There was a time when Princeton’s undergraduate student body consisted of only two students of Asian descent. Though ethnic Asian enrollment at the University remained low throughout the 1950s and 1960s, students would come together to form the politically-minded Asian American Students Association (AASA) in 1971.
Then, as Asian and Asian American students began to graduate from the University, the idea for an Asian alumni affinity group was conceived in 1977, nearly a century after the first Asian students enrolled in 1871–1872.
At the time, the newly founded organization was known as Asian Alumni of Princeton (AAP). In 2003, AAP was renamed to the Asian American Alumni Association of Princeton (A4P), and established its charter and Board of Governors. Since then, the nonprofit has formalized its mission to support alumni and students from every angle, “advancing Asian-American and Asian issues in student life, university affairs, personal and professional development and community service.”
Now, according to A4P Co-Chair Benny Mah ’82, A4P is the largest alumni affinity group of the University, with regional organizations in major locations from California and Chicago to Taipei and Tokyo.
With its expansive network, the latest focus of A4P reaches beyond alumni, channeling efforts to support current students.
“My vision for the students is for them to know that there is an alumni body that is happy to interact, happy to share stories and experiences,” said A4P Co-Chair Nancy Lin ’77. “It’s good for the students to start getting used to the idea of ‘Oh, I have this older group that I can depend on, that I can ask questions that I’m not comfortable asking somebody else.’”
According to Lin, the goal of A4P is to connect students with a family of alumni who can offer them guidance, break negative cultural paradigms, and advocate for the Asian community as a whole. From navigating life as an Asian immigrant to asking for professional advice in the form of mock interviews or industry overviews, Lin seeks to provide all students access to the wealth of alumni experiences that make up A4P.
In the spirit of student-alumni engagement, A4P has been pushing to make alumni interactions more accessible by having on-campus events and hosting a Zoom series where alumni and students alike can easily tune in. Shortly after the COVID pandemic hit, A4P organized a monthly series of virtual events with both panels and individual speakers, including Director of the Program in Asian American Studies (ASA) Beth Lew-Williams talking about her book, “John Doe Chinaman: Race and Law in the American West.”
Mah noted that since July 2023, A4P has held 65 in-person events across 17 cities, with New York City representing the hub of activity. Many of these events have also involved current undergraduate students.
Additionally, A4P has strengthened outreach to student organizations, primarily AASA due to its large membership, but also smaller communities such as the Japanese Students Association (JSA) and South Asian Students Association (SASA).
Past partnerships between A4P and AASA have included hosting Alumni Day gatherings, Asian art exhibitions, lecture series, mentorship/pairing programs, and food events in NYC restaurants.
“It was really cool to see all of the alumni who were Asian or Asian-American,” shared Monica Sing ’27, a participant of the A4P Alumni Day Reception. “I also liked how the event was run.”
Sing also noted that the event also allowed to connect with fellow Asians within the current undergraduate body. “I was able to meet someone who spoke the same dialect of Chinese as me since we were from similar regions in Southeast Asia,” she explained.
According to Mah, some values common to Asian culture may lead some students to hesitate when it comes to engaging with alumni.
“We’re taught to study, right? Parents want us to study — keep your nose down, do your work,” Mah said. “Some way or another, we have to break through that.”
However, through the supportive network at A4P, students can strive to ask questions and gain new perspectives.
“Everyone welcomes you, and wants to hear your story, and is happy to exchange stories,” Lin said. “I think it’s really neat learning how similar certain aspects of our backgrounds are, and it gives you an opportunity to reflect. You’re a part of a certain cohort of very different stories, which just makes you appreciate how diverse the group is.”
Last year, Mah started an initiative to pair students and alumni to tour the campus together during Alumni Day or Reunions, so that the current students could introduce the new buildings and culture on campus to the older generations. This connection, Mah emphasized, was more than a walk or a sit-down meal — it was an opportunity to make a connection and continue the discussion into the future.
“You’ll have to find a way to break the ice. And once you break the ice, you need to maintain that dialogue,” Mah said. “It’s a relationship that develops over time. Two people have to work at it to make it work — and it’s two people, not just one person.”
A4P has been working with AASA’s executive board to share news about their events and attendance tracking, sending opportunities on AASA’s listserv and newsletters. A4P also encourages the sharing contact information with all participants after every event in the spirit of maintaining connections.
“The best way to meet with alums is just to go to these events,” AASA 2022–2023 Alumni Engagement Chair David Chau ’26 said. “And you can reach out to them at any time.”
One of the most recent efforts was the AASA x A4P Legal Panel, moderated by Frances Han ’95, a Vanguard Senior Compliance Director with a corporate law background. Other panelists included Jean Lee ’15, Olympia Ingriselli-Moy ’05, and Fiona Ong ’89, with backgrounds in corporate law, public interest, and labor and employment, respectively.
“It’s the benefits of having that Princeton family. I know you’re so focused on your day-to-day because we were all there, and it’s all-consuming,” Han said. “So, gather information, talk to people. Don’t be shy because we [alumni] love to talk. That’s the value of A4P. They have lots of different communities and offer programming, and if you’re interested in something, you can run with it.”
The panel started with guiding questions for the panelists before opening up to a Q&A with students and ending in small group dinners at a private dining room in Yeh College.
Students and alumni gather for dinner following the AASA x A4P Legal Panel.
Courtesy of Benny Mah ’82.
Ultimately, A4P remains a strong supporter of students and alumni alike in service, career development, and advancing Asian and Asian-American life in the University. New leaders are focusing their effort on breaking cultural barriers and forging lasting connections between students and alumni.
A4P has also developed many initiatives in support of culture and representation. In 2013, A4P alumni and students created and funded the University’s Asian American Studies Endowment, which culminated in the formal establishment of the ASA — now Minor — Certificate Program later in 2018.
Another major initiative within A4P’s own Board of Governors is to diversify representation for alumni identifying with all Asian ethnicities. At present, the Board has grown to consist of one-third South Asian alumni and is also looking to expand its graduate alumni representation, which stands at approximately one-fourth of A4P leadership.
“We’re your alumni group,” Lin said. “Come and join us! We’ll do our best to help, or just have a good time with you.”
Coco Gong is a staff Features writer at the ‘Prince.’
Please direct any corrections requests to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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