AAPI Coalition seeks historic $64.5M in Equity Funding in State Budget

February 25, 2022

AAPI
Andrew J. Lanza

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, February 25, 2022
Contact:       Liu: Scott Sieber: 917-789-8758 | press@johnliusenate.com
                        Niou: Max Burns: 317-522-7060 | max@yuhlineniou.org
                        AAF: Meera Venugopal: 212-344-5878 x224 meera.venugopal@aafederation.org
                        CACF: Lakshmi Gandhi: 212-809-4675 x110 | lgandhi@cacf.org

AAPI COALITION SEEKS HISTORIC $64.5M
IN EQUITY FUNDING IN STATE BUDGET

Over 50 Community-Based Organizations Unite as ‘AAPI Equity Coalition’

New York, NY – In the face of an unprecedented surge in hate crimes, racism and discrimination, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) groups in New York City announced the formation of the ‘AAPI Equity Coalition’ to call for a historic $64.5 million in funding for the community-sourced AAPI Equity Budget.

The investment would represent the most significant action to date in the United States to address the horrific surge in AAPI hate crimes, the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19, and the historic underfunding of AAPI communities. Funding will go toward programs and services ranging from support for AAPI community organizations to AAPI curriculum designed for students in Pre-K through 12^th grade. The allocation would also create an AAPI State Commission, which would serve to advise the governor’s office on the needs of the AAPI community and examine critical issues like language access among state agencies, departments, and commissions.

“The onslaught of hate crimes targeting the AAPI community has significantly worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic, but such hatred, bias and discrimination have long been part of the AAPI experience,” said State Senator John Liu. “With the AAPI Equity Budget, we seek to finally correct the long-standing underfunding of the AAPI community by supporting the intricate network of on-the-ground community organizations that are already well known as lifelines to our struggling community.”

“Our Asian-American communities are facing a crisis of anti-Asian hatred and violence. We are frightened. We are angry. Most of all, we have asked our government for real, tangible help to ensure AAPI New Yorkers can feel safe in their own city. I applaud Governor Hochul for distributing much needed funds to the Asian-American community organizations working every day to combat hate and deter violence,” said Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou. “This is a great start, but we can and must do better. I urge my colleagues in Albany to support the full $64.5 million in AAPI organizational support our community so desperately needs.”

“We are proud to join Senator John Liu and our champions in both the Assembly and Senate to advocate for the inclusion of the $64.5 million AAPI Equity Budget Proposal in the FY 2023 State Budget," said Asian American Federation's Associate Director of Advocacy and Policy Ravi Reddi. "This proposal reflects an opportunity for the state to address years of systemic underfunding that our service providers have had to endure while addressing the service demands of the state's fastest growing community. Last year's $10 million investment in our community was a demonstration that we were heard in crisis. As that crisis continues, with anti-Asian violence continuing unabated, including the AAPI Equity Budget Proposal in this year's State Budget will show that Albany's commitment to our community runs deeper, addressing systemic issues that continue to hold back our community's full participation in the pandemic recovery.”

Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung, Co-Executive Directors of the CACF, said, “The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) is proud to stand with the 50+ Asian American-led and-serving organizations calling for the State to allocate $64.5 million to fund the AAPI Equity Budget. There are currently over 2.5 million residents of Asian American Pacific Islander descent in New York State, comprising 11% of the State’s total population. AAPI New Yorkers are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group and voting population in New York City, State, and the nation. And for too long, we have not seen the investments in our community based organizations that are often the only lifelines for AAPI New Yorkers. They reach our diverse communities by providing culturally responsive, language accessible, and trusted services and ensure that our communities are able to thrive.”

The AAPI Equity Budget Coalition consists of a diverse array of over 50 AAPI organizations from across the state that are providing community-informed, culturally relevant, and language accessible services and community programs, and is led by the Asian American Federation (AAF) and the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families. Programming and services address issues such as gender-based violence, healthcare, senior and youth programs, research, advocacy and legal assistance, as well as multi-service programming such as housing assistance, benefits navigation, small business support, workforce development/job training, food services, legal service, mental health support, violence intervention and prevention, aid to homeowners and tenants, safety-related services, and more.

Supporting organizations include, but are not limited to: