CPC and Partners Host AAPI Reception at SOMOS Conference in Puerto Rico

On November 11th, 2023, CPC, alongside the New York State Assembly APA Taskforce and nearly 30 organizations, hosted the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Reception at the Somos Conference in Puerto Rico. The conference aims to unite Latinx communities and raise social and public policy awareness across New York State and beyond. The AAPI Reception shows solidarity between AAPI and Latinx communities, and builds deeper collaboration around common issues. This was the first time that the AAPI Reception was included in the formal conference agenda. 

It brought together over 400 community, labor, legislative, and business leaders, including U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; Representatives Grace Meng and Nydia Velazquez; State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins; State Senators Jamaal Bailey, Cordell Cleare, Jeremy Cooney, Nathalia Fernandez, Andrew Gounardes, Brian Kavanagh, and Kevin Parker, Assemblymembers Chris Burdick, Catalina Cruz, Harvey Epstein, Charles Fall, Jessica Gonzáles Rojas, Anna Kelles, Grace Lee, Dana Levenberg, Steven Raga, Karines Reyes, Jonathan Rivera, Jo Anne Simon, Tony Simone, Michaelle Solages (Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Caucus Chair), and Yudelka Tapia; New York City Comptroller Brad Lander; Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine; Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzales; Councilmembers Erik Bottcher, Tiffany Cabán, Carmen de la Rosa, Eric Dinowitz. Amanda Farias, Rita Joseph, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Farah Lewis, Julie Menin, Darlene Mealy, Chi Osse, Carmen de la Rosa, Lynn Schulman, and Council Member-elect Susan Zhuang. Jenny Low from Governor Hochul's office, as well as Maria Imperial, Commissioner of NYS Division of Human Rights and Jeanette Moy, Commissioner of NYS Office of General Services, also joined. 

City and State NY reported, "The AAPI reception, co-hosted by the Chinese-American Planning Council, was totally packed, and not just because it was one of the few events with good, abundant food. Asian American officials celebrated the huge crowd, saying the party wouldn’t have looked this way a decade ago." Asian Americans are the fastest growing population in New York State and New York City, representing 18% of the city’s population in the 2020 Census. The number of AAPI elected officials at the city and state level has quadrupled since 2020. Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force Chair Karines Reyes and APA Taskforce Co-Chair Grace Lee kicked off a lineup of elected and community speakers. Speakers discussed the importance of policy priorities like the State's AAPI Equity Budget and City Council’s AAPI Community Recovery Initiative to meet the needs of this growing community. 

Thank you to all our co-sponsoring organizations that made the AAPI Reception a success! 

Presenting Sponsor: The Asian American Foundation

Sponsors: Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies, DoorDash, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Human Services Council, Korean American Community Foundation, LiveOn NY, NYC Employment and Training Coalition, UJA-Federation, United Neighborhood Houses

Community Partners: Asian Americans for Equality, Apicha Community Health Center, Caribbean Equality Project, Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, Chhaya CDC, Council of Peoples Organization, Chinatown YMCA, Educational Alliance, Flushing YMCA, Grand Street Settlement, Hamilton-Madison House, Henry Street Settlement, Homecrest Community Services, Korean American Family Service Center, Korean Community Services, Mekong NYC, MinKwon Center for Community Action, Parent-Child Relationship Association, Raising Health, Sakhi for South Asian Women, Sapna NYC, Turning Point for Women and Families, University Settlement

ABOUT CPC

The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) is a social services organization that creates positive social change. Founded in 1965, CPC is the nation's largest Asian American social services organization and aims to promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities of New York City. CPC is the trusted partner to individuals and families striving to achieve goals in their education, family, community, and career. 

關於華策會

華人策劃協會（簡稱“華策會”）是一個致力於創造正向社會變革的社會服務機構。華策會成立於1965年，是美國最大的亞裔美國人社會服務機構，旨在促進紐約市華裔美國人，移民，及低收入社區的社會權益和經濟賦權。華策會是為實現其教育，家庭 ，社區及職業目標而努力的個人和家庭可信賴的機構。