The Asian/Pacific/American Institute at New York University recognizes that as the world becomes connected at higher speeds on a certain level, international cultural connection, translation and a shared re-imagined space come increasingly into play.

The Asian/Pacific/American Institute was established in 1996 as the Asian/Pacific/American Program & Institute at NYU in response to student interest combined with the University's commitment to global excellence. Formerly located on Mercer Street in Greenwich Village, A/P/A Institute provided a space in which research and public programs with a focus on community and intercultural studies were made accessible to faculty, students and the New York community within a broad, rigorous international and comparative framework.

The A/P/A Institute has produced programming, publications, exhibitions, new research, and a long-running artist-in-residence program, attracting leading academics and practitioners. The multiple archival collection initiatives, including the recently completed acquisition of the Yoshio Kishi / Irene Yah Ling Sun Collection, spearheaded by the A/P/A Institute have also continued to build a foundation of, and preservation and access to, important historical documents and previously overlooked materials for present and future researchers and students.

Currently located in the Union Square neighborhood, the A/P/A Institute continues to serve the community with public programs based off research, cultural production, and scholarship on contemporary issues facing Asian/Pacific/American communities and discourse. The Institute provides a nexus for scholars, community leaders and artists who are working on advancing scholarship in the field and bringing theory into practice. Through public programs, publications and other resources, the A/P/A Institute establishes forums for dialogue and interaction between socio-cultural influencers and producers, the academy and the public.