As AANHPI needs go unheeded and unfunded, Trump's regime gives us a car race

SHUTTERSTOCK

The nation's Capitol lost a bit of its luster as the backdrop for a racing spectacle

The corporate suites are gone, the tire tracks are fading from the National Mall, and the  engines' roar from the Freedom 250 Grand Prix have finally gone quiet. But in Washington D.C., the real roar is just beginning.

While the racing world applauds the Penske Corporation for eating a loss on the $35 million production bill, a look behind the curtain reveals who really kept the lights on. It wasn't just corporate sponsors like Boeing or SpaceX. It was you. 

To pull off this high-octane spectacle last weekend, the federal government quietly funneled a jaw-dropping $78 million to $80 million in taxpayer funds into security, logistics, and site preparation.

Let that sink in.

While racing crews were busy fusing shut 220 manhole covers and dropping 1,800 massive concrete walls into the pavement, the US Department of the Interior was dropping $68 million just to prep the streets. Add another $10 million to $12 million for police overtime and Secret Service screenings, and the public bill skyrocketed.

Race supporters and regime officials will tell you this was an investment in national unity and a massive tourist boom for local hotels. But let’s call a distraction what it is. While the city cheered for cars going in circles, that same $80 million could have addressed the severe problems actually crushing everyday Americans—including deep, systemic needs within our AAPI communities.

A race with no winners but plenty of losers

Instead of watching tax dollars evaporate into tire smoke, imagine what that $80 million could have done if invested back into the community.

That money could have provided $25 million for vital language access and legal aid clinics to help low-income immigrants navigate housing and healthcare. 

It could have put $20 million into grass-roots hate crime prevention and neighborhood safety patrols. Another $20 million could have thrown an economic lifeline to mom-and-pop small businesses fighting gentrification in historic Chinatowns and Little Saigons. 

The remaining $15 million could have funded culturally competent health clinics offering language-specific mental health care and medical services.

Instead, Washington chose to throw a party.

View from the edge

As Representative Grace Meng, (D-NY) chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), recently warned, these massive national spectacles are taking place "at a time when programs supporting minority communities are under attack." 

While the federal government easily finds tens of millions for a single weekend of racing entertainment, grassroots organizers from APIAVote are reminding us of what real freedom looks like — demanding resources to live, work, and learn safely, rather than watching public funds get funneled into billionaire-backed vanity projects.

The Freedom 250 might have been a thrilling ride for a weekend, but for the taxpayers left stranded by the roadside — and the AANHPI communities left waiting for real support — it is just another reminder of misplaced priorities of the Donald Trump regime.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective meaningful, please share.

Landmark study debunks ‘Model Minority’ myth

For decades, AAPIs have been boxed into a single, restrictive narrative: quiet, high-achieving, and immune to systemic barriers. But a multi-million-dollar landmark initiative is finally bringing the hidden struggles of over 25 million people out of the shadows—exposing a stark disconnect between public perception and lived reality.

A landmark research series released by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) turns that false narrative on its head. Titled "The State of AAPIs," the multi-million-dollar initiative offers an unprecedented, disaggregated look into the lived experiences of over 25 million AAPI individuals across the country — highlighting deep-seated economic precarity, persistent fear for safety, and systemic barriers to basic resources.

"AAPIs are too often treated as a monolith and a Model Minority. This research provides insight into the genuine hardships and real concerns for millions of people," said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. 

A national reality: Financial strain and constant vigilance

TAAF’s findings paint a sobering picture of life for AAPI communities nationwide. Based on a representative survey of 1,500 adults, the report reveals that over half of respondents (51%) struggled to build financial security or save money over the past year. 

That economic burden falls unevenly across ethnic groups, soaring to 60% or higher among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI), Vietnamese, and Korean respondents. 

        FYI: Click here to view the full national and NYC reports.

Furthermore, 37% of respondents suffered major income disruptions, a hardship felt most acutely by NHPI (51%) and Korean (46%) Americans.

Financial hardship has directly impacted basic living stability. Roughly 31% of AAPIs nationwide struggled to secure safe, stable housing, while 30% relied on government or community assistance programs just to get by. Even worse, nearly as many—28%—reported severe difficulty actually navigating the system to access those critical safety-net benefits.

Beyond financial survival, safety remains a looming shadow. Over half of AAPI adults nationwide have changed their daily habits out of fear of bias from law enforcement or immigration officials—a figure that leaps to 62% among Vietnamese respondents. Look ahead, 37% of AAPIs believe it is likely they will fall victim to a hate attack within the next five years, underscoring a pervasive climate of anxiety.

Borough by borough: The struggle in New York City

The research pairs its national baseline with a granular, borough-level analysis of 1,400 AAPI New Yorkers, supported by deep-dive interviews with 50 local experts in government, community advocacy, philanthropy, and the private sector.

While 67% of AAPI New Yorkers still view the city as a beacon of opportunity, rising living costs are testing their resilience: 55% admit they have considered moving away from NYC. Nearly 60% struggled to save for their financial futures, and half worry constantly about affording basic necessities like food, utilities, and rent.

Discrimination remains a routine obstacle. Over 1 in 3 AAPI New Yorkers (37%) experienced adverse treatment in their borough over the past year—a rate that spikes dramatically to 48% among Bangladeshi residents and a staggering 58% among AAPIs in Staten Island. In public spaces, 36% felt unwelcome simply because of their race or cultural heritage. 

Institutional barriers compound these everyday challenges, with more than a quarter facing language barriers in daily communication (29%), hurdles when accessing immigration services (28%), and obstacles at the ballot box (27%).

Driving Local Action: The "TAAF Cities" Model

"With our State of AAPIs research series, we’re taking the critical step of understanding AAPIs’ needs at a granular level and giving local and national decision-makers the data they need to address our community’s biggest challenges," says TAAF's Chen.

Rather than letting the data gather dust, TAAF is using these findings to drive on-the-ground solutions through its TAAF Cities initiative launched in May 2025. The initiative follows a four-part model: researching localized needs, convening cross-sector leaders, piloting community-led solutions, and scaling successful programs nationally.

Following the inaugural New York City report, TAAF plans to roll out detailed reports and multilingual surveys for other major metropolitan hubs with large AAPI populations, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Data alone won't erase decades of stereotyping or cure systemic inequality, but disaggregating these numbers is a critical start. By replacing a convenient myth with hard-earned truths, TAAF's initiative gives local leaders the blueprint they need to build genuine safety, financial dignity, and belonging for millions who have gone unseen for far too long.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. If you find this perspective interesting, please repost.

“Asian+American”is a new campaign celebrating the beautiful complexity of Asian American Identity

Growing up in the United States I've had to grapple with growing up in two cultures, trying to balance being Filipino and being American.

I was not alone in that struggle. Being torn between two cultures is something familiar with every Asian American.

For decades, Asian Americans have been caught in a constant balancing act of being either too Asian or not Asian enough. We’ve felt pressured to hide our names, languages, and cultures just to fit in. It’s no wonder most of us feel like we don’t belong.

Eventually, I came to the realization that I don't have to choose to be one or the other, nor am I half-this and half-that. 

Instead, I tell myself that am 100% Filipino and 100% American. Two-in-one. Two times more interesting. Two worlds to enjoy. Double the enrichment. Twice blessed. Apples and mangoes. Hot dogs and adobo.

I'm pleased to see that more and more Asian Americans are taking this approach to self-identification.

The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) is unveiling the “Asian+American” campaign today. It is a national PSA initiative thal encourages Asian Americans to celebrate the complexity and beauty of their dual identities.

“For too long, Asian Americans have been made to feel like we must shrink, code-switch, or choose between identities just to be seen as American enough,” says Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. 

“At TAAF, we are focused on building a future where our community can thrive in safety, prosperity, and true belonging—free from discrimination, slander, and violence. Belonging begins with being seen and heard, and we hope this campaign sparks the kind of honest conversations that help us own, and celebrate, every part of who we are. Our partnership with Right To Be goes a step further and empowers individuals to take an active role in creating belonging and safety for their own communities,” says Chen.

Created in partnership with the award-winning global creative agency Wieden+Kennedy New York, the campaign uses striking visual storytelling and imagery that will blanket everything from billboards to social media—all to foster pride in being both Asian and American.

Asian Americans are the least likely of any racial or ethnic group to say they fully belong in the United States, and this sense of exclusion is especially acute among younger generations. According to TAAF’s 2025 STAATUS Index, just 20% of Asian Americans ages 16–24 (and 23% overall) feel fully accepted for their racial identity. Following decades of being cast as perpetual foreigners caught in a balancing act of being too Asian or not Asian enough, many have felt pressure to abandon their culture, names, or languages just to fit in, often internalizing shame and self-doubt in the process.

The campaign’s centerpiece, a 60-second short film called Beyond, Together, explores this pressure to choose between identities and offers an intimate look at Asian American individuals embracing their full selves without limits or compromises. 

Narrated by award-winning actor/producer Sandra Oh and directed by Academy Award–nominee Sean Wang (Dìdi, Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó), who participated in the inaugural Sundance Institute | TAAF Fellowship cohort in 2022, the PSA is paired with powerful portraits taken by photographer Jingyu Lin that will roll out across digital, social, and out-of-home platforms.

Click here if unable to view 'Beyond Together.'

TELL YOUR STORY IN 'RIGHT TO BE'

As part of its commitment to lasting change, TAAF is also partnering with Right To Be to expand access to bystander intervention trainings that foster safety and belonging. 

A leader in anti-harassment education, Right To Be empowers individuals to safely intervene in moments of bias or harm, including instances of anti-Asian hate and xenophobic harassment. 

Together, TAAF and Right To Be will launch a national Train-the-Trainer program, with curriculum designed by Right To Be and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC, to equip local leaders to deliver these workshops in their own communities, with a goal of reaching up to 10,000 people in the first year.

        RELATED: Half of Asian Americans have experienced a hate incident

In the wake of the historic rise in anti-Asian hate in 2020, Asian American communities were galvanized into action — and what followed was a powerful cultural awakening. A new wave of pride is taking root, one that fully embraces the richness of being both Asian and American. 

For the first time, Asian American actors, chefs, athletes and musicians are commanding the world’s biggest stages and arenas. 

Across the country, people are reconnecting with their heritage — proudly speaking their languages, cooking family recipes, and reclaiming names they were once told to shorten or change. The “Asian+American” campaign is a celebration of this journey: a declaration that Asian Americans don’t have to choose between identities — they belong fully, powerfully, and proudly as both.

“The ‘plus’ is about turning a negative into a positive. It’s about disrupting judgement, perception, and ill-conceived notions of identity. It strikes down barriers and broadens our understanding of who Asian Americans are and who we can be,” said Kevin Kaminishi, Associate Creative Director at W+K New York. 

“We are a massive community, and it’s time that we celebrate in a way that carries the strengths of our heritage while embracing the freedom to redefine it.”

        RELATED: Study finds 1 in 5 Asian Americans hide their ethnic identity

“My own Asian American identity and sense of belonging are things I’ve attempted to define for myself through my work,” said Park Pictures director Sean Wang. “Through those experiences, I’ve connected with so many others who share the unique challenges of navigating multiple cultural identities. I’m thrilled to have partnered with TAAF, W+K, Sandra Oh, and our team at Park Pictures to build on that and make something that celebrates the beauty and complexity of our community."

“Lending my voice on a message so close to my heart—one that represents my community—has tremendous meaning for me,” said Award-winning Actor/Producer Sandra Oh. “Working with TAAF to highlight the intersectionality of our identities and cultures has been a project made out of love by everyone who has touched it. I’m so honored to be part of giving this message to the AAPI community and with the world.”

The short film and out-of-home creative will be distributed nationally, culminating in an invitation to the public: “What is your Asian+American story?”

ASIAN+AMERICAN

TAAF is encouraging Asian Americans and allies across America to join the conversation by sharing their stories on social media using #AsianPlusAmerican and tagging @TAAForg. The campaign aims to amplify the diverse voices, experiences, and identities that shape the Asian American community—and to show the world what it truly means to be both Asian and American.

“The plus in Asian+American is a broad celebration of identity—the plus is for everyone,” said Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Ohai.ai and Co-founding TAAF Board Member. "The heart of this campaign speaks to something universal: the richness of being more. 

"No matter our background, we all live at the intersection of multiple cultures, stories, and communities. This is a reminder that our stories, while unique, are deeply connected—and that there’s power in embracing every part of who we are as Americans. And that the richness and abundance in each of our backgrounds should be celebrated and honored."

The truth is, we don’t need to forfeit our Asian or American identity to belong. Our complexity is our superpower. And across the country, people are honoring their roots and showing the world who they are—fully, powerfully, and proudly as Asian+American.

        FYI: Click here to learn more about the “Asian+American” campaign 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge. Now on BlueSky.