AAPI Immigrant Justice Webinar

Marginalizing AAPI immigrant experiences (in data, health, domestic violence, immigration enforcement, and narratives) from greater immigration discussions dangerously perpetuates the model minority myth.

In a time of virulent animosity toward immigrants, coinciding with significant anti-Asian hate, the AAPI community is enduring what history will remember as one of its greatest challenges. The AAPI community is the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group, with over half of Asian Americans having been born in another country. That means most members of our community are related to, or are themselves, immigrants. Immigration is core to the AAPI identity and has a broad-reaching impact on our communities. However, the intersectional role that immigration plays in each of our communities is rarely discussed, sidelining our unique challenges and immigration experiences. Throughout the week, we explored the missing AAPI context, needs, and narratives that are in the margins of immigration discussions.

Immigration is a core part of the AAPI story, and AAPI immigration is essential in California’s advocacy landscape. However, AAPI immigrant stories are often pushed to the margins, leaving our needs forgotten, untold, and unmet. Like all immigrant communities, the AAPI community is diverse and faces many unique challenges, especially in the context of today’s assault on immigration. Without attention being brought to each community’s unique needs, generalizations are made that will, intentionally or not, perpetuate stereotypes like the model minority myth. Allies, advocates, and the public are invited to learn about the AAPI community so that our advocacy can better respond to the diverse needs our immigrant communities face during these tumultuous times.

AAPI Immigrant Justice was a week of learning centered on the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) experiences, which are too often hidden in the margins of immigration discussions despite being the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the U.S.

AJSOCAL hosted a free week-long webinar series to highlight the lived experiences, challenges, and strengths of AAPI communities during this volatile and precarious time for immigrants. Across five themed days, AJSOCAL subject matter experts and community partners offered context, research, real-life stories, and practical entry points for public engagement. Each session centered on community experience and elevated data-informed perspectives critical to shaping policy, services, and advocacy.

Community partners and allies joined us to understand how systematic barriers, like language access and aggregated data collection, that go unaddressed can perpetuate the model minority myth. Together, we can work to protect AAPI immigrants.

If you attended any of our virtual sessions, please click here to fill out this evaluation form. Rewatch the entire series below!

Monday: The Lives Behind the Numbers

This webinar focused on the diversity of the AAPI immigrant community and emphasized the importance of disaggregated data. AJSOCAL’s researchers highlighted the wealth disparity and immigrant diversity of AAPI’s in California and how AAPIs are targets of the current administration’s immigration enforcement.