(Image by J S from Pixabay)

FOR BLACK, INDIGENOUS, and communities of color, as well as other marginalized groups, data can drive greater visibility of residents’ needs—or perpetuate our historic invisibility. Thanks to the longstanding advocacy of community organizations, researchers, state Rep. Tackey Chan and the House Asian Caucus, Massachusetts passed the most expansive data equity policy in the nation, embedding this language into the 2024 budget, which Governor Maura Healey signed into law in August 2023.  

These provisions require all state agencies that already collect race and ethnicity information to further disaggregate it by every major Asian, Pacific Islander, Black and African American, Latino, and white or Caucasian subgroup. This is vitally important given the growing diversity of Massachusetts residents and the persistence of significant disparities, both among different racial categories and within communities themselves.  

For example, consider educational outcomes among Black residents. Nearly half of Nigerian residents in Greater Boston hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 15 percent of Black Haitians and 10 percent of Cape Verdean residents. Among Latino residents, approximately two-thirds of Guatemalan and Salvadoran workers in Massachusetts are limited English proficient—compared to fewer than 20 percent of Puerto Rican residents, contributing to major disparities in employment and economic outcomes.  

For the local Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, this policy is especially consequential and timely given the findings from the recent “No Longer Invisible” report —demonstrating the perniciousness of the “model minority” stereotype, which has characterized the nation’s Asian population as high-achieving economically, and therefore ignoring the intersecting challenges facing working-class Asian Americans.  

Consider the current food insecurity crisis. While Asian American households in Massachusetts, on average, experience food insecurity at rates comparable to white residents and lower than other racial groups, data findings like these often mask critical needs within the diverse AAPI community. Importantly, 46.1 percent of Cambodian families receive SNAP benefits, as do 25.5 percent of Vietnamese families, compared to 16 percent of all families statewide. 

The data equity law represents a significant milestone in not only overcoming harmful racial biases in data, but also opening the door for greater intentionality and effectiveness in delivering state programs. Food distribution, postsecondary readiness programs, and job training programs funded by the state could all be better tailored and targeted to meet the distinct needs of specific ethnic populations. 

But as we know from many other state policies, it all comes down to implementation—and the data equity law presents a historic opportunity for innovation and community engagement. Accordingly, the law included a significant runway for implementation, with the Executive Office for Administration and Finance tasked with creating guidelines by January 2025, and the law itself not going into effect until January 2026. 

Yet, over two years since the law’s passage, we have seen little progress and movement on implementation, and our residents are continuing to suffer the consequences. As community leaders, we are ready to partner with state advocates in the coming months to ensure that this policy is implemented with fidelity and intentionality. Here are some key steps that Massachusetts can take to deliver on the promise of data equity:  

1. Sequence implementation by starting with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services 

As the state’s largest single agency, accounting for over 50 percent of the state’s annual budget, EOHHS plays a central role in the delivery of key programs. Particularly given the changing federal landscape and funding instability, data-informed decisions are even more critical. The state must begin implementation within EOHHS because it is the initial, and often primary, touch point for working class, immigrant, and most marginalized individuals in our communities. By doing so, we will be able to better understand the demographics and ethnic makeup of all communities seeking public health services and support across the Commonwealth. 

2. Convene a Data Equity Community Advisory Committee 

Establishing a Community Advisory Committee composed of diverse stakeholders, including legislators, advocates, public health experts, and researchers, is a necessary step to ensure that implementation is fully inclusive and reflective of our communities. Moreover, the state needs to dedicate funding to host several public hearings in multiple languages and geographical regions, in partnership with this community advisory committee, ensuring that all community voices are heard.  

3. Invest in greater training and resources for our state agency workers 

Capacity matters, and just as Massachusetts law requires every state agency to create a language access plan and appoint a language access coordinator, so too must the state fund the development of comparable data equity plans and coordinator roles within each agency. Furthermore, additional funding is needed to provide trainings and resources for agency staff to implement the new data collection requirements outlined in this law. Accordingly, we urge state leaders to allocate funding in the fiscal year 2027 state budget to support these vital activities. 

Massachusetts faces intersecting public health challenges — from rising food insecurity and housing instability to widening economic and racial inequities, all compounded by the current deportation crisis. Additional investments in data disaggregation are urgently needed to fully understand how working class, immigrant, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities are being impacted by current policies, where gaps in services and resources exist, and to strengthen the infrastructure to protect data privacy in the face of federal threats. 

The nation is once again looking to Massachusetts to be a beacon for innovation. Particularly in this political climate, where data privacy laws are being destroyed by the Trump administration, Massachusetts must stand firm in our commitment to data equity and privacy. We cannot afford to squander this pivotal moment, and we need our state leaders to prioritize the planning and implementation of the data equity law. 

Jaya Savita is executive director of Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network. Danielle Kim is executive director of the Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation.