Her question captures a gap that runs through American politics. Asian Americans are about 7 percent of the U.S. population but roughly 1 percent of elected officials. In California, where about 16 percent of residents are Asian American, they hold fewer than 3 percent of the state’s roughly 20,000 elected offices. That is despite Asian Americans being the fastest-growing group of eligible voters in the country, according to Pew Research Center.

Singh-Allen joined West Sacramento Councilmember Quirina Orozco and Jenny Farrell, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of California, at the AAUC Unity Summit on October 7 in Sacramento to talk about closing that gap. CalMatters politics reporter Maya Miller moderated, with two questions: how to get more AAPI candidates to run, and how to reach the voters who could elect them.

Why Representation Matters

Seeing is believing, Farrell said. People are more likely to run for office when someone with a similar background and lived experience has already done it. Her own mother was a lawyer, so becoming one never felt out of reach. “If we see that example is possible, then we’re more likely to consider it for ourselves,” she said.

Representation can also lift turnout. An Asian American candidate on the ballot makes higher Asian American turnout more likely, Farrell said, though she cautioned that it is one factor among many. Campaign outreach, a district’s makeup, the issues at stake and whether information is available in voters’ languages all matter too. And the AAPI community, she stressed, is not a monolith.

For Singh-Allen, who immigrated at age 4, the stakes are personal. When she visits schools, young Indian American girls tell her they didn’t know a career in politics was possible for them, in a culture that steers children toward medicine, engineering and law. “I don’t want to be the last or the only,” she said. Representation, she added, “isn’t just tokenism.”

Orozco’s story shows what lived experience brings to the dais. The granddaughter of a Filipino immigrant who arrived during the Depression, she was born to a 16-year-old mother. As a child she was woken in the night and told to grab her things because they were being evicted, then taken to a motel on West Sacramento’s West Capitol Avenue. In 2024, after redistricting, she became the first representative of the district that includes that corridor. “I have a unique humanitarian perspective because I have seen those places from the inside,” she said.

She saw the same dynamic during 21 years as a prosecutor handling sexual assault and child abuse cases. Some young victims agreed to testify, she said, because she looked like “an auntie” to them.

Why More Don’t Run

The path to office has real obstacles, and the panelists named them plainly.

Money. When Rep. Ami Bera urged Singh-Allen to run for mayor in 2020, the filing deadline was a week away. She had $10,000 in her school board account; the incumbent had $250,000. “My worst enemy was me,” she said. Bera told her to declare and the money would come. Her Indian American community became her largest early donors, and she raised $300,000 within a month. Women, she noted, often find that money doesn’t come as easily.

Someone to ask. Neither official planned a political career. Singh-Allen got her start as a Sacramento State student working for her professor, the late Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna Jr. Orozco was a prosecutor and cycling instructor when a student in her class, Christopher Cabaldon, now a state senator, asked why she wasn’t running for city council. Her answer: “Heck no.” She entered the race months before the election anyway, and won.

The spotlight. Public life is hard, especially for women. Soon after her first win, Orozco skipped a Black Friday trip to Target for fear constituents would see her in a messy bun and gym pants instead of the polished image on her flyers. Her mentor told her that by showing the city what a working mother of four on the council really looks like, she would normalize it for others. Singh-Allen described a stretch of anxiety, panic attacks and sleepless nights before she learned to protect time for herself and her family.

Self-doubt. “You’re never going to feel ready,” Orozco said. Three campaigns in, the imposter syndrome remains. Her fix: stop focusing on yourself and focus on what needs to be done.

Reaching the voters who elect them

Candidates also need voters who feel seen. Farrell said the major parties reach out to AAPI voters less than to other groups. A recent survey of California’s Asian American voters by AAPI Data and partners found that about half hadn’t been contacted by the Democratic Party and 59 percent hadn’t heard from Republicans.

Lower turnout, Farrell argued, isn’t apathy. A third of young people volunteered with a community organization in the past year, more than any other age group. The task is turning that care into civic engagement, and trusted messengers matter most. “I’m not the one who should go be speaking to a Vietnamese community,” she said.

What Community Leaders Can Do

Tap a shoulder. Both officials ran because someone asked. Orozco later did the same, recruiting two women whose 2022 wins made West Sacramento’s council the city’s first all-women council, all of them women of color. “If it’s not you, find someone,” she urged.

Build the pipeline through service. Singh-Allen served eight and a half years on her school board before running for mayor, and said candidates should first be rooted in their communities, including through nonprofits and civic groups. Orozco suggested starting small: a parks or planning commission, or speaking at public comment. “You don’t have to go from zero to school board.”

Put people to work on campaigns. Walking precincts, organizing lists, registering voters and interpreting are the easiest on-ramps. “You can be invisible and still help,” Orozco said.

Be the early money. Community donors carried Singh-Allen’s first mayoral run. That support, she said, is “the backbone that people like me needed.”

Turn clients into voters. Farrell urged specific plans, not slogans: Did you get your ballot? Will you mail it or use a drop box? Pull up Vote411.org together. Stock waiting rooms year-round with the League’s Easy Voter Guides, available in English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

Pair passion with patience. Young leaders want change fast, Singh-Allen said, but passion needs purpose, and real change takes time.

Orozco, who told the audience she is living with advanced-stage cancer, said she still shows up every day because “there are people whose voices need to be heard.” She hoped listeners would go home and say, “I’m the one, I’m ready.”

Baloyos joined Sean Cremin from the Public Policy Institute of California and Gabriel Young from MOSAIC at the AAUC Unity Summit in Sacramento on October 7 to address cost of living issues faced by AAPI communities. The panel discussion was moderated by Sayali Amarapurkar of SEWA Asian Indian Family Wellness.

A 2026 survey by AAPI Data and the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans found that 58 percent of Asian American and Pacific Islander adults name the cost of living and inflation as the country’s most important problem. But is this not just an AAPI issue. In California, the Public Policy Institute of California found in February that 61 percent of likely voters consider candidates’ affordability positions very important, with majorities across parties, regions and demographic groups agreeing.

“I feel like I’m being priced out of opportunity in California,” one worker told PPIC researchers, a line research associate Sean Cremin said has stayed with his team.

A Squeeze Nearly Everyone Feels

Prices have risen about 30 percent since 2020, Cremin said, far above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent annual target, and essentials like rent, transportation, utilities and childcare rose even faster. Wages climbed too, but inflation ate much of the gain, especially for low- and middle-income families.

The deeper problem is long-term, he argued. In the 1960s, more than half of Californians ages 30 to 34 owned a home; today about 30 percent do. Childcare for an infant or preschooler can take up to 28 percent of a median family’s income. Health premiums have grown three times as fast as earnings since 2000. Since 1980, real wages for low- and middle-income Californians grew 4 to 15 percent, compared with 70 percent for the top tenth of earners. Middle-wage jobs, the stepping stones to the middle class, have barely grown since 2000.

Those pressures don’t stop at any ethnic boundary. Nationally, a record 22.7 million renter households, about half of all renters, were cost-burdened in 2024, spending more than 30 percent of income on housing, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Among renters earning under $30,000, 83 percent were financially strapped.

In a January poll by AAPI Data and the AP-NORC Center, about half of AAPI adults wanted the government to prioritize the cost of living, compared with about a third of U.S. adults overall. In the 2026 AAPI Voter Survey, 90 percent of Asian American voters and 97 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander voters called it very or extremely important to their vote.

What the Averages Hide

Broad numbers mask the hardest cases. Young said 33 percent of AAPI Californians are housing cost-burdened, slightly below the 37 percent national figure. But in the Afghan community, that number is 67 percent. The median AAPI household earns about $116,000, but for Burmese Americans, it is about $74,000. In multigenerational households, like the one that Young grew up in, people are kept of of the workforce to become their family’s caregiver.

Cremin pointed to occupational segregation, in which immigrants, women and people of color are concentrated in retail, domestic work and hospitality, jobs that often lack benefits, flexible schedules and a path upward. Baloyos says she sees immigrant professionals arrive with degrees that must be re-evaluated, sometimes requiring more classes before they can work in their field. In some families, cultural norms discourage women and girls from working or studying. Even native-born low-income families struggle with eligibility forms, she said, “because that’s not part of their lives.”

The data needed to see these gaps is itself under threat. In September, the Trump administration proposed removing race and ethnicity questions from the 2030 census, which has asked about race since 1790. The administration says that information isn’t needed for the census’s constitutional purpose of counting the population. Young warned that without it, communities could be erased from funding decisions. “Without that data, we can’t make those grant proposals,” he said.

What Community Leaders Can Do

If affordability is a shared crisis, the panelists argued, it calls for shared solutions, and community organizations are positioned to lead.

Build coalitions across racial lines. Young urged AAPI groups to share their data with Black, Latino and other communities so legislators see that affordability isn’t one group’s concern. That shared message, he said, is how a “coherent, coordinated movement” gets heard in Sacramento.

Speak with one voice. Too many separate advocacy days pushing different bills confuse legislators, Young said. His answer is “coherence, coordination and communication.” MOSAIC’s 2026 platform tries to do that, uniting coalitions behind priorities that include renewing the state’s Stop the Hate grants, protecting tenants, promoting social housing, defending mixed-status families and expanding language access.

Invest in trusted messengers. “You can have a program and then you do not have the trusted messenger that supports that program, so therefore that program will not work,” Baloyos said. Bilingual, bicultural case managers who can walk clients through forms and credential reviews are what make resources usable.

Put disaggregated data to work. AAPI Data’s AANHPI Community Explorer lets organizations pull census figures by ethnic group for grant proposals and testimony. “At the end of the day, data translates into funding,” Young said. Since Congress has final say over the census, leaders can also tell their representatives where they stand on the race question.

Get out the vote. Election Day is November 3, with a governor’s race and ballot measures on taxes and education funding at stake. Nonpartisan groups can help households make a voting plan.

Grow the next generation. After seeing low-wage workers hit hardest during COVID, Asian Resources launched a youth executive academy to prepare young people to represent their communities in leadership.

Cremin urged leaders to see affordability not as the price of eggs but as a question of upward mobility. Framed that way, it is daunting, he said, but it “opens up a lot of policy proposals and possibilities” on prices, wages and the safety net. And it is a frame every community can share.

SEAFN UNITI Fest was a three-day retreat held March 10–12, 2026, at the Jose Rizal Community Center in Sacramento. More than 100 community leaders, organizers, artists, and advocates attended from across the United States, representing Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, and Vietnamese communities. Many came from small, grassroots organizations that had never before been in the same room together. They were welcome by Co-Executive Directors of SEAFN, Chhaya Chhoum and Pheng Thao.

UNITI stands for “Unite, Nourish, Inspire, Transform, and Ignite.” The event was organized by SEAFN, the Southeast Asian Freedom Network. The agenda covered many topics including movement strategy, gender justice, and creating “healing space” for people grappling with their family’s journey to American and now doing frontline community work. An outdoor screening of “Taking Root,” a documentary series about Southeast Asian refugee communities rebuilding in America, capped one of the evenings.

The timing of UNITI Fest marked the 50th year anniversary of the end of the Wars in Southeast Asia. The fall of Saigon, the end of the Khmer Rouge’s rise to power, and the conclusion of the Secret War in Laos are conflicts that displaced millions and sent waves of refugees to the United States. SEAFN framed the anniversary as a strategic inflection point for the attendees.

Who Came and Why Sacramento

Attendees traveled from Maine, Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California. Most represented organizations less than five years old.

Chhaya Chhoum said the Sacramento location was chosen in part because of what she and a colleague heard while touring the Central Valley ahead of the event. “When we were having conversations with folks in the Central Valley, particularly in Sacramento, Southeast Asian organizations who were saying, ‘This is the first time we’re in a room with each other,'” Chhoum said. “So, for us, it was an opening, an opportunity, an invitation to come to Sacramento.”

Chhoum said the goal of the gathering was not to respond to immediate crises like deportation fights, immigration enforcement, daily political pressures, but to step back from them.” All of our folks are urgently surviving, making decisions around who do we fight for around deportation, detention, all that stuff,” she said. “We really want to curate a space that allowed for people to dream and imagine what the next 50 years and beyond look like to Southeast Asian people in this country.”

Inside the Sessions

The program was built around sessions that moved from reflection to action The opening session, “Many Struggles, One Fight,” brought together speakers to discuss what connects communities whose histories (Cambodian genocide, the Vietnam War, the Laotian Secret War) are distinct but intertwined. Another session, “From Silos to Systems,” had attendees map their organizational ecosystems by region and affinity group, identifying gaps, overlaps, and potential collaborators.

The most discussed session was “The Horizon,” facilitated by Emil Sao of Collective Acceleration, a learning community focused on long-term systems change. Sao asked participants to envision what Southeast Asian communities would look like not in five or ten years, but seven generations, or roughly 150 years, into the future.

The exercise, he acknowledged, runs counter to how most advocacy organizations operate. “We’re so focused on reactivity and triage and thinking about what we need right now,” Sao said. “Actually, the best way to move towards a thriving world is to envision and strategize much further beyond.”

He pushed participants toward specificity, away from policy abstractions. Instead of “food sovereignty,” he asked: what does it mean to farm the exact seeds you want, in the garden you want? The framing came from indigenous traditions, he noted. Seven generations is a timeframe used by many indigenous cultures worldwide as a planning horizon.

Another session was “The Future Is Ours,” used a rotating chair format to let attendees share what they were taking away and what actions they intended to take.

What Young People Said They Were Fighting For

A notable feature of the gathering was the number of young attendees, people in their 20s and early 30s who are a generation or more removed from the refugee experience but still navigating its consequences. Chhoum said a clear theme emerged when she asked young participants what they were fighting for.

“They’re fighting for belonging,” she said. “And they’re fighting for the accountability of the harm that was caused to their parents and their grandparents. Part of belonging is also understanding how you got here, how your people got here, how your family survived.”

TK Le, SEAFN’s Communications Coordinator, said the question of whether young Southeast Asians are focused on their own present-day struggles or their parents’ and grandparents’ histories may be a false choice. “We’re always all looking to the past, the present, and the future all at the same time,” Le said. “The past never goes away — the genocides, the wars, the immigration. We carry all that with us.”

Le pointed to a hand-lettered piece on the event’s community quilt wall, a collaborative art installation where attendees contributed writing and images throughout the weekend. The text read: “We struggle from different forms of colonial violence imposed by the same colonial capitalist hands. The system cannot protect you from violence. We protect us.”

“Our oppressions are related,” Le said. “We have to remind ourselves that our liberations are also connected.”

What Attendees Envisioned

The written reflections produced during the Horizon session formed a sprawling, unfiltered record of what participants said they were working toward. Taken together, they described a world without borders, a criminal justice system replaced by community-based accountability, free and universal healthcare, multilingual education, rights for ecosystems, queer Southeast Asian people living openly and safely, and an end to billionaire wealth accumulation.

The writing was sometimes lyrical, sometimes blunt. One participant described the work ahead this way: “I see horizon work as us, in a boat, on the shore of collapse, making the decision that we have a direction of where we want to go. We have some, not all, of the supplies. But despite that uncertainty, we move towards the horizon.”

Another wrote: “There are people not yet born, or even a concept yet, who will experience turmoil, strife, struggle that may not even exist in this world yet, who I am dedicating my life, my time on Earth to.”

What Organizers Said They Wanted Attendees to Take Home

SEAFN’s stated goals for the gathering included building a shared policy and advocacy platform across racial, gender, and economic justice lines, and strengthening collaboration among Southeast Asian organizations that have historically operated independently of one another.

Chhoum was direct about her expectations for what happens after people leave Sacramento. “We hope they continue to do community work,” she said. “Doesn’t have to be through a nonprofit. They can become farmers, healers, business people, social media influencers. But that they do it all towards this horizon that we create collectively together, that wherever they are, they do all of their work towards that horizon.”

President Marc Morial opened the event by painting a stark picture of America one year into the current administration. “The state of America is a state of emergency,” he said. “And a year into this new administration, the United States is not just divided. It is damaged. It is damaged constitutionally. It is damaged culturally, and it is damaged economically.”

Economic growth has slowed from 3% in 2024 to below 2% in 2025, with black unemployment double the national rate at almost 8%. According to Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, “In 2025 alone, more than 300,000 black women were pushed out of the labor force, partly due to the gutting of DEI protections and federal job cuts.”

Majority of Americans Support DEI

Contrary to political narratives suggesting public opposition to diversity initiatives, new research presented by Dr. Alicia Simmons of Hart Research revealed overwhelming support for equal opportunity principles. The research showed that 71% of voters rate diversity, equity, and inclusion positively, while 89% view equal opportunity favorably.

The polling, conducted over two years with more than 6,000 voters and 23 focus groups, found that Americans recognize structural inequalities and believe equal opportunity must be actively cultivated rather than left to chance. Notably, voters support giving additional consideration to qualified candidates from underrepresented groups by roughly two-to-one margins.

Asian American Leaders Speak Out

John C. Yang: Community Data Shows Overwhelming Support

John C. Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), confirms that the majority of Americans support DEI programs. He shared specific data showing that “over 90% of Asian-Americans recognize that diversity is a strength in this country,” while “only 10% of the public thinks that diversity, equity, inclusion somehow hurts Asian-Americans.”

Yang connected diversity programs directly to combating discrimination: “Two different studies have shown that over 30% of Asian-Americans have experienced discrimination often or very often. Now, we know that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs help to eliminate discrimination, help to tell the full story of the United States…it leads us to understand how all of our communities have contributed to this country.”

Yang concluded with a direct challenge to institutional leaders: “The question before institutions is not whether equal opportunity and fairness are popular enough, but whether they have the willingness, the leadership to exercise on this mandate. Quite simply, we demand diversity because the public demands diversity and they deserve diversity.”

Madalene Mielke: Confronting the Model Minority Myth

Madalene Mielke, President and CEO of the Asian-Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), focused her remarks on the persistent underrepresentation of AANHPIs in government and the harmful stereotypes that perpetuate their exclusion. She highlighted the stark disparity in political representation: “The AANHPI community is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States with 7% of the population and yet we only make up about 1% of elected officials nationwide.”

Mielke outlined three critical demands for leaders. First, on language: “Our leaders need to stop using DEI as a buzzword. When we reduce our values to slogans, we lose the power to drive real change.”

Second, on stereotypes: “Leaders must reject and dismantle the Asian-American model minority myth. This harmful narrative suggests that our communities are never in need, systemically excluding us from DEI framework and denying our communities from vital resources and visibility.”

Third, on data: “We must reject the idea that AA and NHPI communities are a monolith. Our leaders need to continue to demand disagregated data in order to understand the unique diverse challenges faced by each of our subgroups. Because how can our communities be served if we are not accurately measured, if we are measured at all?”
Pushing back against the false choice between merit and diversity, Mielke emphasized: “Our leaders need to reaffirm that DEI is not a replacement for merit. We can be inclusive and considerate while still prioritizing excellence. We can do both.”

Greg Orton: Holding Power Accountable

Greg Orton, National Director National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), delivered particularly pointed remarks directed at both corporations and elected officials.

He was critical of corporate behavior during attacks on diversity programs, “As you all desperately try to contort yourselves to fly below the radar, let me tell you what we see. We see companies who when they want something, when they want access, when they want regulatory relief, when they want that tax break, they can marshall enormous resources that vastly outweigh anything that everyday Americans can do.”

He continued, “The other thing we see is that you also espouse these values of being good community partners. You are watching in real time as our communities are under attack and suddenly you lose that voice. We see that. As my colleagues have said, silence is a choice and it’s certainly not neutral.”

Turning to politicians, Orton warned: “Your legacy will be defined by how you use your platform. Right now, we are in a race to the bottom. When truth and integrity are sacrificed for clicks and monetization, you are given incredible privilege, protection, and status. Yet, so many of you abuse and devalue public trust.”

He added a critique that resonated with widespread voter frustration: “That is why so many Americans, fair or unfair, see Democrats and Republicans of two sides of the same trick coin that never flip in their favor.”

Orton closed with a sobering message to AAPI communities, “Friends, we are watching in real time whether American democracy can survive an attempt to violently reclaim power and redefine who is considered American and who has access to that power. Yes, they will let some of us in, but let me assure you, we are not part of their plan.”

He emphasized the importance of coalition work: “A coalition is not about agreeing on everything. It is about recognizing that we’re going to disagree on things, but there’s so much that we can agree on, so much that we can work together on. So, if there was ever a time for all of our communities to demand diversity and frankly demand more, it’s right now.”

Voices from the Coalition

Leaders across sectors spoke to the real-world impacts of recent policy changes.

Economic Impact: Ron Busby of the U.S. Black Chambers noted that minority-owned businesses represent 22% of all employer firms but receive only 6% of federal contract dollars, calling corporate retreat from diversity commitments “a choice, and it’s the wrong one.”

Legal Landscape: Janai Nelson of the Legal Defense Fund reminded attendees that many diversity programs are designed to help employers comply with existing civil rights laws, warning that abandoning them increases discrimination liability rather than reducing it.

Immigration Enforcement: Maya Berry of the Arab American Institute described communities living in “abject and absolute fear” from immigration raids, with families torn apart and children afraid to attend school.

Media Representation: Errin Haines of the National Association of Black Journalists highlighted that Black journalists still comprise only 6% of American newsrooms, barely changed from 5% in 1968 when the Kerner Commission report was published

State Leadership: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul described how Democratic state attorneys general have filed 77 multi-state lawsuits against federal actions, some of them against DEI and voting rights, achieving success in roughly 77% of cases. He announced plans for a national campaign called “Liberty, Justice, and Opportunity for All” to coordinate messaging between state AGs and civil rights organizations.

A Call for Accountability

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, coalition members outlined clear expectations for candidates and corporations:

• Stop making commitments without accountability and contracts
• Stop using DEI as a political weapon while ignoring public support
• Start investing in diverse leadership pipelines for the future
• Start following the data on what drives business success and innovation

“We are in a state of emergency. But we are in a state of possibility,” Morial concluded, announcing plans for a pledge that candidates must sign to demonstrate commitment to equal opportunity principles before earning votes from coalition communities.

The roundtable emphasized that while diversity initiatives face political attacks, the American public, by substantial margins, continues to support the fundamental values of fairness, inclusion, and equal opportunity that these programs represent.

Watch Roundtable Recording

Community leaders and immigrant advocates from across the U.S. gathered on January 15, 2025, for an online town hall addressing the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis. The meeting, organized by the Asian American United Coalition (AAUC), brought together 42 participants from across Minnesota, Maryland, California, Virginia, Texas, Alaska, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois to confront the shooting and the broader escalation of ICE enforcement in Minnesota.

The town hall marked AAUC’s first public forum responding to Good’s death. It included representatives from Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, Vietnamese Social Services of Minnesota, the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, Cambodian-American Partnerships of Minnesota, SEWA–AIFW, Asian Media Access, My Sister’s House, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin, Afghan Support Network, and other immigrant-serving organizations. It served as a gathering space to express outrage and to discuss accountability, safety, and collective action.

AAUC President Yen Marshall opened the meeting by framing Good’s death within a larger national context. Marshall emphasized that the shooting could not be separated from expanding federal enforcement powers and increasing violence associated with immigration operations. She stressed the need for solidarity across communities and sustained organizing rather than isolated responses.

Fear Extending Beyond Immigration Status

Dr. SK Lo, founder and board chair of AAUC, described a climate of deep fear and uncertainty spreading throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul. She noted that anxiety is no longer confined to undocumented residents, but now affects refugees, green card holders, naturalized citizens, and U.S.-born individuals.

According to Lo, the killing of a U.S. citizen has intensified concerns about safety and civil rights for everyone. She called for stronger trust and cooperation across the diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, urging organizations to share information on safe practices and legal protections.

Ongoing Impact of Trump-Era Immigration Policies

Several speakers pointed to the continued effects of Trump-era immigration policies on Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee populations. KaYing Yang described how Somali and Southeast Asian communities have faced heightened ICE enforcement, compounded by the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali migrants.

Yang explained that these policies have generated widespread fear while also fueling resistance and organizing efforts. She highlighted the importance of Know Your Rights trainings and noted that Asian Americans are often excluded from public narratives about immigration enforcement, despite being directly impacted.

Federal–Local Tensions After the Shooting

Andrew Morris, Legislative and Public Affairs Director at the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, discussed growing tensions between federal authorities and state and local governments following Good’s killing. He cited the lack of cooperation between the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension as a serious concern in the investigation.

Morris also reported that ICE staffing levels in the Twin Cities currently exceed the number of Minneapolis police officers, contributing to widespread fear. He raised alarms about arbitrary detentions and recent federal actions to halt visa processing and review refugee status, which have further destabilized vulnerable communities.

Resource Fears and Historical Trauma

Concerns about retaliation and funding cuts were also raised. Morris noted that some state-funded officials are hesitant to speak publicly, while community organizations receiving federal grants through the Department of Homeland Security fear indirect consequences.

Kim Sin, representing Cambodian-American Partnerships of Minnesota, described how ICE activity in Rochester has reawakened trauma rooted in the Khmer Rouge era. Community members, he said, are avoiding public spaces and daily routines. In response, organizations have established food delivery systems and are sharing information about available city and county support.

Hue Pham, the Executive Director of Vietnamese Social Services, shared similar experiences from the Vietnamese refugee community, where recent events have triggered memories of war, displacement, and escape from political violence. Despite fear and mistrust, Hue emphasized the role of mutual aid, community visits, and food distribution in maintaining connection and hope.

Arrests Continue Despite Legal Challenges

Darwaish Zakhil, a community organizer for the Afghan Support Network, working with immigrant families, reported that ICE arrests continue despite expectations of temporary restraining orders. He described heightened anxiety across communities and ongoing organizing efforts, including a webinar expected to reach more than 100 participants on how to interact with ICE and safely carry documentation.

Darwaish also shared that their organization is handling multiple cases involving Afghan community members, including individuals who have already been detained.

Chen Zhou described divisions within the Chinese community, shaped in part by misinformation and differing political perspectives. Sing Lo urged leaders in other states to speak out, warning against allowing Minnesota to become an example meant to intimidate others. He described the state as being treated like a “chicken” and referenced poetry about the dangers of remaining silent under authoritarian conditions.

Moving From Fear to Action

The town hall concluded with a focus on practical community safety measures. AAUC VP Jack Hanna outlined steps individuals should take if approached by ICE, including remaining calm, asking whether they are being detained, and exercising the right to remain silent if arrested. He also emphasized that U.S. citizens have rights during ICE encounters and should be prepared to assert them.

Mithun Banerjee connected the discussion to broader civil liberties issues, sharing his own experience with police violence and encouraging greater political participation, including running for elected office. He is in the race for County Executive in Montgomery County, MD. Yuxing Wang of Aware Ohio announced an upcoming panel on pan-Asian solidarity taking place that afternoon and invited collaboration from other communities.

AAUC leaders closed the meeting by committing to monthly town halls and continued advocacy through writing, public discussions, and media engagement. Participants agreed that the death of Renee Nicole Good demands not only remembrance, but sustained pressure for accountability, transparency, and protection of civil rights for all communities.

“More than 655,000 Asian residents call the Houston region their home, and this is a group growing in both size and diversity,” said Daniel Potter, co-director of the Kinder Institute’s Houston Population Research Center. “More Asian residents live in Fort Bend County today than lived in the entire state of Texas in 1980, yet there is often a lack of knowledge and understanding of the many different populations grouped under the label ‘Asian.’”

Explore the Study

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Individual and Household Characteristics
Political and Social Attitudes
Experiences with Discrimination
Creating Identity

Conducted as a multiyear, multilingual survey, the research draws on more than 2,100 respondents from seven major Asian ethnic groups, including Asian Indian, Chinese/Taiwanese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Pakistani, and Vietnamese, across four counties in the Houston metropolitan area.

Key findings reveal a community that is both vibrant and complex:

• Rapid growth: Houston’s Asian population has grown dramatically over the past four decades, increasing from under 2 % of the local population in the early 1980s to nearly 10 % today.
• Diverse socioeconomic experiences: While many Asian households report high incomes, there are significant variations in economic status across groups, pointing to diverse lived realities beneath aggregate figures.
• Identity and belonging: The study highlights how Asian Americans navigate identity in multifaceted ways, balancing heritage, family, cultural traditions, and a strong sense of being “American.” These negotiations often vary by generation and social context, underscoring the nuanced nature of identity formation.

Beyond demographics, the research explores social and political attitudes, experiences with discrimination, and how community members perceive their place in the broader civic and cultural landscape. Early findings show that roughly four in ten Asian residents reported experiences of discrimination in the past year, reaffirming the need for ongoing attention to equity and inclusion.