Chapter Highlights: Mobilizing Across America
Across the country, OCA chapters are responding to the alarming uptick in anti-Asian violence.
THIS YEAR, THOUSANDS OF OCA MEMBERS formed diverse coalitions to march against anti-Asian hate. View updates from some of OCA’s chapters below — including highlights from New York, Sacramento, Greater Cleveland, and Detroit.
OCA-NEW YORK LEADS WITH THE ARTS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
This spring, OCA-NY organized No Longer Invisible: A Vigil and Gathering to Heal our Communities. Led and designed by Asian American women, this event was a multi-racial vigil and community gathering grounded in art, healing, and solidarity for the APA community in NYC’s Flushing — a community that has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and Anti-Asian violence, yet has received little support and attention. Despite the April rain, approximately 150 community members and organizers attended this unprecedented three-hour event. Artwork created by participants at the vigil and at an accompanying community workshop was displayed in a temporary exhibit at the Queens Museum.
OCA-NY has also played a key role in APA VOICE, which encourages civic engagement in the APA community and educates community members on the importance of voting and redistricting. This spring, the chapter participated in the launch of the APA VOICE Redistricting Task Force at a press conference in Elmhurst, Queens. In June, OCA-NY participated in an APA Voice Week of Action, where they used community engagement to educate voters about ranked-choice voting in the NYC primary elections.
OCA SACRAMENTO SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ANTI-ASIAN HATE
A majority of OCA Sacramento’s recent activities center on responding to the alarming surge in Anti-Asian hate incidents nationwide and continuing to support local COVID-19 pandemic response activities. In March alone, OCA Sacramento participated in 11 media interviews, four press conferences, three rallies (Drive Out the Hate events), and spoke at four community events to address Anti-Asian hate. On March 25th, OCA Sacramento hosted Actions Not Statements: Sacramento Leadership’s Response to Anti-Asian Hate, a virtual town hall that provided over 200 community members an opportunity to engage with local leaders about concrete policies and actions to address Anti-Asian hate. In collaboration with other local organizations, OCA Sacramento also helped coordinate a local rally at the steps of the California State Capitol as part of the nationwide Unity Against Hate day on May 15th. More recently, OCA Sacramento has been providing OCA’s Rapid Response Training to community members, including faculty and staff members of Sacramento State University and employees of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).
Food insecurity continues to be a focus for OCA Sacramento. Many food distribution programs cater to a western palate and do not account for AAPI dietary needs and preferences. On May 1st, OCA Sacramento held a food giveaway event, distributing 200 bags of groceries (approximate value of $30 per bag) to primarily low-income AAPI community members. The bags contained fresh produce and catered to an Asian diet with staples such as rice, vermicelli noodles, oyster sauce, Hoisin sauce, etc.
COVID-19 and the impacts of the pandemic are still present in the community. OCA Sacramento continues outreach to local businesses regarding the Paycheck Protection Program and provides language support in six languages. The chapter also maintains a partnership with California Northstate University and Asian Resources Inc. (ARI) to assist community members with scheduling COVID-19 testing and vaccination appointments.
OCA GREATER CLEVELAND ORGANIZES CROSS-CULTURAL RALLY
In partnership with other APA organizations, OCA Greater Cleveland organized the Stop Asian Hate Rally and March in Cleveland’s AsiaTown that drew a diverse crowd of 1,000 people this past March. The event started with a rally featuring 12 speakers, mostly women, providing moving and powerful speeches about how they, their family, and their friends have had to suffer racial discrimination and hate. The multilingual event was performed in English, Mandarin (with a splash of Cantonese), and American Sign Language (ASL). Regardless if the listener understood the language or not — the passion of the speakers was clear as they communicated their outrage, an outrage and sadness that transcends language barriers.
On June 12, OCA Greater Cleveland distributed 100 boxes and bags of fresh produce and non-perishable items to the residents in AsiaTown. OCA Greater Cleveland also served the community by providing volunteers for the Department of Aging’s monthly fresh produce deliveries, assistance at the biweekly Feed AsiaTown programs, and distributed other resources like The Yellow Whistle to help empower the community.
OCA DETROIT REFLECTS ON VINCENT CHIN AND COVID-19
On June 19, 2021, OCA Detroit joined the City of Madison Heights in the City’s first community-wide Juneteenth celebration. This was a historic day because just two days prior, President Biden signed legislation to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
On the same day, OCA Detroit hosted a Zoom webinar on the legacy of Vincent Chin that reached over 1,000 people from 20 states and Canada. The intergenerational panel addressed how the climate of anti-Asian bias during the early 1980s compares to that of today; the importance of pursuing multiple paths to racial justice; the significance of commemorating Vincent Chin’s death on Juneteenth; and how to carry Vincent Chin’s legacy forward.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, OCA Detroit’s Reading Program provided students with additional educational opportunities. The program targeted grades K-8 and offered a recommended reading list based on each participant’s grade. The program lasted between 8 and 10 weeks and a new book was assigned each week to cover one of the following topics: the AAPI experience, adoption, and Asian culture. A weekly Zoom discussion was led by high school and college volunteers.
OCA Detroit worked with Rite Aid to provide six vaccination clinics at their Center as part of COVID-19 relief efforts, making them the first local AAPI organization to provide vaccinations to the Detroit community. They administered over 770 doses!
OCA Detroit celebrated AAPI Heritage Month by partnering with other organizations to fundraise for the “One Book, One World” campaign. They donated books written by AAPI authors and books on Asian American culture and history to over 70 schools in hopes that students will have the opportunity to engage and connect with AAPI heritage at school.
OCA UTAH PROMOTES AAPI CAUSES STATEWIDE
OCA Utah has kept busy with COVID-19 vaccine, education, and outreach efforts statewide, helping get over 1,000 Asian community members throughout the state vaccinated in partnership with the Asian Association of Utah and Utah Asian Chamber of Commerce.
They also hosted the 8th annual API Day on the Hill virtually with the Utah Pacific Islander Civic Engagement Coalition, in addition to the annual API College Student Summit. They celebrated Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month in partnership with Salt Lake Community College, serving as panelists for their main event, as well as working with local legislators to pass a Senate Concurrent Resolution, — “Honoring Asian & Pacific Islander Communities” — in both Utah legislative bodies. They denounced anti-Asian hate in the state, co-hosting the National Day of Solidarity against Asian Hate and the Utah API Heritage Month Celebration/Rally.
The chapter worked with the Utah Division for Multicultural Affairs to represent the Asian community in its APIHM efforts. OCA Utah represented LGBTQIA+ Asians in the state through working with Utah Pride Center, where the chapter held a keynote presentation in front of 10,00 people. OCA Utah continues to share presentations and workshops to local groups and conferences that teach the history of anti-Asian and Pacific Islander Violence.
OCAFC FIGHTS RACIAL BIAS THROUGH EDUCATION AND ALLYSHIP
With the rising acts of violence against Asians during the pandemic, OCA Fairfield County focused its efforts on raising awareness about systemic bias against people of color, educating non-Asians about the history of Asians in America, and seeking allies in their local community to join their fight against racial biases.
On March 31, OCAFC took part in a candlelight vigil in New Canaan to remember the victims of racial hate, specifically the victims of the March 16 killings in Atlanta, Georgia. In partnership with the Grace Farms Foundation, the chapter conducted a webinar titled Hope Over Hate on May 26. The event was viewed by over 300 people from across the country.
On July 11, OCAFC took part in the Norwalk International Cultural Exchange (NICE) Festival. Over 5,000 people enjoyed multi-cultural performances and food at this outdoor event. They set up a booth with Chinese learning games for children, showed a video about the history of Asian Americans, and distributed 250 yellow whistles. They also helped festival goers sign up for Bystander Intervention Trainings offered by Hollaback! and provided dance performances by two Chinese dance groups.
Compiled by IMAGE Executive Editor Rosario Joaquin.
