May 15, 2016

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo

Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Cuomo:

On behalf of the Asian American community of New York, we write to you in regards to the
issue of diversity and inclusion in the state government workforce. Minorities account for nearly
35% of New York States population, but many groups, particularly Asian Americans, remain
vastly underrepresented in the public sector. We ask that you and your administration look into
what steps to take in addressing this disparity.
Asian Americans represent the fastest-growing community in our country, yet they are nearly
invisible in New Yorks government workforce, accounting for only 3.8% of our states civil
service. In a study of 457 board members in major New York State agencies and authorities, only
9 were of Asian descent - just 2% among the hundreds of public servants whose influence and
decisions have a major impact on the lives of nearly 20 million residents.
Despite all of this, the Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion did not include a single
Asian American, and no Asian Americans have recently been appointed to the Executive cabinet
or any commissioner-level position in New York. Under existing State Civil Service Law, the
Commission on Increasing Diversity in the State Government Workforce is required to review
recruiting and employment practices, and to make recommendations for creating greater
opportunities for minorities in state government. But the Commission has remained inactive for
seven years.
True inclusion means not excluding an entire group of Americans. Real diversity means
embracing New Yorkers of all backgrounds. We respectfully request that you implement
measures to genuinely address the issues we have put forth, and to find effective solutions. We
invite your administration to work with our community as partners in finding the best way
forward.

Sincerely,

Ron Kim
Member of Assembly
District 40, Queens

Peter Abbate
Member of Assembly
District 49, Brooklyn

William Colton
Member of Assembly
District 47, Brooklyn

Edward Braunstein
Member of Assembly
District 26, Queens

Nily Rozic
Member of Assembly
District 25, Queens

Francisco Moya
Member of Assembly
District 39, Queens

Daniel Quart
Member of Assembly
District 73, Manhattan

Walter Mosley
Member of Assembly
District 59, Brooklyn

Luis Seplveda
Member of Assembly
District 87, Bronx

Robert Rodriguez
Member of Assembly
District 68, Manhattan

Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE)

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF)
Korean American Civic Empowerment for Community, Inc. (KACE)
South Asians For Empowerment (SAFE)
The Young Womens Christian Association of Queens, Inc. (YWCA Queens)
The YWCA of Binghamton and Broome County, Inc. (YWCA Binghamton/Broome County)
The YWCA of Brooklyn, Inc. (YWCA Brooklyn)
The YWCA of Elmira & the Twin Tiers, Inc. (YWCA Elmira & the Twin Tiers)
The YWCA of the Greater Capital Region, Inc. (YWCA Greater Capital Region)
The YWCA of New York City, Inc. (YWCA NYC)
The YWCA of the Niagara Frontier, Inc. (YWCA Niagara Frontier)
The YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County, Inc. (YWCA Rochester and Monroe County)
The YWCA of Schenectady, Inc. (YWCA Northeastern NY)
The YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County, Inc. (YWCA Syracuse and Onondaga County)
The YWCA of Western New York, Inc. (YWCA WNY)
The YWCA of Cortland (YWCA Cortland)
Flushing Interfaith Council
Chinatown Manpower Project (CMP)
Council of Korean Americans

United Chinese Association of Brooklyn, Inc. (UCAofB)

Korean American Association of Greater New York (KAAGNY)
Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI)
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York (KCS)
Korean American Business Council of New York (KABCNY)
Greater Chinatown Community Association (GCCA)
Great Neck Korean American Civic Association, Inc. (GNKACA)
Korean American Association of Queens, NY (KAAQ)
Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC)
Korea American Youth Foundation (KAYF)
Sustainable Queens (SustyQ)