Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

At Food Bank, we are privileged to serve our city’s rich and diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities throughout the five boroughs. These communities – from Sunset Park in Brooklyn to Flushing in Queens – are filled with dozens of different ethnic groups, all with their own traditions and beliefs.

To serve these New Yorkers, we make it a priority to partner with community-based organizations that are able to identify and meet the unique needs of their neighbors. Learn more about our approach below!

FOOD INSECURITY IN THE AAPI COMMUNITY

1.2 Million

People who identify as either “Asian” or “Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander” live in NYC.

Asian American and Pacific Islander New Yorkers are living below the federal poverty level.

According to the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), the AAPI community is both the fastest growing racial group in the United States and the one with the fastest growing (and widest) wealth gap.

Sources: 2020 American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau. 2022.; Food Research & Action Center – High Rates of Food Insecurity Are Hiding Among Asian Pacific American Populations, May 2020.

HOW WE HELP

See how we work with organizations like the Tzu Chi Foundation to provide our AAPI neighbors with culturally relevant proteins, produce, and grains.

You can also read this blog post to learn more about how we help AAPI New Yorkers enroll in vital social safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). Enrollment can be especially tricky for individuals who don’t know how to read, write, or speak English. As Food Bank’s Network Resource Specialist Yuanjing “Jeff” Lin explains:

The AAPI community encompasses so many different cultures, languages, and origins, so language can be a major roadblock for people. Though the city provides some translations for languages spoken by AAPI people [currently Chinese, Korean, and Bengali], there are still so many languages and dialects that are left out. That’s where we come in.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Food Bank works on several fronts to eliminate hunger in New York City. The scale of our efforts is only possible because of our caring supporters. Gifts of time, talent, and treasure help to advance our mission.