Event Recap: Unveiling Data for the new Pan Asian American Center

Last September 12, 2024 marked an important milestone for the AAPI community as key stakeholders, city officials, and community members gathered to discuss the creation of a new Pan Asian American Center! This crucial move from Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Indo American Center, and Apna Ghar with the support from IL Asian American Legislative Caucus signifies the future of what is set to be an all-in-one hub for all AAPI needs–cultural, education, social, and more! 

The focus of the event was the presentation of data collected from months of surveys, interviews, and community outreach efforts which will serve as the foundation for the center's design and purpose.

‍Setting the Stage

It was a full-house audience at the Radmacher Room in Skokie Library, everyone charged with anticipation for the event. The evening began with a message from Senator Ram Villivalam, who emphasized the project’s significance in having one collective physical space to meet the needs of a community as diverse as AAPI. He understood that while diversity is the community’s greatest strength, this can be a weakness as there are instances where seniors or students need to go to many different locations to access different services. “We are really at an exciting moment because of those conversations, we were able to secure 6 million dollars in capital funding from the state–rebuild  our own capital plan and additional 300k in operating funds to help set this up,” he shared. This good news gathered applause from the audiences, building hope for the new center.

Still, Senator Villivalam did not forget to thank everyone involved in propelling the project, “We are very thankful for the organization in leading this effort for their intentionality around,  first and foremost, in inclusivity, and secondly, “What does the community need?” “What does the community want?” “What does the community deserve?” That is what this is rooted in.”

This really set the groundwork for the rest of the discussion. Highlighting that this townhall is an important first step in realizing the dream project for the whole community.

Key Findings Presented

The heart of the evening was the presentation of the collected data. Several critical findings were presented, providing the foundation for the development of the AAPI center:

1. Healthcare Needs
2. Language and Educational Services
3. Cultural Preservation
4. Community and Social Engagement
5. Understanding entrepreneurial process and opportunities

The project team also clarified that the new Pan Asian American Center is not aimed to compete with the existing AAPI centers that focus on their respective ethnicities. It is to add to the existing resources of the whole AAPI community with a broader, more inclusive, and more diverse reach.

They also accentuated that the center's development is an ongoing process and that community input remains essential. This opened the audience for any questions and concerns to ensure that the final design reflects the needs and desires of the AAPI community,

One question was regarding the center's capability to stay updated with times, concerns on future capital fundings to maintain the center. State Representative Theresa Mah assured that while opportunity to access capital funds is hard to predict, the current AAPI representatives are going to do their best to look after the funding: “We’re gonna be there. We’re gonna maintain our number in the general assembly, if not grow them, and then will continue to look for opportunities. We do pass a budget every year. Sometimes there are opportunities to direct resources to organizations. There might be some opportunities in the future where we find a match with the funding that we can offer in the state programs that exist…” 

Community Reactions and Next Steps

As the discussion went on, the community members continued to voice their questions and share their thoughts. This active participation showed that the project has always been a needed endeavor for the AAPI community. It showed the audience’ intent for the center to not just be built, but to be fully utilized and sustained for a long time.

The evening ended with a call to action. As the next update is predicted to be given by “fall or winter,” the attendees were encouraged to stay involved as the project moves from planning to implementation.

With the findings now in hand, the path forward is clear. The creation of the Pan Asian American Center is not just a dream, but an imminent reality, thanks to the collective effort and dedication of everyone involved. As the project moves forward, it promises to serve as a beacon of support, cultural pride, and empowerment for the AAPI community for generations to come.

Your voice matters—join us and stay in the loop! If there is any feedback or if you want to witness the progress of the new Pan Asian American Center, please answer this brief Pan Asian American Center Stakeholder Survey. 

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