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Who we are

The ACAA is the first and so far only non-profit organization that represents and serves the Central Asian community.

ACAA was established in 2021 by a group of Central Asian professionals based in New York City who recognized the need for a voice to represent the widely underserved group. Our approach is rooted in (1) supporting vulnerable groups within the Central Asian community and (2) advocating for long-lasting change through larger community organizing initiatives.

As part of our mission, we provide vital social work and legal support to community members, such as assistance with filling out immigration forms, disability benefits, rental assistance applications, asylum applications, and acquiring Orders of Protection. We aim to provide culturally sensitive guidance and support to ensure equitable access to justice and resources.

Through our team of dedicated psychologists, and mental health professionals, we also provide individual and group counseling, psycho-educational workshops, and activity based therapy to support vulnerable groups and destigmatize mental health within the community.

Throughout the year, ACAA hosts community forums to create spaces for the community to share their experiences, concerns, and aspirations. By organizing and empowering the community, we aim to foster a collective voice that can effectively advocate for their unique needs.

To further shed light on the unique needs of the community, our research team is developing the first-ever comprehensive community needs assessment for Central Asians. With this assessment, we strive to improve our programs, shed light on the challenges faced by Central Asian immigrants, and advocate for public support.

Why helparrow_forwardOur missionarrow_forwardMeet our teamarrow_forward

why we must help

  • account_circleAnonymous:

    I am from Uzbekistan and suffer from a rare disease. Because of the rareness of the disease, I have no physcial support group that I can go to. I also don’t have family or a community that I can rely on in the U.S. There is also a language barrier that exists when it comes to receiving help. Because of this, I’ve been struggling with depression, anxiety, and loneliness. It was only when I found Annabel Counseling Services, a partner company to ACAA, which has therapists that speak several Central Asian languages that I was able to get some of the support I need. After finding out about the formation of ACAA, I was very excited and look forward to the support and unity within the Central Asian community that the organization will be providing.

  • account_circleAnonymous:

    I am a citizen of Turkmenistan and my husband is a citizen of Uzbekistan. We live in the State of New York in the United States. He is continuously abusing me verbally and financially. I can not leave because I depend on him financially and I have 3 kids whom I can not take care of myself and have no place to go, because my family is in Uzbekistan. I wish there were people or organizations who could understand me and support me, people who would know my culture and his culture and wouldn't judge me... I am totally lost now and do not know what to do, as my emotions affect my kids daily.

  • account_circleAnonymous:

    I was born in Kyrgyzstan but raised in the U.S. Applying to colleges as a Central Asian was really hard because when I filled out the forms, they would ask me to identify my racial/ethnic background but I didn’t know which ones to choose since Central Asia was not included into any of them. Also, when I was applying for scholarships, a lot of them were based on racial/ethnic belonging, and since Central Asia doesn’t belong to any of them, there wasn’t a community or organization that would be supporting me through the college application and education process. I remember feeling jealous of my friends who would receive care packages and financial aid from their community organizations. As a member of ACAA, I hope to implement more support towards students that don’t fit the criteria for any of the more recognized racial/ethnic communities.

  • account_circleAnonymous:

    I am from Tajikistan and my wife is Jewish. I see how her community helps their people: there are a lot of community centers providing legal and psychological services for free. I am in the USA since 2010 and until now I do not know any Tajik organization that provides people free services. Many times I suffered filling out applications for immigration, for driver's license and other documents, because of my poor English. I am sure there are a lot of people like me suffering nowadays, especially those who immigrated recently.

  • account_circleAnonymous:

    When we came to the USA from Uzbekistan, I thought our life would be different, but it got worse. My husband used to abuse me verbally only when we were in Uzbekistan, but now because I don't have any relatives and friends here in the USA, he started abusing me financially and physically. I don't know where to go, what to do. I need someone to direct me, show me my rights, and help me to protect my rights. If I was in Uzbekistan my family would help me, but here I don't have anyone. I called 2 lawyers but they charge consultation fees and I don't have money to pay.

  • account_circleAnonymous:

    Я приехала в штаты с мужем и 2-я детьми. Не знаю английский. Не работаю. Муж бросил меня и детей 6 месяцев назад и всего 2 раза отправил небольшую сумму денег через друга. Не знаю, что делать, куда идти. Соседка сказала, чтобы я подала на алименты, но там надо много бумаг заполнять, я не умею, а денег заплатить нет. Попросила её, чтобы помогла мне, но она отказалась, так как тоже не владеет английским языком. Как нам приезжим, у кого нет языка и денег быть в таких ситуациях?