New National Report Defines Inequities and Unmet Needs for At-Risk AANHPI Communities

Second annual Change InSight report outlines barriers to equity for AANHPI communities across the country.

CHICAGO, Jan. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Change InSight, a first-of-its-kind data platform built to quantify historical challenges facing at-risk communities and identify solutions, today released its second annual report outlining risk factors for the clients of 19 social service organizations across the country. The findings were uncovered and defined through surveying nearly 6,000 in-need individuals representing 30 often-overlooked Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.

The second annual Change InSight report, titled "Community Counts," highlights and defines risks such as poverty, English proficiency, educational attainment, and stress, and shows how each risk and need interacts and varies between specific AANHPI populations.

"Change InSight continues to illuminate the unique challenges faced by the diverse, multi-ethnic Americans in the AANHPI community," said U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth. "Aggregate data often renders AANHPI communities invisible and monolithic, but this intentional and in-depth assessment helps us dismantle the Model Minority Myth and address the specific educational, socioeconomic, and health stressors affecting Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. I applaud Change Insight's commitment to understanding individual communities and I'll keep working on the federal level to bring awareness and support to AANHPI communities."

Key findings include:

• 57% of Chinese respondents in the Midwest have attained less than a high school education level
• 31% of Pakistani respondents in the Midwest lack adequate transportation
• 75% of Asian Indian respondents on the East Coast have limited English proficiency
• 36% of Bangladeshi respondents on the East Coast have high-stress levels

For additional findings, view the full report and regional snapshots at www.ChangeInSight.org.

"In public health, data is our superpower, and disaggregated data that lifts up the specific needs of our diverse communities ? including AANHPI New Yorkers ? is essential," said Dr. Ashwin Vasan, New York City Health Commissioner. "I am proud to see our local nonprofits step up to fill in gaps that are sometimes harder for large institutional data collection to fill, and this project is creating a roadmap for a more equitable future for AANHPI and other underrepresented communities in our great city, and beyond."

Many data sources, including official national data sources like the U.S. Census, often aggregate the nation's more than 50 AANHPI ethnic groups into a generic "Asian American" umbrella category. This is a dangerous practice that disregards the fact that a West Coast city's Chinese population may face different challenges than an east coast city's Korean population. Change InSight solves this shortcoming and helps expose areas of need so decision-makers can direct their resources to the most pressing issues facing individual local communities.

"The second annual Change InSight report contains critically important findings," said Paul Luu, CEO of Chicago's Chinese American Service League (CASL), the founding nonprofit behind Change InSight. "The report illustrates the key risk factors for the communities we serve and how they overlap. For example, someone with limited English proficiency may struggle to attain higher education or access health care, which can lead to greater health complications in the future. Quantifying these risks for individual communities helps nonprofits, policymakers, and funders make data-informed decisions that will lead to improved outcomes for at-risk people."

Change InSight released its first annual report, titled "Changing Tides," in 2022 after conducting surveys of more than 2,200 individuals served by six Chicago-area social service agencies. The inaugural survey quickly created a positive impact on the studied communities, such as the Korean American community served by the Hanul Family Alliance, which implemented new mental health supports in response to findings in the first annual report.

"Thanks to Change InSight, we were able to confirm and define the changes in our community's mental health and emotional wellness after the pandemic," said Eunji Lee, Director of Healthy Aging at Hanul Family Alliance. "Following the first annual report, we focused on dispelling the stigma surrounding mental health. After participating in the second Change InSight report, we were pleased to see the need for mental health support had lessened and evolved. Now, our community is much more open to discussing mental health challenges, and we will continue to diversify our programs to include other topics, such as mindfulness, support groups, and treatment."

The second annual Change InSight was based on survey responses from 5,932 AANHPI individuals receiving social services in New York; Chicago; Champaign, Ill.; Seattle; Los Angeles; and Houston. A full list of partner agencies is available at www.ChangeInSight.org.

About Change InSight

Change InSight, a national network of partner nonprofits, is a first-of-its-kind platform that surveys Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) and other underrepresented communities to identify and track health risks. Change InSight amplifies the voice of these communities by helping organizations harness the power of data to break stereotypes perpetuating systemic racism and generational trauma. By uplifting the needs of vulnerable communities, the collaborative galvanizes fellow nonprofits, elected officials, and funders to act. To learn more, please visit www.ChangeInSight.org.

Media Contact

Dan Kowalski, Change InSight, 1 630-624-3376, [email protected], https://www.changeinsight.org/ 

SOURCE Change InSight