For millions of AAPIs, only disaggregated data can show the real picture

A Northwest Asian Weekly briefing on disaggregated data for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities emphasizes that numbers must be broken down beyond broad aggregates to reveal real living costs and policy needs. The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) and AAPI Data featured experts who pressed for disaggregated data as Census 2030 plans contemplate potentially removing race and ethnicity categories, counting only citizens and legal residents, and adding a question on legal status—changes that could obscure disparities. Karthik Ramakrishnan of AAPI Data noted that while the overall AAPI poverty rate is about 10%, many subgroups report severe cost-of-living pressures, particularly for groceries, healthcare, and housing. Native Hawai’ians and Pacific Islanders experience pronounced housing challenges and overcrowding. Seema Agnani of National CAPACD highlighted that two-thirds of AAPI households face housing cost burdens in some subgroups; 60% live in the eight most expensive metro areas, including Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, which hosts the largest NHPI population. Intra-group differences are stark: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue shows NHPI poverty ranging from 26% (non-Chamorro Micronesians) to 6% (Tongans); nationwide, non-Chamorro Micronesians can reach about 28% poverty, while Chamorro and Tongan communities hover around 14%. Bhutanese in New York City report housing burdens as high as 67%. Advocates urged policies that bolster housing stability and broaden supply, including shared ownership models, to build wealth and resilience through targeted, data-informed approaches. The briefing also cautioned that aggregate insurance rates can mask gaps in access to care.