The Center of Gravity in Washington
January 19, 2007
A drizzly wintry afternoon at the thirteen hundred block of 18th Avenue was anything but gloomy as over 300 members and friends of the Organization of Chinese Americans gathered with excitement to witness the ribbon-cutting, opening the new OCA headquarters and the establishment of the OCA National Center for Asian Pacific American Leadership. National President Ginny Gong smiled with pride and said “welcome home” to everyone entering the front door.
This day was particularly poignant with the presence of two OCA founders, Kung Lee Wang and Alex Mark, whose dream was realized. They had the vision in 1973 to establish OCA so that the national voice of Chinese Americans would resonate in the Capitol from chapters involved across the country in public policy and community affairs.
Preceding the ribbon-cutting, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta noted the progress of APAs over the decades and concluded: “Thirty-three years ago, no one had an idea that OCA would have their own headquarters in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “The center of gravity has now changed to 1332 18th Street.”
Clearly, former Secretary Mineta himself was integral to the living history of our community: pioneering first as mayor and then as congressman of a major American city when Asian Pacific American faces were a rarity. Many recalled his impassionate speech on the floor of the House of Representatives in 1978 urging passage of legislation for Asian Pacific American Week, and affirming that the fabric of the APA community was woven into the tapestry of our country.
Founded over 33 years ago, OCA today works on issues affecting all APAs to advance our political, social and economic well-being. Our community partners include every ethnic group within the APA community and our new permanent home belongs to all.
Most notably in 1996, OCA was a founding member and first chair of the National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans, an association of APA organizations, which joined hands to strengthen their voices and maximize their advocacy on behalf of the community.
For many years, the Asian Pacific American community has been described as “an emerging community” or “an emerging political voice.” With a permanent presence, we have finally arrived. The message of the community to Washington is that we are here to stay and we will make sure that our voices are heard.
Claudine Cheng chairs the OCA National Center Campaign and served as past national president. For more info, please visit www.ocanatl.org
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