Albany, New York – For the first time in the history of New York, a government body has been formed solely to represent the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Assemblymember Ron Kim and Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou were joined by the chairs of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus and the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force as they announced the formation of the Asian Pacific American Task Force in the state capitol. The two made the historic announcement after acknowledging a resolution proclaiming the significance of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and highlighted the theme for the momentous occasion: “Celebrate, Organize, Act.”

Last Thursday, New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie had first visited Assemblymember Ron Kim’s district in Queens to publicly announce the formation of the government body. Assembly Speaker Heastie, Assemblyman Kim, and Assemblywoman Niou were flanked by their fellow Assemblymembers, major community organizations, and local leaders at Flushing Town Hall as they announced the creation of the Asian Pacific American Task Force (APATF). As the sole Asian American legislator in Albany these last few years, Assemblymember Kim spearheaded initial efforts to form the Task Force, which were further bolstered when Assemblymember Niou joined the Assembly in 2016.

Today in Albany, Assemblymembers Kim and Niou noted the importance of celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in New York. They stated the creation of the task force was the first step to organizing state-wide advocacy efforts and initiatives for the community. Asian Americans are currently the fastest growing demographic in the U.S., and currently represent 15% of NYC and 9% of NYS residents. The two emphasized the value of the task force as a new platform for acting on the APA community’s concerns.

The Speaker and Assemblymembers Kim and Niou had stated that the APATF will focus on the development, integration, and well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in New York. Its mission will be to research and advocate for issues, policies, and laws that impact the fastest growing minority group in the state and the country. They stated that membership will be open to all legislators representing districts where 11% or more of the residents are Asian American or Pacific Islander. Given that May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, attendees noted the auspicious timing of the announcement and expressed hope that the Task Force would go on to become an effective voice for the Asian Pacific American community.

"I want to thank Assemblymembers Ron Kim and Yuh-Line Niou for their leadership in establishing the Asian Pacific Americans Task Force. Asian communities are growing rapidly and it is important the state of New York does its part to continue to support minority and immigrant communities that make this state great. I look forward to working with the task force to make progress on issues affecting the Asian American community," said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

Assemblyman Ron Kim stated: “This is truly a historic moment for New York. Legislative bodies have long served as important channels for lawmakers to act on common goals and initiatives. The Asian Pacific American Task Force will serve as the foundation for AAPI empowerment by providing a meaningful, structured, and sustainable vision and voice for Asian Pacific Americans in policy making. I thank Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and my fellow Assemblymembers for working with me to make today possible.”

“Today is a historical moment for Asian Pacific Americans across New York,” said Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou. “We pushed for the passage of a resolution to proclaim May 2017 as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the State of New York. This resolution celebrates the tremendous contributions of Asian Americans to our state, and it marks some of the pivotal moments in the history of this community. We also stood to announce the creation of a legislative task force dedicated in its entirety to researching and advocating for policies that impact Asian American communities. As the fastest growing minority group in our state, it is critical that we turn our attention to the unique challenges and issues faced by Asian Pacific American communities, and I thank Speaker Heastie for being so supportive of these efforts. Thank you Speaker Heastie, Assemblymember Kim, and my colleagues for helping make this task force a reality, and I look forward to advancing the causes of our Asian American communities across the state.”

“A great American once said that ‘power concedes nothing without demand. It never has and it never will.’ Today, I am proud to stand alongside my colleagues and the men and women of Asian and Pacific Islander descent as they announce the dawn of a new age for their communities, which represent the fastest-growing racial group in our the nation. The diverse groups which encompass the APA Task Force will now have a strong vehicle to deliver their concerns and message in the halls of power in Albany,” stated Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, Chair of the Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force.

Assemblywoman Nily Rozic stated: “I am thrilled to join Speaker Heastie, Assemblymember Kim, Assemblymember Niou, and so many other colleagues and advocates to celebrate this historic launch of the Asian Pacific American Task Force. Although Asian Americans make up only 8% of the New York State population, they comprise nearly half of my district and are one of the fastest growing communities in the country. As the first government body in New York State dedicated solely to Asian American advancement, this task force represents a long overdue call to action for policymakers and community leaders to conduct more targeted research, policy, and organizing efforts to focus on the many unmet needs of this demographic. I look forward to working with my fellow task force members to ensure that Asian American voices are represented and empowered in Albany.”

Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein said: “New York is home to over 1.5 million Asian Americans, growing by 35% in the last census. I thank Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblyman Ron Kim for creating this important task force, which will ensure that the interests of Asian Americans are properly served by the State Legislature.”

Senator Marisol Alcantara stated: “I am proud to be standing in support on this historic occasion of the establishment of the Asian Pacific American Task Force. As an immigrant and a Latina, I understand all too well the lack of attention that is often given to the needs of immigrant communities, and I stand in solidarity with the Asian and Pacific community as they mobilize for their rights. A bill has recently been introduced to protect for-hire vehicle drivers from assault and stiffens the penalties for those who attack for-hire drivers; it will protect taxi and other for-hire vehicle drivers from attacks which may be motivated by bias. This bill was inspired by a recent hate crime in which a rider ripped off a Sikh taxi driver's turban after assaulting him. Many of these drivers are immigrants and refugees who are only seeking to live out the American Dream, and they deserve protection from those who do not respect the diversity of New York City.”

“As the Asian-American population in New York has continued to increase in size, the need for a dedicated voice for the Asian American Community has also increased,” said Assemblyman David Weprin. “As the Assemblyman with of one of the most diverse districts in the State, with a significant and varied Asian population, it is my distinct honor to be a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Task Force.”

“In this extraordinary political climate it is crucial that like-minded, progressive leaders unite and consolidate our power and efforts to counteract the unrelenting attacks from the White House on the people we represent. Therefore, I am proud to stand with my colleagues, Assembly Members Ron Kim and Yuh Line Nou, as they establish the Asian Pacific American Task Force.” – Assemblyman Nick Perry.

Assemblyman Peter J. Abbate, Jr. said: “I am so happy to join my colleagues in creating this new Asian Pacific Americans Task Force. I believe this is a great way that we can better represent our districts and serve our Asian American constituents.”

Assemblyman Clyde Vanel stated: “Asian Americans are the fastest growing minority group in our state. Asian Americans have contributed and continue to contribute greatly to our city and state. I fully support the establishment of this task force in New York State and plan to work in conjunction with the task force.”

“My district has a flourishing South Asian immigrant population that is rich in culture and history. The Asian Pacific American Task Force will address the unique concerns of the Asian community,” said Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman. “Thank you to Assemblymembers Kim and Niou for leading this effort to ensure that all communities have a voice in the legislative process.”

Assemblyman Brian Barnwell said: “Assembly District 30 is proudly home to an active Filipino, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Indian, Bangladeshi, and Nepali community. The Asian Pacific American Task Force (APATF) will help give voice to this constituency. I applaud the formation of APATF, and look forward to working with Assembly Speaker Heastie, Assembly Member Kim, and my other Assembly colleagues in helping to ensure that the needs of Asian Pacific Americans in New York are clearly met.”

“I am joining with the Speaker to welcome this new task force to advocate for our growing Asian American community. It will help to insure that their voices are heard and raise awareness of their issues. I am proud to be a member of this new group,” said Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso.

Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition, stated: “The New York Immigration Coalition is proud to have members across the city and state who represent the broad diversity of the Asian immigrant community in New York, the fastest growing immigrant community in the state. The newly formed Asian Pacific American Task Force is an important step forward in ensuring that the issues of the New York Asian American community are understood, represented and respected in the New York State Legislature. We salute Speaker Heastie and Assemblymember Kim for their leadership in making APATF a reality and look forward to working with them in the future to make it a success.”

Christopher Kui, Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality, said: “Pushing the bar toward equality will always be one of our country's greatest strengths and greatest challenges. Like all minorities in America, Asian Americans face a difficult past and an uncertain future – for every two steps forward we are met with a painful step back. But today clearly marks a leap ahead and raises the bar once again, not only for Asian Americans, but for all Americans. Thank you Assemblymember Ron Kim for leading this historic drive toward equality.”

Minsun Kim, President of the Korean American Association of Greater New York, stated: “The Asian American community makes another momentous step towards progress today with the establishment of the Asian Pacific American Task Force. I thank Assemblymember Kim and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for their tireless efforts to create the APATF, and look forward to working with them on issues that affect the well-being of all members of our community.”

"The Chinese-American Planning Council is excited about the creation of the Asian Pacific American Task Force. This is an important action in recognizing the fastest growing community in New York, Asian Pacific Americans. We would like to thank Speaker Heastie and Assemblymembers Kim and Niou for their leadership, and we look forward to working with the Task Force to promote economic self-sufficiency for our community," said Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc.

Dong Chan Kim, President of Korean American Civic Empowerment, stated: “KACE has always endeavored to promote greater civic engagement and representation within the Korean

American and Asian American community. The creation of the APATF marks a milestone for us and numerous other organizations throughout New York. I thank Assemblyman Kim and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for leading the way in establishing the Task Force, and look forward to speaking with its future members about the issues that affect our community.”

“The Charles B. Wang Community Health Center provides high quality and affordable health care to the underserved, with a focus on Asian Americans. We are proud to support our local New York State Assembly Member, Ron Kim, and Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Carl Heastie, on the historic achievement of the newly formed Asian Pacific Americans Task Force (APATF). APATF will provide a much needed voice for the APA community we serve and we look forward to working with the Task Force to advocate on behalf of our patients.” – Kenneth Shieh, Chief Strategy Officer at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center.

“We thank Assemblyman Ron Kim and the Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie for their leadership in the creation of the APATF. This task force will be our voice in government for the most pressing issues facing the South Asian and Asian American community in New York.” – Maf Misbah Uddin, President, Alliance of South Asian American Labor (ASAAL).

Thomas Soohyun Kim, President of the Korean American Association of Queens, said: “It is truly an honor to welcome Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to Queens today for this extraordinary announcement. The work Assemblyman Kim, Assemblywoman Niou, and Speaker Heastie have put in to ensure our community's voice in the state legislature is worthy of the highest acclaim. I am certain that the formation of the APATF will greatly benefit underserved members of our community for generations to come.”

“South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) is very pleased to learn about the formation of the Asian Pacific Americans Task Force. We look forward to partnering with New York State Assembly to advocate on behalf of our growing Asian American community.” – Sonia Bhuta, Executive Director, South Asian Youth Action.

“The Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group is thrilled by the announcement of APATF. Our members have gone to Albany time and time again to lobby for the issues that affect Asian Americans, Muslims and minorities across New York City. This new task force will help our communities with the research and advocacy to highlight the issues we need to work on together.” – Joel Bhuiyan, Executive Director, Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group (BAAG).