Founded in 1967 as the Chinese American Civic Association and re-named in 1992, the Asian American Civic Association continues to serve the greater Boston immigrant community in a variety of ways.  Originally established to meet the social and cultural needs of first and second generation Chinese immigrants, AACA has evolved into Boston’s premier workforce development, adult basic education, and comprehensive social service center to help economically disadvantaged and limited English speaking immigrants achieve enduring economic self-sufficiency.

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In the early 1970s, AACA became a major social planning and cultural advocacy agency in Boston’s Chinatown. Out of it evolved the South Cove Community Health Center and the Chinese Golden Age Center.   In 1972, AACA began publishing Sampan, a bilingual English-Chinese newspaper to help build bridges between the Chinese community, other Asian groups and the larger community in greater Boston.  In 1979, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, AACA extended its reach to a new influx of immigrants and refugees from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.  In 1984, in response to an increasing demand for job and vocational training, AACA implemented its first workforce development program.  In 2000, the agency expanded its client base to include after-school youth programs for Boston’s children and teens.