PRESS RELEASES

The latest news and updates from OCA National Center. For press inquiries, please email andrew.peng@ocanational.org.

Andrew Peng 9/3/21 Andrew Peng 9/3/21

AAPI Advocates Denounce Texas’ Assault on Reproductive Rights

Texas law S.B. 8, which bans a majority of abortions in the state, threatens the health of millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates denounced Texas’ new abortion restrictions on Friday, joining other groups serving Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in condemning the state’s unprecedented assault on reproductive rights.

“Safe access to abortion is a right that has been affirmed by the Supreme Court,” said OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ National President Linda Ng. “Lawmakers need to empower women to make their own decisions—not restrict them from accessing the care they need.”

On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the enforcement of S.B. 8, which bans abortions after doctors detect a “fetal heartbeat,” usually around six weeks of pregnancy. Because most people do not know they are pregnant by six weeks, the law effectively prohibits a vast majority of abortions in Texas. Notably, S.B. 8 does not include exceptions for rape or incest.

“Texas’ unconstitutional abortion ban is not only an attack on women, it is also particularly an attack on low-income folks and communities of color, including millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It is incredibly frightening to imagine the dangers and financial burdens that women and their families now face,” said OCA’s Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen. “We strongly oppose any policy that threatens the dignity, health, and autonomy of AAPIs.”

Nearly two million Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders live in the state, according to the latest 2020 Census redistricting data. Meanwhile, the latest polling from the Pew Research Center indicates roughly two-thirds of Asian adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

###

Founded in 1973, OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national, member-driven civil rights organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.

Andrew Peng 9/2/21 Andrew Peng 9/2/21

OCA Calls on States to Mandate Data Collection Following Release of 2020 FBI Hate Crime Statistics

While the FBI’s annual report confirms a sharp rise in attacks against Asian Americans, activists say the data fails to capture the true scope of the violence that the community has experienced during the coronavirus pandemic.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates called on state governments and law enforcement agencies across the country to mandate the data collection and reporting of hate crimes after the FBI released its annual Hate Crimes Statistics Act (HCSA) report on Monday, which revealed that the number of hate crimes in 2020 rose to their highest level in 12 years.

According to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the alarming data confirmed a sharp rise in attacks against Asian Americans—with reported anti-Asian hate crimes jumping from 161 to 274. But with thousands of self-reported hate incidents collected by community nonprofits over the past year, the FBI’s total appears significantly low.

The latest report also shows that the number of law enforcement agencies providing data to the FBI declined for a third year in a row. While President Biden signed legislation earlier this year aimed at improving hate crimes reporting, state and local law enforcement agencies continue to submit data to the Bureau on a voluntary basis.

“The FBI’s annual report remains our most reliable snapshot of hate crimes. However, the historic reporting gap continues to undermine its usefulness—and frankly, its credibility,” said OCA’s National President Linda Ng. “As long as law enforcement agencies are not required to collect and report hate crimes data to the federal government, the FBI’s statistics will fail to capture the true scope of violence, harassment, and assault against Asian American communities.”

“Without complete, mandatory state and local participation in the FBI’s data collection process, our understanding of anti-Asian hate crimes remains cloudy at best,” added OCA’s Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen. “Beyond that, law enforcement agencies need to step up and reach out to members of our communities that may be fearful to report hate incidents. That starts with having translated materials and procedures in place to serve non-English speaking immigrants, who currently struggle to access in-language resources.”

OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, one of the nation's oldest Asian American civil rights organizations, has worked to combat anti-Asian violence since 1982 following the murder of Vincent Chin. OCA participated in a White House listening session on the surge in violence in March and its chapters continue to host regular training sessions to arm individuals with the tools to intervene as bystanders.

Last month, OCA launched an updated reporting site (aapihatecrimes.org) with researchers to study hate incident trends over time and collaborated with The Asian American Foundation on a rapid response toolkit containing updated safety resources to help officials, activists, community leaders, and members of the public to address anti-Asian hate. View the toolkit here.

###

Andrew Peng 8/31/21 Andrew Peng 8/31/21

OCA Seeks Expansion of In-Language Federal Resources for Asian Louisianans In Wake of Ida

Advocates say Louisiana’s diverse Asian American population would benefit from translated FEMA and Small Business Administration resources during the recovery process.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — On Tuesday, OCA-Asian Pacific Advocates called on federal agencies responding to Hurricane Ida to provide in-language resources for impacted Asian Americans in Louisiana throughout the recovery process, noting that vulnerable immigrant communities could potentially be targeted by misinformation or costly scams in the absence of accessible guidance from FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Earlier this month, FEMA—the lead federal agency responsible for supporting Americans during and after disasters—published a webpage and graphics on Hurricane Ida with translations available in Simplified Mandarin and Vietnamese. But as Louisiana looks to rebuild, many communities within the state’s diverse and rapidly-growing Asian American population would benefit from resources in additional languages to support their recovery, such as Lao or Tagalog.

“Because a significant number of Asian Americans are Limited English Proficient (LEP), language access at all points of the recovery process is crucial,” said OCA’s National President Linda Ng. “We hope that FEMA, the Small Business Administration, and other federal agencies will be proactive and deploy in-language resources to help impacted Louisianans rebuild their homes and small businesses.”

“While a majority of websites for federal agencies remain English-only, the Biden administration has already shown that it has the capacity and willingness to increase language access for Asian American communities,” said OCA’s Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen. Amid the yearlong surge in anti-Asian violence, the president announced in March that the U.S. Department of Justice updated its hate crime resources portal to include resources in several frequently spoken Asian languages.

###

Andrew Peng 8/20/21 Andrew Peng 8/20/21

AAPI Civil Rights Groups Ask Biden to Pause DOJ’s China Initiative, Redouble Efforts to Combat Anti-Asian Violence Ahead of U.S. COVID-19 Origins Report

Two weeks after meeting with President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House, 20+ Asian American and Pacific Islander Advocacy organizations shared concerns that the report’s release could fuel an increase in hate incidents.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates and more than 20 other Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) groups signed a joint letter urging the Biden administration to pause the U.S. Department of Justice’s “China Initiative” and launch an independent review to determine whether the Trump-era program unfairly targeted individuals based on their race, ethnicity, or ancestry.

Nearly 100 members of Congress, led by Rep. Ted Lieu, previously asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to probe the DOJ’s targeting of individuals of Asian descent in July, citing claims that researchers and professors have been racially profiled and falsely accused of providing intelligence to China.

The letter, spearheaded by Stop AAPI Hate and the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), also called on the Biden administration to redouble its efforts to protect the AAPI community ahead of this month’s expected release of the U.S. intelligence community’s 90-day investigation on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic—warning that it could be used to legitimize racist language and scapegoating of those of AAPI descent.

“The sad but undeniable truth is that the simple existence of that report will put our communities at risk,” the groups wrote to Biden. “Despite the good intentions of your Administration’s forthcoming report, its release will require you to redouble your efforts to combat anti-AAPI hate and violence — to speak out and to act.”

Thursday’s letter was sent two weeks after dozens of AAPI community leaders met with Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House to discuss the rise in anti-Asian attacks. Meanwhile, Stop AAPI Hate said it had received a total of 9,081 reports of hate incidents between March 19, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

A copy of the letter is available here.

###

Andrew Peng 8/18/21 Andrew Peng 8/18/21

OCA Urges Biden to Designate Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status, Employ Emergency Humanitarian Parole

Amid the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, OCA pressed federal agencies to use all available tools to bring at-risk Afghans to safety.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates pressed the Biden administration to take several immigration-related actions to aid thousands of vulnerable Afghans on Wednesday, noting that existing humanitarian efforts may not be enough to help many fleeing the Taliban.

Among the recommended actions, the national civil rights group called on the administration to:

Evacuate and quickly process at-risk Afghan nationals beyond Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) eligible individuals, their families, and U.S. citizens, while ensuring airports in Kabul and elsewhere remain open for departures;

Grant emergency humanitarian parole for Afghans in immediate danger, including women, children, and religious and ethnic minorities;

Designate Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status to allow Afghans to live and work in the U.S. without fear of removal by immigration authorities;

Increase the nation’s annual refugee resettlement limit and capacity, while ensuring Afghans are not subject to a numerical cap as the situation evolves;

And authorize all necessary funding and assistance for the resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S.

The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program—created in 2009 to assist Afghan interpreters, contractors, and others whose safety is now threatened by the Taliban—has been plagued by bureaucratic delays for more than a decade. Ahead of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Congress overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation to expand and expedite the SIV program for Afghans who aided U.S. and coalition forces in July.

The U.S. State Department also announced the creation of a "Priority 2" designation for some Afghans who do not qualify for the SIV program earlier this month. But the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan has placed far more individuals in harm’s way, and many Afghans have found existing measures to be too late or completely inaccessible.

“The United States is morally obligated to protect our Afghan allies, and these long-overdue actions should have been considered months ago,” said OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ National President Linda Ng. “Congress has done its part—now it’s time for the Biden administration to do theirs by using all available tools to expand refugee protections, including by designating Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status.”

“As a daughter of Vietnamese refugees, I urge the U.S. to remember its responsibility to maintain open doors for refugees and asylum seekers,” added OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen. “The Biden administration must ensure that refugee resettlement moves forward without delay.”

###

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.

Andrew Peng 8/10/21 Andrew Peng 8/10/21

OCA Applauds Senate Passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA-Asian Pacific Advocates, a national member-driven organization dedicated to empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, applauded the U.S. Senate on Tuesday following passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“Communities of color–including millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders–have been burdened by pollution, aging public transportation, and lack of reliable access to broadband service for more than a generation,” said OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates National President Linda Ng. “This bipartisan legislation includes much-needed investments in our infrastructure that will support AAPI families and grow our economy in a way that benefits everyone.”

“We are pleased that the package contains historic levels of funding for broadband infrastructure, which will help to provide affordable high-speed internet to underserved communities,” said OCA Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen. “Many AAPIs–and particularly Pacific Islanders–still face unacceptable barriers to access, depriving them of key education, health and socioeconomic opportunities. Today’s vote is a critical step forward to closing the digital divide, and we urge the House to swiftly take up the Senate bill.”

###

Andrew Peng 7/30/21 Andrew Peng 7/30/21

OCA Denounces the U.S. Department of Justice’s Decision to Retry Former University of Tennessee Professor Anming Hu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — Federal prosecutors announced Friday that they intend to retry former University of Tennessee professor Anming Hu, just weeks after jurors deadlocked in the first trial over claims that Hu hid ties to China.

A judge had ordered the U.S. government to provide an update indicating whether it would retry Hu by July 30. Hu was initially charged in February 2020 with federal counts of wire fraud and an FBI agent reportedly admitted to baselessly accusing the former professor of espionage during the trial.

“We are deeply disappointed by the federal government’s decision to retry Professor Hu,” said OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ National President Linda Ng. “The original trial laid bare the misguided and systemic efforts to strip Asian Americans and Asian immigrants of their civil liberties and shows the entrenched anti-Asian sentiment rampant among some members of law enforcement. And more importantly, it incurred a high emotional and financial toll on Hu and his family.”

“The federal government must understand how harmful this initiative is to both the targeted professors and the greater Asian American community,” said OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates’ Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen. “Not only is the rhetoric around the ‘China Initiative’ perpetuating anti-Asian sentiments, stereotypes, and hate incidents, it destroys the careers of those targeted.”

Earlier this week, nearly 100 members of Congress, led by Rep. Ted Lieu, sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland expressing concerns over potential misconduct in the Hu case and urged for an investigation into the U.S. Department of Justice’s “wrongful targeting of individuals of Asian descent.”

Under former President Trump’s “China Initiative,” dozens of researchers and professors working in American universities have been racially targeted and falsely accused of providing intelligence to China.

###

Andrew Peng 7/22/21 Andrew Peng 7/22/21

OCA Congratulates Nisha Ramachandran On Her Appointment As CAPAC Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen released the following statement applauding the appointment of Nisha Ramachandran as executive director of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC):

“Nisha is a friend and phenomenal leader for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Her strong community ties give us great confidence in her ability to advocate for and with AAPIs. Nisha’s historic appointment as the first South Asian American executive director of CAPAC is well-deserved and we are thrilled that she will bring her expertise to Congress at this critical moment. We look forward to strengthening OCA’s work with CAPAC on anti-Asian violence, voting rights, and other shared priorities in the years ahead.”

###

Andrew Peng 7/21/21 Andrew Peng 7/21/21

OCA Applauds State Lawmakers for Securing Historic Investments for AAPI Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates applauded state legislators and its chapters in California and Illinois on Wednesday for securing significant investments in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities earlier this month.

Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the $156 million Asian Pacific Islander (API) Equity Budget into law. The measure, spearheaded by the state’s Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and backed by more than 150 groups—including OCA’s Sacramento, San Mateo, and San Diego chapters—allocates millions for community-led initiatives to accurately track and prevent anti-Asian hate incidents.

Meanwhile, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History Act (or the TEAACH Act) on July 9. The groundbreaking bill, championed by State Sen. Ram Villivalam and State Rep. Jennifer Gong Gershowitz, requires all public schools to teach a unit of Asian American history. OCA’s Chicago chapter supported the TEAACH Act as part of a coalition of advocacy groups led by Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago.

“The measures in California and Illinois are meaningful because they acknowledge the unique struggles that AAPI communities have faced,” OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates National President Linda Ng said. “These targeted investments are necessary to address the invisibility that AAPIs have felt throughout U.S. history, along with the civil rights challenges of today.”

“We stand ready to work with any lawmaker who is interested in sponsoring similar legislation to fight anti-Asian hate and ensure fair representation of AAPIs in K-12 curriculum,” added OCA Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen.

###

Andrew Peng 7/1/21 Andrew Peng 7/1/21

OCA Condemns Supreme Court Decision On Arizona Voting Restrictions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — The Supreme Court further weakened the landmark Voting Rights Act on Thursday, ruling in favor of the state of Arizona in a 6-3 decision that could pave the way for discriminatory restrictions across the country.

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates National President Linda Ng issued the following statement:

“In the 2020 election, Asian American and Pacific Islander voters turned out in record numbers and made our voices heard, especially in states like Georgia and Texas. But today’s Supreme Court decision threatens our communities’ hard-earned progress and bolsters the coordinated assault on voting rights that we’re witnessing in state legislatures.

“Make no mistake: laws like the two Arizona provisions upheld by the Court today—which a lower court said were intentionally passed to harm voters of color—aim to erect new barriers and disenfranchise AAPIs.”

OCA Deputy Executive Director Thu Nguyen issued the following statement:

“We remain committed to uplifting AAPI voices and voters. Congress must swiftly pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For The People Act to restore critical protections that have been gutted in the last decade.”

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a member-driven nonprofit dedicated to empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Read our policy platform here.

###

Andrew Peng 6/24/21 Andrew Peng 6/24/21

OCA Applauds Confirmation of Asian Americans to Key OPM, DHS, and FTC Posts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates, a leading national advocacy organization dedicated to empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, applauded the Senate on Thursday after the chamber confirmed a trio of barrier-breaking administration appointees.

Earlier this month, lawmakers approved John Tien as deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, making him the first Asian American in history to serve as DHS’ second-highest ranking official. Lina Khan, the daughter of Pakistani immigrant parents, was also sworn in last week as chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Meanwhile, President Biden’s nominee for director of the Office of Personnel Management, Kiran Ahuja, cleared the Senate on Tuesday—becoming the first South Asian and first Asian American woman to lead the agency.

“We commend the Senate for confirming these capable public servants, all of whom bring strong qualifications and valuable experience to their respective posts,” said Linda Ng, National President of OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates. “Building a federal workforce that is diverse and inclusive starts at the top. We look forward to working with Kiran Ahuja, John Tien, and Lina Khan to ensure that AAPI communities and priorities are heard across all levels of government.”

###

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.

Andrew Peng 6/21/21 Andrew Peng 6/21/21

OCA Remembers the Life of Vincent Chin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2021

Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates remembers the life of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man who was brutally beaten by two white auto workers on June 19, 1982 amid a wave of anti-Japanese sentiment in Detroit, Michigan. Chin died from his injuries, and his attackers—who targeted him under the mistaken assumption that he was of Japanese descent—each received a $3,000 fine and no jail time, sparking outcry from the Asian American community and calls for strong federal civil rights protections.

39 years later, Chin’s murder continues to serve as a reminder of the tragic consequences of anti-Asian hate. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, OCA and partner organizations including Stop AAPI Hate have received over 6,600 reports of anti-Asian violence and discrimination between March 19, 2020 to March 31, 2021, though the true number of hate incidents is likely to be much higher.

“Asian Americans have been used as scapegoats in times of crisis for more than a century,” said Linda Ng, National President of OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates. “Vincent Chin’s death sparked a movement that galvanized our communities, fostered diverse multiracial alliances, and mobilized generations to fight injustice. As we reflect on a year filled with widespread fear, we honor him and the brave legacy of his mother, Lily Chin, and remain dedicated to combating hatred and intolerance in all their forms.”

If you, your family, friends, or community members have been the victim of a hate crime or incident, please use our hate crimes reporting tool at aapihatecrimes.org.

###

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.