By Renee DeLorenzo

Over 100 advocates from the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition rallied in support of $54.35 million in funds for New York State’s Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, gathering in front of the New York State Capitol’s Million Dollar Staircase in Albany on Feb. 10.

Funds would be used to support critical social and health services, including 150 nonprofits, as well as community programs that promote safety in communities and combat bias and hate throughout NYS.

Queens officials joined the coalition to champion equitable funding for AAPI communities, including State Sen. John Liu and Assemblymember Grace Lee, who amplified the call to Gov. Kathy Hochul and both houses of the New York State Legislature to include the proposed funds in full in the 2027 fiscal year New York State Budget.

Other Queens assembly members who attended the rally included Sam Berger, Ed Braunstein, Ron Kim, Steven Raga, Jenifer Rajkumar and Nily Rozic.

According to a news release from Liu’s office, the AAPI Equity Budget is a holistic assessment of New York State’s AAPI community’s needs and has been included by Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie in the state budget since 2023.

The rally marks EBC’s recommitment to pushing for even greater budget parity in order to achieve true equity within AAPI communities, the news release said.

Catherine Chen, Chief Executive Officer of the Asian American Federation, said federal funding cuts and freezes have created confusion and hardship to vulnerable Asian New Yorkers, making it more difficult for residents to qualify for assistance.

She said many families are unsure if they are going to receive their SNAP benefits and are at risk of losing their healthcare coverage.

That is why, she continued, it’s essential the AAPI Equity Budget is included in this year’s state budget.

To read the entire article: https://qns.com/2026/02/aapi-asian-american-community-funding-queens/

Photo credit: Office of State Sen. John Liu