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News — May 24, 2023
OCA Congratulates American Idol Winner Iam Tongi
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates congratulates Iam Tongi, the first Pacific Islander American Idol winner, for his phenomenal talent and cultural representation.
Washington, D.C. — OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates released the following statement regarding the historical win of Iam Tongi on Season 21 of American Idol.

Iam Tongi, an 18 year-old from Kahuku, Hawaii, is the first person from the Hawaiian Islands and the first person of Pacific Islander descent to win on American Idol. He enthralled audiences with his powerful voice and heartfelt performances.

"We are so proud of Iam Tongi, and we know he will be an inspiration to all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, especially the youth who aspire to pursue their dreams in music and entertainment," said OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates Executive Director Thu Nguyen. "He has shown his resilience and passion through his music. We are incredibly proud of his achievement and we hope to see more representation of NHPIs among the show’s contestants and in the industry as a whole."

"The people of America have spoken," said OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates Vice President of Membership Lola Akeripa and Vice President of Education and Culture Emilio Manuel Camu. "The recent crowning of Iam Tongi as the first American Idol of Samoan and Tongan descent is a win for all Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders nationwide. Our communities celebrate him because in each step of the process, he proudly showcased Pacific Islander culture, music, and artists. To say we are proud is an understatement of the depth of gratitude we have for him representing our people on a nationwide level. Pacific Islander artists have always been talented, and with the recent wins of both Iam Tongi and Sasha Colby on another major franchise, we're glad to see the rest of the nation appreciating our people and their talent as we always have."
Please direct all inquiries to OCA Communications Fellow Socheata Sun at [email protected]. View this press release on our website. ([link removed])

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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 ([link removed]) .
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