The increasing racial wealth gap in the United States is a troublesome sign that millions of families nationwide do not have enough in assets for future needs, such as home purchases, secondary education for children, a financial buffer in periods of uncertainty, and retirement. Additionally, many families face challenges with earning enough income to afford necessities such as housing, food, transportation, and medical care. It is important to note that wealth and income are quite different and should not be used interchangeably. This special issue of the Asian American Pacific Islander Nexus Journal focuses on wealththe accumulation of all your assets, both physical and financial investments. In particular, why wealth is what really matters and is as important as income in better understanding economic inequality.This special issue is also the first publication devoted entirely to an in-depth examination of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AA-PIs), Native Hawaiians, and wealth. While previous work may have included a chapter on the issue (e.g., see Ong and Patraporn, 2006), this special journal issue gives voice to the highly diverse and complex AAPI population's ideals, concerns, and priorities in relation to wealth inequality and financial security and moves beyond the simplistic and misleading "model minority" stereotype. The special issue is a collection of papers presenting new insights that can enrich the policy debates on tax policy reform, financial capability, student loans, social security, retirement, housing, small business, and additional asset-building issues, especially how they relate to other communities of color.More than ever, it is important to include AAPIs in the development of a more inclusive, fair, and comprehensive narrative about racial
