Asian American Pacific Islander Survey Results

AAPI SURVEY RESULTS OVERVIEW – SEPTEMBER 2022

During the summer of 2022, the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) administered an Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) survey focused on gaining a better understanding of the challenges facing the AAPI community.  Separate surveys were administered, one to AAPI organizations that OIRA regularly collaborates with and one for the community at large.  The following is a breakdown of the key preliminary results from each survey.

Goal of the AAPI Surveys – To increase OEI’s / OIRA’s understanding of the challenges and opportunities that the local Immigrant and Refugee Community in Albuquerque is currently experiencing to help shape OEI’s / OIRA’s approach to meaningful community engagement work going forward.  OEI recognizes that not all members of the AAPI Community are immigrants or refugees.

Community Partner Survey Results Overview

A total of 16 responses to the survey were received.  AAPI serving organizations that identified themselves included:  NM Asian Family Center, UNM AAPI Resource Center, Chinese American Citizens Alliance- ABQ Lodge, The NM Chinese School of Arts and Language.

90% of respondents stated that they had directly contacted OIRA within the last 12 months.

• The focus areas / the reason for the direct contact included:
  • Support of Afghan refugees;
  • COVID-19 check-ins; other check-ins; COVID and grants
  • Support related to the murders of 4 Muslim men
  • Language access: Help with translations
  • Food
  • Info on Refugee travel document
  • African refugees’ community issues
  • Domestic violence
  • City programming advertising in different languages
  • Housing
  • World Refugee Day
  • Community safety
  • Asylum seekers
  • Sharing information with community members

• Some of the biggest foreseeable needs for responding organizations included:
  • Funding to support hiring for admin, hiring staff
  • Building capacity of immigrants and refugees as leaders (and organizers) in their community
  • Workshops, Trainings and financial grants
  • Translations services and access to resources for new comers to our country.
  • Counseling services and education.
  • Provide more housing opportunities. Have more apartments available and affordable.
  • Provide easier rental assistance for the community.
  • More legal help, especially at a low-cost or free.
  • More services available in Spanish, especially legal, counseling, and parenting classes.
  • More available information for immigrants about their rights.
  • More knowledge with law enforcement and courthouse on Domestic Violence, low-income family barriers.
  • Asian American Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian (AAPINH) community being murdered, not all AAPINH are immigrants and don't have access to the city
  • Promote the refugees and immigrants' well-being
  • Learning how to obtain travel documents
  • Learning the process for citizenship
  • Community outreach
  • Resources for building capacity for immigrant and refugee youth and families to be leaders and organizers at all levels -- and to be at and in decision making spaces.
  • Expand language services that can effectively meet the communication needs of the immigrant and refugee communities and their service providers

• Best ways to support AAPI organizational work:
  • Doing a great job so far--having regular communication and shared resources is great.
  • Building capacity of immigrants and refugees as leaders (and organizers) in their communities,
  • Collective advocacy for issues impacting immigrant and refugee communities.
  • Funding for programming for immigrants and refugees
  • Support for cultural and language access (interpretation and translation)
  • Provide grants for Refugee assistance, i.e. rent, food, shoes, clothing
  • Attend our events and meetings and work together to support our refugee Community.
  • Language access and holding city departments in their Language access plans.
  • Support efforts and continue to create campaigns such as "Rent to a Refugee"
  • Potential offer scholarships or financial assistance programs for refugees wanting to go back to school.
  • Stay in contact and share resources to support refugees and immigrant
  • Hosting workshops
  • Providing grants
  • Networking with other organizations
  • Provide jobs to Refugees. Most people got laid off and are struggling.
  • More opportunities for immigrants and refugees to build skills and other assets to be the leaders our communities deserve and need
  • Utilizing the language services, we provide

• COVID-19 response efforts questions yielded the following:
  • 60% of respondents agreed that the city had provided resources to refugees during the pandemic
  • 65% of respondents found OIRA’s COVID Response meetings useful

• Opportunities for organizational collaboration:
  • Monthly online Brothers Reaching Online (BRO) activities to promote capacity building and networking as well as collective advocacy
  • Assist with workshops and ESL instructor
  • Support our contractors to continue our initiatives that serve our Community.
  • Offer free translations services.
  • Create an English support group for Domestic Violence survivors.
  • Create legal clinics to provide general information and support with filling out documents.
  • Building an AAPINH office or task force to properly address community needs
  • Access to resources, marketing, recruitment
  • Advocate for refugees and Immigrants
  • Help us find funding to hire refugee youth
  • Workshops and classes
  • Town Hall for Refugees of African diaspora
  • You need to speak with people in charge of Metro-area
  • It seems as OIRA just focuses on Immigration. Refugees are barely involved and don't even receive any help OIRA.
  • Let's get more immigrant and refugee youth hired with the city for the summer and maximize their Multilanguage skills and connection to communities also would still love to collaborate on free and safe buses (and bus stops) for immigrants and refugees as well as making spaces for immigrants and refugees to document and share their stories
  • By promoting and utilizing language services to better communicate with the immigrant and refugee communities

Community At Large Survey Results Overview

A total of 13 responses to the survey were received. 

• OIRA is aware of the challenges the AAPI Community faces:
  • 69% Strongly Agree
  • 77% Agree
  • 46% Neither agree nor disagree
  • 0% Disagree
  • 08% Strongly disagree

• The City of Albuquerque is capable of responding effectively against anti-AAPI violence locally:
  • 69% Strongly Agree
  • 08% Agree
  • 46% Neither agree nor disagree
  • 38% Disagree
  • 38% Strongly disagree

• The City of Albuquerque has provided resources for the AAPI businesses to survive during the pandemic:
  • 69% Strongly Agree
  • 08% Agree
  • 15% Neither agree nor disagree
  • 38% Disagree
  • 69% Strongly disagree

• The City of Albuquerque has provided resources for AAPI refugees during the pandemic:
  • 0% Strongly Agree
  • 77% Agree
  • 15% Neither agree nor disagree
  • 38% Disagree
  • 69% Strongly disagree