes for the benefit of working people, and make meaningful contributions to that process. 

Hours, Pay and Academic Credit 

Students are expected to work 10 hours per week and to attend weekly 2-hour weekly meetings with other BAM interns (12 hours total). Students will be compensated at a rate of $18/hr, which includes their hours spent working with their host organization and a weekly meeting with other BAM Labor Interns, and Bridges Center staff. Academic credit may be available.

More About the Internship Position

Massage Parlor Outreach Project (MPOP) is a grassroots formation of Asian/Asian American community members organizing to provide support for migrant Asian massage parlor workers, sex workers, and care workers in the Seattle Chinatown/International District and greater Seattle area. Our goal is to build worker power through organizing and leadership development. We connect workers to local resources, assist with language access, and provide political education and other training to increase community safety and multiracial solidarity, centering those who face the harms of gender-based violence, colonization, and criminalization. Our current major projects include worker outreach, oral history, and advocacy. For more information, visit the MPOP website. 

Position Responsibilities:

This specific internship will support the Massage Parlor Outreach Project (MPOP) with outreach to, research about, and advocacy with Vietnamese-speaking workers. MPOP works in the realms of culture, support systems, migrant connection, and healthy working environments to uplift sex worker and labor rights of massage parlor workers.

Based on the interests and skill areas of the intern, projects may include:

Outreach:

• Build connections with the Vietnamese workers by distributing zines and other materials to the massage parlors
• Providing direct support (mostly language access) to the workers
• Connecting workers with MPOP's self-defense, first-aid, and other events
• Interviewing/transcribing interviews with workers who want to share their stories

Advocacy:

• Research national and regional policies as well as community dynamics that impact the lives of massage parlor workers.
• Propose engagement opportunities and educational content for both the workers and the community.

Content Development:

• Translate existing topical and issues-based zines from English to Vietnamese.
• Propose, coordinate, and create content for zines that are used as outreach materials for the massage parlor workers.
• Build additional awareness and educational content for community members and social media.

Requirements:

• Vietnamese speaking and writing
• Interest and ability to learn about Vietnamese immigrants' community culture in the US
• Some relevant areas of study for this internship include: Labor Studies, Gender Studies, Public Health, Social Work. The internship will engage with current topics in immigrant rights and worker’s rights.

Hours

10 hours per week with MPOP + 2 hours per week with BAM

Work is both in-person and virtual. Outreach takes place in-person, and content development and other organizational meetings are remote

This position requires access to a cell phone and computer, as well as proficiency in using Zoom and Google Drive.

How To Apply

To access the application form, visit the BAM Labor Internship website at https://labor.washington.edu/bam-labor-internship . Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Questions?

Contact Yasmin Ahmed, Bridges Center Assistant Director, at ypahmed@uw.edu.