On April 29, Brooklyn Emerge attended the AAPI Summit on Capitol Hill, organized by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The summit brought together U.S. senators, members of Congress, and community leaders from across the country to address issues that directly affect AAPI communities.
Our representative, Shabir Ahmad, Joined the summit .
Senators present included Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer, Tammy Duckworth, Mazie Hirono, and Andy Kim. On the House side, Congresswoman Grace Meng joined the discussion. The conversation covered federal funding access, small business support, immigration policy, and what it actually takes to build lasting AAPI representation in government.
Senator Gillibrand’s focus was practical: how do AAPI communities get a real seat at the table, not just an invitation to one? Senate leadership also spoke to immigrant communities and economic inclusion, which matters a lot for Brooklyn, where those two things are deeply connected to everyday life.
Brooklyn Emerge got to participate in a conversation that often moves forward without community organizations like ours. Federal decisions about funding and immigration don’t stay in Washington. They show up in rent costs, in who gets a loan, in whether someone’s family member can stay.
The summit ended with some concrete direction on how community organizations can pursue federal funding and advocacy opportunities. We’ll be following up on those directly.
