OCA National Center in Washington DC

At 1 p.m., in the law offices of Covington & Burling in Washington, DC, OCA National President Ginny Gong signed the settlement documents for a building located in the heart of the nation’s capital.Surrounded by members of the OCA National Center Campaign Committee, other officers and members of the organization, and national office staff, Gong’s signature on the purchasing documents culminates more than a decade of fundraising efforts to fulfill the organization’s vision and quest to secure a permanent home.  

“The acquisition of a permanent home for OCA has been a true grassroots effort and heartfelt testament to the vision of our founders, KL Wang and Alex Mark, 33 years ago,” said Gong. “It has been an incredible journey - one that has been daunting, exhausting, humbling, and above all, inspiring. The last nine months have been a demonstration of the passion and the commitment of our members and chapters across the country. It is our belief in OCA’s destiny to have a presence in Washington, D.C. that this vision is now finally a reality,” she added.

The purchase of the building also fulfills OCA’s vision of establishing the OCA National Center for Asian Pacific American Leadership become reality as well. With permanent headquarters, OCA will be able to focus on expanding and adding programs that will nurture and develop the leadership potential and skills of the APA community’s future leaders.

“This is a significant occasion not only for OCA, but for the entire APA community, said OCA National Center Campaign Chair Claudine Cheng. “In 1973, OCA was the first national APA organization to incorporate and establish headquarters in Washington D.C. With this purchase, OCA will be the first national APA organization to establish a permanent presence in our country’s capital. The concept of permanency is very important as OCA has dedicated itself for over 30 years to be an effective national voice for the APA community and advocating for civil rights, and political, social and economic empowerment,” she added.

The new OCA National Center is located in the prestigious Dupont Circle area in the heart of Washington, D.C., and consists of three adjoining buildings totaling over 12,000 square feet. In addition to administrative and programming functions, the new OCA headquarters will also have a Community Room, Library, Technology and Media Center, and a gallery, as well as board and conference rooms.

A ribbon cutting ceremony is being planned in early January after renovations have been completed.