OCA Tucson Chapter

05/27/2026

I am honored to join the YWCA Southern Arizona panel, “Celebrating the Resilience and Self-Efficacy of Women” in Tucson on June 4. My approach will be from a Chinese American perspective facing challenges as a product of traditional Asian culture, leveraging cultural behaviors as assets in AANHPI and Western working and social environments, and building an authentic leadership brand. Joining me are outstanding women, Daisy Jenkins, Esq. and Christina Bell Andrews. Moderating is award winning investigative NBC reporter, Lupita Murillo.

05/20/2026

The deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, alongside the recent shootings in Austin, underscores the urgent need for action against gun violence, hate-fueled extremism, and the racist rhetoric that continues to endanger communities nationwide.

Read the full statement: www.ocanational.org/press-releases/oca-condemns-san-diego-mosque-shooting-and-ongoing-epidemic-of-gun-violence

Donation to mutual aid links
- goodbricks.org/cause/zakat.icsd.org/zakat
- goodbricks.org/campaign/icsd.org/masjid-operations-2026

05/19/2026

Today would have been the 71st birthday of Vincent Chin, who was brutally murdered 43 years ago simply for being Asian.

We honor his life by recognizing today as AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate, standing against discrimination, and fighting for a future free from anti-Asian hate.

05/16/2026

Scholarship opportunity. Deadline May 22, 2026.

There's only one week left to apply to the Joe and Loanne Chiu Scholarship! This award provides one first-generation, incoming undergraduate student with a $5,000 award.

The deadline to apply is May 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT. Learn more and apply at www.ocanational.org/joe-and-loanne-chiu-scholarship.

05/07/2026

in 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. During the six-decade ban on Chinese immigration, Chinese people in the U.S. faced excessive surveillance, interrogation, and imprisonment by the U.S. government. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese Americans were denied the right to become U.S. citizens. Multiple generations of people lived in fear of being arrested and assaulted during immigration raids.

Sounds familiar? Today, the Trump regime is employing similar anti-immigrant tactics. They want us to think this is business as usual — but we know the truth. No one should live in fear of being treated like an enemy in their own country — not in 1882, and certainly not in 2026.

05/05/2026

From our friends at Asian Pacific American Justice (APA Justice):

Did you know May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and

President Jimmy Carter signed the resolution to create the Asian Pacific American Heritage Week in 1978?

Representatives Frank Horton and Norman Y. Mineta introduced the House resolution and Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced the Senate resolution?

President George H. W. Bush expanded the celebration from a week to a month in 1990?

Hiram Fong 鄺友良 was the first Asian American U.S. senator, serving from Hawaii from 1959 to 1977?

Dalip Singh Saund was the first Asian American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from California from 1957 to 1963? Patsy Mink was the first Asian American elected to the House. serving from Hawaii (1965–1977 and 1990–2002)?

George Ariyoshi was the first Asian American to serve as a U.S. governor, holding office in Hawaii from 1974 to 1986?

Bing cherry was developed by Ah Bing in the mid-1850s?

Dr. Sammy Lee was the first Asian American man and Vicki Draves was the first Asian American woman to win Olympic gold medals, both achieving this at the 1948 London Summer Olympics?

Visit the website hosted by The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: https://asianpacificheritage.gov/.

05/03/2026

OCA Tucson-Pima Community College job skills workshop, “Resume writing-Elevator Speech-Interview Skills.” We are proud to partner with faculty and staff to provide steps to success. The session offered resume updating and valuable, practical guidelines that strengthened their job search, networking skills, and interview mastery. May 2, 2026.

05/02/2026

Yes! We are not invisible. We are contributors to Tucson’s strengths.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

This month, we honor the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of AAPI communities that have shaped and strengthened our neighborhoods and cities; AAPI voices are essential in building more inclusive and resilient communities.

Asian American and Pacific Islander history in Tucson dates back to the late 1800s, when Chinese immigrants helped build the railroad, later becoming influential farmers and grocers. By the 1940s, over 100 grocery stores were owned by Chinese immigrants and played a key role in the local economy. Today, Tucson honors this legacy through cultural events and the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, which preserves and shares their contributions.

¡Mayo es el Mes de la Herencia de los Asiático-Estadounidenses y de las Islas del Pacífico!

Este mes, honramos las ricas historias, culturas y contribuciones de las comunidades AAPI que han moldeado y fortalecido nuestros vecindarios y ciudades; las voces AAPI son esenciales para construir comunidades más inclusivas y resilientes.

La historia de los asiático-estadounidenses y de las Islas del Pacífico en Tucson se remonta a finales del siglo XIX, cuando los inmigrantes chinos ayudaron a construir el ferrocarril, convirtiéndose más tarde en influyentes agricultores y dueños de tiendas de comestibles. Para la década de 1940, más de 100 tiendas de comestibles eran propiedad de inmigrantes chinos y desempeñaban un papel fundamental en la economía local. Hoy en día, Tucson honra este legado a través de eventos culturales y del Centro Cultural Chino de Tucson, el cual preserva y difunde sus contribuciones.

05/01/2026

Fair representation at risk in Louisiana v. Callais decision.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais puts voting rights at risk. The fight for a multiracial democracy must continue.