APIs CAN - Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network

10/19/2026

💅🏽 Today, we’re proud to release Not to Be Left Behind, a new report that elevates the voices of Massachusetts nail salon workers and owners.

For generations, nail salons have helped immigrant families, especially Vietnamese and other Asian American women, build stable lives. Workers and owners in this close-knit community train, mentor, and support one another. But wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living. Nearly 79% of surveyed workers earn $40,000 or less, and nearly two-thirds struggle to afford groceries. Language barriers keep many from the benefits and resources that could help, just as federal cuts are reducing support for working families.

Read the full report:massapiscan.org/nail-salon-report-2026

📰 Thank you to The Boston Globe and Katie Johnston: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/10/19/metro/nail-salon-workers-pay-massachusetts-health/

📻 Thank you to GBH News and Magdiela Matta: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2026-10-19/report-finds-nail-industry-workers-are-still-struggling

Join us TONIGHT for our community launch to hear directly from nail salon workers and learn about the report’s findings and recommendations.

🕕 Monday, Oct. 19, 6–8 p.m.
📍 Vietnamese American Community Center, 42 Charles St., Dorchester
🗣️ Interpreation available in English and Vietnamese
RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSch5QhQsz4eUBpIUxEoS1jFg6SKXxN3zjm5GkFLL-bhiHzUFg/viewform

A report by Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (VietAID), Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), Greater Boston Legal Services Asian Outreach Center (AOC), APIs CAN - Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network (MA APIs CAN), and the Boston College Law School Legal Services LAB Civil Rights Clinic.

Artwork by Nina To

10/08/2026

to a powerful night of community, conversation, and civic engagement. 💙

As Massachusetts’ gubernatorial candidates prepare to debate tonight, we’re looking back at a night when communities from across the Commonwealth had the opportunity to ask questions and make their voices heard.

On September 28, working families, immigrants, educators, tenants, and voters came together for the nonpartisan Belonging in Massachusetts: 2026 Gubernatorial Town Hall.

Democratic nominee and Governor Maura Healey and Independent nominee Andrea James joined community members for direct conversations on five issues shaping the future of the Commonwealth: immigration, criminal justice, labor and the economy, education, and housing.

Republican nominee Mike Minogue was also invited to participate but did not respond to the invitation.
And the conversation didn’t stop in Boston. Watch parties brought communities together from across Massachusetts to tune in, discuss the issues, and make their voices heard.

With live interpretation in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Khmer, Cantonese, and Mandarin, the town hall helped create more opportunities for communities to participate in the conversation.

Because democracy is stronger when the people most affected by policy have a chance to ask questions, share their experiences, and be heard.

Together, we are building a Massachusetts where we ALL belong.

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

10 Years of APIs CAN | Steering Committee Spotlight: Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC)

Since 1987, ACDC has been investing in Asian American and low-income communities by creating affordable housing, developing community leaders, supporting families in building wealth, and helping residents shape and advocate for their neighborhoods.
As a founding member of APIs CAN and Steering Committee member, ACDC helped build the coalition from the beginning—creating a statewide platform for Asian-serving organizations to come together, learn from one another, and advocate for the issues affecting our communities.

For ACDC Executive Director Angie Liou, one of APIs CAN’s greatest accomplishments has been the passage of the Data Equity law in 2023, a seven-year effort that will help Massachusetts better understand the diverse socioeconomic and health experiences of AAPI communities.

“With the creation of APIs CAN, the coalition gave my organization a statewide platform to learn from peers across the state and to advocate for language access, data equity, and other issues that affect our communities.”

— Angie Liou, Executive Director, ACDC & APIs CAN Steering Committee Member

Angie’s hope for the next decade? That APIs CAN continues to grow into an even stronger voice for our communities—and ensures that grassroots AAPI voices always have a seat at the table in state policy and budget making.

Thank you to ACDC and Angie for helping build APIs CAN from the beginning and for continuing to bring community voice, advocacy, and collective power to this work. Here’s to the next decade!

08/28/2026

to Advocacy Day ✊🏽

Back in March, we brought AAPI community members from across Massachusetts to the State House to make one thing clear:

We are here. We are organized. And our voices are rising.

Our 2025–26 Advocacy Agenda was built from what our communities told us they need—from housing and economic justice to immigrant rights, data equity and a stronger, more inclusive democracy.

With an election ahead, those priorities matter more than ever.

Because civic engagement isn’t just about showing up on Election Day. It’s about building power, holding leaders accountable, and making sure our communities have a seat at the table—every day.

So today, we’re looking back. And we’re looking ahead.

AAPI voices are rising. Our communities are building power. And the work continues. 🗳️✊🏽

08/27/2026

For more than 55 years, BCNC has been supporting Asian and immigrant children, youth, and families with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. BCNC is rooted in Boston’s Chinatown and now serves families from multiple locations in Boston and Quincy.

As an original member of APIs CAN’s Steering Committee, BCNC has been part of our coalition from the beginning — helping bring a community-level understanding of the needs of Asian immigrants and a commitment to building collective power across Massachusetts.

Today, BCNC CEO Ben Hires serves as a Steering Committee Co-Chair, helping guide our shared work to strengthen Asian American civic voice and advocate for the issues impacting our communities and families.

“APIs CAN connects BCNC to other Asian-serving organizations to build collective power and advocate for issues that impact all of our communities and families. Over the last decade, APIs CAN has helped bring a collective Asian, working-class voice to policy decisions across Massachusetts.”
— Ben Hires, CEO, BCNC & APIs CAN Steering Committee Co-Chair

Thank you to BCNC and Ben for being part of this work from the beginning — and for helping build the collective power that makes our movement stronger. Here’s to the next decade!

AsianAmerican CollectivePower

08/17/2026

The Boston Fed’s new Massachusetts family wealth survey offers an important look at the economic realities facing families across our state—including significant economic challenges and disparities within communities.

For AANHPI households, the report paints a particularly complex picture. While median family wealth is approximately $305,000, net wealth at the 25th percentile is just $14,200—meaning one quarter of AANHPI households have net wealth at or below that amount.

That range matters.

Our own No Longer Invisible Massachusetts APIA Community Survey tells a similarly nuanced story. 30% of respondents reported struggling to afford housing, 28% struggled to afford healthcare, and 26% struggled with insurance costs.

These findings remind us that there is no single “Asian American experience.” Broad racial categories can help us understand patterns, but they can also obscure significant differences within communities—including the experiences of working-class Asians and others facing economic insecurity.

That’s why data equity matters. We need data that reflects the full diversity of our communities so policymakers can see who is struggling, understand where disparities exist, and develop solutions that reach the people who need them.

Thank you to APIs CAN’ Steering Committee member, Angie Liou, Executive Director for A C D C, for her role on the new report’s Community Advisory Counsel.

APIs CAN is committed to making sure our communities are seen, understood and represented in the data that shapes public policy.

08/12/2026

📣The People’s PROTECT Act: Teach-In!

Want to understand what’s in the newly released PROTECT Act and what it means for our communities? Join us Wednesday, August 12 at 6 PM ET for a virtual teach-in!

We’ll break down what’s in the bill, what it could mean for immigrant communities, and what comes next — with interpretation available in Khmer, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Cantonese (flyer translation incoming).
📅 Wednesday, Aug. 12
⏰ 6 PM ET
💻 Zoom, register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/v6VfFrDqSC6izYfBDtzN8g

Come learn, ask questions, and get connected with the movement working to protect our communities. ✊🏽

08/11/2026

📣 The People’s PROTECT Act TOMORROW: Teach-In! NEW LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION ADDED!

Want to understand what’s in the newly released PROTECT Act and what it means for our communities? Join us Wednesday, August 12 at 6 PM ET for a virtual teach-in!

We’ll break down what’s in the bill, what it could mean for immigrant communities, and what comes next — with interpretation available in English, Khmer, Vietnamese, Spanish, Cantonese, Portuguese and Haitian Creole.

📅 Wednesday, Aug. 12
⏰ 6 PM ET
💻 Zoom, register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/v6VfFrDqSC6izYfBDtzN8g (link in bio)

Come learn, ask questions, and get connected with the movement working to protect our communities. ✊🏽

08/10/2026

📣 The People’s Protect Act: Teach-In!

Want to understand what’s in the newly released PROTECT Act and what it means for our communities? Join us Wednesday, August 12 at 6 PM ET for a virtual teach-in!

We’ll break down what’s in the bill, what it could mean for immigrant communities, and what comes next — with interpretation available in Khmer, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Cantonese.

📅 Wednesday, Aug. 12
⏰ 6 PM ET
💻 Zoom — link in bio!

Come learn, ask questions, and get connected with the movement working to protect our communities. ✊🏽

Massachusetts CommunityPower