Thank you for your interest in the National Asian & Pacific Islander Council (NAPIC), an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

 The National Asian Pacific Islander Council (NAPIC) was established in 2007 to provide a national body for Asian/Pacific Islander community college constituents to affiliate and identify in the interest of increased economic and social mobility for our communities. We are a non-profit, charitable, and educational organization established to facilitate and advocate for increased equitable educational/training opportunities and outcomes for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANAHPI) students and communities.

 This is important because, as a collective, Asian American students are often dismissed as high-performing despite significant differences in disaggregated outcomes. This is highlighted in a July 2024 report, Ensuring College Access and Success for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Students, authored by former NAPIC President Dr. Rowena Tomaneng. Pulling from statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Five Year Estimates 2019-2023, she cites, “Nearly a quarter (24%) of NHPIs in the U.S. have enrolled in college without completing at least an associate degree” and “Only one in five NHPI residents has a bachelor’s degree. This is one third the rate of bachelor’s-degree attainment seen by their Asian American peers—a difference that is often masked when data on these groups are aggregated together.”

While we are not as large as some of the other affiliated councils, I believe we have much to offer in terms of professional development, support, and advocacy. I think what makes NAPIC special is our focus on relationships and inclusiveness. Personally, the mentorship, coaching, and support I have received have enabled and prepared me well to pursue leadership opportunities in what is proving to be a very rewarding career and experience. We do hope you will consider joining us. All are invited and encouraged to be involved.