Celebrate, educate, advocate: Meet the Asian American Pacific Islander Tennis Association

The Asian American Pacific Islander Tennis Association (aapita.org), established in 2022, describes its mission as developing, growing and elevating the visibility and interests of the AAPI tennis community. Dig deeper, though, and it is clear that the aim is not just to represent those currently interested in American tennis who have an ancestral connection to countries that represent over half of the world’s population.

The greater goals include advocating for the interests of the AAPI community who are current players, tennis administrators and providers, while also using this network and knowledge base to expand the touchpoints throughout the country where entry into (and retention within) the sport for a lifetime can be encouraged.

David Lee, a senior marketing consultant in the Washington, D.C., area, as well as a USPTA-certified teaching pro, USTA National DEI Committee member and CTA board president, is a founding board member of the AAPITA leadership team. Lee makes the point that while a passion for and interest in racquet sports runs deep within the Asian American/Pacific Islander community, AAPI leadership and representation in tennis is “under-indexing” relative to participation. That interest in tennis is evident from the numbers:

While the U.S. Census Department says just over 6% of the population has AAPI roots, USTA data estimates that 11% of USTA members identify as Asian American.

Among USTA staff overall, 9% identify as AAPI, with only 3% at the manager/director level or above. Among this country’s tennis providers, 7% see themselves as members of the AAPI community.

Mickey Maule, the USTA's managing director of engagement and services, says USTA Connect “will enable all providers to directly market tennis more efficiently and attract specific populations across the country [and] facilitate connectivity to grow the game at all levels.”

However, inviting everyone is not the same as finding a connection that makes people feel comfortable. Five-time Grand Slam doubles champion Rajeev Ram, born in Colorado to parents of Indian origin and a member of the AAPITA board of directors, explains the importance of representation.

“[Growing up playing tennis], I was never sure if I fit in more with the Americans in tennis or the Indians and never felt fully like I belonged in either,” Ram says. “I think if AAPITA existed when I was coming up, I could have found this commonality and sense of belonging with other people/players like me and that would have been very valuable. There is no better feeling than one of belonging.”

Like Ram’s, her story is representative of many others.

“At the end of the day, I believe it is empathy that drives us toward the quest to equity,” King says. “If we connect with and celebrate others, we will champion everyone's right to fair and equal opportunity. AAPITA hopes to support the AAPI community with a multi-faceted approach: celebration, education, advocacy and community.”

With its one-year anniversary coming up, an organizational structure in place, and a well-defined vision, AAPITA expects to begin implementing programs and expanding its impact, with the US Open targeted as a likely launching pad for major announcements and outreach.

The goal is to get kids to adults in this mega-community onto the courts and into the American tennis archipelago.