named programs · 8 · from sources
What they call their work
Anti-Deportation Campaigns
Organizing efforts including the Southeast Asian Relief and Responsibility (SEARR) campaign and Clemency Justice Act advocacy to prevent deportation of Southeast Asian immigrants.
Community Garden
Urban garden providing fresh, culturally relevant produce to low-income Southeast Asian community members while promoting intergenerational skill-sharing and health justice.
Cultural Events
Annual celebrations including Tết (Lunar New Year), Khmer New Year, Tết Trung Thu (Harvest Moon Festival), and Family Day to preserve and share Southeast Asian culture.
Health Justice Initiatives
Programs addressing healthcare access and equity, including the NYC COVID-19 Community Survey and advocacy following the death of community member Sary Mao.
Intergenerational Summer Program
Leadership and community organizing program for youth and adults of Southeast Asian descent in the Bronx, focusing on political education, history, arts, and culture of Southeast Asia.
Music Workshop and Class
Introductory and intermediate classes in traditional Vietnamese music, specifically the đàn tranh (zither), in partnership with Yes We Can Music.
Women Circle
Intergenerational women’s group focused on healing, storytelling, and leadership development through photography, self-defense, and community organizing.
Youth Fellow Program
Leadership development initiative building on the Summer Program, involving youth in campaigns, civic engagement, storytelling, and cultural events.
activities · 13 groups
What they do
-
Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 2 activities
- Advocacy for clemency and executive action to prevent deportationsAdvocates for the Clemency Justice Act through the Clemency Coalition of New York and runs social media campaigns urging Governor Kathy Hochul to use clemency powers to protect at-risk individuals from deportation.
- Deportation prevention and immigrant justice advocacyParticipates in the Southeast Asian Relief and Responsibility (SEARR) campaign and leads campaigns such as Justice for Sary Mao to combat deportations of Southeast Asians and advocate for policy changes related to clemency and language access.
-
-
Healthcare Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocacy campaigns for healthcare access and institutional accountabilityOrganizes advocacy efforts to protect community health resources, including campaigns to save the Family Health Center from closure and to demand Montefiore Medical Center conduct transparent reviews of patient care practices following preventable deaths.
-
-
Cultural Exchange and Community Integration Events 1 activity
- Arts and culture programming for community engagementSupports and facilitates arts and culture initiatives including annual cultural events such as Tết, Khmer New Year, and Tết Trung Thu, and offers đàn tranh (Vietnamese zither) classes in partnership with Yes We Can Music.
-
-
Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
- Capacity building through organizational growthExpanded organizational staff from 5 to 18 people, demonstrating internal capacity building despite operating in constrained physical space.
-
-
Community-Based Urban Agriculture 1 activity
- Community garden for culturally relevant food accessOperates a community garden that provides fresh, culturally appropriate produce to low-income Southeast Asian community members in the Bronx.
-
-
Immigrant Rights Education & Legal Preparedness 1 activity
- Community meetings, town halls, and Know Your Rights trainingsPlans and facilitates town halls, community meetings, campaign actions, and Know Your Rights workshops in English, Vietnamese, and Cambodian to empower community members with legal and civic knowledge.
-
-
Urban Policy and Equity Research 1 activity
- Community needs assessments and research initiativesConducted a community needs assessment of Southeast Asians that helped galvanize local leadership and led the NYC COVID-19 Community Survey to assess pandemic impacts on Southeast Asian communities in New York City.
-
-
Culturally Specific Support Services 1 activity
- Community organizing and social services for Southeast Asians in the BronxProvides direct social services, youth programs, legislative advocacy, and arts and culture initiatives to improve quality of life for the Southeast Asian community in the Bronx and New York City. Operates from an office at 2471 University Avenue and previously used a basement office under 850 square feet.
-
-
Community Health Equity Initiatives 1 activity
- Health equity advocacy for Southeast Asian communitiesLeads the “18% and Growing” campaign to raise awareness about rising cancer rates among Southeast Asian Americans and participates in the Communities Together for Health Equity initiative to advance equitable health outcomes.
-
-
Public Benefits Navigation and Enrollment 1 activity
- Health insurance and government benefits enrollment assistanceEnrolls community members in health insurance through the New York State of Health Navigator program and provides direct support accessing public benefits including SNAP, SSI, housing assistance, and immigration services.
-
-
Creative Arts Therapy Programs 1 activity
- Intergenerational community healing and leadership programsFacilitates the Women’s Circle program, an ongoing intergenerational space for healing, cultural workshops, mutual learning, and leadership development rooted in shared trauma and experiences, launched in 2012.
-
-
Language Access Services 1 activity
- Interpretation, accompaniment, and legal navigation servicesProvides interpretation and translation services and accompanies community members to medical appointments and court hearings to support access to justice and essential services.
-
-
Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Youth leadership and civic engagement programsRuns the Intergenerational Summer Program and Youth Fellows program, which engage youth in weekly workshops, leadership development, campaign organizing, civic engagement, and event planning.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.31M
Contributions & grants$1.31M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$9630%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.29M
Program expenses84%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$1.04M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$855K
Cash$535K
Investments$0
Liabilities$7K
Net assets$848K
Liquid reserves5.0 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -15.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socheatta Meng | Executive Director | 40 | $102K |
board members · 9
- Caryolyn Tran — Chairperson
- Jeehae Fischer — Board member
- Jenny Nguyen — Board member
- Joyce Wong — Board Member
- LoAnn Nguyen — Board member
- My Le — Board member
- Nhan Thanh Ngo — Board member
- Seng Peng — Secretary
- Vang Sahra — Treasurer
relationships · 25
Who they work with
- Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Partner — Sponsor of the Khmer New Year celebration.
- Bronx Council on the Arts Partner — Supporter and collaborator in arts and culture programming for the Southeast Asian community.
- Bronx Museum Partner — Hosted an exhibit by participants of Mekong NYC’s intergenerational photography program.
- Clemency Coalition of New York Coalition — Member organization advocating for clemency reform through the Clemency Justice Act.
- Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) Partner — Supporter and partner in programs serving Asian American families and children.
- Eating Welfare Partner — Documented the organization's early rally activities in a film.
- Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation Partner — Provided subsidized basement office space for Mekong NYC at 2471 University Avenue
- Jeremy Lin Foundation Partner — Funder supporting community programs for Asian Americans.
- Montefiore Medical Center Partner — Attending Physician from Montefiore Medical Center serves as Board Treasurer
- NY Empire State Development Funder — Provided CFA funding for The Mekong Center
- NYC City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams Funder — Provided Discretionary Capital Funding for The Mekong Center, managed by NYC EDC
- NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Government — Government funder supporting youth and community development initiatives.
- NYS Department of Health Government — Government funder supporting health-related programs.
- NYS Department of Social Services Government — Government funder supporting social services programs.
- National Coalition for Aging (NCOA) - Benefits Enrollment Center Government — Partner in benefits enrollment services for older adults.
- New York Life Insurance Company Partner — Financial Services Professional from New York Life Insurance Company serves as Board Co-Chair
- New York State of Health Government — Partner agency through which Mekong NYC enrolls community members in health insurance.
- New York University Partner — Visiting Scholar from New York University serves as Honorary Board Member
- Our Bronx Partner — Sponsor of the Khmer New Year celebration.
- Senator Robert Jackson Funder — Provided NY State CREST funds for The Mekong Center, managed by DASNY
- Southeast Asian Freedom Network Partner — Collaborates on the Southeast Asian Relief and Responsibility (SEARR) campaign to address deportation issues affecting Southeast Asians.
- The New York Immigrant Coalition Partner — Supporter and ally in advocacy and services for immigrant communities.
- The Waterfront Project Partner — Staff Attorney from The Waterfront Project serves on Mekong NYC's Board of Directors
- Wat Jotanaram Partner — Collaborates with the Cambodian Buddhist temple as a community institution serving Southeast Asian residents in The Bronx.
- Yes We Can Music Partner — Collaborates to offer music classes in Vietnamese zither (đàn tranh).
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Powered Safety Nets and Institutional Accountabilitymethodology: community_power_buildingBy combining grassroots mutual aid with targeted advocacy, we create resilient safety nets and force institutional change, because community-led pressure holds systems accountable where top-down reforms fail.
- Culturally Grounded Healing and Organizingmethodology: healing-centered_community_organizingBy integrating healing through arts, culture, and shared traditions into community organizing, we build collective power and sustain engagement, because cultural practices foster trust, repair trauma, and strengthen identity as a foundation for activism.
- Leadership from the Most Impactedmethodology: leadership_from_most_impactedBy centering leadership and decision-making among the most marginalized community members, we generate more effective and legitimate movements, because those closest to harm possess critical insight and moral authority to drive transformative change.
- Solidarity-Based Policy Advocacymethodology: solidarity_based_advocacyBy forming cross-racial and intercommunity alliances, we amplify political leverage to achieve policy change, because systemic issues affecting Southeast Asian communities require broader coalitional power to shift entrenched institutions.