Metropolitan Asian Deaf Association
MADA, an organization by, of, and for Asian Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing women and men and supported by the hearing community, recognizes the evolving roles and needs of Asian Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing women and men today. We focus on multiculturalism, advocacy, education and outreach.
We are dedicated to the exchange of information, to empowerment and to the enhancement of the quality of lives for all Asian Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing women and men.
History
On September 2002, two Asian Deaf people, Candice Hsu of NJ and Jennifer A. Cho of NY got together with a small group now know as the “First Asian Deaf Gathering” at Starbucks Coffee, Cooper Union in New York, NY. The group had made plans on going out with other Asian Deaf people and just had a good time. Candice, who was aware that no organization for Deaf Asians existed in NY and NJ, had been formulating ideas of establishing this type of organization for some time. She began networking with Asian Deaf Colleagues and developing her leadership skills. She was a member of the Northeastern University Deaf Club (NUDC) at Northeastern University in Boston, MA serving as both Vice President and then President in her college years. In addition to these roles, she participated in many events, and served as Director of Special Events, and the Ad Hoc Committee. She also served as a Treasurer for the Miss Deaf New Jersey Pageant in Trenton and Atlantic City, NJ. During this time, Candice gained the necessary experiences and skills to successfully lead the organization of her dreams.
Jennifer developed a wide enough range of contracts of Asian Deaf people over the years to launch an organization. She served as Fundraising Coordinator and Social & Cultural Director for the Asian Deaf Club (ADC) at National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, NY in her college years. She also served as a Treasurer and Vice President for the Filipino American Deaf Organization (FADO) in NY and NJ. She is well versed in Asian Deaf culture and values.
Two short months after their meeting at Starbucks, the Metropolitan Asian Deaf Association (MADA) was officially named at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City, NJ. It wasn’t long before the organization began to reap rewards. Currently, the board members consist of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Member-At-Large and several chairpersons.
We will continue to share our goals and promote recognition and respect for the Asian Deaf Community on regional and national levels.
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