National CAPACD

Tune in tomorrow, May 29 for “Many Paths, One Movement: Defining Our Roles in AAPI Solidarity” at CAPI's AAPI Rising: Movement Beyond the Moment Virtual Summit.

National CAPACD CEO Seema Agnani and fellow panelists will discuss building cross-sector solidarity and advancing shared goals across AA and NHPI communities.

🗓 May 29, 2026
⏰ 10 AM–4 PM CDT
Register: shorturl.at/PKZPw

Introducing our first AAPI Rising Summit keynote panelist: Seema Agnani!

Seema is the acting CEO of the National CAPACD and has spent decades working in community development and immigrant rights. She was a founder and Executive Director of Chhaya CDC in Queens, New York, where she led the organization through the Great Recession and the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Seema previously served as coordinator of Fund for New Citizens at The New York Community Trust. We are honored to have her join us at the Summit to share her expereince and insight.

Make sure to reserve your spot for May 29th and tune in for our keynote panel: Many Paths, One Movement: Defining Our Roles in AAPI Solidarity, where Seema and other panelists will discuss the many roles we play in creating cross-sector solidarity and advancing the AANHPI community through shared goals.

AAPI Rising: Movement Beyond the Moment Virtual Summit
Date: May 29th, 2026th
Time: 10am-4pm (CDT)
Register now at shorturl.at/PKZPw

Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating today!

In this time of celebration, we must also remember the grief that Muslim communities continue to navigate in the aftermath of last week's shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where two community members and a security guard protecting the largest mosque in the city were killed. We hold them, their families, and the Muslim community in our hearts today.

We also recognize the broader climate of harmful rhetoric that continues to place Muslim communities at risk. May this Eid be a reminder that our communities deserve safety, dignity, and the freedom to gather, worship, and celebrate without fear. In response to hate, our coalition commits to moving with solidarity, compassion, and care for one another.



📷: Rifka Hayati via Getty Images

National CAPACD member organization Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE) is being recognized for their leadership of ProcureLA, a City of Los Angeles initiative that has helped local small businesses secure more than $45 million in public and private contracts tied to upcoming major events, including the FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympics. 👏

Since launching in 2024, ProcureLA has enrolled more than 100 businesses and connected with thousands more through procurement workshops, technical assistance, proposal and certification support, and connections to procurement opportunities.

PACE’s work in running ProcureLA reflects many of the same priorities as our Protect Immigrant Small Businesses campaign launched earlier this month: breaking down structural barriers, expanding access to opportunity and capital, and ensuring immigrant entrepreneurs can continue to sustain the neighborhoods and communities they help strengthen.

As cities prepare for major global events and large-scale economic investment, efforts like ProcureLA help ensure that local small businesses are not left out of the opportunities that shape the future of their neighborhoods.

Early bird registration is still open for the 2026 Building CAPACD Convention! The Building CAPACD Convention will take place from August 3-5 at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach in Long Beach, CA. Be sure to register before rates increase in June.

We’re also excited to share our program overview! Attendees can expect a rich program featuring interactive sessions and workshops aligned with our theme, 𝘈𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. Much of the 2026 Building CAPACD Convention programming was shaped by our coalition members and community-based organizations through an open call for proposals. 💙

Learn more and register today [link in comments] 🔗

As affordability pressures continue to rise, better data is crucial to building policies that truly reflect the realities of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities.

In a new blog post for the Urban Institute, National CAPACD’s CEO Seema Agnani joins co-authors Aravind Boddupalli, Rekha Balu, and National CAPACD Board Member and CEO of National CAPACD member organization Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) Wayne Ho to explore how disaggregated, community-informed data can help reveal stark disparities often hidden in aggregate statistics, and why that matters for advancing equitable housing and economic security.

Read the full blog post 🔗 link in comments ⬇️

This week, National CAPACD has been engaging policymakers and partners across Capitol Hill to help elevate the experiences and priorities of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities.

On Monday, our CEO Seema Agnani joined congressional staff and National Council of Asian Pacific Americans - NCAPA partner organizations for NCAPA’s Week of Action and the 2026 AAPI Policy Priorities Survey Data Briefing. The discussion explored how economic pressures, immigration enforcement, civil rights threats, and global instability are shaping AA and NHPI voter priorities, and policies needed to respond.

Seema highlighted key priorities including the recently introduced Improving Access to Financial Coaching Act (H.R. 8373), investments in the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 1589), the HUD Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) “Dear Colleague” letter, and the the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act that is currently moving in the House.

The week’s engagement continued with Seema’s participation in a Senate Democratic Steering and Policy Committee roundtable chaired by Senator Amy Klobuchar in recognition of . Together, these conversations underscore the importance of ensuring AA and NHPI communities are represented in the policies and decisions shaping our future.

This week, we launched the Protect Immigrant Small Businesses campaign–highlighting why these businesses matter, what’s at stake if we lose them, and what must change to ensure they survive and thrive.

Every one of us has been impacted by an immigrant small business. And every one of us must work together to protect them now.

Here’s how you can get involved:
➡️ Follow and share posts from this social media campaign
❣️ Support immigrant small businesses in your community
💪 Learn more and stay connected [Campaign link in the comments]
💻 Join National CAPACD on May 27 for a virtual panel, Celebrating Immigrant-Owned Small Businesses. [Register via the link in the comments]
👀 Stay tuned for our Week of Action in June

The challenges immigrant small business owners face aren’t random— they’re driven by harmful policies, systemic barriers, and patterns of disinvestment.

Across the country, many are navigating rising rents, limited access to capital, language barriers, discriminatory lending, and exclusion from critical resources and support systems. Immigrant-owned small businesses face significant financing disparities, including higher rejection rates and lower approval amounts compared to non-immigrant small businesses (Fed Small Business).

To change these conditions, we need policies that ensure immigrant-owned small businesses can continue to survive and thrive, anchoring communities, sustaining local economies, and preserving cultural identity.

🔗 Learn about our campaign policy priorities [link in comments]

Today, National CAPACD’s CEO Seema Agnani joined Asian American leaders and members of the Senate Democratic caucus for a roundtable hosted by the Senate Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, chaired by Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Held in recognition of AANHPI Heritage Month, we’re grateful for this opportunity to help elevate the voices and experiences of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities and to engage directly with leaders shaping the country’s future.

Immigrants are a powerful force in the U.S. economy, with an estimated $1.7 trillion in spending power (American Immigration Council). But their impact goes far beyond what can be measured in dollars.

When an immigrant-owned small business closes, workers lose jobs. Families lose income and stability. Foot traffic to nearby stores drops. Entire corridors begin to weaken.

What’s at stake is economic—and also cultural, social, and generational. Communities lose trusted gathering spaces, and neighborhoods face cultural displacement.

Join us to protect immigrant small businesses. Learn more ➡️ link in comments 🔗