OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates

Our Mission  

OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national organization dedicated to empower and promote Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) at the national, state, and local levels by advancing equities and opportunities in society. To fulfill its mission, OCA has established the following goals:

• to advocate for social justice, equal opportunity and fair treatment;
• to promote civic participation, education, and leadership;
• to advance coalitions and community building; and
• to foster cultural heritage.

Founded in 1973, OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates is the second oldest civil rights organization dedicated to advocating for social, economic, and political well-being of all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. A national, membership-based organization, OCA was founded by the St. Louis, Detroit, and Washington, DC chapters with a mission to conduct policy and advocacy work in the nation’s capitol as well as programming and community development in chapters across the country. From advocating on behalf of Vincent Chin’s family, to establishing the federally recognized Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, to fighting voter suppression laws in various states, OCA has an extensive legacy of legislative and cultural wins for the AAPI community. However, there is continued need to fight for language access, immigration reform, digital literacy and broadband access, and diversity and inclusion within all kinds of spaces, which OCA tackles at both national and grassroots levels.

Regional Advocacy Summits

In 2024, OCA National hosted its first Regional Leadership Summit with the OCA Las Vegas chapter. High school, college, and graduate students, and young professionals learned valuable skills in student organizing and advocacy, empowering them to engage with legislators and drive change in their communities. A free training, Regional Advocacy Summits encourages communities to become more civically engaged and to create a pipeline of policy champions.

How We’re Fighting Back

1. Birthright Citizenship Lawsuit: OCA is fighting to permanently block any attempt to deny birthright citizenship to U.S.-born children of immigrants, a direct threat to the 14th Amendment.

2. Department of Education (DOGE) Lawsuit: OCA is challenging the rollback of equity programs in K-12 and higher education, including cuts to Pell Grants, language access services, and AANAPISI funding that support underserved students.

3. Elections Executive Order Lawsuit: OCA is pushing back against voting restrictions like mandatory documentary proof of citizenship and strict vote-by-mail deadlines—policies that disproportionately impact seniors, rural voters, and communities of color.