About AAWPI

The Asian American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI) is the country’s only political leadership organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander women.

Our mission is simple: We work to ensure that Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women have a voice in our democracy.

Challenging our Invisibility

52% of AAPI women report experiencing sexual or physical assault, , likely an understated figure as AAPI women are also the least likely to report these crimes. Now, xenaphobic COVID-19 propaganda and anti-China sentiment has fueled hate toward AAPI communities, echoing violence perpetrated throughout U.S. history. Of the anti-Asian hate incidents reported during the pandemic, 68% were against women. Most prominently, the 2021 Georgia mass shooting killed eight people, six Asian women. Recently, at least 24 states have proposed legislation to ban Chinese immigrant noncitizens from owning property, including Florida where this legislation is law.

From the lowest voter turnout to almost complete invisibility in government, AAPI communities are among those with the least political power, leaving AAPIs vulnerable to the targeted hate that we see today. Without a seat at the table, AAPIs are left out of policymaking that directly affects them and creating lasting change in our communities is impossible.

Building What Hasn’t Existed

As the country’s only political leadership organization for AAPI women, we’ve built an infrastructure to support low-income and immigrant AAPI women interested in government and politics, women who so rarely see themselves reflected in power but are the leaders we need for our communities. 

For over a decade, AAWPI’s groundbreaking political leadership program for low-income and immigrant AAPI women has been changing the face of political power in Massachusetts. Our 100+ alumni are Dreamers, anti-foreclosure activists who have experienced foreclosure themselves, LGBTQ rights advocates, and nonprofit entrepreneurs who found their political voice through AAWPI. Our model addresses the unique challenges AAPI women face, building community around a shared commitment to social justice. Over 90% of our alumni go on to work on campaigns, become organizers, or run for office themselves.

Building on the success of our Massachusetts model for deep, lasting civic engagement, we are scaling nationally and creating a first-of-its-kind national infrastructure to activate AAPI women, elevating civic engagement from voting, to community organizing, to running for office. 

In Deep Community with All Women of Color

As women of color, we are committed to working in coalition with Black, Latina and Indigenous women to build political power for all our communities.  

The system that has sparked ramped-up hatred and harassment toward Asian Americans since the beginning of the pandemic is the same system that paints immigrants at our Southern border as a threat, or that makes Black Americans an overwhelming target for police violence.

Our shared work to change the system is inextricably tied together.

Ultimately, AAWPI’s vision is a movement to empower Asian American and Pacific Islander women that involves and strengthens us all.