OCA Greater Phoenix

We are truly a grassroots organization that relies on the manpower of key volunteers. While we have managed in the past, the recent rise in AAPI Hate magnifies the need for AAPI representation; In Arizona, we lack a seat at the table, and because of this hole, our plight continues in silence. 

We are the fastest growing minority population in Arizona, and in the nation.  Chinese immigration to Arizona precedes our statehood; the earliest Chinese settlers came to Arizona just after it had become a Territory in 1863.  The AAPI community has a rich and bittersweet history in our great state, contributing to its infrastructure, agriculture, and commerce. On the flip side, almost one third of Japanese Americans who were interned during WWII were incarcerated at the Gila River and Poston Relocation Centers, both in Arizona. This is American History, and it’s a narrative that needs to be mandated in K-12 education, not just offered as an elective Asian American studies course on select college campuses.

We have been citizens of this country for over a century and a half yet we lack the megaphone to amplify our message. In Arizona, out of the over 200 Governors Boards and Commissions that exist, none are dedicated to AAPI civil rights. AAPI history and notable AAPI figures are barely mentioned in K-12 education.   When we are not in earshot of our elected officials, when they go unchecked weaponizing our ethnicity against us using the terms “kung-flu” and “the China virus,” and when our fellow citizens are ignorant of our American story, part of our identity is stripped and  it’s easy  to cast us as “the other.”     

To tackle Stop AAPI Hate, and dismantle a centuries-old structure of systemic racism, we frankly need to take our organization to the next level, which includes hiring a talented pool of full time staff who have both the legal and policy expertise, and the passion to lead meaningful change and increase AAPI visibility in  the community and with state and federal offices. Our concerns, and our stories can only be heard if we have advocates who are within earshot of our elected officials, holding them accountable to our constituency.

Thank you for your donation! We are so honored for your support in our march towards social justice for the AAPI community.