The question of the day is: How will Asian Americans vote in New York's primary elections?

Tuesday, Aug. 23, is New York's Primary. Polls open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Asian American vote is being courted in New York's primary, August 23 

ANALYSIS

New York City voters have a chance to elect another Asian American to Congress but Yuh-Line Niou is running against big money and big names to represent two Chinatowns.

On August 5, 2022, Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-North Hills) joined Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE), Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and the Korean American Sanctuary Church Network (KASCN) for a rally in support of the New York State Asian American History Education Bill, which seeks to combat Asian hate through improved education.

Recognition of a specific issue such as teaching Asian American history is an example of how the state's political powers are recognizing the emerging influence of New York's Asian American community. Eighteen percent of Kaplan's Senatorial 7th District are Asian Americans who sought the suburban lifestyle offered on Long Island.

As New York voters go to the polls today, focus has been put on the Asian American electorate, which voted overwhelmingly Democratic in 2020. However, Republicans were able to sway enough of those voters to switch allegiances in the New York City mayoral race to raise alarm bells among Democrats.

While Manhattan and Queens voters went with Democratic candidates, the city's outlying districts voted for Republican Curtis Sliwa. Sliwa lost to Eric Adams but the signs of a wavering voting constituency were evident.

Even districts represented by an Asian Democrat, such as that of Queens Assemblymember Ron Kim, saw the rightward shift. “Education policy is certainly a part of that frustration. Working immigrant families believe their sacrifices and hard work are discounted by the Democratic Party establishment,” Kim said. “If you ignore us on education policy, you’re going to get a backlash.”

This growth in Asian voter participation in NYC was also spurred by community groups like the AAF-led AAPI Power Coalition. Their in-person, in-language, and culturally relevant outreach helped to mobilize so-called “unlikely voters,” — so much so that Asian voters who were outreached to increased their turnout by a whopping 73%. 

That successful outreach and result reveals the incredible political potential of the Asian community to shape the City they call home.

Over the last decade, Asian Americans have been the fastest-growing voting bloc in New York City—accounting for almost 18% of the city’s overall population. Over 27% of eligible Asian voters cast their ballots in last year’s mayoral primary, driven by strong grassroots organizing, an increase in Asian candidates, and the community’s reaction to hate crimes. 

This represented not only a record turnout in New York City’s 2021 mayoral primary, but also the highest Asian turnout in history for a local New York election, according to an analysis by the Asian American Federation. 

Turnout by Asian voters surpassed Black voters, at 26.5 percent, and Hispanics, at 17.4%. It's a dramatic shift since 2013, when Asian voters had the lowest turnout rate of any major racial group at 16.3%. White voters still had the highest turnout overall last year, with 36.4% of them casting primary ballots.

Authors of the report say the new stats dispel the myth that Asian New Yorkers are unlikely voters — and urge politicians to spend more effort courting the emerging group.

“We are a very powerful voting bloc,” said AAF ED Jo-Ann Yoo, noting that Asian Americans make up more than 10% of the population in 28 of the 51 City Council districts. “Our elected officials, no matter who they are…it’s to their peril if they ignore us.”

Yuh-Line Niou is running for Congress in New York's District 10.

DISTRICT 10: Yuh-Line Niou is running for Congress

A test of the Asian American electorate's emergence wil be in the contest for Congressional District 10. In the newly remapped Congressional District 10, Yuh-Line Niou has a chance to become New York's second Congressional representative. District 10 represents two Chinatowns, Manhattan's and Brooklyn's.

When the new Congressional maps were drawn up, it created an electorate with more than 20% Asian American voters. Already an Assemblymember, Niou was running for the NY Senate. When the new District 10 was created, the Taiwanese American saw an opportunity. She switched from running for the state Senate to the new US House seat. 

Niou's chances increased dramatically when former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped out of the race. The winner of the Aug. 23 primary will likely win the House seat in November because Democrats are the overwhelming majority of registered voters.

“I feel like it would have almost been like a disservice not to run, in some ways,” Niou, told Politico. “We really need to make sure that we have representation, because when we do have that representation, it changes a lot of the perspective and the lenses that we legislate in.”

Even with de Blasio's departure, Niou still faces some better known and well-funded  Democrats, frontrunner, Dan Holtzman, a Democratic stalwart for years and who has a personal fortune of $23 million and the endorsement of the NY Times; City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera; former House Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman and Rep. Mondaire Jones.

Jones candidacy is interesting is that he won his District 17 seat in New York City's northern suburbs in 2020. However, with the new districts, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Patrick Maloney decided to run for that district, leaving Jones out in the cold. Jones chose to run for the newly created District 10, which he has never represented. However, as the first openly gay black Congressmember, he has the backing of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

It is a crowded and competitive field of candidates. Niou won her Assembly races with overwhelming majorities and her Assembly district lies entirely within the newly drawn Congressional District 10. A strong base, recognition of her local roots,  her popularity among progressives, her army of energetic, young volunteers, plus the two Chinatowns, could give New York a second Asian American representative in Congress.

“I see myself as the underdog, but I also see myself winning,” she said. “There’s a lot of erasure, especially when women and women of color run. There’s a lot of focus on when big names are running — or like when, you know, it’s men.”

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

Although in the minority, Republicans noticed the cracks emerge in the Asian American community over the school admission policies instituted by the NYC school board. In an effort to increase the diversity of its competitive high schools that prepare students for college, the school board launched policies that some thought discriminated against qualified Asian American students. 

The other high-profile issue was the perceived lack of action on the part of the NYPD to protect Asian Americans from the attacks in public places and a reluctance  by law enforcement officials to label the attacks as hate crimes (because of legal interpretations) fostering an atmosphere of fear, but, more troublesome was the promoting the perception that local government officials dominated by Democrats are ignoring the issue of anti-Asian hate.

The GOP hammered those wedge issues enough to almost nullify the tendency to vote for Democrats in the Chinese American community.

Noting the swing to the right by Asian voters after New York's 2021 elections, As a  forewarning to the 2022 midterms, Congresswoman Grace Meng, the only Asian American House member from New York, tweeted a warning to Democrats, “our party better start giving more of a shit about #aapi (Asian-American and Pacific Islander) voters and communities. No other community turned out at a faster pace than AAPIs in 2020.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter. 

New York state awards $10 million to AAPI community to combat virus and hate

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announces $10 million to the Asian American community.

The State of New York is awarding $10 million to Asian American organizations that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and surge of anti-Asian hate. It is the largest investment in the Asian American community in New York history.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on so many vulnerable and marginalized communities across New York State,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul Feb. 20. “The Asian American community was especially hard hit, not only by the virus, but by an increase in hate and violent crimes."

"With this $10 million in funding, we are sending a strong message that hate has no home here, and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our sisters and brothers in the Asian American community. My administration is laser focused on continuing to help communities that have for too long been forgotten, not only as we recover from this pandemic, but for years to come,” said Hochul.

The funding, allocated in the FY 2021-22 budget, will be distributed to community-based groups through the Asian American Federation (AAF), the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), and the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), as well as other organizations. 

There will be a focus on community programs and providers that bring services and supportive programs directly to New York's Asian American communities. 

 "With the tragedies that our community has experienced since the start of the pandemic, and painfully so over the last few months, many Asian Americans are fearful for their own lives when stepping out of their homes<" said Executive Director of the Asian American Federation Jo-Ann Yoo.

"Governor Hochul’s leadership shows that our voice is not going unheard as we ask for support to overcome this trauma.”

The award was announced as New York's Asian American community was still reeling from the brutal fatal stabbing of Christina Lee and Michelle Go's death from being pushed into the path of an oncoming subway train.

Hate attacks against New York City's AAPI have risen 361% last year, according to NYPD data. 

The Asian American Federation (AAF) will receive a total of $6.8 million in funding intended to reinforce the community support offered by a network of organizations that have witnessed a sudden increase in demand for services due to the pandemic. AAF will direct the funding to 59 community organizations listed below that provide direct services, case management, and mental health support that serve Asian New Yorkers throughout New York State. 

In addition, the New York State Assembly is directing $1.4 million in Legislative aid to another 40 organizations that serve a wide array of communities in New York. 

“The AAPI community has been the target of relentless hatred, bigotry, and violence for the last two years, and we desperately need resources that would address the root cause of these attacks," said New York state Sen. John Liu.

"While we are grateful to see the implementation of last year’s $10 million budget allocation, the siege against Asian Americans continues unabated, as does our need for additional resources," said Liu. "We must address a range of needs such as community safety, services for youth and senior citizens, mental health support for Asian New Yorkers, and the implementation of AAPI curriculum in public schools.”

The following organizations will receive aid from AAF:

• A Place for Kids
• Academy of Medical & Public Health Services
• Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice
• Arab American Association of New York
• Arab-American Family Support Center
• Asian American Arts Alliance
• Asian American Community Empowerment
• Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
• Asian Americans for Equality
• Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs
• Bridges From Borders
• Brooklyn Chinese-American Association
• Brooklyn Community Improvement Association
• Burmese Community Services
• Caribbean Equality Project
• Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans
• Chhaya Community Development Corporation
• Chinatown Partnership LDC
• Chinatown YMCA
• Chinese American IPA
• Chinese American Social Services Center
• Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
• Chinese Progressive Association
• Chinese-American Family Alliance for Mental Health
• CMP
• Council of Peoples Organization
• Damayan Migrant Workers Association
• Desis Rising Up and Moving
• Garden of Hope
• Hamilton-Madison House
• Homecrest Community Services
• Immigrant Social Services
• India Home
• Jahajee Sisters
• Japanese American Association of New York
• Japanese American Social Services, Inc.
• Karen Society of Buffalo
• Korean American Family Service Center
• Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York
• Laal NYC
• Mekong Center NYC
• Midtown Utica Community Center
• Migrant Center
• MinKwon Center
• Refugees Helping Refugees
• Sakhi for South Asian Women
• Sapna NYC
• Sikh Coalition
• South Asian Council for Social Service
• South Asian Youth Action
• Turning Point for Women and Families
• United Chinese Association of Brooklyn
• Womankind (formerly NYAWC)
• Women for Afghan Women
• YWCA of Queens

The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families will receive over $1 million, and they will be partnering with a host of organizations -- including Apex for Youth, the Arab American Family Support Center, Asian Americans for Equality, Chinese-American Planning Council, South Asian Youth Action! Korean American Family Service Center, MinKwon Center for Community Action, and Mekong NYC -- to enhance youth and young adult services targeting Asian American communities by focusing on social emotional development and mental well-being.

Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung, Co-Executive Directors of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families said: "Through this crisis intervention funding, CACF with eight of our organizations have collaboratively developed a curriculum to support young people’s healthy sense of self, community connection and belonging, and self-agency.”

The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), a social services organization that creates positive social change, will receive almost $700,000 to help empower Asian American, immigrant, and low-income communities in New York City by ensuring they have equitable access to the resources and opportunities needed to thrive. 

The funding will support CPC’s culturally competent, linguistically appropriate community services and programs to improve the social determinants of health for children, youth, students, families, and seniors. Through this initiative, they will expand public access to resources, expand workforce service, enhance wrap-around case management and expand early childhood development.

 “Our Asian American communities are facing a crisis of anti-Asian hatred and violence. We are frightened. We are angry," 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 additional resources our community so desperately needs."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Anti-Asian incidents in NYC may have an impact on frustrated AAPI voters; arrest made in fatal subway attack

More guards and police will patrol NYC's subways to prevent violence.

The latest attack against Asian Americans may be pushing AAPI voters towards Republicans, who are perceived to be stronger on law-and-order issues.

Data from the November elections showed a noticeable shift towards Republicans. Though most Democrats survived, a greater portion of voters towards GOP candidates in Chinatown and Queens where a large number of AAPI reside.

After the election results, Democrat Rep. Grace Meng tweeted: "Our party better start giving more of a s**t about #aapi voters and communities. No other community turned out at a faster pace than AAPIs in 2020.” 

“There was a lot of finger-pointing and blaming that led to Asian Americans here in New York City being very afraid of their safety and the safety of their family,” said John Choe, executive director of the Flushing Chamber of Commerce and former Democratic progressive candidate for District 20. “This election cycle, it became clear that many people were voting based on fears and anxieties and anger rather than policy issues that may actually align with their interests long term.”

The latest attack on the subway system added to the frustration felt by some in the Asian American communities that their concerns are not being taken seriously by the party in power.

Indeed, the administration of former Mayor de Blasio  further distanced the Democrats from the AAPI community when he implemented admission policies to specialized schools that discriminated against Asian students.

In the latest attack where 40-year old Michelle Alyssa Go died after she was pushed onto the tracks of the oncoming train at Times Square 42nd Street subway station,  newly elected NYC Mayor Eric Adams tweeted: "Today, a woman entered the subway station, like any New Yorker, just trying to get where she needed to go ... New Yorkers deserve to feel safe while riding mass transit. It's why I stood with (New York Gov. Kathy Hochul) to announce the Safe Options Support teams."

The suspect, who has a history of arrests and mental illness, turned himself in to an NYPD bureau less than an hour after the Saturday (Jan. 15) incident and was taken into custody. He was identified as 61-year-old Simon Martial, was charged with second-degree murder, NYPD said.

"We're providing more law enforcement resources and mental health services to prevent problems before they happen," the mayor added. 

Witnesses said prior to the attack on Go, the suspect approached another woman who was not of Asian descent. Uneasy with Martial's behavior, the woman stepped away from the platform edge because she was afraid Martial would push her.

In a news conference earlier this month, Adams and Hochul announced an initiative to address both public safety in the subway system by sending more officers to inspect subways and stations as well as the homelessness crisis, by deploying trained mental health personnel across the city to support individuals who are homeless.

In Saturday's news conference, Mayor Adams added he was working closely with Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell on a plan which covers both minimizing crime and focusing on mental health.

“Safety throughout the subway system remains a top priority for the NYPD,” said Sewell. “This comprehensive new approach is centered on having more police officers on train cars talking with riders and listening to them because NYPD officers do not just respond to crime in our city – they prevent it and deter it.”

Under the initiative being, hundreds of additional NYPD officers from the Transit Bureau will work in tandem with Patrol Service Bureau officers and other personnel to be present across the subway system, from both their street-side and underground positions, riding the trains and meeting the passengers. Special units will continue to augment this coverage as well, in each sector, on each tour, every day.

For 2021, New York City saw an increase of anti-Asian crime of 361% last year according to  NYPD data.

In a statement on Saturday, Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation, said the Dec. 31 death of a 62-year-old Asian man who police said was bashed in the head in an unprovoked attack in East Harlem eight months ago, is a "reminder that the fear of anti-Asian violence in our community is well-founded.

"It is imperative that New York City implements proactive, community-based solutions that prevent these crimes from ever happening in the first place," she added.

But some in the AAPI community want quicker results. “Politicians pay lip service to phrases like ‘Stop Asian Hate,’” said business owner Ken Ma (no relation to the East Harlem victim), told the conservative New York Post. “But their policies do little to help us. I fear for myself. I fear for my staff. I fear for my community.”

Stories from the conservative media like the Post, Wall St. Journal and Fox News, which endorsed Donald Trump, continue to give the appearance that AAPI voters are  dissatisfied with the Democrats, Meng tweeted: "Really? We’re gonna let the leader of the Republican Party, who tried repeatedly to pin the entire pandemic on Asian Americans, off the hook? He put the target squarely on our backs. #stopasianhate was born directly out of his inciting words."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

To fight AAPI hate, a nationwide network and action centers established

The alarming rise in hate incidents against Asian Americans may be giving birth to the national voice for the AANHPI communities that has been lacking because of the wide diversity of the ethnic groups under the Asian American umbrella.

The Asian American Foundation, a convener, incubator, and funder for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, announced Tuesday (Sept. 28, 2021) the launch of TAAF's Anti-Hate National Network, which includes AAPI Action Centers to combat anti-AAPI hate. 

"Our AAPI families, friends, and neighbors continue to be blamed for the pandemic," said Sonal Shah, President of TAAF. "The launch of our Anti-Hate National Network, AAPI Action Centers, and AAPI Emergency Relief Fund is TAAF’s full-throated response to the hate happening in our communities that for too long has gone unchecked."

Stop AAPI Hate has catalogued over 9,000 incidents of bias against AANHPI since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Many say the surge in hate incidents, ranging from verbal harassment to mass shootings was exacerbated by the racist rhetoric coming out of the Trump administration blaming COVID-19 on China.

Instead of duplicating efforts by grassroots organizations, the TAAF hopes to use its resourced to connect and support the community "on-the-ground" agencies. For its AAPI Action Centers, TAAF is starting with three pilot cities, Chicago, New York City and Oakland, CA:

Chicago: Chinese American Service League (CASL) will serve as the Chicago AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of $500,000 from TAAF to support its Client Advocacy Unit, which includes comprehensive victim support including mental and primary health, legal services, housing, employment, and care coordination. CASL is also building its journalistic readiness program to ensure effective, impactful media coverage of anti-AAPI hate incidents. 

"We will engage with community partners to better respond to and prevent acts of hate. We will build cross racial partnerships to foster learning, safety, and security. And, we will stand together with one voice that shouts, ‘Chicago will not tolerate acts of hate against any person, regardless of their race, gender, or ability." said Paul Luu, CASL CEO.

New York City: The Asian American Federation will serve as the NYC AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of $500,000 from TAAF to support its Hope Against Hate Campaign which offers preventative safety trainings like upstander intervention and self-defense strategies, robust victim support services, and centralized ways to report assaults in order to get connected to services. The Asian American Federation is also spearheading a safety ambassador program to train volunteers in NYC to accompany AAPI community members in public places.

“The hate incidents AAPI New Yorkers have had to endure on the subways and streets are near-constant, and so we welcome TAAF’s investment in the work being done to keep vulnerable AAPI communities safe," said Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of The Asian American Federation.

Oakland: Asian Health Services (AHS) will serve as the Oakland AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of $500,000 from TAAF to support its high-caliber health and wellness services, as well as its advocacy for health care equity for AAPIs. As part of its Action Center offerings, AHS is providing a trauma care unit, referral linkage services, and community level interventions to counter anti-AAPI hate. TAAF is also working with AHS on its African American / Asian American Racial Trauma Project, which aims to create a body of knowledge focused on racial trauma in African American and AAPI communities.

“California has seen the largest proportion of anti-AAPI hate incidents in the country since the pandemic hit,” said Sherry Hirota, Chief Executive Officer of Asian Health Services. “Oakland and the Bay Area have a long history of advocacy and activism. Not to be blamed or ignored, our AAPI community is strong and resilient. Racism and anti-AAPI hate are public health issues and the solutions will be long term and complex."

TAAF's Anti-Hate National Network aims to provide greater coordination and collaboration between organizations working to combat anti-AAPI hate by assembling them as part of a shared effort to better ensure resources get to where they are needed. Organizations included in the Network provide critical resources to AAPI communities that TAAF wants to invest in and help grow in order to scale better anti-hate tracking, protection, response, and prevention measures. 

The following organizations have received initial grants from TAAF and are now part of its Network: Act to Change, Asian American Journalists Association, Interfaith Youth Core, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), RISE Together Fund, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), and Sikh Coalition.

Since its launch, TAAF has committed over $7 million to its anti-hate efforts which, in addition to today’s news, have included the development of its Rapid Response Toolkit, its Documenting Anti-AAPI Hate Codebook in partnership with Stop Anti-AAPI Hate, and an interfaith mobilization toolkit designed by the InterFaith Youth Core for college campuses.

This Thursday, September 30, TAAF will co-host a virtual event with NextShark: “From Hate to Hope - Building a National Network for Belonging.” TAAF President Sonal Shah will be joined by Congressmember Grace Meng, D-NY, Benny Luo, Founder & CEO of NextShark, Thu Quach of Asian Health Services, and Jo-Ann Yoo of the Asian American Federation. Amna Nawaz with PBS NewsHour will moderate the event. Registration is required.

CORRECTION: Earlier versions of this article inadvertently included a list of educational institutions serving AANHPI students. It has been removed.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, observations, tips and references, follow me on Twitter @dioknoed

NYC Asians facing record job losses

Asian Americans once had the best employment rates among the US ethnic groups but the coronavirus changed all that.  Asian American workers have gone from having the lowest unemployment rate in the country to one of the highest.

For Asian Americans in New York City, job losses are soaring because soared of the pandemic, according to a new study by the Asian American Federation. While the AAF study focuses on NYC, the same trend is occurring in other cities where Asian Americans are concentrated.

A year ago, the national jobless rate for Asian Americans was 2.8% — lower than that of whites, Blacks or Latinos, according to NPR. But Asian American unemployment soared to 15% in May, and it was still 10.7% in August — well above the rate of 7.3% for whites and the Latino rate of 10.5%. Only African Americans had a higher jobless rate of 13%.

Part of the reason is that many Asians work in jobs where working from home is impossible. They have to go to their places of employment in apparel manufacturing, laundry services, beauty, nail salons and food services, where about 20% of the Asian workforce is employed.

Another factor for the surge of unemployment is that before the coronavirus, unemployed Asian Americans were reluctant to apply for unemployment benefits. As the virus continued and restaurants and small businesses began to fold or cut back on workers, Asian Americans who had lost their jobs were forced to swallow their cultural hesitancy and seek government assistance, according to Howard Shih, one of the study’s authors.

“But once we saw COVID hit, the calculus was no longer, ‘Do I take benefits or do I maintain my immigration status opportunities?’” Shih told Spectrum News. “It became, ‘Do I take benefits or do I go hungry?’”

“People were really desperate to the point where they were willing to change how they viewed benefits,” Shih says. “Families were in dire straits.”

The study also broke down data to determine the impact of COVID-19 on each Asian American ethnic group.

The survey found, for instance, around 20% of all Bangladeshi workers in New York City are employed in the food service industry, where jobs fell by 72.5% in April. And one in three Filipino Americans were employed in the healthcare industry, putting them more at risk for COVID-19 exposure.

The study shows that the contrary to the model minority stereotype, Asian Americans need government assistance as much as other ethnic groups and are more willing to avail of those services if translation services are provided and culturally appropriate outreach is used.

"Asian Americans are absolutely overlooked," said Marlene Kim, an economist at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. "People have the sense that Asians are fine. That they're a model minority. That they have good jobs and are doing OK."

Additionally, the study suggests that there is a need to open up more job opportunities for low-income Asian Americans beyond the industries in which they are currently concentrated.