Cornelia is assistant director of compliance for MAAC Project and lives in Chula Vista.
The cultural diversity throughout the county makes me proud to be a native San Diegan. Growing up, I enjoyed the trips I had with one of my grandmothers to the local Filipino bakery, always hoping I could sneak in a fresh pandesal — a delicious, slightly sweet bread roll. To now see many neighborhoods thrive with endless eateries, shops, art and other businesses representative of San Diego’s various ethnic identities and traditions gives us all many reasons to come together and try something new. One would be hard-pressed, though, to find a neighborhood without some reference or connection to one of the many Asian communities that call San Diego home.
There’s the newly minted Convoy Asian Cultural District for starters. It seems there are (thankfully) milk tea boba shops on almost every corner to rival Starbucks locations. There’s Tita’s Kitchenette in National City with its barbecue, K Sandwiches for “bánh mí” in Linda Vista, two locations for Golden Chopsticks and its popular salt and pepper chicken wings in National City and Mira Mesa, and many fresh options for Hawaiian poke bowls. That barely touches the surface for restaurants and does not at all consider the multitudes of other industries and professions the local Asian and Pacific Islander community represents. The 2022 U.S. Census reports 13.6 percent of San Diego County residents identify as Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. I am one of them.
With May being Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, it is necessary to challenge how we leverage resources, define privilege, and meet the needs various Asian and Pacific Islander groups face. While there is shared community and similarities that bring connection and allyship across Asian and Pacific Islander subgroups — including an affinity to gather around food, maybe most likely — Asian and Pacific Islander communities aren’t homogeneous. April 5 marks Equal Pay Day for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women. In addition to noting how these women on average make 80 cents for every dollar made by White, non-Hispanic males, the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum published a visual demonstrating the wage gaps among Asian and Pacific Islander subgroups. There is a need to take a closer look at regional data and break down Asian and Pacific Islander demographics to get clarity on challenges that aren’t easily visible. These deeper needs may carry a cultural stigma around health, finances and success, or challenge the model minority myth alongside a slew of other Asian and Pacific Islander stereotypes.
A simple online search makes it clear there are local Asian and Pacific Islander nonprofits, organizations and community services working to break some ground and to address stigma and support challenges. They are the Asian Pacific American Coalition, the San Diego API Coalition, the San Diego Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, the San Diego Chinese Women’s Association and the Union of Pan Asian Communities, just to name a handful. But how much investment is being made to support API groups and maximize their impact?
In 2021, the Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy’s latest report, “Seeking to Soar: Foundation Funding for Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities,” found Asian and Pacific Islander communities were designated 20 cents for every $100 awarded by U.S. foundation funding, which is only 0.2 percent of all U.S. grantmaking. There is an opportunity for foundations and donors to more deeply engage and align with Asian and Pacific Islander services to address communities that are not higher funding priorities.
There will always be competition for such funds, but there is a real need for increased Asian and Pacific Islander mental health support because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was highlighted in a headline in The San Diego Union-Tribune in September: “From racism to multi-generational struggles, forum discussed challenges among Asian-Americans during pandemic.” There is hope to cope, alleviate struggles and emerge stronger as a community when Asian and Pacific Islander people and allies create more spaces for transformative conversations.
Additionally timely with this Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is that the U.S. government officially ended its pandemic emergency on May 11. Now is the time to come together and try something new through targeted data, increased philanthropic awareness and meaningful discussions. We need more readily available data at a national and local level keep San Diego’s diversity strong. This is the time for increased investment in and capacity-building for local Asian and Pacific Islander organizations and services for groundbreaking results that will help generations of San Diegans.
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