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About OCAPIA

Read OCAPIA's Response to Anti-Asian Hate 03-18-21

Our Vision:

We serve the people of Oregon to empower and support Asian and Pacific Islanders through our special roles as policy advisors to Oregon state policy makers and leaders. The OCAPIA is a catalyst that empowers partnerships between state government and our communities in rural and urban areas to ensure success for all Asian and Pacific Islander Oregonians by addressing issues at the policy level.   

Our Mission: 

The mission of the OCAPIA is to work for the implementation and establishment of economic, social, legal, and political equality for Asian and Pacific Islanders in Oregon and to maintain a continuing assessment of the issues and needs confronting Asian and Pacific Islanders. 

Our Principles and Values:

  • Equity for Asian and Pacific Islander Oregonians in jobs and the economy, education, health, safety, family stability, environment, and civic engagement.
  • Equal treatment and protection against discrimination.
  • Access to helpful information on services and available resources.
  • Working in partnership on research and policy analysis of longstanding issues and barriers to success within the API community statewide.
  • Inclusion of Asian and Pacific Islanders’ viewpoints in policy making at the state level.
  • Celebration of and education about the contributions and achievements of Asian and Pacific Islanders in Oregon.

Our Statutory Goals and Strategic Priorities

  • Advocate for equitable policies assuring the success of Asian and Pacific Islander Oregonians at the state level.
  • Engage community and state partners to promote equity for Asian and Pacific Islanders across Oregon.
  • Study and analyze issues affecting the Asian and Pacific Islander community statewide and recommend policy remedies to state policy makers.
  • Grow and develop leaders among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at the state level in all branches.
  • Increase the viability and visibility of the contributions and achievements of Asian and Pacific Islanders in Oregon.

OCAPIA is actively engaged in its statutory work focused on 7 Strategic Priorities each biennium:
  1. Education
  2. Jobs and the economy
  3. Healthcare
  4. Justice, safety and policing
  5. Stable families and housing
  6. Environmental Justice/Equity
  7. Civic engagement

Meet the Commissioners

Salem

​Jackie moved to Salem, Oregon in 2011.  She speaks Chinese, Spanish, and learning to speak Chuukese.  She has a Masters of Science in Public Health from the University of Iowa and a Juris Doctorate from Willamette University College of Law.  She is a PhD student at Oregon State University. She is an advocate for domestic violence survivors, examining legislative issues affecting the Asian and Pacific Islander community, cultural competency training programs, and organizes social justice oriented programs within the community.  Jackie currently works as a Community Organizer and Community Health Worker Supervisor and assists Micronesian Islanders including COFA citizens on health issues.

Eugene, adopted from Korea in 1956

​Susan is Vice President Policy & External Affairs at Holt International and is an internationally recognized expert and presenter on child welfare and adoption. She testifies regularly before Congress on these issues and has attended numerous White House briefings on public policy regarding adoption and child welfare; was instrumental in passing legislation providing automatic citizenship for children adopted abroad and to ratify the Hague Convention on Intercountry adoption in the U.S.

 
Ms. Cox has published numerous articles and papers; is editor of the anthologies, Voices from Another Place; More Voices; and founder of the Gathering for Korean Adoptees in 1999 in Washington D.C. and the Reunion of Vietnamese Adoptees.
 
Ms. Cox is a member of the Hague Special Commission on Intercountry Adoption; and was appointed by President Clinton to the White House Commission on Asian and Pacific Islanders. She was invited as a special guest to attend South Korea’s 60th Anniversary Celebration; and was awarded an Honorary Citizen of Seoul in 2005 by President elect Lee Myung-bak.

 
In 2013, Susan was appointed as Honorary Consul for the State of Oregon in Eugene, by the Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Portland
Mohamed Alyajouri is currently a healthcare administrator, managing two Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) Primary Care clinics. Mohamed serves on the leadership team of OHSU’s growing primary care team, which has expanded to Washington County over the past two years. With over 15 years in the Healthcare field, his experience includes Program Development work for Oregon’s Community Health Centers, Project Management for Multnomah County Health dept. and other Quality Improvement work. Additionally, Mohamed has international experience working with the World Health Organization.
 
Mohamed has always had a passion for positive civic engagement and to better the community.  For most of his adult life, his professional and community involvement has been around community building, social justice initiatives, interfaith outreach and partnerships and public health promotion. As a proud Oregonian, a Yemeni-American, and a first-generation Muslim immigrant, he decided to run for local public office. In the Spring of 2017, Mohamed was elected to the 7-member Portland Community College Board of Directors, serving residents of Washington and Yamhill counties. Mohamed was the first and only Muslim-immigrant to be elected to any public office in Oregon.
 
Mohamed grew up in Oregon, as a proud first-generation immigrant. He is an OSU Beaver Believer, through and through. He completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies at Oregon State University, receiving his Bachelors in Healthcare Administration and his Masters in Public Health. Mohamed lives in Beaverton Oregon with his wife and 3 children. 
 
In addition to being an elected official, Mohamed also serves on World Oregon's Advisory Board and the Muslim Educational Trust's Outreach Committee.

Eugene
John D. Iglesias is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Northwest Community Credit Union (NWCU). Headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, NWCU operates 15 branches throughout Oregon, serving approximately 110,000 members. NWCU has focused efforts in supporting, Asian, Black and Hispanic communities throughout Oregon.

Iglesias has had extensive experience in leadership roles for financial institutions and credit unions for more than 30 years.

Iglesias was born and raised on the beautiful island of Guam (U.S. Territory in the Western Pacific). He is an indigenous descendant of the Chamoru people who originally settled in Micronesia and Mariana Islands more than 4,000 years ago.

Iglesias joined the U.S. Air Force in 1983 and retired in 2010 from the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer after more than 20 years of service. His area of support for much of his military career was in the Far East Theater of operations, where he worked extensively with South Korean and Japanese ground and air forces. He holds an AAS in intelligence from the Community College of the Air Force; a BS in education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; an MBA from Saint Martin’s University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in leadership studies from Saint Martin’s University.

Iglesias has also served on the boards of directors for the Greater Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce; Oregon Trail Council – Boy Scouts of America; Washington Business Week; Treehouse For Kids (foster child support); and Seattle Christian Schools.

His interests include traveling, hiking, golfing and biking in the Eugene–Springfield area where he lives with his family. 
Portland

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Marilyn McClellan was born in the Philippines and grew up in the small town of Lakeview, Oregon. After graduating from High School she attended International Air Academy.

She has 17 years of Law Enforcement experience. She was employed with the Klamath County Jail/Klamath County Sheriff’s office for eight years, the Oregon State Police for three years and the Oregon Department of Corrections for 6 years. She currently works at the Oregon Department of Human Services and is an active member of multiple diversity groups in Salem and Portland area.

She was involved in mentoring/volunteering for the Oregon State Penitentiary Asian/Pacific Islanders Club. This involved quarterly meetings with the Adult in Custody members of the club and working together on special projects. One special project was the grand opening of the Japanese Healing Garden at the prison. This was such a wonderful and emotional moment for the adults in custody, employees and invested members of the community. She hopes to see more Japanese Healing Gardens in our State. It’s time for healing and a time to celebrate our cultures.​

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Portland

​Born Sang Tzun Phan (pronounced PAWN), Sam is a first-generation American. He is of Iu-Mienh descent, a minority group originating from China, and has lived in Portland his entire life. Throughout his life, he has continuously served his community directly which has led to him being a recipient of the Ford Scholarship. Sam attended the University of Oregon where he received a Bachelor’s in Political Science along with a Minor in Planning Public Policy, and Management. Upon graduation, Sam worked at Trillium Family Services, a mental health non-profit for children and teenagers, as a Supervisor for their secure adolescent in-patient program in Corvallis. He is currently a Program Coordinator for Multnomah County’s Legal Resource Center where he assists self-represented litigants in their cases. While at Multnomah County Courthouse, he has also founded the Presence of Color Employee Resource Group, an employee resource group dedicated to becoming a strategic partner with the management of Multnomah County Circuit Court to promote a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion through continual learning, where he too serves as the co-chair. In addition to this, he has also founded Local Grown, a non-profit dedicated to providing resource information around Oregon. He is currently working on developing a community-funded scholarship through this organization.


His interests include basketball, dancing, collecting sports cards, and video games​

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Portland, District 23
Michael Dembrow is the state senator for District 23, covering portions of NE and SE Portland and the city of Maywood Park. First elected by voters in 2008 to the state house, he is serving his first term in the senate after being appointed to the seat in November 2013.  Voters re-elected Michael to the senate in November 2014.
No stranger to public service, Michael is an English instructor at Portland Community College's Cascade campus in North Portland. He has been teaching writing and film studies at the college since 1981, and served as the President of the PCC faculty union for 16 years.  He continues to teach one or two classes per term when the legislature is not in session.
 
Michael earned his undergraduate degree in English from the University of Connecticut and his Master's degree in Comparative Literature from Indiana University. Michael and his wife Kiki have lived in District 23 for over 30 years. They have a son, Nikolai and a daughter, Tatyana and two grandchildren.  Michael is an avid runner and has completed the Portland Marathon multiple times.  He and Kiki are proud parents of two whippets.
Portland, District 46

Khanh Pham is the State Representative for Oregon House District 46 (Jade District, SE/NE Portland). She was first elected in 2020 and is the first Vietnamese American legislator in the State Legislature, and currently the only elected Asian Pacific Islander in Oregon State Government. 

Khanh was a founding leader of and spokesperson for the groundbreaking Portland Clean Energy Fund Initiative, which successfully passed in November 2018. 

Prior to the legislature, she served as the Interim Alliance Director at the Oregon Just Transition Alliance, leading efforts to develop a frontline-led vision and platform for an Oregon Green New Deal. Prior to that, she was a Environmental Justice Manager at the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO).  Khanh brings years of experience in community organizing and a deep commitment to Environmental and Climate Justice. Khanh has a BA from Lewis & Clark College and a Masters in Urban Studies from Portland State University, where she specialized in urban planning, climate change adaptation, and equity planning.



 

OCAPIA Statute

185.610 Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs; confirmation; term; officers; quorum; compensation and expenses
185.620 Duties
185.625 Additional duties

Public Records Requests (PRR)

The Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office (OACO) responds to requests for public records in the general way described in the Oregon Department of Administrative Services' (DAS) Public Records Requests policy (pdf).

The DAS Public Records Requests Fees and Charges policy outlines the fees the department charges for records, and the process the agency uses to fulfill requests.

Please choose one of the following methods to request public records from OACO:
1. Email your request to Albert Lee, Executive Director of the OACO, with "PRR" included in the subject line.

OR

2. Mail a written request to this address:

Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office
421 SW Oak St., Suite 770
Portland, OR 97204


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