About Us
Starting out in the kitchen of the late Dr. William and Mrs. Anne Tao, esteemed Chinese American leaders in early St. Louis, OCA began humbly but has since transformed into a prominent civil rights advocacy group. Today, as a 501c3 organization, the headquarter of OCA is based in Washington, D.C., and has expanded to include more than 60 chapters across the country.
Since 1973, OCA has been a champion of AANHPI (Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) in the United States, serving as the connector to many, including Government, Institutions, Businesses, and other Cultural Organizations.
Despite the pandemic, we persisted with our missions, to highlight a few:
● Hosted Voter Registration phone bank that reached over 5,000 voters.
● Raised awareness and fought hate crimes on AANHPI nationally and locally.
● Hosting a variety of programs to empower Youth Leadership, Professional Women, and Underserved Communities.
● Partnered with Missouri History Museum and the Historical Society on the Chinese American Collecting Initiative, providing an important history of the Chinese Americans in St. Louis.
● Bridging the Digital Divide.
● Defending Voting Rights.
● Advocating for K-12 AANHPI Curriculum.
Since 1973, OCA has been a champion of AANHPI (Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) in the United States, serving as the connector to many, including Government, Institutions, Businesses, and other Cultural Organizations.
Our Vision
Community
From art exhibits to volunteer work, engaging with corporations, agencies and organizations leads to a greater understanding of the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of Asian-Pacific Americans - and allows us to find common ground. We have also developed deeper relationships with communities across St. Louis.
Educate and Act
In response to the increased rise of Anti-Asian/American, xenophobic harassment, and anti-hate towards marginalized communities of color, OCA provides educational and awareness tools to combat these types of systemic problems. This workshop is a free, 1.5-hour, interactive training to teach people on how to be a confident and effective bystander against racism and discrimination. At the end of the training, each participant will have the tools to be able to intervene as a bystander whenever they see or experience harassment. This workshop is a free, 1.5-hour, interactive training to teach people on how to be a confident and effective bystander against racism and discrimination. Collaborating with other chapters and organizations we had reached over 100 participants each year.
Mentorship
Mentoring Asian Pacific Professionals (MAPP) aims to cultivate the next generation of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) professional leaders through mentoring, skills building, and networking. The program pairs AAPI professionals with experienced leaders in their field.
In the years prior to the pandemic, our MAPP program exceeded over 1,000 participants nationwide, operating in MO, MI, CA, IL, GA, TX, Washington DC, and other states.
Our History
In 2013, the national board of directors voted to update our branding to further expand our outreach into the community. The mission statement and local events we provide do not change. Going forth, we are known as OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates.
Our headquarter will still be in Washington, D.C. which gives the OCA National Center an effective vantage point for monitoring legislation and policy issues affecting Asian Pacific Americans. In addition, OCA is able to build national support and to work in coalition with other national groups around issues affecting Asian Pacific Americans. OCA takes no collective position on the politics of any foreign country, but instead focuses on the rights of Asian Pacific Americans.
Our TEAM
Board Officers
Board President - Peter Tao
Board Vice President - Kristina Le
Board Secretary - Katherine Scheidhauer
Board Treasurer - Tila Nguyen
Board of Directors
Shirley Cheung
Bailey Martin-Giacalone
Philip Ma
Austin Tao
Board Advisors
Eling Lam
Helen Lee
Yvonne Foo
Andrew Fu
Thong Tarm