APICHA: The First 10 Years

1989-91 Beginnings... A Small Group of People Talking Over Lunch...

...decided they had to pull together Asian and Pacific Islanders to stop AIDS and to care for those affected by HIV and AIDS. Some were already activists who, besides giving to the community, also felt the need to support each other as they confronted the silence and denial about AIDS. The Nisei and Sansei women, understood from their parents and their concentration camp experience what it means to be an immigrant who does not speak English as their first language. Those who attended a Washington, D.C. meeting called by the Office of Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services, to address AIDS and minority communities decided to meet back in New York City. Two women who recruited others to attend were Val Kanuha, then at the Gay Men's Health Crisis, and Joanna Omi of the New York City Department of Health, joined at the luncheon and subsequent meetings by Jomal Alcober, John Chin, Kathy and Lei Chou, both active in Act-Up, Ken Chu kee fung, Glenn Izutsu, Elinor Kushino, Tami Ogata, Suki Terada Ports, John Manzon-Santos, Sarah M. Sogy, Yukari Yanagino, and George Yuzawa. They decided to incorporate as a tax-exempt charity and began to write proposals for funds. The first private donation was $1,000 from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Even before APICHA was funded or housed in an office, Board members started providing workshops on HIV and AIDS to Asian communities in New York.

"Other No More"

At that time, there was an appalling lack of information about the incidence of AIDS among Asians. All Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans were lumped together as a category called "Other." Working closely with Native American advocates, APICHA approached James Mason, then Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in late 1989, and he agreed that for the first time the Centers for Disease Control would list "Asians and Pacific Islanders" and "Alaskan Natives and American Indians" separately. Later New York State and New York City agreed to do the same. Now, APICHA advocates that each ethnic community should know its own numbers - many Chinese, how many Filipinos, etc.

First Office on John Street

With its first foundation grant from the Aaron Diamond Foundation, APICHA moved to 11 John Street, hired its first three employees, John Manzon-Santos (who became APICHA's first executive director), Lei Chou and Yukari Yanagino. Glenn Izutsu was Chairman of the Board until he died of AIDS. The Health Project agreed to be APICHA's fiscal sponsor until their own not-for-profit official status was established. Today, Glenn's memory still inspires APICHA and a comfortable client area in the APICHA.

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