The fast growth of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA NHPI) population in the US presents an opportunity for data collection and analysis to highlight the unique needs of the many racial and ethnic subgroups composing the AA NHPI community and for policies and programs to recognize and address their distinct cultures and experiences.
In honor of AA NHPI Heritage Month, the Urban Institute is showcasing a series of insights and analyses highlighting the pressing need for data disaggregation, strategies to improve access to social services and address inequities, and understanding of the housing landscape for AA NHPI communities across the US.
Recent federal efforts to disaggregate AA NHPI data have led to a better understanding of inequities, but data gaps, inconsistent disaggregation, and barriers to analyzing data persist.
Some AA NHPI families face unique barriers to accessing charitable food programs. Policies that better support broader data collection and provide multilingual guidance on aid applications could help.
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities experience large disparities in homeownership rates, ranging from 67 percent (Vietnamese) to 51 percent (Korean). Several factors may explain these disparities, but more research is needed.
Federal leadership and broader public awareness of the discrimination faced by AAPIs can help spur policy action to move us closer to the promise of the Fair Housing Act.
In 2019, Asian mortgage applicants had a higher denial rate (8.7 percent) than white applicants (6.7 percent), despite having higher average credit scores and incomes. Failing to address this denial gap will keep more Asian potential homebuyers from homeownership.
