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Building a place to celebrate the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community in New Mexico issomething the city of Albuquerque has been working to develop for a long time, and now it could soon be a reality.”They’re excited about the momentum. They’re excited about the possibilities. It’s not dreams now. It’s wants. It’s needs,” said Kristelle Siarza-Moon, with the Asian Business Collaborative. “Asian families are so used to gathering in their homes or in community centers across the city.”New Mexico will decide the focus of the center by using a survey. “The survey is actually available in 14 languages, English being one of them, but all of the rest are Asian. The website is available in eight languages.,” said Richard Perce with Groundwork Studio.The city brought them in to help with research and planning for the center.”We’re aiming for a minimum of 400 survey responses, because that would represent the 1% of the estimated Asian population for the Albuquerque metro area,” Perce said.The survey asks several questions, including what you value about your culture, what the center should provide and where it should be located within the city.”Right now from community feedback so far, it’s pretty equally weighted with a want for cultural performance, exhibition type spaces and the social services that go along with,” Perce said.Survey results already back also show that the community would want the center to help navigate the immigration system.”We’re looking at places that are easy to access through public transportation. We’re looking at places that are easy for people from the entire state of New Mexico to actually gather to and access by roads or even airlines,” Siarza-Moon said.The center could take two to five years to complete, but funding is still needed.”There’s not a lot of access to wealth for Asian Americans here in New Mexico. So raising that $25,000 to $40,000 is really disheartening. And such a burden, such a challenge. So that’s why it’s more important than ever that we find and identify Asian people that want to help build the cultural center,” Siarza-Moon said.She told KOAT the center is something New Mexico really needs and it will be a way to bring communities together.”We find that Asian communities come from the woodworks whenever they’re built,” Siarza-Moon said.To take the survey, click here.To learn more about the project, check out this website.
Building a place to celebrate the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community in New Mexico issomething the city of Albuquerque has been working to develop for a long time, and now it could soon be a reality.
“They’re excited about the momentum. They’re excited about the possibilities. It’s not dreams now. It’s wants. It’s needs,” said Kristelle Siarza-Moon, with the Asian Business Collaborative. “Asian families are so used to gathering in their homes or in community centers across the city.”
New Mexico will decide the focus of the center by using a survey.
“The survey is actually available in 14 languages, English being one of them, but all of the rest are Asian. The website is available in eight languages.,” said Richard Perce with Groundwork Studio.
The city brought them in to help with research and planning for the center.
“We’re aiming for a minimum of 400 survey responses, because that would represent the 1% of the estimated Asian population for the Albuquerque metro area,” Perce said.
The survey asks several questions, including what you value about your culture, what the center should provide and where it should be located within the city.
“Right now from community feedback so far, it’s pretty equally weighted with a want for cultural performance, exhibition type spaces and the social services that go along with,” Perce said.
Survey results already back also show that the community would want the center to help navigate the immigration system.
“We’re looking at places that are easy to access through public transportation. We’re looking at places that are easy for people from the entire state of New Mexico to actually gather to and access by roads or even airlines,” Siarza-Moon said.
The center could take two to five years to complete, but funding is still needed.
“There’s not a lot of access to wealth for Asian Americans here in New Mexico. So raising that $25,000 to $40,000 is really disheartening. And such a burden, such a challenge. So that’s why it’s more important than ever that we find and identify Asian people that want to help build the cultural center,” Siarza-Moon said.
She told KOAT the center is something New Mexico really needs and it will be a way to bring communities together.
“We find that Asian communities come from the woodworks whenever they’re built,” Siarza-Moon said.
To take the survey, click here.
To learn more about the project, check out this website.