APIA is part of the largest community college district in the country. The Maricopa Community College District is comprised of ten community colleges: Estrella Mountain Community College, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Gateway Community College, Glendale Community College, Mesa Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix College Community College, Rio Salado College, Scottsdale Community College, and South Mountain College Community College.

More than 277,000 students attend this system to get the first two years of university education. Four thousand Eleven (4,011) Asian and Pacific Islander students attended college in Arizona as of Spring 2002. This is an increase from 2,332 students since 1992. This figure is rapidly growing with the promotion and incentives that associations like APIA give to its students.

Dr. Naomi Story founded this group, together with Ms. Dzung Tran and Mr. Buddy Hing, in the year of 1992 as a tax-exempt and non-profit organization in MCCD. The purpose of APIA is to promote and enhance the well being of Asian and Pacific faculty, administrators, staff, and students at the Maricopa Community Colleges and in the community-at-large. Some of the goals are to increase the awareness of cultural diversity and uniqueness of its members to and among the colleges and to serve as resources to each other and to the local Asian and Pacific Islander community.

Since its conception, APIA has served as an advocate and mentor for our API students and members, as well as a resource for the community. APIA has participated in community events, such as the celebration of the Lunar New Year at Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix, the ALOHA Festival in downtown Phoenix, the Vietnamese Community in Arizona, the Moon Festival in Tempe, and other cultural events.

APIA has organized the Scholarship Award and Graduation receptions for our APIA students throughout the ten community colleges since 1993. In addition, APIA held scholarship fund raising banquets, receptions for the MCCD leaders and supporters, for the Chinese Delegation, and for the community leaders of Asian and Pacific Islander in Maricopa County.