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An update from OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates
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News — October 21, 2025
OCA Mourns the Passing of Labor Leader Kent Wong
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates honors the legacy of Kent Wong, a visionary leader whose lifelong dedication to justice, labor, and civic empowerment transformed immigrant rights and helped build enduring bridges between the AANHPI, labor, and civic engagement movements.

Washington, D.C. — OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates joins the community in mourning the loss of Kent Wong, a beloved mentor, educator, and trailblazer whose lifelong work transformed the movements for immigrant and workers’ rights.

Kent was a founding leader of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), where he ensured that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) workers and immigrants had a seat at the table in shaping our democracy. Under his leadership, APALA partnered with OCA in 1996 to launch the National Asian Pacific American Voter Registration Campaign (NAPAVRC), a groundbreaking effort that later evolved into APIAVote. This historic partnership strengthened civic engagement across the AANHPI community and continues to inspire collaborative action today.

“Kent Wong’s impact will be felt for generations,” said Thu Nguyen, Executive Director of OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates. “He was a visionary leader who believed that justice knows no borders. Through his lifelong commitment to solidarity and empowerment, Kent united movements across labor, civil rights, and civic engagement. OCA is deeply grateful for his partnership and the lasting legacy he leaves behind.”

“In 1994, OCA honored Kent Wong and his parents and siblings at the OCA National Convention in Los Angeles. OCA wanted to shine a spotlight on an iconic Chinese American family that contributed to America through the judicial system, the labor movement, the civil rights movement, the education system, and community leadership. Because of Kent’s advocacy, humble leadership, and humanity, OCA benefited from working in partnership with a leader who was always looking to expand the circle,” stated Daphne Kwok, former Executive Director of OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates

“I first met Kent in 1993 as a student organizer at the Midwest Asian American Students Union (MAASU) conference at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While Kent’s oratory and clarion call to action were as captivating as any labor or civil rights leader, his unique Asian American voice inspired me to participate in my first march, where he led hundreds of students across campus, demanding resources and recognition for Asian American students. Kent spoke with conviction and power. I later had the honor of working with Kent when he was a founding leader of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA). He championed the participation of workers and immigrant communities in the voting process, opening my eyes to how often AAPI voices were overlooked and how civic engagement could transform that silence into influence. Under his leadership, APALA partnered with the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) to launch the 1996 National Asian Pacific American Voter Registration
Campaign (NAPAVRC), which gave rise to what we now know as APIAVote. His leadership at APALA forged a lasting bridge between the labor movement and civic engagement,” said Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and former OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates.
Please direct all inquiries to OCA Senior Communications Associate 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 advancing the sociopolitical and holistic well-being of all Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.
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