Calif. Bill Could Create Asian-Serving Designation

A bill moving through the California State Assembly would create a new designation for colleges in the state that serve large numbers of Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students. Although the bill itself doesn’t allocate any money to those institutions, advocates hope that they could eventually use the designation to access funding for initiatives that improve college access, retention and completion.

The proposed designation would mirror the federal Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–serving institution designation, part of the Department of Education’s minority-serving institution program, which saw a $350 million cut last year. The federal designation, like the proposed state version, requires that colleges enroll a student body that is at least 11 percent AANHPI. California’s bill would also require colleges interested in earning the designation to submit a five-year plan outlining their academic-equity goals. They would need to explain how they’d address AANHPI outreach, academic and basic needs support, culturally responsive curriculum expansion, research initiatives, and improvement of transfer pathways, among other things.

The proposal is the latest in a string of efforts by state leaders to make up for federal programs that have been eliminated or defunded by the Trump administration. The California Legislature is considering a similar bill that would create a state Hispanic-serving institution designation for colleges that enroll a student body that is at least 25 percent Hispanic. Both the AANHPI and Hispanic-serving institution bills are modeled after the Black-serving institution designation California lawmakers established in 2024.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Assembly Member Mike Fong, passed the Assembly 58 to 16. It will soon be up for a vote in the state Senate.

“California is home to one of the most diverse AANHPI student populations in the country, but too often, the unique disparities within our communities are overlooked. AB 2374 is about ensuring that colleges are intentionally serving students by investing in the resources and support they need to succeed,” Fong said in a statement. “With growing uncertainty around federal support for Minority-Serving Institutions, it is even more important that California establish its own framework to recognize institutions that demonstrate a meaningful commitment to AANHPI student success.”

Research shows AANHPI students are among the fastest-growing demographic groups in California, a trajectory that is projected to continue for the next several decades. Despite the population growth, AANHPI students still face significant challenges in higher education.

Alexis Takagi, a research analyst at the Campaign for College Opportunity, said that the model-minority myth—the belief that AANHPI students are uniformly high-achieving—masks major disparities among students from different ethnic groups.

For example, 61 percent of all Asian American adults in California have a bachelor’s degree, compared to 22 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults and 30 percent of Cambodian, Hmong and Laotian adults, according to a recently released report from the Campaign for College Opportunity. Takagi, who co-authored the report, said the disparities are a result of several factors, including poverty, immigration status, English language proficiency and representation in higher education leadership.

“We really can’t treat AANHPI students as a monolith when there’s different needs, different barriers that students are experiencing across the educational pipeline,” Takagi said. “When we present data in the aggregate, it creates this false impression that they don’t really need support.”

Kirin A. Macapugay, a professor who serves as vice chair of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, said that 17 of the state’s 84 institutions with at least 11 percent AANAPI students had been receiving funding through the federal program. She said the commission helped create this legislation as a way to encourage colleges to remain committed to serving this group of students.

“What we’re trying to ask these institutions is ‘Please, the services that you were able to provide with MSI funding, please don’t stop them. Please make sure that you continue serving our students and our communities,’” Macapugay said.

Through the federal MSI program, colleges could apply for grants for priorities such as laboratory upgrades, faculty professional development and student support services.

Rowena M. Tomaneng, deputy chancellor of the California Community College system, said she hopes this bill can create a pathway for future investment “when the economy gets better.” Until then, she thinks it could be a powerful tool for institutional accountability.

Tomaneng, who also serves as president of the board of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education, said the bill is meant to encourage institutions to provide students with the support they need to graduate, achieve greater socioeconomic mobility and contribute to the California economy.