New York Gov. Hochul urged to pass bill requiring non-monolithic AAPI demographic data

The Chinese American Planning Council is calling on N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign legislation that would require the collection of better demographic data about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Call to action: After former Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a version of the bill in 2019, the CPC is calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to recognize the urgency and importance of the bill.

Wayne Ho, president and CEO of the Chinese American Planning Council, said that his organization has become necessary within the AAPI community because the state lacks detailed information about those individuals.
“They didn’t have information on Asian ethnic groups and because of that, they didn’t have the proper resources out there to meet the needs of the state’s fastest-growing community,” Ho told City & State.
Ho is one of the advocates calling on Hochul to mandate more specific data on the AAPI population rather than collecting data that treats it as monolithic.
The bill has been reintroduced numerous times since 2011.
When Cuomo rejected the bill in 2019, he argued the bill would have been too expensive for the state’s budget.
Hochul has not requested the bill from the Assembly, but Avi Small, a spokesperson for the governor said that they are looking into it.
“Governor Hochul is a strong supporter of New York’s incredibly diverse AAPI communities and will carefully review the legislation,” Small told City & State.

More about CPC: The CPC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the AAPI community in New York by making resources more accessible and advocating for their rights.

Throughout the pandemic, CPC staff translated resources and materials about COVID-19 into languages that weren’t available on the state government’s website for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
They have also vowed to aid undocumented immigrants who are recovering from the effects of Hurricane Ida.
“The Chinese-American Planning Council is proud to partner with New York State to provide emergency relief to undocumented immigrants affected by Hurricane Ida,” Ho said. “Many undocumented individuals and families do not qualify for FEMA assistance. We are glad this new resource will be made available to help them get back on their feet during this difficult time.”

Featured Image via Chinese-American Planning Council

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