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About OCAPIA

Next Regular Commission Meeting: July 7, 2023 at 9:30AM via Zoom

The public is invited to attend.  To register please follow this link:  CLICK HERE

OCAPIA Statement on Monterey Park & Half Moon Bay Mass Shooting

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

Executive Director, Micronesian Islander Community & Assistant Professor of Public Health, Linfield University. As a public health advocate with a background in policy and advocacy, Jackie utilizes an equity lens in with a policy perspective. She serves on boards and commissions, including maternal and child health, hunger, food insecurity, health equity, prenatal health, and Medicaid accessibility. While working toward her Ph.D. in public health & minors in ethnic studies and food and culture in social justice at Oregon State University, Jackie utilizes her law degree (from Willamette University) to help people navigate complex systems where citizenship status can present barriers.

Portland

​Born Sang Tzun Phan (pronounced PAWN), Sam is a first-generation Asian-American. He is of Iu-Mienh descent, a minority group originating from China, and has lived in Portland his entire life. His family came to America as refugees of the Secret War. Throughout his life, he has continuously served his community directly which has led to him being a recipient of the Ford Family Foundation Scholars 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. He then moved on to be a Program Coordinator for Multnomah County’s Legal Resource Center where he assisted self-represented litigants in their cases. While at Multnomah County Courthouse, he 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 served as the co-chair until he left to Oregon Emergency Management. Though he was only at OEM for a short time, he helped to finalize their Be 2 Weeks Ready Program and helped update their Community Emergency Response Team programs post-COVID pandemic. Currently, he works as a Legislative Aide for Oregon State Representative Thuy Tran and serves on the Iu Mien Association of Oregon board of directors. He also sits on the advisory council to the Asian Pacific Islander Family Center in Northeast Portland. In addition to this, he has also founded his own non-profit, Local Grown, and helped create accessible,  community-funded scholarships and DACA grants. 

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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Beaverton

​I, Hiral Pandya, am resident of Beaverton Oregon for last 11+ years and living here with my wife and two sons. I have been working as an engineer employed by Intel since 2011. I am grateful to this country which gave me chance to pursue better life and have provided different opportunities to grow not only economically but also to be a better human being.

It is my firm belief that it is now my turn to giving back to the community and hence been involved in several community and cultural based activities and organizations mentioned below :

Diversity Advisory Board : DAB exists to advise the City on diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies that strengthen relationships among communities of color, immigrants, and refugees, and with city government. I have been member of Beaverton city council’s Diversity Advisory Board since January 2021.

AAPI group at BSD School : I have been involved with AAPI group for Cooper Mountain Elementary School for last couple of years. It is a great effort initiated by one of the teachers and group has been growing every year.

WakeUp Beaverton! : WakeUp Beaverton! Strives to create a physical environment for racial, cultural, spiritual, and language diverse communities, in order to distribute assets, resources and to have spaces that provide educational opportunities and activities in partnership with the city of Beaverton.

Hindu Swayam-sevak Sangh (HSS) : HSS USA is voluntary, non-profit, social, educational and cultural organization which aims to coordinate the Hindu American community to practice, preserve, and advance ideals and values of Hindu Dharma.

SEWA : Sewa international is a Hindu faith-based, humanitarian, nonprofit service organization which serves humanity irrespective of race, color, religion, gender or nationality. I have been involved in a food donation project named “SEWA Diwali” in the neighborhood for last three years which collects and donates food items to local shelters.​​

Corvallis

​Lorne is a Japanese American and lifelong Oregonian who grew up in Corvallis. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Pacific University and currently works for the Ironworkers Local 29 as the political coordinator. He is a passionate advocate for Registered Apprenticeship programs and for creating more pathways to family wage careers with the ability to retire with dignity for people of color.​

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.
 



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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