Leading Youth to Find Empowerment

The LYFE’s program goals are based on FAHSI’s vision, mission, and the needs of the youth. LYFE’s primary goals are to enhance and support academic achievement, develop leadership skills, promote positive youth development, as well as strengthen the youth’s community awareness and involvement.

The youth program of the FAHSI targets high school students from the New York City area, especially in Queens, where the majority of Filipinos reside. Filipinos make up the fourth largest Asian American group in New York Cityand the second largest Asian American group in the U.S. with a population of over 65,000, based on Census 2000 data. Filipinos are a rapidly growing segment of the city’s population.  With annual immigration more than doubling over the 1980s, the Philippines is the seventh largest source of immigrants in New York City(New York City Planning, The Newest New Yorkers, 1990-1994).  According to 1990 census data, over half of the Filipino
population in New York City resides in Queens.  About 4/5 of the population
are foreign-born, and just over half are U.S. citizens. Over 6,000 live below
200% of the poverty level, and some 13% (close to 6,000) of the New York City
Filipino population are between 15-24 years old.