How Asians Became the Most Vaccinated Group in New York City Sixty-eight percent of the city’s adult Asian population has received at least one dose, despite many New Yorkers of Asian descent facing language barriers and a fear of violence. Phung Nguyen, 77, relied on the help of Michelle Bounkousohn, an organizer, to get vaccinated. Credit...Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times May 5, 2021Updated 3:51 p.m. ET Since last year, Phung Nguyen, 77, feared the worst would happen if she fell ill with Covid-19. She lives alone in the Bronx, lost contact with her daughter years ago and only speaks Vietnamese.