The Yemeni American Merchants Association (YAMA) has joined a growing coalition pushing for urgent reforms to address what advocates describe as a worsening auto insurance affordability crisis burdening working- and immigrant-class families across New York State.

YAMA, a grassroots nonprofit founded in 2017 to support immigrant merchants and working families, announced its partnership with Citizens for Affordable Rates (CAR), a statewide advocacy coalition calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers to rein in soaring insurance premiums. The move brings new momentum—and new voices—from immigrant communities that leaders say are among the hardest hit by the surge in costs.

“Auto insurance has become financially devastating for the merchants and families we serve,” said Joel Feliciano, spokesperson for YAMA. He noted that bodega owners, delivery drivers, home health aides and other essential workers who rely on vehicles to earn a living are being pushed to the brink. “When a family spends $400, $500, or even $600 a month on car insurance, that’s rent money, food money, and money for their children’s future. This isn’t sustainable.”

According to advocates, New York’s auto insurance premiums now sit nearly 40 percent above the national average, creating what they call an affordability emergency. For many immigrant entrepreneurs—especially small store owners who must drive regularly to restock—those rising costs threaten not only household stability but business survival.

Coalition leaders say the impact ripples across communities. Some families are left struggling to balance insurance bills with childcare and living expenses, while others face the risky decision of driving without coverage. “No New Yorker should have to choose between obeying the law and feeding their family,” one advocate said.

CAR argues that systemic issues, including widespread no-fault insurance fraud, play a role in driving up premiums. A 2023 report from the New York Department of Financial Services found that three-quarters of reported fraud cases involved no-fault insurance schemes, including staged accidents and inflated medical claims. While fraud is only part of the problem, coalition members say tackling it is essential to lowering rates for honest drivers.

Beyond enforcement, the coalition is also calling for broader reforms to increase competition, modernize insurance regulations, and ensure that any cost savings are passed on to consumers rather than absorbed by insurance company profits.

“YAMA’s partnership strengthens our coalition with authentic voices from the communities suffering most under New York’s broken insurance system,” said José Bayona, spokesperson for Citizens for Affordable Rates. “Their members aren’t asking for handouts—they’re asking for fairness. A bodega owner in Brooklyn should not be paying triple what a similar driver pays in Pennsylvania.”

YAMA’s decision to join CAR reflects its long-standing role as an advocate for economic justice in immigrant neighborhoods. The organization was born out of the historic 2017 Yemeni Bodega Strike and has since provided business assistance, civil rights advocacy, and community support to merchants across the city.

Founded in 2017, the Yemeni American Merchants Association works to elevate Yemeni American merchants and their families through education, advocacy, and social service assistance. Citizens for Affordable Rates, meanwhile, is a coalition of organizations and advocates focused on addressing the root causes of high insurance premiums through public education and policy reform.

With YAMA’s entry, CAR’s coalition now spans Yemeni American, Korean American, South Asian, Hispanic, and other immigrant communities—groups leaders say represent the backbone of New York’s working economy.

“We won’t stop until action is taken,” Bayona said, signaling that pressure on Albany is set to intensify in the coming months.