Beyond the Model Minority Myth: Ben Hires on Supporting AAPI Communities
How does the “model minority myth” impact how funders view and support Asian immigrant communities? What role do disaggregated data play in ensuring their thriving? In a conversation with Ben Hires, CEO of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC), hosts Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette dig into the vast array of services that BCNC — and nonprofits like it — provide and the crucial role they play in mitigating the challenging realities facing Asian immigrants today, from ICE enforcement creating a climate of fear to long-standing funding gaps that leave essential services underfunded.
Ben explains why translation services as well as robust and disaggregated datasets are foundational to ensuring immigrant communities are well served, and why supporting both direct services and systemic change isn’t an either-or proposition, but “a both-and.” Despite mounting challenges, Ben’s message is unshakeably optimistic: “The immigrant community, in particular, we know is resilient and strong and is not going away.”
Guest Info:
Ben Hires has served as Chief Executive Officer of BCNC since June 2020. Under his leadership, BCNC has expanded its programs and partnerships, strengthening its impact on the local community. Ben focuses on strategic direction and growth for BCNC, drawing on his extensive nonprofit leadership experience.
Prior to joining BCNC, Ben held leadership roles at the Boston Public Library, where he developed partnerships to advance the library’s mission, and at the Boston Children’s Chorus, where he supported the organization’s social justice mission. Ben began his career as a youth counselor in a therapeutic program.
Boston Magazine has recognized Ben as one of the Most Influential Bostonians and The Boston Foundation’s Asian Community Foundation and Get Konnected! has honored him as one of Boston’s 50 Most Influential Asian Americans. He serves on the Board of Directors of Health Resources in Action and the Leadership Board of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Ben holds a BA in Philosophy and Political Science, an MTS, and an MS in Arts Administration, all from Boston University.
Credits:
Podcast Production: Rococo Punch
Artwork: Jay Kustka
Resources:
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)
Pao Arts Center
Overlooked, Part One: Foundation Support for Asian American and Pacific Islander Leaders and Communities
The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)
STAATUS Index by TAAF
The Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation
Asian Pacific Islander Civic Action Network in Massachusetts