Although focused on South Asian youth, the group is secular and works with young people of all ethnicities.
was founded in New York City in 1996 by Sayu Bhojwani, who believed there was a significant lack in resources available to underprivileged youths.
[3] In 1998 the group began a school-based counseling program, aiming to help the social workers employed in these schools to become advocates for the South Asian students within the academic system.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, South Asians in America faced a dramatic increase in racial and religious discrimination.
By taking part in different conversations and activities, the group works to develop students' life skills to help them with challenges faced while growing up in the United States.
[10] The group held its first annual Young Women's Leadership Conference during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May 2017.
offered activities and workshops aimed at guiding the participants in "exploring the intersecting cultural identities with which they identify, expressing pride in their cultures in the face of difficult political times, and empowering them to define their own communities and be voices of positive social change.