CACF’s 18% and Growing Campaign Rallies for Fair and Equitable NYC Budget on City Hall Steps
Members of CACF’s 18% and Growing coalition pose for a group photo after Tuesday’s rally. (Photo credit: Radhika Chalasani)
Nearly 150 community members, service providers, community leaders, advocates, and elected allies raised their voices to lift up the health, education, and language access needs of New York City’s AAPI community.
New York, New York (May 6, 2025) – The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) and members of its 18% And Growing campaign rallied on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday to call on New York City Council to adopt a NYC Budget that uplifts the needs of the city’s most vulnerable.
Nearly 150 community members, service providers, community leaders, advocates, and elected allies raised their voices to lift up the health, education, and language access needs of New York City’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community (a group that makes up the City’s fastest growing population).
Representing over 30 different AAPI community-based organizations from across the five boroughs, the crowd joined in chants of “We are 18%” and “We need a fair and inclusive NYC budget” as they urged Councilmembers to support AAPI-led and -serving community-based organizations across the five boroughs of New York City.
Throughout the rally, speakers centered the main points of the 18% and Growing campaign’s budget ask, which are:
Enhance the AAPI Community Support Initiative to $7.5 million to expand social services by AAPI serving community-based organizations to address the fiscal equity needed to build bridges between culturally competent and linguistically accessible services and the most vulnerable AAPI New Yorkers.
Enhance the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF) to $7.5 million to provide capacity building support to Black, Latinx, and AAPI-led community-based organizations.
Enhance the Access Health NYC Initiative to $4.5 million to support community-based organizations (CBOs) who provide education, outreach, and assistance to marginalized New Yorkers on how to access health care and coverage.
“At a time when so many New Yorkers are worried about the future of the programs and social services they rely on, it’s more important than ever for New York City Council to invest in initiatives that uplift the needs of every day people,” said CACF’s Co-Executive Directors Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung. “City Council-supported programs like the AAPI Community Support Initiative, Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund, and the Access Health Initiative provide critical resources to community-based organizations across the city that are doing the vital work of supporting our communities, regardless of their language fluency or immigration status. We urge the Council to support the enhancement of these critical programs in the New York City Budget.”
"I am proud to stand with the 18% and Growing Campaign that is advocating for a just and fair budget for our AAPI New Yorkers. Although 18% of our city's population is made up by our vibrant AAPI communities, last year, just 5.3% of the NYC budget went towards investments in those communities. This underinvestment has hindered public safety, community health, and quality of life in neighborhoods like Sunset Park. Together, we must continue to fight and ensure that our next budget includes adequate funding for the Community Support Initiative, Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund, and Access Health NYC,” said Councilmember Alexa Avilés.
“As New York City’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities continue to grow, our city’s budget must grow with them," said Councilmember Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. "The 18% and Growing Campaign reminds us that equity in funding is not just a matter of fairness—it’s a necessity. From community services to health access and nonprofit stability, the needs of AAPI New Yorkers are urgent and undeniable. I’m proud to stand with CACF and their coalition of advocates in calling for a budget that truly reflects the diversity and strength of our city.”
"This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and every month, I'm proud to stand with the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF)’s 18% and Growing Campaign,“ said Councilmember Tiffany Cabán. “As the AAPI community in New York grows, our city must ensure they have the resources to thrive. 18% of our population should not be receiving only 6% of our public dollars. New York can and will do better by our AAPI neighbors. Because when one of us thrives, we all thrive."
"Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are the fastest-growing demographic in New York City, now making up 18%—or 1.2 million— of our population. Yet, the City invests just $0.79 per AAPI resident," said Councilmember Shahana Hanif, Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus. "As the first Bangladeshi elected to the City Council, representing the fastest-growing Asian American community in NYC, I understand the urgency of aligning our budgets with the realities of our communities. I proudly join CACF in calling on the City to expand the AAPI Community Support Initiative and the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund to $7.5 million each, and to increase Access Health NYC to $4.5 million. These investments are critical to achieving true budget justice for AAPI New Yorkers."
“The AAPI community is the fastest growing community and we cannot be ignored. In the last budget, the city invested last than six percent in AAPI communities. That is one third of what every other New Yorker is receiving,” said Councilmember Susan Zhuang. “I support CACF pushing for more fiscal investment, including $4.5 million for the Access Health NYC Initiative. My team found there are a handful of Asian language accessible mental health providers throughout the city, and most through translators. These facts cannot be ignored. We cannot be ignored. We deserve access like every other New Yorker.”
Members of CACF’s 18% and Growing coalition rally for a fair and equitable NYC Budget. (Photo credit: Radhika Chalasani)
"The AAPI community's remarkable growth in New York City, nearly doubling each decade since 1970 to now represent 18% New Yorkers, underscores the urgent demand for equitable public funding that reflects our fast-growing communities across the five boroughs,” said Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council. “AAPI-led organizations serve hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers every day with culturally competent and linguistically accessible services and need fairer funding and support now more than ever. To truly build a more inclusive, safe, and healthy future for New York, the budget must enhance the allocations for the AAPI Community Support Initiative, Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund, and Access Health NYC, ensuring our communities receive the investments it deserves."
“Garden of Hope serves a historically underserved Chinese immigrant community in New York City, where victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abuse, elder abuse, and hate crimes face significant barriers to accessing necessary services. The city’s largest Chinese immigrant enclave remains underserved, with 95% of survivors speaking little or no English and 93% living in poverty,” said Kristen Shi, Executive Director of Garden of Hope. “Limited resources, language barriers, and a lack of culturally competent services prevent many from seeking help through mainstream channels. Our organization bridges this gap by providing critical, culturally sensitive services such as case management, legal assistance, housing support, and trauma-informed counseling, all aimed at empowering survivors. With fiscal equity, Garden of Hope can expand these essential programs, reach more victims, and strengthen our efforts to provide comprehensive support tailored to the unique needs of Chinese immigrant survivors.”
"Homecrest Community Services is proud to be a recipient of the Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF), a key priority of the 18% and Growing Campaign. Between January to December 2024, we resolved over 12,000 cases and served more than 7,000 clients across our centers—and now, with our new center in Sunset Park, we’re seeing a growing demand for comprehensive social services. CCNSF funding is critical for us to modernize our case management system and provide coordinated, responsive care across sites. Fiscal equity means closing long-standing gaps, allowing us to deliver culturally competent services that meet the needs of our community,” said Homecrest Community Services’ President & CEO Wai Yee Chan.
“The AAPI community across New York City has been historically underserved, often overlooked in funding and policy decisions due to language barriers, immigration status, and cultural stigma,” said Myoungmi Kim, President & CEO of Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York. “With proper funding, we can meet growing needs, reduce disparities, and uplift the resilience of our diverse AAPI populations. Equitable allocation is not just a matter of fairness—it’s a necessary investment for the future of our city.”
“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. wars in Southeast Asia. At at time where we are commemorating, reflecting, honoring, we are also at a pivotal time where we need to react, defend and fight back,” said Khamarin Nhann, Campaign Director at Mekong NYC. “Fighting and advocating for our community in times of crisis because of both the social and economic impacts from harmful policies. Defending our communities right and access to affordable housing, food, Healthcare, mental health services, safety and dignity. We now more then ever need support from our elected officials to stand and continue fighting for our communities. Organizations here today have always been here, at the forefront, in times of needs, they continue to be the bedrock of vulnerable and marginalized communities. We need the resources and funding to not only sustain, but grow this important work.”
“The AAPI community, comprising 18% of New York City's population, has been historically underserved in accessing critical health, mental health, and social services. Despite this significant and rapidly growing presence, with AAPI older adults being the fastest-growing demographic, AAPI-led and serving organizations received only 4.46% of City Council discretionary dollars in fiscal year 2022,” said Lan Doan of NYU’s Center for the Study of Asian and Asian American Health and Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “Allocating funds to the AAPI diaspora is essential for expanding direct services and addressing disparities with culturally competent programs tailored to our aging populations. This investment will ensure fiscal equity, avoid wasteful spending, and close the widening gaps between our community and essential social services.”
The higher cost of living is impacting the underserved AAPI community. At our home base in Chinatown and in working with many community-based organizations around the City, we are witnessing a greater need. More resources are needed to serve the food insecure,” said Don Hong, Board Chair of UA3.
“The AAPI diaspora and the communities we serve — including Arab and immigrant women — have been historically underserved and excluded from equitable funding and resources. There is a growing gap in access to culturally competent social services, including ESL classes, workforce training, and gender-based violence prevention,” said Somia El-Rowmeim, Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Empowerment Coalition. “Allocating these funds would allow our organization to expand direct services, including social support and language access programs, that meet the unique needs of our community. Fiscal equity is essential to ensure our community receives the resources needed to thrive with dignity, opportunity, and inclusion.”
More photos from Tuesday’s rally can be found here. Please credit Radhika Chalasani in all usages.
For more information please email Lakshmi Gandhi, CACF’s Senior Communications Coordinator, at lgandhi@cacf.org.
