A  group of New York legislators have launched the state’s first ever task  force to focus on issues that disproportionately affect  Asian-Americans.

Carl E. Heastie,  the state’s assembly speaker, announced the formation of the Asian  Pacific American Legislative Caucus (APALC) last Thursday at Flushing  Townhall in Queens. At the state level, the group will address issues  such as the fact that Asian-Americans have the highest rate of poverty in New York City.

Big thank you to my colleagues for coming out today in support! Speaker @CarlHeastie @rontkim @edbraunstein @nily @Barnwell30 @clydevanel pic.twitter.com/oZoLrPcVAa

— Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) May 18, 2017

“This  is a milestone moment. It’s historic,” Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou  (D), who founded the group with fellow assemblymember Ron Kim (D), told  HuffPost. “This is going to be a dedicated group of legislators who are  focusing on Asian-American issues. This has never happened before in New  York State.”

One  of the group’s goals will be pushing for disaggregated data on  Asian-Americans so legislators can identify the unique challenges  subgroups face. Niou is sponsoring Assembly Bill A7352 to tackle the issue. She said that she sent her colleagues an earlier HuffPost report  to garner support for the measure. A legislative committee in the New  York State Assembly recently approved the bill unanimously, and now the  measure awaits passage by lawmakers.

“This is a milestone moment. It’s historic.”

With  the many more challenges the state’s Asian-American constituents are  facing, Niou said this task force is necessary for the community. 

“It’s about recognizing that we have a voice ― that we need a voice.” Niou said of the minority group.

Niou  and Kim are currently serving as interim co-chairs of the task force.  The caucus will eventually include other legislators who represent  districts in which Asian-Americans make up more than 10 percent of the  population, Niou explained. Together, they plan to prioritize a number  of issues such as poverty and mental health. Many of these issues have  rarely been addressed, as they’ve been masked by the model minority  myth, she pointed out.

This afternoon I had the pleasure of announcing the historic Asian Pacific American Legislative Caucus w/ Chairs @rontkim and @yuhline pic.twitter.com/B0qXkD6UGn

— Carl E. Heastie (@CarlHeastie) May 18, 2017

That’s  why the passage of A7352 will be so important to the task force.  Disaggregated data is necessary to depict the needs of the community  accurately, Niou said.

Oftentimes  data on Asian-Americans treats the group as a monolith. Instead of  acknowledging the diverse experiences of the minority’s subgroups,  published data usually shows the averages of the entire minority,  ultimately overlooking the Asian-Americans who are struggling, experts  say. 

The  minority group is up against many little-discussed challenges in New  York City alone. Asian-Americans have consistently had the highest  poverty rate compared to other races, with almost one in four seniors  living under the poverty line. And when it comes to mental health,  senior Asian-American women have the highest suicide rates compared to other races. 

“Just  because a group of people suffer in silence doesn’t mean they’re not  suffering,” Niou, who is the first Asian-American to represent Chinatown  in state assembly, said of the little-known disadvantaged members of  the minority group. 

In  addition to the concerns of their constituents, the caucus also aims to  advocate for more diversity and Asian-American representation in  government. Asian-Americans make up about 9 percent of  the state’s population. Yet, Niou and Kim remain the only  assemblymembers of Asian descent ― less than one percent of the state’s  legislature.

For  Niou, representation is important. As an immigrant who grew up in the  public school system and came from a low-income family, she says she  understands the struggles of many Asian-American families. She’s lived  it. 

“That’s  my background and I share a history with a lot of people in the  country,” she said. “In many ways, my district is a reflection of me.”  

Already,  the formation of the caucus has incited praise from constituents and  lawmakers alike including Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY). The legislator  expressed her excitement over the task force and applauded the progress  that has been made within the community.

“When  I served in Albany, there were not enough members to form such a caucus  since I was the only Asian American in the entire state legislature.  I’m happy to see that this has changed since I left for Washington four  years ago.” she said in a press release. “I’m  confident that this new and historic caucus will address the needs of  Asian Americans throughout the state, and help further empower New  York’s Asian American community.”