Although they are the South's fastest-growing racial groups, Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations remain largely unknown and misunderstood. Asian Americans Advancing Justice and our local partners offer the following policy recommendations to help policy makers, government agencies, funders, community organizations, and others better serve Asian American and NHPI communities throughout the South.

Economic  Contributions

• Asian American– and NHPI-owned businesses are creating jobs for Americans throughout the South. Data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners show that Asian American–owned fi ms in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Washington, DC collectively employ hundreds of thousands of workers. Asian Americans and NHPI are also consumers with significant buying power that will continue to rise as our numbers increase.
  •Support small businesses with high-quality, language- appropriate training programs and services for Asian American and NHPI business owners.
  •Work with Asian American– and NHPI-serving organizations to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate banking and fi ancial services to business owners.

Civic Engagement

Asian Americans and NHPI throughout the South are becoming more politically engaged. Data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey show that a majority of Asian American immigrants in Dallas, Houston, Miami, and the Washington, DC metropolitan area have become
U.S. citizens, and data from its Current Population Survey show that Asian American voter registration in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and the District of Columbia is increasing dramatically. However, Asian Americans and NHPI have yet to realize their full potential to influence the public policies that impact their communities.

• Promote civic engagement through greater investment in adult English language learning, civics courses, and naturalization assistance, partnering with community- based organizations and others who have demonstrated capacity to reach and serve Asian Americans and NHPI.
  •Increase investment in voter registration and mobilization efforts targeting Asian American and NHPI communities.
• Strengthen and vigorously enforce voter protection laws and oppose policies and practices that impose additional barriers to voting, such as overly burdensome and unnecessary voter identification measures.
• Ensure compliance with Sections 203 and 208 of the federal Voting Rights Act, which facilitate the provision of assistance to voters in Asian and Pacific Islander languages
• Support diverse leadership that reflects the community by encouraging Asian Americans and NHPI to run for elected office and to serve on boards, commissions, and other governmental bodies that make critical decisions that impact local communities and distribution of resources.
• Support community engagement with government agencies at all levels through listening sessions and public deliberations and by providing grants, training, and technical assistance.

Immigration

Immigration continues to transform the South. Asian American and NHPI communities are among the fastest growing in places like Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and metropolitan Washington, DC due in large part to immigration, with South Asian communities growing disproportionately. According to data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Asian Americans are proportionally more foreign born than any other racial group.

• Direct adequate resources toward serving the needs  of growing Asian American and NHPI communities, particularly South Asians, Southeast Asians, and NHPI.
• Reform our broken immigration system in a way that  does not disadvantage women or adversely impact families. Critical reforms include

1. providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants,
2. reducing the backlogs for visas, and
3. preserving the ability of U.S. citizens to petition for close family members, including siblings, regardless of age or marital status.

• Replace federal programs such as Secure Communities and state laws like Arizona’s SB1070 and Georgia’s HB 87
  with policies and procedures that further public safety without criminalizing or profiling immigrants.
• Engage in greater outreach and education about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to Asian Americans and NHPI, and expand the program so that more
  individuals are eligible for protection from deportation.