LOOKING FORWARD WITH
KURT NISHIMURA AREAA has been and will continue to be the leading advocate for AAPI housing, and nobody understands that more than Kurt Nishimura. Kurt works as a real estate agent and consultant with Coldwell Banker out of Phoenix, AZ, and has witnessed firsthand the rapid growth of the AAPI community in his hometown of Phoenix. Kurt also recognizes the importance of AAPI identity. Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, Kurt did not have many AAPI peers. Out of concerns for potential racial ostracism, his parents encouraged him to play many different sports, a passion which he still holds to this day. For Kurt, AREAA has been an important community that has helped him to get closer to his heritage, identity
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Every AREAA President has a unique approach or goals that they follow during their term. What will that be for you? Kurt: First, it’s important to me to continue all the great work we are already doing. Creating educational content to help our members better serve their local community, meeting with our representatives in DC to make important changes, and conducting our own research so we can spotlight the most relevant issues facing the AAPI community. But for my year, I really want to draw attention to the incredible power of the AAPI community. Despite the work that still needs to be done, this is a community that has a very high purchasing power, is commanding a greater cultural presence, and is starting small businesses and buying homes across the country. It’s a big deal, and businesses that fail to adequately address this community’s’ needs are missing out on a major market.