18% And Growing Campaign Calls for an Inclusive City Budget During AAPI Community Rally on City Hall Steps

CACF's co-executive directors Vanessa Leung (left) and Anita Gundanna at Thursday's 18% and Growing rally on the City Hall steps. (Photo credit: John Eng)

NEW YORK (May 6, 2022) -- To kick-off the start of AAPI Heritage Month, on Thursday, May 5, 2022, members of the 18% And Growing Campaign joined forces with over 250 community members, service providers, advocates and elected allies on the steps of City Hall to fight for a fair and equitable City Budget. Representing over 40 different AAPI community-based organizations across the five boroughs of New York City, community members joined forces with City Council members at the vibrant gathering to call for an inclusive City Budget that protects the needs of all AAPI New Yorkers (New York City’s fastest growing racial population).

“AAPI organizations provide the most effective culturally competent and language accessible services that have the biggest impact on addressing the needs of New York’s growing AAPI community. As we continue to combat the dual-pandemics of Covid-19 and the rise in anti-Asian violence, the AAPI community can no-longer be overlooked and under-resourced,” said the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF)’s co-executive directors Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung.  “Last year - with the help of our champions in New York City Council - we created the historic and pioneering $4 million AAPI Community Support Initiative. This year, we are calling on New York City Council to expand funding to the initiative to $6 million to ensure that more AAPI organizations have the support they need to provide life-affirming services and programming to our recovering and healing communities.”

The name of the 18% and Growing Campaign hails from the fact that AAPI New Yorkers comprise more than 18% of the City’s population, and are the fastest growing racial community in New York City, State, and the country at large. Despite the AAPI community’s expansive growth and development, funding for AAPI communities in New York City has historically lagged behind. In FY 2022, AAPI organizations received only 4.64% of City Council discretionary dollars and less than 1.5% of social service contract dollars.

Councilmember Gale Brewer has been a longtime supporter of the 18% and Growing Campaign. (Photo credit: John Eng)

“Manhattan wouldn’t be Manhattan without the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, particularly Chinatown. I commend the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families for advocating for a City budget that includes critical funding sources for community based organizations and services,” said Councilmember Gale A. Brewer.  “Recent trends and statistics show that the AAPI community needs additional support to address economic security and mobility, language access, mental health needs, food security, and more. I am proud to stand with the 18% And Growing Campaign in calling for a fair and inclusive budget that serves all New Yorkers.”

Councilmember Carlina Rivera addresses the crowd at the 18% and Growing rally on May 5, 2022 on the City Hall steps. (Photo credit: John Eng)

“In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I am proud to join the 18% and Growing Campaign in calling for an inclusive and equitable budget,” said Councilmember Carlina Rivera. “Asian New Yorkers make up 18% of the City’s population, and our budget must ensure their needs are fully met.”

Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), said, “The rise in anti-Asian violence and hate, coupled with the economic devastation of the pandemic, has left the Asian American community in crisis. In the past year, CPC has served over 125,000 New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds through our essential services, financial assistance, and pandemic relief efforts. To address the root causes of racism and injustice, resources must be allocated to community-based organizations that have trust and deep ties in the community to provide human services, health care, mental health supports, and racial literacy programming. We join the 18% and Growing campaign members to call on the City to enhance the AAPI Community Support Initiative to $6 million so that Asian American community members can receive culturally relevant and language accessible services needed to not only survive but also thrive in these troubling times.”

CPC director Wayne Ho addresses the 18% and Growing Campaign's City Hall rally on May 5, 2022. (Photo credit: John Eng)

“18% and Growing's budget priorities also look to the needs of AAPI cultural workers,” said Ariel Estrada, actor and Producing Artistic Director of Leviathan Lab, a theater company that serves early career and immigrant AAPI artists. “In addition to the critical AAPI Community Support, our 18% and Growing budget priorities call for an enhancement of the Cultural Immigrant Initiative to $7.6 million,” said Estrada, “Which will provide vital support programs for immigrant/foreign-born New York artists, while enhancing and celebrating the presentation of stories and art from immigrant communities.”

Ariel Estrada addresses the 18% and Growing rally on May 5, 2022. (Photo credit: John Eng)

The need to provide support for the thousands of AAPI New Yorkers who speak limited English was also singled out as a reason to better fund community-based organizations. "New York has three million immigrants,” said Lily Liang, an organizer with the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. “Our government should not assume every immigrant comes in with adequate English.”

Lily Liang, an organizer with NAPAWF NYC, spoke to the 18% and Growing rally about the importance of improving language access. (Photo credit: John Eng)

“The Arab-American Family Support Center is proud to join our partners in calling for budget equity,” said Rawaa Nancy Albilal, President and CEO, Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC). “It is time for our city, state, and national leaders to see investments in Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities as less than extraordinary, but appropriate, just, and equitable.”

Dipika Shrestha of AAFSC addresses the 18% and Growing rally. (Photo credit: John Eng)

“This is the work that supports community resilience in times of social, political, and economic fracture such as these. The resilience of our communities and of our city is what the 18% and growing campaign is funding. The City Council's investment in this campaign is an investment in the city's resilience,” said Darren J. Glenn, Programs Director at the Caribbean Equality Project. “When crises happen faster than the speed of bureaucracy and government action, community-based organizations are here to keep New Yorkers safe, fed, housed, sane, and supported.”

CEP's Darren J. Glenn addresses the 18% and Growing rally on May 5, 2022. (Photo credit: John Eng)

Khamarin Nhann of Mekong NYC addresses the 18% and Growing rally at City Hall on May 5, 2022. (Photo credit: John Eng)

Councilmember Tiffany Cabán addresses the 18% and Growing rally on May 5, 2022. (Photo credit: John Eng)

Councilmember Amanda Farías addresses the 18% and Growing rally on April 5, 2022. (Photo credit: John Eng)

Councilmember Shahana Hanif addresses the 18% and Growing rally on May 5, 2022.

Councilmember Chi Ossé addresses the 18% and Growing rally on May 5, 2022. (Photo credit: John Eng)