On the Front Lines of Immigrant Homeownership: Asian American Nonprofits During the Great Recession

Abstract

Asian American–serving nonprofits were on the forefront to help immigrant Asian American homeowners during the recession, particularly those with limited English proficiency. Yet, we know little about the experiences of these organizations, as they are relatively understudied in the nonprofit literature. We triangulated interviews with 14 Asian American–serving nonprofits providing housing counseling services with organizational tax records to advance theory on their roles and impacts. Our findings reveal that although Asian American nonprofits played an important role in serving limited English-speaking clients overlooked by other nonprofits during the recession, they struggled to provide comprehensive assistance and remain solvent. Asian American nonprofits used diverse troubleshooting strategies, including seeking certifications, diversifying funding sources, and creaming. Adopting more holistic funding criteria and encouraging greater collaboration among nonprofits serving immigrants would help Asian American nonprofits become more resilient.