AAPI Immigrant Justice

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, an immigrant. 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 this week, we will explore 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 which 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 is 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 will host 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 will offer context, research, real life stories, and practical entry points for public engagement. Each session centers community experience and elevates data-informed perspectives critical to shaping policy, services, and advocacy.

Join 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.

Monday: The Lives Behind the Numbers

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