CACF Letter to our Supporters on the Federal Administration's First 100 Days

April 29, 2025

Dear CACF Community Members and Allies,

The Board and Leadership of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) are deeply concerned about the developments affecting our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across New York State and the nation, and the nonprofits that serve them. We stand committed to forging a path forward to protect and support our marginalized communities.

Our Shared Concerns

Our nation was based on "a government of laws, not of men" along with a system of checks and balances, individual rights, and an independent judiciary – cornerstones of American democracy now facing unprecedented challenges.  Serving as the nation's only pan-Asian children and families' advocacy organization for 39 years, CACF is witnessing firsthand the negative impacts of recent federal actions on marginalized AAPI communities and the institutions dedicated to protecting and serving them.

Within the first 100 days of the new federal administration, we have observed several concerning developments:

Removal of Critical Protections: The rescission of Executive Order 14031, "Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders," which had established vital frameworks for addressing our communities' needs.

Language Access Restrictions: The Executive Order mandating English as the official U.S. language directly threatens the nearly one-third of Asian American adults who face challenges communicating in English, creating barriers to healthcare, social services, and civic participation.

Harmful Immigration Policies: Recent executive orders targeting immigrant communities disproportionately affect Asian Americans, 65% of whom were born outside the United States. The heightened rhetoric around those with Green Cards, visas, and other protected statuses, along with the ban on refugee and resettlement supports, disproportionately affects Asian Americans.

Birthright Citizenship Under Threat: The administration's executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for children born to non-citizen parents directly threatens AAPI immigrant families. This order, now being contested at the Supreme Court, could create a generation of stateless children within our communities.

Voter Suppression Through Citizenship Requirements: The executive order requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote presents a significant barrier for many AAPI community members. With approximately 9% of U.S. citizens lacking ready access to citizenship documentation, this requirement disproportionately affects our communities, especially elderly immigrants, women, trans people and those with limited resources.

Rise in Hate Incidents: Data from Stop AAPI Hate shows alarming increases in online hate speech targeting Asian communities since November 2024, with research suggesting correlation between online hate and real-world incidents.

Economic Uncertainty: The implementation of broad tariffs, particularly those targeting China, is an existential threat to the small businesses at the heart of AAPI communities.

Cuts to Family Violence Prevention Funding: The administration has frozen or eliminated critical funding for family violence prevention programs, including those specifically serving AAPI communities.

Cuts to Food Assistance Programs: Federal funding cuts to food banks impact a large portion of the AAPI population. Our AAPI community is both the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S. and faces the widest and fastest-growing gap in food access.

Attacks on Civil Society: The administration has begun targeting independent nonprofit organizations, as evidenced by attempts to assign teams to investigate nonprofits receiving federal funding. This unprecedented overreach threatens the autonomy of civil society organizations, including those serving AAPI communities.

Impact on New York's AAPI Children and Families

These national developments have specific ramifications for New York's AAPI communities:

• For the 2.2 million AAPIs in New York State, including 1.4 million AAPIs in New York City, policy shifts threaten to further marginalize our communities, threaten our health, education, and safety, and reinforce what has historically been described as the "invisible minority" status of our diverse communities.

• AAPI children in our public schools face increased uncertainty about their families' immigration status, healthcare access, and economic security.

• AAPI youth who participate in CACF's leadership programs report growing concerns about bullying and harassment in school environments, exacerbated by harmful national rhetoric.

• The "model minority" myth continues to mask the reality that many AAPI New Yorkers live at or below the poverty line and depend on accessible public services.

Our Path Forward

CACF stands by our commitment to:

• Advocate: Continue our policy advocacy with renewed urgency, seeking to hold elected officials accountable for the needs of AAPI children and families.

• Educate: Expand our efforts to counter harmful stereotypes and raise awareness about the history and diverse needs of AAPI communities.

• Mobilize: Strengthen our coalition of partners to organize for systems and policy change that protects our most vulnerable community members.

• Support: Rally support for member organizations providing critical services to AAPI families navigating these challenging times.

• Amplify: Ensure that the voices of AAPI children and families are heard in every discussion about the future of our democracy.

• Stand in Solidarity: Join with all communities facing direct attacks from this administration. The targeting of any marginalized communities, including those who are immigrant, struggling with poverty, survivors of violence, English-language learners, LGBTQ+, and those with disabilities, and the independent nonprofit organizations who serve them is a threat to a civil society centered on equity and justice. 

We call on all our community members and allies to join us in this critical work. Together, we can build a community too powerful to ignore and ensure that all children and families, including AAPIs, can be safe, healthy, and able to reach their full potential in life.

In solidarity,

The Board and Leadership

Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF)

For more information on how you can get involved, please visit cacf.org or contact us at cacf@cacf.org

###