New Jersey’s 1.1 million Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) residents are the fastest-growing racial group and voter block in the state, making up 11% of the total population. However, as our population grows, our communities remain under-resourced.
AAPI businesses, employees, and families contribute billions to the state—yet annually, New Jersey’s state budget re-invests just ~$1 million in AAPI-serving community-based organizations (CBOs) that care for our most vulnerable Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, far less than any other community of comparable size receives. In the proposed FY27 budget, this number is $0.
The Healthy AAPI Communities Budget (HAAPI) campaign calls for New Jersey to dedicate $5 million to AAPI communities in the FY 2027 State Budget. We need your help to make our voices heard!
Update 6/2: Resolutions for a fully-funded Healthy AAPI Communities Budget are advancing in the state legislature, but we need your support to ensure that funding for our communities is prioritized by our legislators in this difficult budget year. Please contact yours today through our one-click form.
Thank you to Senator John McKeon and Assemblywoman Ellen Park for championing the Healthy AAPI Communities Budget!
“$5 million is half a drop in the bucket of the budget. Placing a modest amount for New Jersey’s AAPI community is not an unreasonable ask.”
—NJ Assemblyman Ravi Bhalla (D-Hudson)
Community leaders, activists, and lawmakers came together and spoke out at the NJ State House on May 18, 2026 to call for greater funding for community-based programs serving New Jersey’s AAPI communities.
“We need to expand the services because there are many, many, many survivors and many AAPI community members whose needs continue to be overlooked,” said Navneet Bhalla, Executive Director of Manavi. “And they continue to be underrepresented because we don’t have enough funding,”
AAPI youth face the highest levels of bullying in our schools relative to peers in other racial and ethnic groups. And heartbreakingly, despite disproportionate rates of mental illness and suicide—the top cause of death for AAPI youth—AAPIs are the least likely of any racial or ethnic group to seek mental health services, even for severe conditions such as schizophrenia. Check out the latest report from Stop AAPI Hate on anti-Asian hate in New Jersey and its devastating effects.
For generations, AAPI communities have lived under the stereotype of the model minority myth with different subgroups often lumped together, obscuring unique differences and inequities across groups. Our communities have always had diverse experiences of health, safety, and wellness—meaning many of our communities’ needs are left unaddressed. Data disaggregation practices are needed to understand the unique experiences of Asian Americans.
Taking steps to fund AAPI community-based organizations (CBOs) can begin to address these inequities. CBOs are uniquely equipped to support the diverse needs of AAPI communities through culturally responsive and linguistically competent approaches, allowing community members to access social services, mental health services, public benefits, legal assistance, and other crucial services.
Despite the needs, disparities and barriers our community faces, AAPI-serving community organizations in New Jersey have historically lacked the same level of state investment as that from which other communities have benefited, receiving less than $1 million in grants-in-aid in the FY25 state budget. If adopted, the HAAPI Communities Budget would allocate funds to culturally-responsive community-based organizations (CBOs) that care for our most vulnerable community members and work to improve AAPI health and mental health.
Tell NJ Lawmakers: Invest in the Healthy AAPI Communities Budget
It is time for New Jersey to support AAPI communities by dedicating $5 million to its first Healthy AAPI Communities Budget. This funding would support the dedicated work of dozens of organizations statewide that work to advance AAPI well-being in areas from mental health to gender-based violence to senior services and healthcare navigation. Please contact Governor Sherrill and your state legislators today and help make our voices heard.
Orgs and Businesses: Sign On in Support of the Healthy AAPI Communities Budget
We invite your organization to sign on in support of this effort and call for greater investment in AAPI communities. Read the full letter.
In 2023, we formally changed our name to AAPI New Jersey to reflect the statewide priorities and activities that this group of committed community members and advocates now supports.
We continue to host events and programs in Montclair and invite you to explore this site to learn more about the diverse resources and opportunities we offer.
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