OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates recognizes President Carter’s contributions in advancing the rights of Asian Americans and raising awareness of Asian American achievements
(January 9, 2025) – On the day that President Carter’s official state funeral begins in Washington, D.C., OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates (“OCA”) and its chapters, including OCA Georgia, remember President Carter’s lifetime of accomplishments including his contributions to the Asian American community. During his presidency, President Carter recognized the accomplishments and the issues important to Asian Americans. In 1979, President Carter signed Presidential Proclamation 4650 that designated May 4, 1979, as the start of Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. Following President Carter’s lead, OCA was instrumental in advocating for and further establishing Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, now celebrated every May. Further, President Carter signed bipartisan legislation into law establishing the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, which investigated the facts surrounding Executive Order 9066. The Commission ultimately recognized the gross injustices against Japanese American WWII survivors and their families, leading the way to a formal apology including funding reparations to the survivors. President Carter continued to further Asian American interests for over 40 years after his Presidency ended in 1981 through the generous work of the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Since its founding in 1983, OCA Georgia, the Georgia chapter of OCA, has hosted numerous events at The Carter Center including its 35th Anniversary Gala event in 2018 to recognize the achievements of local Asian American community leaders.“President Carter was responsible for signing presidential proclamations and executive actions that deeply impacted the AANHPI community,” said OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates President Sharon Wong. “These presidential actions highlighted AANHPI communities across the country and emphasized that we, too, belong.” OCA Georgia President Brian Lin remarked, “President Carter was an exceptional citizen, who served not only the State of Georgia and the United States, but also sought positive change for millions of people around the world. Asian Americans are grateful for President Carter’s leadership and persistence throughout his life, and we will deeply mourn his passing.”
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.
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Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy DayJanuary 30, 2025Olympia, WA, USA
Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day 2025 is not just an event; it’s a celebration of community power, resilience, and solidarity. Every year, we come together from across Washington State to make our voices heard and demand change at the Capitol. This is a day where we show the power of our communities, advocating for the policies that matter most to immigrant and refugee families.
Join us in Olympia on Thursday, January 30, 2025, and be part of this incredible movement for justice.
We will march, rally, and engage directly with legislators, showing them that immigrant and refugee communities will not be ignored. This day is about more than participating in activities—it’s about building our collective consciousness around the importance of our campaigns, such as the Health Equity for Immigrants, a bill to codify and fully fund the Apple Health Expansion Program to ensure coverage for all eligible low-income immigrants and refugees, and continued funding for Cascade Care subsidies. We are also fighting for Unemployment Insurance for Undocumented Workers, a bill to create and fully fund a program that provides unemployment benefits equivalent to those available to Washington residents with employment authorization.
But our fight doesn’t stop there. While these are our primary campaigns, we also continue to push for secondary priorities that reflect the breadth of our advocacy:
Ending Collaboration Between ICE and the Department of Corrections: Stopping the transfer of immigrants from state prisons to immigration detention centers.
Restricting Solitary Confinement: Limiting its use in state and private detention facilities to only the most extreme cases.
Traffic Safety for All: Deprioritizing traffic stops for non-safety reasons and supporting low-income drivers.
State Legal Defense Fund: Securing state funding to support immigrants navigating the legal system.
Support for Newly Arrived Migrants: Increasing resources for newcomers seeking asylum and other protections in Washington.
Rent Stabilization: Protecting tenants from abusive rent increases.
Domestic Workers Bill of Rights: Ensuring fair labor protections for domestic workers.
OCA Greater Seattle is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. Donations are tax deductible. Please use “Organization Of Chinese Americans Inc” for tax purposes. Tax ID # 91-1668038.
