Sharp differences in the Asian American community erupted at a public hearing in Massachusetts Tuesday over a bill mandating the breakout of data on the AAPI community.
House Bill 3361, filed by Massachusetts state Rep. Tackey Chan, would require state agencies to disaggregate ethnic data on Asian Americans. The “Asian” designation on government forms would be replaced by more specific ethnicity options, allowing the government to better assess the needs of diverse Asian American communities.
“Asian Americans aren’t all the same,” Chan told the State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee at the hearing, according to The Patriot Ledger.
However, the bill faces vocal opposition among some sectors of the state’s Asian American community.The State House’s largest public hearing room was packed to capacity according to The Telegram, with many testifying against the bill or holding derisive signs.
“It’s an Asian registry,” Doreen Li, an attendee of the hearing, told The Patriot Ledger.
A Change.org petition against the bill by the Coalition Against Profiling argues that the bill is discriminatory in nature because it “singularly targets Asian Americans.” They also criticize the bill for singling out Asian Americans as “perpetual foreigners in their own land.” The petition has reached over 1,800 signatures.
Similar data disaggregation policies have been passed or introduced in states such as California and New York, where they were met with a spectrum of responses as well.
Several Asian American Pacific Islander organizations in Massachusetts have spoken in support of the bill since its inception in 2017. They argue that data disaggregation will provide evidence of disparities in public health, education, and socioeconomic status, especially for Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders.
Dr. Elisa Choi, faculty member of Harvard Medical School, told the committee that health concerns vary among Asian ethnic groups, reports The Worcester Telegram. According to Choi, the bill would allow Asian Americans in Massachusetts to “achieve health equity.”
More specific data can also help Asian American-serving organizations receive funding from grant makers.
“I have to have data to let them know there’s a need right here,” Anh Vu Sawyer, executive director of the Southeast Asia Coalition in Worcester, Mass., told NPR. “I cannot just say I observe that I have people coming in with suicide tendency or I have people with a family of five and [who] have less than $15,000 a year.”
Despite its polarizing nature, Chan revealed he was proud that his bill increased the political participation of Asian Americans in Massachusetts.
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart.  We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns.  Check out our Facebook page  and our Twitter feed,  Please consider interning, joining our staff or submitting a story for consideration.
RE: Bill Mandating Data Collection on Asian Americans Divides Community: at least, this article points out the ” largest public hearing room was packed to capacity with many testifying against the bill or holding derisive signs.”
RE: Bill Mandating Data Collection on Asian Smerican Divides Community:No more dividing. We are all Americans.