About Us
The Massachusetts Asian & Pacific Islanders (MAP) For Health aim to empower and uplift the LGBTQ+ API population in the Greater Boston area. As a nonprofit organization, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive community, promoting social equity, and advocating for the overall well-being of individuals within this beautifully diverse population.
MAP believes in the power of youth and their potential to contribute to a brighter future. Through our community events, we strive to provide young API folks with physical and mental health advocacy, cultural belonging, and a supportive environment that spotlights their voices and experiences. We hope our events create a brave space for individuals to meet new people and celebrate our unique cultures.
The core of our organization is our commitment to peer support and peer counseling. MAP understands the power of connecting individuals with peers who can provide understanding. As a youth-led organization, our peer leaders and social media team actively step forward to coordinate events, run multiple media platforms, and conduct community outreach.
MAP’s work is driven by the vision of a more equitable society for all Queer API individuals to embrace their identity, form a community, and live with pride.
“MAP is a community to me - our employees are one of the best, most genuine people and work hard to serve the API/queer intersection. I’m proud to be apart of this team! ”
– Julie, Social Media Team
History
“The Massachusetts Asian AIDS Prevention Project (MAAPP) is founded by activists in response to the lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention services for the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community.
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“The AIDS Action Committee provides MAAPP with its first grant. This seed money allows MAAPP to begin organizing a series of workshops.
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“Previously an all-volunteer organization, MAAPP hires its first employee with a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
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“MAAPP is recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
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“Lina Sheth, with a background in public health, is named MAP’s first Executive Director and goes on to serve in that capacity for 6 years.
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“John Wong, longtime resident of Boston’s Chinatown and advocate for Asian youth efficacy, becomes MAAPP’s first youth coordinator. AZN Pride, later known as Asian Pride, will go on to become the organization’s signature program.
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“With funds from the Office of Minority Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, MAAPP launches an HIV/AIDS prevention program in the Cambodian community in Lowell and Lynn.
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“MAAPP expands its mission to better embrace the broader health work in which it engages, including general health promotion, building HIV and sexuality awareness, fostering community leadership, and advocating for access to health care and services for Massachusetts API communities, with an emphasis on important health issues that disproportionately affect APIs but remain unaddressed due to cultural stigmas prevalent in our communities.
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“Jacob Smith Yang, formerly engaged in HIV policy work at the AIDS Action Committee, begins his tenure as Executive Director of MAP and goes on to serve in that capacity for 10 years.
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“MAAPP is rebranded to Massachusetts Asian + Pacific Islanders (MAP) for Health to reflect the broader mission of promoting health and well-being for all APIs.
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“MAP for Health and Executive Director Jacob Smith Yang are named Boston Pride Marshals, becoming the first-ever Asian-American Pride Marshals in the 37 years of Boston Pride.
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“The Hepatitis B Initiative (HBI), originally an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship project at the Harvard University School of Public Health, moves to MAP for Health.
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“MAP moves from 59 Temple Place in Downtown Crossing to 322 Tremont Street in Chinatown.
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“MAP receives the Community Hero Award from The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Asian American Commission, for “selfless commitment to the issues and events affecting AAPIs” and “efforts towards the betterment of AAPIs without self-promotion or fanfare.”
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“MAP celebrates its 25th anniversary. Special events include an Asian Pride open-mic night and the premiere screening of the documentary “MAP for Health: 25 Years of Asian Pride” at the Boston Asian American Film Festival.
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“MAP is honored at a special pre-game ceremony at Fenway Park, as part of the Boston Red Sox’s acknowledgment of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
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