A New Era at OCA National Center

• 🗣️ On November 1, Thu Nguyen shattered barriers by becoming the youngest executive director of OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates, as well as the first Vietnamese American to lead the organization in its nearly 50-year history. Nguyen spoke about her vision for OCA as "a more intergenerational, multidisciplinary social justice organization" on the Politically Asian! podcast.
• ❤️ We also announced this month that our CEO Ken Lee will transition into the honorary role of CEO Emeritus following decades of service. Lee will continue to advise OCA’s senior leadership and maintain long-term relationships with OCA’s corporate partners, while stepping away from general operations.
• 📌 Finally... we've moved! You can visit OCA National Center's new office on the sixth floor of 900 19th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20006.

Politico Playbook: "Thu Nguyen will move up to become the next executive director of OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates. Ken Lee will transition to CEO emeritus."

Northwest Asian Weekly: "Thu Nguyen will make history as the youngest ever executive director of OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates and the first Vietnamese American to serve in that role. The daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Nguyen began her journey as an intern with the OCA-Greater Houston chapter."

CalMatters published a commentary by the co-founders of Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs, which referenced OCA.

Recap: Week of Action to End Racial Profiling

Thank you to everyone who joined OCA National Center and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC for legislative visits from Nov. 1-5, where we pushed for an end to the government’s targeting of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants under the Department of Justice's China Initiative. View our Nov. 3 webinar on the current state of play and learn about the stories of those impacted by racial profiling.

✍️ Other updates you may have missed...

• OCA to Honor T-Mobile, 7 Asian American Leaders at 30th Annual Corporate Achievement Awards Gala
• Native, AAPI Activists Urge Riverside Unified School District to Mandate Indigenous Cultural Training
• OCA Applauds Build Back Better Framework, Reiterates Support for Bipartisan Infrastructure Package

🍜 All Month: New Digital Series — Food for Thought

OCA National Center is partnering with Walmart for a three-part digital cooking series called "Food for Thought" featuring creatives, leaders, and advocates! Learn how to make delicious dishes while listening to in-depth discussions on coalition building, cross-cultural communication, and mental health. 📱 Learn more.

$40 for Virtual Discussion: November 18

Would you take about an hour of your time to help inform public health and safety education? We’re helping the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA in partnership with the FDA Office of Minority Health and Health Equity better understand the practices, preferences, and use of skin lightening products to inform educational efforts on harmful ingredients that may be found in some products.

Make your voice heard and receive a $40 gift card in appreciation of your time. And, you can remain anonymous in the group. If you have used, considered using, or know someone who has used skin lightening products, please join us for a small Zoom discussion on Thursday, Nov. 18. 

To learn more about the session or to sign up, please reach out to Jillian Barton at [email protected] or 202-248-5452.