Asian & Pacific Islander
Social Work Educators Association
Our history.
Connecting social work educators across generations and across the Pacific.
in education.
From gatherings in the late 1980s to an international network of educators and doctoral students, our story is one of connection, scholarship, and shared purpose.
A shared
beginning.
APISWEA’s roots date to the late 1980s, when Asian American social work educators began gathering through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting.
Originally known as the Asian American Social Work Educators Association (AASWEA), the organization later adopted the name Asian & Pacific Islander Social Work Educators Association (APISWEA) to reflect its broader and more inclusive membership.
Records document an Asian American Social Work Educators Symposium.
The association’s constitution and bylaws were drafted.
Who we are.
APISWEA is a national organization representing Asian and Pacific Islander (API) social work educators in the field of social work education in North America.
An independent association affiliated with CSWE, APISWEA connects social work faculty and doctoral students from universities throughout North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The association is composed mainly of social work educators and future social work educators.
Our mission
Our mission is to discuss and respond to issues of concern to social work educators and students related to API communities around the world, while promoting education and research on API populations within the field of social work.
Past presidents
The following timeline reflects currently available records. Term dates are preserved as documented, including gaps and overlapping years.
- Earliest known presidentTerm dates unavailable
Dr. Sharlene B. Furuto
Retired Professor, Brigham Young University–Hawaii.
- 1999–2002
Dr. Fariyal Ross-Sheriff
Retired Professor, School of Social Work, Howard University.
- 2003–2010
Dr. Patrick Leung
Professor of Social Work, Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston.
- 2010–2013
Dr. Yuhwa Eva Lu
Retired Professor, Silver School of Social Work, New York University.
Organized three APISWEA International Conferences: Shanghai, China, in 2011 (the third APISWEA conference); Vietnam in 2012; and Cambodia in 2013. She started the association’s mentor program, inaugurated its OKURA mental health scholarship program, and brought its annual meeting abroad.
- 2014–2016
Dr. Qingwen Xu
Served as president while at the Tulane University School of Social Work. Subsequently identified in association records as a professor at the New York University Silver School of Social Work and director of the NYU Shanghai–New York University Master of Social Work program.
- 2017–2019
Dr. Evaon Wong-Kim
Served as president while directing the School of Social Work at California State University, Los Angeles. Subsequently identified in association records as dean of the Portland State School of Social Work.
- 2020–2025
Dr. Shiyou Wu
Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Arizona State University.
Organized APISWEA International Conferences in Chengdu, China, in 2024 and Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2025.
- 2025Interim president
Dr. Keith Chan
Associate Professor, Hunter College (CUNY) Silberman School of Social Work.
Affiliations and roles reflect the association’s supplied historical records.
Gathering across borders.
APISWEA conferences have brought educators together in Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, and other locations. Dated conferences documented in the association’s history include:
Shanghai
China
Vietnam
Cambodia
Chengdu
China
Jakarta
Indonesia