Center for Health Disparities Innovations and Studies

304 & 306 Marshall Building
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
734.487.4420 | [email protected]

Healthy Asian Americans Project (HAAP)

HAAP Logo
 
HAAP Logo

 

HAAP was established in 1996 with the mission to improve the overall health of Asian Americans and reduce health disparities with research, education, and promotion. Throughout the years, HAAP has received federal- and state grants as well as support from foundations that focus on eliminating health disparities among Asian Americans and Asians. HAAP’s coordinators serve seven Asian communities: Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. The research in health disparities that HAAP has conducted has served as the evidence base for developing and implementing effective interventions for Asians and Asian Americans.


History

Healthy Asian Americans Project also known as HAAP is to improve health status of Asian Americans and to reduce health disparities through research, education, and community seminars. With the help of state representative Alma Wheeler and Amy Seetoo, Dr. Mei-Yu Yu started HAAP to help low-income Asian women to get free pap smear and mammogram. The first grant was received from the State of Michigan for BCCCP (Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program). HAAP subsequently have expanded its service and received more grant from different sources.


Mission Statement

The ultimate goal of HAAP is to improve overall health of Asian Americans and reduce health disparities with research, education, and promotion. We want to eliminate health disparities among Asian Americans; including those that occur by gender, race, ethnicity, education, income, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation. HAAP serves individuals of all ages; we want to increase life expectancy and improve quality of life of Asian Americans.


Strategies 

HAAP community coordinators recruit participants from their communities and also provide assistance to those that do not speak English but their native languages. We focus on seven Asian communities: Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Our health fairs are conducted by collaborating with community-based organizations and agencies. We use various media & channels to educate Asian Americans about health-related topics; we publish articles in several Asian languages in local newspapers, community newsletters, and church bulletins. We also conduct research in order to make interventions to better serve Asian Americans.

 

 

 

Skip Section Navigation