APIDAA began as an effort to reinvigorate AAPISA. After the majority of seniors in AAPISA graduated in Spring 2018, two rising sophomores and an incoming first year student (Alice Zheng ’21C, Julia Zhong ’21, and Stephanie Zheng ’22) decided to reshape the AAPISA to advocate for more resources from Emory University, including an Asian American Studies major and an affinity space for Asian American students commensurate with the existing Emory Black Student Union (EBSU) and the Centro Lantix. Emory established EBSU and El Centro in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

During AY 2018-2019, the three students’ work to reinvigorate AAPISA began receiving attention on campus. Soon, it attracted more members, and AAPISA became Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Activists (APIDAA), a group dedicated to engaging Asian American-Pacific Islander social justice activism with academia. In addition to holding workshops, seminars, discussion groups, and events on Asian American identity and social justice, APIDAA worked with Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta to register new voters and conduct canvassing off campus.

APIDAA students canvassing with Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta