Asian American Federation

A photograph of Charles B Wang Community Health Center Project Ahead interns at the Asian American Federation's office.

We welcomed interns from the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center's Project Ahead program to the AAF office today! We shared info about AAF's work and they asked some really great, smart questions. Excited to see where this cohort will go! Thanks for stopping by 😊

H.R. 1 slashes billions in essential services like Medicaid and SNAP and adds billions towards immigration enforcement. AAF broke down how this act will impact vulnerable Asian New Yorkers. Thanks @jonpaladin.bsky.social & @news10.bsky.social for sharing our analysis.
www.news10.com/news/ny-news...

How does HR1 affect #AsianAmericans in New York?

A US war forced her parents to flee. Now, a Wisconsin mother has been deported back to the country she never called home | CNN Ma Yang, a 37-year-old mother of five, was detained and deported to Laos – a small country in Southeast Asia that her parents had fled four decades earlier.

Ma Yang was born in a refugee camp to parents who fled the U.S. military conflict in their native Laos. Decades after Yang set down roots in the U.S., Trump's punitive policies gave ICE the power to separate her from her children and deport her to a country that does not recognize her as a citizen.

🪭 Do you need air conditioning? The Essential Plan Cooling Program can help provide a FREE air conditioner. To qualify, you need to be enrolled in the Essential Plan and have symptoms of asthma.

📲 If you think you qualify, the MinKwon Center can help you apply! Call 718-460-5600 for assistance!

These Voters Were Overlooked. Then They Helped Mamdani Win. The democratic socialist’s victory in the New York mayoral primary is a sign that South Asian voters are beginning to assert themselves as an impactful political demographic.

These voters were overlooked.

Then they helped Mamdani win.

A group photo of Asian language interpreters.

A photo of Asian American Federation staff passing out certificates.

A photo of Asian American Federation staff standing and people sitting around a table and clapping.

A photo of people sitting around a table and clapping as one person pumps their fists excitedly.

🎓 After many hours training and polishing their skills, our Asian language co-op members have successfully graduated from their interpreter training program! Now they're ready to take the next step and build a co-op that will help break down language barriers for our communities!

Asian American Federation staff presenting at a finance fraud prevention workshop.

A group photo of speakers and sponsors of a finance fraud prevention workshop.

We hosted a seminar last Wednesday with Chase Bank and NYS LECC on financial safety and fraud prevention 💵 Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Asian American Federation staff presenting about the organization and its services.

A group photo with the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women Greater New York Chapter.

Asian American Federation staff presenting about the organization and its services.

We had an excellent workshop yesterday at Glow Cultural Center, sharing information about AAF's digital marketing services for small businesses and how we can help immigrant entrepreneurs thrive!

Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Asian American Federation staff holding signs at a Good Trouble demonstration.

People sitting down at a Good Trouble demonstration.

People holdings signs with portraits of Eric Garner, John Lewis, and Dylan Lopez Contreras.

Proud to join @thenyic.bsky.social and thousands of New Yorkers yesterday in making good trouble, honoring Congressman John Lewis' legacy, and keeping up the fight for immigrant justice.

We're co-hosting a MWBE certification, marketing, and consulting workshop on Monday to help small businesses grow and thrive! Learn about MWBE certification, digital marketing, get free advice, and more.

Monday, July 21, 2025 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Glow Cultural Center

Here legally since 1999, thousands of immigrants have 60 days to leave In September, the Department of Homeland Security will end temporary protections for more than 50,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans who have lived legally in the U.S. for decades.

Over 50,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans, legally in the U.S. since 1999, risk losing status in 60 days as the Trump administration moves to end their long-standing protections under TPS.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

A refugee deported to Bhutan by the U.S. finds himself stranded and stateless Once deported to Bhutan, some Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees say they are told to leave. Many have since disappeared, while others are homeless and stateless, according to immigration advocates.

Once deported to Bhutan, some Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees say they are told to leave. Many have since disappeared, while others are homeless and stateless, according to immigration advocates.

Why Trump’s remittance tax will be ‘devastating’ for Filipino-Americans Filipino-American community leaders warn of long-term effects of Trump’s latest actions, including on remittances back home, state-funded health insurance.

Filipinos in the US are among the top 5 countries for remittances, sending over $14 billion in 2024 alone. A remittance tax will impact not just Filipino Americans but their relatives and loved ones in the Philippines who rely on that money sent home. www.scmp.com/week-asia/pe...

“I’m so scared,” a young immigrant Chinese father told the Chinese-American Planning Council case worker helping him. “I want to give up. I’d rather die.” SNAP cuts could devastate Chinese & other immigrant families that rely on the program to put food on the table.
documentedny.com/2025/07/16/c...

What's On Your Plate? Delivered by the Asian American Federation A Quarterly Newsletter | aafederation.org/stay-in-touch

Hot off the presses: our July newsletter! In this issue: AAF's new mental health hub, Ricky Sim's "Coming Out to Dead People," NYC's third annual Bengali film festival, J-fashion in Brooklyn, and more!

Sign up for quarterly updates on all things Asian New York: www.aafederation.org/stay-in-touch/

FREE financial fraud prevention workshop happening Wednesday! Interpretation will be available in Spanish, Korean, and Chinese. RSVP: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

“When there is a conversation about trying to make the city more affordable, our community tends to respond," said AAF ED Catherine Chen. AAF research shows that half of Asian households in NYC are rent-burdened, making affordability top of mind for Asian voters who went for both Trump and Mamdani.

Why many Asian American Trump voters chose Zohran Mamdani in NYC's primary https://gothamist.com/news/why-many-asian-american-trump-voters-chose-zohran-mamdani-in-nycs-primary

Last week, Managing Director of Education and Community Development Rucha Kaur joined representatives of 40+ organizations at @aafederation.bsky.social annual member convening. We are grateful to AAF—especially their new Executive Director Catherine Chen—for hosting a powerful gathering!

Press Statement July 7, 2025 Under the first Trump administration, changes to policies, such as the “public charge” rule, which evaluates whether a non-citizen is likely to rely on public benefits, caused widespread fear and confusion. This led to non-citizen Asians disenrolling from public programs at eight times the rate of citizens — and many never returned. H.R. 1 threatens to reignite that fear, pushing even more families out of life-saving programs. aafederation.org

Press Statement July 7, 2025 “This is a cynical and cruel law that targets our most vulnerable neighbors... These actions will drive thousands of New Yorkers deeper into poverty and leave under-resourced community-based organizations to meet the surge in demand for services. These groups urgently need support and investment to keep delivering food, medical care, and essential services. AAF, alongside our 70 member organizations, will not stand by — we will continue to protect and support our Asian and immigrant communities and ensure New York is a home for all of us.” -Catherine Chen, Executive Director, AAF aafederation.org

To protect the millions of people who will suffer under these cuts, we need more investments for the under-resourced community-based organizations that have always stepped up and will continue to step up for New Yorkers in need.

Press Statement July 7, 2025 The Asian American Federation (AAF) strongly condemns the passage of H.R. 1, misleadingly titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which devastates the vital, life-saving programs that millions of Americans rely on. Immigrants, seniors, veterans, and working families across the nation and throughout New York will bear the brunt of this law. aafederation.org

Press Statement July 7, 2025 Funding for Medicaid will be slashed by over $900 billion, and SNAP will be reduced by hundreds of billions, the largest reductions in the programs’ history. For the Asian American community in New York City, this law is especially harmful. Approximately 34% of Asian New Yorkers live in or near poverty, and 27% are non-citizens. Further, among Asian American households living in poverty and led by a citizen, over 43% rely on SNAP benefits. aafederation.org

H.R. 1 will drive the 34% of Asian New Yorkers who live in or near poverty deeper into financial hardship. In 2019, the "public charge" rule caused Asian non-citizens to disenroll from public programs at eight times the rate of citizens. H.R. 1 threatens to reignite that fear.

Press Statement July 7, 2025 Asian American Federation Condemns Passage of Cruel Budget Bill H.R. 1 slashes SNAP, guts Medicaid, and strips civil liberties, threatening the well-being of communities of color, immigrants, and low-income families. aafederation.org

The Asian American Federation condemns the passage of H.R. 1, the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", which will devastate the vital, life-saving programs like SNAP and Medicaid that millions of Americans rely on.

Full statement: www.aafederation.org/asian-americ...

Relief is just one conversation away! Asian mental health directory mhd.aafederation.org

And if you're looking for a mental healthcare provider who speaks your parents' or grandparents' language, check out AAF's mental health directory with 600+ providers who together speak nearly 20 Asian languages! mhd.aafederation.org

Many older Asian/immigrant adults keep quiet about mental health challenges because of stigma, language, or cultural barriers. So how can you identify when an older loved one is experiencing mental distress?

Learn the signs & download this resource at mentalhealth.aafederation.org/post/recogni...

1 in 5 Asian New Yorkers live in poverty 14 council districts. Source: "2025 Expanding Communities, Expanding Needs: Asian Communities in New York Council Districts" - Asian American Federation

Did you know that 1 in 5 Asian New Yorkers live in poverty in 14 council districts? Or that in the majority of council districts, at least 15% of Asian New Yorkers live below the poverty line?

Learn the facts in our latest New York City council brief at bit.ly/AAF2025CityCouncil

Join AAF, Chase, and NYSLECC on Wednesday, July 16th at 5 PM for a workshop on how to spot scams and avoid financial fraud. This session will also have Chinese, Korean, and Spanish interpretation too!

Register by scanning the QR code or click here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

A group photo of participants at the Asian American Federation’s member convening.

A photo of participants at the Asian American Federation’s member convening talking with each other.

A photo of Asian American Federation Executive Director Catherine Chen speaking to the member convening.

A photo of participants at the Asian American Federation’s member convening talking with each other.

Yesterday, AAF hosted our annual member convening with 40 organizations to discuss our shared values and priorities and how we can better work together to uplift Asian New Yorkers.

Thank you to everyone who attended and spoke openly and passionately with us!

Zohran Mamdani’s Asian American coalition The Assembly member who is well positioned to become New York City’s first Asian American mayor won with the support of the rapidly growing AAPI electorate.

"Mamdani's extensive canvassing, multilingual mail and viral social media videos—including one in which he explained ranked choice voting in Hindi, using mango lassi for a visual demonstration—went beyond any other candidates." - @cityandstateny.bsky.social

www.cityandstateny.com/politics/202...