Census Data Demonstrates COVID-19 Toll on Asian American Families

Washington, DC - OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates is alarmed at recent Census data showing how the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated Asian American families across the country. This new data further demonstrates the urgent need for the Senate to pass the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act immediately.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Nearly half of Asian households have experienced a loss in income since March 13, and another 36% predict a loss in income over the next month. Although overall employment has improved slightly in the past few weeks, Asian Americans have not experienced those gains, with the Asian unemployment rate having risen from 14.5% in April to 15% in May.

• 9% of Asian renter households didn't pay or deferred rent in the month of May, raising concerns about housing stability as many COVID-motivated tenant protections expire. 52% of Asian renters report having only moderate to no confidence they’d be able to pay next month’s rent.

• With the spike in hate incidents and crimes against our communities, 58% of Asian Americans reported chronic worrying and symptoms of anxiety.

• Of Asian American households with children, 8% reported sometimes or often not having enough to eat.

• In the midst of a public health crisis, with the U.S. reaching 2.9 million confirmed cases, 6.5% of Asian American households are uninsured, a higher rate than that of whites.

“With COVID-19 cases and Asian American unemployment on the rise, we must prioritize the health and safety of our communities” states Rita Pin Ahrens, Executive Director of OCA. “COVID-19 has exacerbated disparities for Asian Americans and threatens our future security. Every day the Senate procrastinates, our communities suffer. We cannot ignore the pandemic’s broad impacts; the passage of the HEROES Act is imperative to safeguard AAPI lives and livelihoods.” 

OCA encourages all persons residing in the United States to take the Census. Not only does the Census help allocate billions of dollars in funding for our communities, it provides invaluable data on the areas of AAPI growth. Without a complete count, there are few collections of data that are expansive and can be aggregated to help our communities progress.

OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national civil rights organization dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

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