The Midwest Asian American Students Union (MAASU) was started in response to a need for political unity among Asian American students in the Midwest. By 1990, there were more than 20 universities in the Midwest that had formed APA organizations. Some had been around for years; some were in their infancy. Students felt there needed to be an organization that would support the growth of these organizations and organize APA students in the Midwest for political activism, and MAASU was formed to fill this responsibility.