Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, Inc.

The Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, Inc. (OCAPICA) was established in 1997 with the mission to build a healthier and stronger community by enhancing the well-being of Asians and Pacific Islanders through inclusive partnerships in the areas of service, education, advocacy, organizing, and research.

The Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance was founded in 1997 and focused on research, advocacy, and education around issues of health within Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. By 1999, OCAPICA expanded to include legislative education and advocacy as well as youth, cultural arts, and curriculum development. Since then, OCAPICA has grown even more to respond to the needs of AAPI and other under-served communities, expanding its programming in: mental health and wellness for youth and families; civic engagement and voter empowerment; youth employment; and academic mentoring and college readiness. OCAPICA also partners with local area universities on research, evaluation, and service learning.

2025 Accomplishments
1. OCAPICA led the HEART OC coalition, comprised of 12 partner organizations providing mental health workshops, peer support services, and wellness events, reaching 130,898 individuals throughout Orange County.
2. As the California Department of Social Services Stop the Hate Regional Lead for Orange County and the Inland Empire, OCAPICA collaborated with partner organizations to address hate, prevention, intervention, and healing efforts, reaching 63,469 community members.
3. OCAPICA expanded behavioral health and housing services through new programs and initiatives, serving 131,425 individuals through mental health services and providing care ranging from prevention and early intervention to intensive support.
4. Provided $594,256 in housing assistance and helped prevent homelessness for 314 families through housing navigation, financial assistance, case management, and supportive services.
5. Strengthened civic engagement through nonpartisan voter education and advocacy efforts, providing election information to 6,502 Orange County voters and training 260 community members in civic engagement.
2026 Goals
1. Advance OCAPICA's affordable housing initiative through feasibility planning, partnership development, and exploration of housing acquisition and development opportunities.
2. Expand behavioral health services to increase access to prevention, early intervention, outpatient treatment, intensive services, and care coordination for community members across Orange County.
3. Strengthen and grow a multilingual behavioral health workforce with the clinical expertise and cultural understanding needed to effectively serve the diverse communities of Orange County.
4. Increase civic participation through nonpartisan voter education, leadership development, community advocacy, and opportunities for residents to engage in local decision-making processes.
5. Implement OCAPICA's 2026-2028 Strategic Plan, focusing on organizational sustainability, workforce development, program coordination, and long-term community impact.

1. OCAPICA seeks to expand affordable housing opportunities for clients by building upon existing services, including case management, community resource referrals, financial stability support, financial counseling, and other supportive services.
2. Recognizing ongoing barriers to care, OCAPICA aims to expand mental health services to improve access and ensure community members can receive timely and appropriate support.
3. Given the diverse needs of the communities we serve, there is a significant shortage of mental health providers who possess both strong clinical expertise and an understanding of the cultural experiences, values, and perspectives of the populations they support.
4. Due to low civic participation, limited awareness of the civic process, and underrepresented community voices, OCAPICA seeks to increase civic engagement and voter participation throughout the community.
5. Increase awareness of OCAPICA's mission, programs, services, and community impact through targeted outreach and communication efforts across multiple media platforms.

Orange County and others

Sora Park Tanjasiri, University of California, Irvine
It is my privilege and pleasure to serve as chair of the OCAPICA board of directors. I am a public health professional and professor at the University of California, Irvine, and have supported OCAPICA since we were founded by Mary Anne Foo in 1997. I first got involved in OCAPICA after seeing the devastating effects of institutional racism and policy exclusion on Asian Americans and other communities during and after the Los Angeles riots of 1992, where I worked at a non-profit primary care clinic in Koreatown. Since that time I have been nothing short of amazed at OCAPICA impacts in the areas of health and mental health promotion, workforce development, youth leadership development and policy advocacy. When we started in a one room office in Garden Grove, Orange County had only a handful of social service agencies supporting the needs of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. It was Mary Anne Foo’s vision that Orange County needed more community organizations to serve our diverse populations, and since 1997 I’m so proud that OCAPICA has been crucial to not only filling the gap but also supporting the founding and/or growth of ethnic and cultural specific organizations to serve the needs of their own communities. I hope you will join me in supporting OCAPICA in any way you can – by joining us at our annual Tastemakers of Orange County fundraiser, by promoting us to your organizations, and by referring anyone in need to our services. Thank you for being part of our family and for promoting the health of our diversity communities throughout Orange County!