Publications

Hidden in Plain Sight: Asian Poverty in New York City (2018)

This report quantifies what our member agencies are facing on the ground citywide, a rapidly growing population of poor Asian New Yorkers. This report will focus on New York City, but will also include a glance at upstate regions of New York State, which has seen an growing population of Asian residents. Our report will also cover the unique needs of Asian poor including language and cultural barriers, educational deficits, and lack of access to services. It is our firm belief that only culturally competent social services provided by agencies with deep roots and built-up trust in the community can best serve the Asian poor.

The report will utilize data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). We will examine poverty from the dimensions of age, race, immigration, language abilities, educational levels, job opportunities, family types, health insurance coverage, geography and Asian ethnicity. The report will briefly touch on the alternative poverty measures generated by New York City Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity and discuss the implications of these measures.

Overcoming Challenges to Mental Health Services for Asian New Yorkers (2017)

This report highlights the four major challenges to mental health services for Asian New Yorkers: 1) the lack of awareness and acceptance of mental health due to social stigma and a clash in values; 2) shortage of linguistically and culturally competent mental health practitioners and services; 4)lack of access to mental health care services in general, as there are few entry points beyond individualized therapy and the cost of services is a deterrent for those without health insurance; and 4) lack of research into the mental health needs of and service models that work best for the Asian community due to the absence of disaggregated data for Asian ethnicities and funders’ proposal criteria that oftentimes exclude integrated or alternative service models.

The report calls for further investment in Asian-led and Asian-serving community-based organizations to lead efforts to expand community education programs and engagement around mental health, training for mental health service providers, and expansion of service capacity. In addition, the report calls for initiatives to create networks of professionals to share knowledge and resources and for further evidence-based research on alternative service delivery models that work for the Asian community.

NYC'S Economic Engine: Contributions & Challenges of Asian Small Businesses (2016)

Asian-owned small businesses are an important source of jobs for new immigrants and provide an opportunity to learn skills specific to the American workplace. While this important economic engine is celebrated by leaders and policy makers, there is a seeming lack of support and resources for them to open, sustain, and thrive. This report seeks to quantify the contributions and challenges that Asian owners face in establishing and growing their businesses. Our motivation for this report is threefold: 1) to highlight the economic contributions that these Asian owners make to our economy; 2) to dispel some of the misconceptions about small businesses and their operations; and 3) to outline policy changes that can support these businesses to ensure that they continue to grow and thrive.

Asian American Seniors in New York City: An Updated Snapshot (2016)

This report quantifies the changes occurring in the Asian senior population in New York City and to present a clearer picture of the needs and challenges faced by our seniors. The report is divided into four main sections: demographics, social factors, economic status, and recommendations. Demographics cover the growth and changing ethnicities of Asian seniors in New York City. Social factors examine senior living arrangements, language abilities, and educational attainment. Economic status presents the statistics on poverty, Social Security benefits, housing, and health insurance coverage for Asian seniors. The final section on recommendations highlights some of the policy changes necessary to help support the community organizations providing services to Asian seniors and to address the needs of Asian seniors.

Analysis of City Government Funding to Social Service Organizations Serving the Asian American Community in New York City (2015)

This analysis studied contracts awarded by the City’s six social service agencies: the Department of Education, Administration for Children’s Services, Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services, Department for the Aging, Department of Youth and Community Development, and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  It also assessed distributions by borough and Asian ethnicity. While Asian Americans now make up close to 15 percent of New York City’s population, the Asian American community only received 1.4 percent of the contracts and just 3.1 percent of the contract dollars given by city agencies to social service providers in the past 13 years. Recommendations include changing contract procurement policies to give more credit to community service providers with language and cultural competency and to build capacity among Asian-focused service providers so that they may better compete for City service contracts.

Making America Work: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the Workforce and Business (2014)

Making America Work examines the contributions Asian Americans bring to the U.S. economy through as workers and business owners and leaders. The goal of the report is to show the diversity of experiences in our communities. The report’s key findings examine the impact the Great Recession had on Asian American household wealth, the growth in the number of Asian American workers at all income levels, and the major contributions to employment and revenue Asian American and NHPI businesses made. The tremendous impact that Asian American immigrants have on both the workforce and business growth is also highlighted. The report also concludes with policy recommendations to address the issues raised around rebuilding wealth, increasing the opportunities available to the growing number of low-wage Asian American workers, and helping Asian American business owners to expand and succeed.

The State of Asian American Children (2014)

This first ever report on Asian American children covers demographic changes, ethnicity, age, geography, gender, immigration, adoption, education, health family, languages, economic status, and housing. The goals of this report are to better understand the characteristics and the growth of Asian American children; to measure of the family support, financial, health, early school readiness, and educational needs of Asian American children; and to identify gaps and additional research needs on Asian American children and highlight the importance of disaggregated data on Asian groups.

Asian Americans Of The Empire State:
Growing Diversity And Common Needs (2013)

This report is a detailed examination of the Asian American communities of our state. The report covers statewide and regional demographic changes. In addition, detailed socioeconomic indicators for New York City, the suburban counties surrounding New York City, and upstate counties with the largest Asian populations are presented. The report concludes with a summary of key demographic groups: the working poor, refugees, seniors, college and university populations and well-educated professionals.

Asian Americans in New York City:
A Decade of Dynamic Change 2000-2010 (2012)

This report is the first detailed look at Asian New Yorkers based on the data releases from the 2010 Census and the American Community Survey. The report covers changes in demographics from 2000-2010, as well as examine the status of Asian children and seniors as related to poverty, access to education and health insurance coverage. Other chapters will cover civic engagement, income, poverty, and industry and occupations employing Asians and Asian-owned businesses.

Working But Poor:
Asian American Poverty in New York City (2008)

This first detailed analysis of 2006 American Community Survey and Census 2000 data on poor and low-income Asians in the city describes their demographic traits and patterns, many of which reflect differences from the general population in those income categories. Age, household type, housing costs, educational attainment, language, immigration and citizenship, and employment characteristics were examined.

Revitalizing Chinatown Businesses:
Challenges and Opportunities (2008)

Based on a survey of more than 300 businesses; interviews with community, business and economic development leaders; and analysis of government data, this report examines Chinatown's changing business environment, obstacles to improvement, and opportunities for enduring stability and growth.

Rebuilding Lives:
The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 (2006)

A Federation sponsored outreach team conducted interviews with individuals from New York's Thai, Indian, and Indonesian communities. The research showed that many of the affected individuals were in need of relief programs, such as mental health counseling and legal assistance to travel back home. Because such individuals lacked direct connection to their respective communities and had limited access to service providers, a language deficiency increased.

Economic Characteristics Of Asian Americans in the New York Metropolitan Area (2005)

Supported by the the Citigroup Foundation, the C.J. Huang Foundation, and the AT&T Foundation, the Federation's Census Information Center (CIC) has prepared a Census 2000-based analysis offering unprecedented detail on work-force participation, employment, earnings, income, housing, and occupational and industry representation of Asian Americans in the New York Metropolitan Area.

Lessons Learned:
To Sustain Health Coverage After September 11th In NYC Chinatown (2004)

This study examines participation in a temporary health care program for workers in New York City's Chinatown neighborhood who were affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Research Department examined key factors in participants' decision for enrolling in a program, including source of information, prior experience health insurance, and immediate health needs.

Asian American Mental Health: A Post September 11th Needs Assessment (2003)

Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this study is the first comprehensive account of mental health issues among Asian American communities in New York City. Mental health is a critical concern for our community because, as a population, Asian Americans typically underutilize mental health services; those who do seek help tend to be more severely ill than those in other groups.

Asian American Elders in NYC:
A Study of Health, Social Needs, Quality of Life and Quality of Care (2003)

This report is a significant component of the Federation's efforts to focus academic research and public policy formulation on the needs of the Asian American community. Produced in collaboration with the Brookdale Center on Aging of Hunter College, this groundbreaking study is a comprehensive exploration on the quality of life and care of New York City's growing Asian American elderly population.

Chinatown One Year After September 11th:
An Economic Impact Study (2002)

This report follows and incorporates results of the groundbreaking Chinatown After September 11th report, issued in April. The new report draws on numerous sources, including business and worker surveys, loan and grant data, and information from public and private relief agencies. Findings take into account experiences of more than 10,000 workers, and reflect collaboration with community, business, labor, policy and academic organizations.

Chinatown After September 11th:
An Economic Impact Study (2002)

Drawing upon more than 30 data sources, including relief agencies and several community-based surveys, the study evaluated the extent of business and employment hardship stemming from infrastructure impediments and other factors. The study also examined the degree to which short-term assistance relieved economic distress for Chinatown, a community located less than ten blocks from the site of the World Trade Center.