National Association of Asian American Professionals
The National Association of Asian American Professionals is a non-profit organization that cultivates and empowers Asian & Pacific Islander leaders through leadership development, professional networking, and community service.
WE BUILD LEADERS
As the largest and fastest growing API professionals association, NAAAP continues to provide its members with the tools and resources to further career advancement and to empower Asians and Pacific Islanders to become great leaders as well as valuable employees.
In order to achieve our goals, NAAAP offers a diverse range of professional development programs on the local and national level, engages its membership in community service and organizes professional networking events. These may range from a series of panels, workshops and seminars, and web-based sessions and networking.
OUR VISION
NAAAP is the premiere leadership organization for Asian professionals.
OUR MISSION
NAAAP inspires, cultivates, and empowers Asian and Pacific Islander leaders for professional excellence to make meaningful impact in our workplace and community.
OUR VALUES
Leadership: Develop, inspire, and connect leaders
Education: Excel at life-long learning
Accountability: Honor commitments to deliver value
Diversity: Embrace a culture of inclusion and innovation
OUR LOGO
OUR TEAM
NAAAP’s greatest asset is our members, volunteers, and leaders. Through our own leadership opportunities and programs, informal and formal mentoring, NAAAP has developed a family of leaders who support and challenge one another.
OUR LOGO
NAAAP’s logo represents the connectedness and inclusiveness of our members, chapters, and stakeholder levels. The Red A in the center of the abbreviation of the organization’s name, for “Asian” in our association’s name, is both a focal point visually and figuratively. Chapters adhere to this logo and select a central color to their liking.
The History of NAAAP
What we now know as NAAAP, the National Association of Asian American Professionals, was founded 38 years ago, in 1982, in New York City. At first, the organization was called the National Association of Young Asian Professionals, the name was soon changed to embrace a broader range of Asian Pacific American (APA) professionals and to better reflect the rapidly changing demographic.
The brutal murder of Vincent Chin in 1982 had acutely raised awareness of the importance of activism, not only in the Chinese American community, but amongst all Asian Pacific Americans. Just as we needed civil rights activism, we also need to take our own professional destinies in our hands to overcome discrimination in the workplace and break the glass ceiling.
To make NAAAP available to a wider audience, beginning in 1997, NAAAP National encouraged the development of chapter start-ups. While some ventures grew slowly, other chapters expanded to 500 members. Today, there are more than 30 chapters across the United States, Canada, and China.
In 2012, NAAAP turned 30 years old. We celebrated our 30th anniversary with the NAAAP National Convention and Diversity Career Fair presented by Macy’s in the city of both organizations’ birthplace, New York City.
In 2017, NAAAP hired its first full time staff to organize administrative and standards for the national NAAAP programs and work with chapter leaders to do the same in respective 30 chapters that are proficient or refining their operations.
NAAAP’s ongoing commitment to professional and leadership development will help NAAAP and its partners continue to succeed in years to come. These successes do not happen without the enthusiasm, innovation and hard work of NAAAP’s members, stalwart volunteer leaders, and sponsors.
Be a part of NAAAP’s future as an active member, sponsor or officer, and help write the next chapter of NAAAP’s history!
40 YEARS OF NAAAP
The History of NAAAP
1983
Founded in New York City as “The National Association of Young Asian Professionals” – subsequently renamed as NAAAP, “National Association of Asian American Professionals”
1986
NAAAP Boston founded
1987
NAAAP-Chicago founded
NAAAP National created to facilitate cooperation amongst the chapters
First National Convention – primarily for chapter officers
1991
National Convention held in Cape Cod, MA
First convention opened to both officers and members
First NAAAP National Chair (now called President) and Officers elected
1992
National Convention held in Chicago, IL
Asian Management Business Association (founded 1979) joined as NAAAP-Seattle
First large scale convention with speakers and gala events
1995
National Convention held in Los Angeles, CA
NAAAP-Houston became the fifth NAAAP chapter
1996
National Convention held in Boston, MA
Club Asean (founded 1984) and M Society West joined as the San Francisco affiliates of NAAAP
1997
National Convention held in Houston, TX
NAAAP startup groups designated as “Ventures”
1998
National Convention held in Houston, TX
NAAAP startup groups designated as “Ventures”
1999
National Convention held in Chicago, IL
Club Asean became the official San Francisco chapter of NAAAP
NAAAP Logo created in a national logo contest
2000
National Convention held in Los Angeles, CA
First NAAAP Chapter and Venture Awards given
2001
National Convention held in New York, NY
First NAAAP Leadership Retreat held in Dallas, TX
NAAAP-Toronto (founded 2000) became our first Canadian chapter
Corporate sponsorship exceeded the $100,000 mark
Vision statement created
2002
National Convention held in Boston, MA
National Leadership Retreat held in Houston, TX
NAAAP-Atlanta (founded 1997) became a chapter
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN venture formed
NAAAP National Technology Platform (Backoffice) launched
2003
National Convention held in Toronto, Ontario Canada
National Leadership Retreat held in Los Angeles, CA
NAAAP National Advisory Board created
2004
National Convention held in San Francisco, CA
National Leadership Retreat in Atlanta, GA
Venture formed in Cleveland, OH
2005
National Convention held in Chicago, IL
National Leadership Retreat held in Raleigh/Durham, NC
Connecticut venture was formed
2006
National Convention held in Seattle, WA
National Leadership Retreat held in Atlanta, GA
NAAAP-North Carolina (founded 1998) and NAAAP-Philadelphia (founded 2004) became chapters
Ventures formed in Colorado, Columbus, OH, Phoenix, AZ and Tucson, AZ
Pittsburgh Asian American Young Professional Association (founded 1999) joined as NAAAP Pittsburgh venture
2007
National Convention held in Atlanta, GA – 25 Years of NAAAP!
National Leadership Retreat held in Philadelphia, PA
NAAAP National Career Center launched at https://www.naaap.org/careers
Venture formed in Cincinnati, OH
2008
National Convention held in Los Angeles, CA
National Leadership Retreat held in Toronto, Ontario
New National Technology Platform launched
2009
National Convention held in Denver, CO
National Leadership Retreat held in Nashville, TN
National Leadership Retreat to be held in Toronto, Ontario
New National Technology Platform launched
2010
National Convention held in San Francisco, CA
National Leadership Retreat held in Uncasville, CT hosted by NAAAP Connecticut venture
Kansas City and Charlotte Ventures were formed
Orange County became a chapter
2011
National Leadership Academy (formerly named Retreat) was held in San Diego, CA
National Convention held in Boston, MA
Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles became ventures.
Women in NAAAP (WIN) regional conferences were held in Chicago, Atlanta, and Seattle.
2012
30th Anniversary of NAAAP
National Leadership Academy was held in Phoenix, AZ hosted by the NAAAP-Phoenix Venture on Feb. 24-26
National Convention was held in New York, NY on Aug. 23-25
Women in NAAAP (WIN) regional conferences were held in Dallas-Forth Worth
Hawaii became an Associate Chapter (formerly named Venture)