What was the political and discursive context in which the organization was founded, and how did this context motivate and shape formation of the organization?

The 1980s and 1990s were a period of momentum for the Environmental Justice movement in the U.S. There was a wave of awareness that communities of color began to realize the disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards such as toxic waste sites, air pollution, and contaminated water in their neighborhoods. APENs founders recognized that AAPI communities were often overlooked or ignored within the discussions around environmental justice. APEN saw this as an opportunity to build power and bring attention to these issues by organizing within the AAPI community.