Our Timeline
PAAWBAC’s first planning retreat
Since 1980, the Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition has served and celebrated API women for their resilience and impact. PAAWBAC is proud to build on its legacy to continue to support and shine a light on the achievements and experience of API women in the Bay Area.
1980
PAAWBAC founded
1983
Woman Warrior Awards established
1984
PAAWBAC is officially incorporated as a non-profit organization with the filing of Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws with the California Secretary of State
1991
PAAWBAC and Steven Lee Productions host “Showtime at the Nikko,” the First Asian American Comedy Night with co-emcees Margaret Cho and Rick Quan
1998
Education Fund reformulated as the Catalyst Fund - to support activities that are responsive to the changing needs of the API women’s community, and not typically supported by traditional funding sources
2001
Networking events
2002
Catalyst Fund Mentorship Program established
2009
Network ‘09, recognizing San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong for 30 years of service to the City and County of San Francisco
2019
Woman Warrior Awards revived
1981
PAAWBAC hosts 1981 statewide Asian-Pacific Women’s Conference
1983
Scholarship Fund established, to assist Asian Pacific Islander women in need entering non-traditional fields of study or re-entering an academic, vocational or other skills development training program
1990
Woman Warrior Awards and 10th Anniversary Celebration - honorary chairperson Maxine Hong Kingston
1997
PAAWBAC presents its new logo, still in use today
2000
Woman Warrior Awards and 20th Anniversary Celebration. Nordstrom, a major sponsor, highlights Women Warriors with a display during the month of May at its San Francisco Centre store and an original poem by Janice Mirikitani, San Francisco’s Poet Laureate
2002
Sponsorships of Community Partners
2006
Monarch Awards established
2017
Anita Fong Legacy Fund established