The Institute for Asian American Studies (IAAS) at the University of Massachusetts Boston was established in 1993 with support from Asian American communities and direction from the state legislature. The IAAS utilizes resources and expertise from the University and the community to conduct research on Asian Americans; to strengthen and further Asian American involvement in political, economic, social, and cultural life; and to improve opportunities and campus life for Asian American faculty, staff, and students and for those interested in Asian Americans.

As part of the network of campus-based centers and institutes, the IAAS plays a role comparable to the Trotter Institute and the Gaston Institute which work closely with and for the state's Black and Latino communities and contribute to UMass Boston's unique, multicultural research capacity. The IAAS also taps resources within the statewide UMass system, including the campuses in Amherst, Lowell, Dartmouth, and Worcester.