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This article familiarizes the reader with AIDS among Asians and Pacific Islanders (A&PIs) in New York City. The first section describes the epidemiology of AIDS among A&PIs in the United States and in New York City. In the United States 4,131 A&PIs have been diagnosed with AIDS. The age at diagnosis in the United States has been relatively stable over the past decade, although the proportion of diagnoses represented by older A&PIs (aged 40 to 49) has been increasing in New York City. The proportion of heterosexual diagnoses have been relatively stable over the past 6 years, whereas other racial groups have shown increases in the proportion of heterosexual transmissions. Data on defining opportunistic infections suggest that a different clinical pattern exists among A&PIs when compared with other racial groups diagnosed in New York City and the United States whereby A&PIs exhibit the highest proportion of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia of all groups. The second section provides a discussion of some of the issues facing HIV positive A&PIs and their families in the process of accessing services at community-based HIV service organizations in New York City. One broad concept emerged from the client focus group that served to organize the analysis: family--a compelling case for HIV service organizations to initiate, expand, and maintain family services, however family is defined. The location of A&PI AIDS service organizations and its implications for recentering families in the caregiving process is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]