The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released its 2025 end-of-year report on Thursday, highlighting legislative efforts and policy priorities aimed at addressing economic inequality, civil rights and public safety concerns facing Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
“This has been a challenging year for so many across our country,” said Rep. Grace Meng of New York, the caucus chair. “Our community has proven that we are most powerful when we stand together—to defend our rights, hold the administration accountable, and ensure our voices are heard at every level of government.”
The report outlined instances in which CAPAC members spoke out publicly or were featured in news coverage addressing issues such as birthright citizenship, language access, immigration policy, health care access and the Trump-era “China Initiative.
It also highlighted ongoing challenges within the AANHPI community, which numbers more than 25 million people nationwide. One in nine Asian Americans and one in six Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders live in poverty, according to the report, while about 1.1 million rely on food assistance and roughly 4.5 million receive health coverage through Medicaid.
The report cited rising anti-Asian hate crimes, which it said were nearly three times higher in 2024 than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The caucus said it grew to 83 members in the House and Senate this year, the largest membership in its history, and released a policy framework for the 119th Congress focused on supporting families, defending civil rights and expanding economic opportunity.
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