Asian Americans United (AAU) formed in 1985 when small groups of like-minded individuals came together to build a broad base to support Asian American communities in Philadelphia. In 1986, AAU began a pilot summer program to provide an alternate education to Southeast Asian children in West Philadelphia and to train youth and organize parents. AAU's goal is to get more parents involved in the education of their children by providing them with information and organizing them around issues such as the creation of English as a Second Language programs and ensuring bilingual staff in schools.