Red Canary Song (RCS) is a grassroots massage worker coalition in the U.S. They work as a support to address the over 9,000 workplaces like these across the country with no political representation or access to labor rights or collective organizing. The RCS worker-centered model is a response to increased policing and immigration control, which harms rather than helps migrant sex workers.
Impact Highlights
Immediately following the Atlanta spa shootings in 2021, RCS hosted an online vigil for the eight lives lost in this tragic murder aimed at Asian women. Over 70,000 viewers throughout the world listened to the RCS statement during the livestream event, and over 500 social justice organizations signed on to RCS in support.
With assistance from New Breath Foundation (NBF) in 2021, RCS raised and distributed over $150,000 of mutual aid support to massage parlor workers in NYC, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Florida, and Austin, as well as Korea and Taiwan. They continue providing mutual aid funds, groceries, skill share, and assistance to migrant workers in Flushing, Queens, NYC. Their community outreach is led and advised by migrant Korean and Chinese massage workers, and NBF funds specifically have allowed them to set up residencies to pay those workers for their time, experience, and work.
RCS is currently setting up a reproductive health program through a Flushing clinic for migrant workers to get regular OB/GYN health checkups and emergency visits with a culturally competent/sensitive specialist. RCS is also making room and resources available to the workers for moments of connection and celebration—a partnership with the New Sanctuary Coalition and NY Drivers CoOp. It allows RCS to bring immigrant workers to Coney Island for the final fireworks show of each summer season.