A Staten Island family’s story spans generations, from immigrants to advocates. Vanessa Leung’s parents arrived in 1968 after living in Hong Kong and China, and her father later built a medical practice on the island. Leung said Staten Island has changed from a place where her family had to travel to Manhattan for familiar ingredients to one with Asian supermarkets, Chinese restaurants, markets and more small businesses nearby. She is now co-executive director of Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, where she advocates for equity and opportunity for Asian American and Pacific Islander children and families. Leung also helped lead New York City education policy work, chaired the Panel for Educational Policy for eight years, and founded CACF’s Asian American Student Advocacy Project in 2004. She said Staten Island’s growth reflects community strength, but she also pointed to food insecurity, Medicaid reliance and the need for stronger nonprofit support for immigrant and limited-English residents. Leung and her husband are raising three sons in an intergenerational household, and she hopes a future Staten Island will let neighbors of all backgrounds flourish and feel connected.
