The purpose of the organization shall be:
- Serve as a liaison between occupational therapy practitioners about Asian/Pacific cultural issues affecting occupational therapy practice and the American Occupational Therapy Association.
- Promote scholarly activities and research on Asian/Pacific cultural issues affecting occupational therapy practice
- Identify and work to achieve common goals and needs.
- Promote and support learning and scholarship.
- Support Occupational therapy practitioners emigrating from Asian/Pacific countries with transition and integration into the North American occupational therapy practice.
- Promote occupational therapy education and scholarly exchange among Asian/Pacific countries and North America
Chana Hiranaka and K. Kshepakaran, co-founders of AAPOTA had been in discussion about the need to give visibility to occupational therapy practitioners and students with Asian Pacific heritage in North America. During the 1994 Can-AM Occupational Therapy Conference in Boston their ideas about a multicultural group representing occupational therapy practitioners and students with Asian/Pacific heritage became a reality. The Association of Asian/Pacific Occupational Therapists in America (AAPOTA) was thus formed.