AAPI Nexus: Policy, Practice and Community

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community-based organizations (CBO’s) are key players in providing many services such as job training programs and civic education. The focus of community development has changed due to the increased technical and professional industry. Today’s AAPI CBO groups are heterogeneous as many groups focus in different services whether it is ethnic specific or age group specific. However, the CBOs are unevenly spread across the country. AAPI need to work on expanding its system-wide support on the local, state, and federal levels. The article discusses a social networks approach to aid in CBOs goals and the social capital approach, remarking that social ties are crucial for the well-being of the community. The term ‘community’ is explored as it means different things to different people, and the problem of lumping diverse ethnicities within the Asian American group because it homogenizes them and fails to distinguish a particular group’s concern. The vital aspect is to create community development infrastructure ensuring the inclusion of AAPI CBOs to foster strong AAPI communities, as an essential program in the broader plan of reviving US neighborhoods.