May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Throughout the month, Broadway Stages will feature and celebrate exceptional people, businesses, and organizations of Asian and Pacific Island heritage. We invite you to join us in recognizing their accomplishments and contributions! Join us as we pay respect to the Coalition For Asian American Children and Families - an organization that supports and gives a voice to AAPI children and families throughout New York City.

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is the fastest-growing demographic in New York City. They represent more than 30 ethnic groups and speak more than 50 languages. And with over a million members, New York City has the largest AAPI population of any city in the United States.

Despite their strength in numbers, the AAPI community is commonly marginalized and underserved. But groups like the Coalition For Asian American Children And Families (CACF) are working to make a change.  CACF is the nation’s only pan-Asian children and families advocacy organization. They unite community-based organizations and allies to fight for equity for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. They build a community to create a larger, more powerful voice that demands to be heard.

In 1986, a group of social service providers founded the CACF. They were concerned about the City’s inability to serve the rapidly growing numbers of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) children and families. Initially run as a volunteer operation, CACF was incorporated in 1992. And in 1995, it hired its first executive director.

The CACF fights to ensure that the AAPI community has equitable access to education, healthcare, and support services they need to thrive. They do this in three ways, through policy/advocacy, leadership development, and capacity building.

The CACF seeks to influence policy and advocate for their diverse community by uniting varied communities to fight for improved education, health, and other support services for those most marginalized. Knowing the importance of generational sustainability, the CACF invests in developing leaders from those they serve. These future leaders are invested in social justice and dedicated to growing a collective voice and power.  The CACF also focus their efforts to support the growth and success of community organizations that are working to provide culturally competent and language-accessible services that are vital to the AAPI community.

The CACF has a wide range of programs and campaigns throughout New York City. You can follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to learn more and be informed of their latest efforts. And they welcome your support; it helps move them closer to ensuring that all New York City AAPI children and families are safe, healthy, and able to reach their full potential. You can donate today by clicking HERE.

Broadway Stages is an advocate for equity - economic, social and environmental.  We applaud the efforts of the CACF as they work to build a community too powerful to ignore. You help is needed.