Shared Intelligence Layer

All of the data we know about our community is on this page. We’re calling it the “Shared Intelligence Layer” because we need your help to pool our knowledge together and keep this as the most accurate, centralized source for APINH in Albuquerque.

You can think of this page like Albuquerque’s main knowledge graph for our APINH diaspora.

Our hope is the data on this page can be used to help us move beyond the “Tricultural Myth” of New Mexico—that New Mexico is home to only 3 cultures: Native American, Spanish/Hispanic, and Anglo (white).

We identified a 33.8% population growth rate and a significant representation gap in the City workforce that we hope to improve with your civic engagement. Our work also shows more than 71 cultural milestones—like multiple types of new years, celebrations, and remembrance days—throughout the year that anyone across our 62-74 countries and allies might want to know.

We also compiled the most detailed and nuanced report available of 230+ transit-connected businesses, which gives us a community-verified “Data Floor” to grow from.

All of this helps us make sure that Albuquerque’s fastest-growing demographic is never again invisible to City systems.

We need your participation to help us improve what we know so that we can move from being seen as “data subjects” to being the active authors of our own digital and economic record.

What is APINH and how many countries are there?

• APINH stands for Asian Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian (APINH).
• The range of countries varies, but our Office of APINH Affairs compiled the most comprehensive list to show our diaspora could span 62-74 regions.

What are all of the countries in APINH, and why is it hard to find the list for all APINH countries?

It’s difficult to find one list for all APINH countries because there is no official, standardized definition of the region’s boundaries. Lists also vary based on context.

FUSE Executive Fellow Jacky So explains why this is so hard from a data perspective and what our Office of APINH Affairs decided to do to come up with the starter data:

Finding one list that defines all of the countries part of APINH is so difficult because first, it depends on your definition of what you consider a country (for example, Taiwan), and second, there’s the history of colonialism and very Eurocentric views “exoticizing” what people in a “closed world” considered “The Orient”. This is an extremely outdated, Eurocentric term, and now we live in an “open world”—with travel and commerce and connection across imagined borders, especially with social media and the internet.

Our populations have also been displaced from their original homelands at different points in time, which creates a large diaspora across the globe. All of this knowledge requires nuance and some sort of consensus on defining something so sensitive and personal.

This is why landing on a single number to capture the exact number of Asian Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian countries is hard. What I decided to do for Project BRIDGE is give us some sort of standard to work from so we can start learning how our community in Albuquerque wants others to see us. I erred on the side of being more inclusive rather than have anyone feel left out, so using the complete list of countries for Asia, Pacific Islands, and dependencies/other territories from worldometers.info and forumsec.org, I compiled the most comprehensive list of regions totaling 62-74. The range is due to the varying perspectives of what you might count as a country part of APINH.

From here, my hope is our Office of APINH Affairs will be able to use this info to host community convenings and surveys so our local community can help us shape the reality of what this list should represent.

List of 62 - 74 regions for Asian Pacific Islander Native Hawaiians (APINH)

The Population Floor: Growing Beyond the Checkbox

APINH residents are Albuquerque’s fastest-growing population. However, standard reporting often oscillates between two figures, creating a visibility gap:

• Race Alone: Standard Census estimates place Asian residents at 3.3% and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander at 0.1%.
• In Combination: When accounting for our deep multi-racial history since the 1800s, the APINH community in Albuquerque is estimated between 3.4% – 4.1%.
• State vs. City Density: While the statewide APINH population is estimated at 2.3% – 2.8%, the highest concentration and growth velocity are anchored here in Albuquerque.

The Visibility Audit: Population Growth vs. Representation

Data visibility is the first step toward civic equity. Currently, there is a clear disparity between the community's presence and its representation in city government:

• Population Density: ~3.4% of Albuquerque residents identify as APINH.
• Municipal Workforce: The 2023 City of Albuquerque Workforce Diversity Report shows only 1.8% total representation (1.2% Asian, 0.6% NHPI).
• Youth Representation: In early-career roles, the gap remains, with Asian youth representing only 2.5% of City Summer Jobs (22 out of 860 hires).

This "Representation Deficit" is why we are committed to moving beyond static data to active intelligence.

Visualizing the Mesh: Connectivity & Risk

This strategic visualization shows the intersection of our community's economic presence, municipal transit access, and environmental health risks. Note: This is a static representation of our density clusters (centroids) intended for policy auditing and advocacy; it is not currently an interactive directory.

Previously, searching for APINH businesses on Google resulted in being directed to the International District. In passing conversations, there was also a pattern of many people assuming all of the APINH businesses are in the International District.

What we have found is that our APINH businesses are scattered throughout Albuquerque in all neighborhoods. We have the International District, but it doesn’t mean that’s where all of the international things are.

Each dot on the map represents an APINH business. There are red boundary boxes to indicate Environmental Risk Zones, with coordinates defined from the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), including Superfund Sites and other sites that require remediation.

Along APINH businesses dotted throughout Downtown, University, Nob Hill, and the International District, is a blue hash line that represents the Central ART Line—marking this as a key transit corridor for zero-fare transit and APINH businesses along Route 66. About half of the APINH businesses are located around Midtown, Uptown, the International District, Nob Hill, University, and Downtown, with environmental risks overlayed for the areas around North I-25, Downtown, and the International District.

Our most surprising finding is how many APINH businesses are concentrated in the Northeast Heights—almost half. Additionally, there is a growing population of around 15-20% of our total APINH businesses on the Westside.

Grouping Businesses by Type to Show Our Community's Contribution

Project BRIDGE studied our community deeply to build the most complete list of APINH local businesses that the City has ever had. We know things change, so we want this list to grow with us. We invite you to help us update and correct this info. This ensures the City always has an accurate picture of our economic power and can provide the right resources.

We found that our APINH businesses can be grouped into 4 industry sectors: Food & Agriculture, Personal Care & Wellness, Professional Services, and Retail & Specialty. This gives us a big picture for how our APINH businesses can support tourism for big events, like the Route 66 Centennial and beyond.

Tech Equity & Solving Food System Challenges

Equity in tech is critical for the APINH community. With nearly 60% of our business community rooted in Food & Agriculture, we are partnering with initiatives like the Desert Dev Lab Hackathon. This ensures that APINH voices use technology to solve real-world issues—from international supply chain logistics to sustainable tech for urban grocers and farmers.

Is there a calendar or list with all APINH events across the diaspora that might be observed?

There is now, thanks to Project BRIDGE from our Office of APINH Affairs! We gathered the most comprehensive list of all unique cultural, religious, and remembrance milestones that we could find across our entire APINH diaspora—all 62-74 regions—and for all 365 days of the year.

This is now the most complete centralized source that lives on the internet, and we need your help to let us know what organizations are observing these events locally in New Mexico.

Now, we have a floor to grow from. Not only will this list help us support community gatherings, but it also:

• Provides a baseline for how our community can plan ahead for the year
• Gives us a path forward for how our APINH community defines itself, and
• Helps us eventually understand which of the 74 global regions are considered part of our diaspora in New Mexico, as vetted directly by our community over time.

APINH 2026 Major Observances Calendar

Transit-Connected Commerce: Mapping 230+ APINH Businesses

82% of our businesses are within 2 blocks of an ABQRIDE/ART stop.

Project BRIDGE collects deep details for every business to make sure our community is visible to the City and to tourists. Below is an example of the information we keep for our local partners. This data helps people find businesses through transit, cultural tours, and search engines.

For example, this is what it looks like for Talin Market:

• Business Name: Talin Market
• APINH Relationship: APINH-Owned
• Category: Grocery
• Area of Expertise: Food & Agriculture
• Cuisine or Specialty: International Market
• Neighborhood: International District
• Main Street: Central Ave
• Closest Bus Stop: Central @ Louisiana
• Closest Bus Line: 66, 766 (ART), 777
• Google Maps Link: Google Maps Link
• Primary Location: 88 Louisiana Blvd SE
• Primary Parking: Dedicated Lot
• Contact/Web: talinmarket.com
• APINH Representation: Lao, Chinese, Taiwanese
• Route 66 Relevance: Located on the historic main road
• Route 66 Remixed Art Stop (Public Art Stop): Neon Plátano
• Route 66 Remixed Art Stop Link: View Art Details
• Event Tags: Lunar New Year, Route 66, Food & Art, Neighborhood Gem

Why We Track This Information

We don't just list names and phone numbers. We track details like Bus Stops and Art Locations to build a "Shared Intelligence Layer" for Albuquerque.

1. For Search Engines (GEO): By listing specific cultural details (Lao, Chinese, Taiwanese), we help AI tell tourists exactly where to find authentic food and gifts.
2. For Transit Equity: By listing the 66 and 766 ART lines, we show that 82% of our businesses are easy to reach without a car.
3. For Cultural Pride: By linking businesses to the Route 66 Centennial, we ensure our community is recognized as a founding part of New Mexico’s history.

Here are the Names of the APINH-owned or Allied Businesses We Have.

Look for your name and let us know if you want to be added to our records.

What to do if You Don’t See Your Business Listed?

• Contact our office and let us know you want to be added to our records.
• What we need help with is keeping track of APINH-owned or allied businesses who don’t have storefronts or a permanent location.
• If we can find small businesses who don’t have a physical storefront, we could connect them with resources to help them grow.

For example, Talin Market—as a wonderful legacy establishment and partner to our Office of APINH Affairs—is looking for small businesses of all backgrounds who need a storefront and would like to test their business ideas. Talin Market has the market space and welcomes vendors of all communities to operate out of their location. Our Office of APINH Affairs and the City’s Economic Development Department wants to help thriving market ideas like this happen, so please contact our office!

Is Your Business Info Correct?

This is a living record. If you see something that needs to be updated or if you want to add your business to the list, please [Contact Our Office] or fill out our webform. Together, we can make sure our community stays visible and strong.

Pool Your Intelligence: Help Us Refine the Record

This page is the baseline—not the ceiling. To ensure this remains a "True Source" even if other systems go offline, we need your expertise. Whether it’s a missing cultural event, a new business, or a historical milestone, your contribution builds our collective power.

Contact the APINH Liaison, Carlo James Aragón, to see what info the APINH Office has for your business or fill out the webform: [email protected].

Submit or Update Your Business Information

Citations & Trusted Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau: Albuquerque Population QuickFacts
• APIAVote: 2024 New Mexico State Fact Sheet
• AAPI Data: National and Regional Voter & Population Surveys 2024-2026
• City of Albuquerque: 2023 Workforce Diversity Audit (Internal OEI Reporting)