National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
Encyclopedia
The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) is a coalition
of 29 national Asian-Pacific American organizations in the United States
. Founded in 1996 and based in Washington D.C., NCAPA seeks to expand the influence of Asian-Pacific Americans in the legislative and legal arenas, and enhance the public's and mass media
's awareness and sensitivity to Asian-Pacific American concerns.
The current Executive Committee is as follows:
George Wu, Chair OCA
Deepa Iyer, Vice Chair of Programs South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
Doua Thor, Vice Chair of Membership & Communications Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Tina Matsuoka, Treasurer National Asian American Bar Association (NAPABA)
Gregory Cendana, Secretary Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
Past chairs include:
Floyd Mori, Executive Director, Japanese American Citizens League
Lisa Hasegawa, Executive Director, National Coalition of Asian Pacific American Community Development .
Karen Narasaki, Executive Director of Asian American Justice Center
Daphne Kwok, Founding NCAPA Chair and former executive director of OCA. Daphne Kwok is also the current Chair to the President's Advisory Council on Asian American Pacific Islanders.
, in which Asian-Pacific Americans played a significant role. At the July 1996 Organization of Chinese Americans
convention in Chicago, Illinois, the leaders of several APA organizations agreed that there was a need for an advocacy coalition which would bring together APA organizations on the local, state, regional and national levels. Former U.S. Representative
Norman Mineta
assisted the group in convening a series of meetings to discuss the new organization's mission and functions.
NCAPA was formally constituted in 1997. Daphne Kwok of the Organization of Chinese Americans was elected the organization's first chairperson.
NCAPA has been primarily active in politics. In 2000, the group strongly criticized Senator
John McCain
for using the "gooks" to describe his North Vietnamese prison guards. Four years later, NCAPA took a more proactive role by issuing a first-of-its-kind political platform
addressing APA issues, and asking presidential candidates to adopt the platform as their own.
In 2007, after the Virginia Tech massacre
, NCAPA worked to counteract discrimination against Asian-Pacific Americans and negative images of APAs in the national media.
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
of 29 national Asian-Pacific American organizations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1996 and based in Washington D.C., NCAPA seeks to expand the influence of Asian-Pacific Americans in the legislative and legal arenas, and enhance the public's and mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
's awareness and sensitivity to Asian-Pacific American concerns.
Executive Committee
The NCAPA Executive Committee is constituted by Executive Directors of member organizations.The current Executive Committee is as follows:
George Wu, Chair OCA
Deepa Iyer, Vice Chair of Programs South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
Doua Thor, Vice Chair of Membership & Communications Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Tina Matsuoka, Treasurer National Asian American Bar Association (NAPABA)
Gregory Cendana, Secretary Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
Past chairs include:
Floyd Mori, Executive Director, Japanese American Citizens League
Lisa Hasegawa, Executive Director, National Coalition of Asian Pacific American Community Development .
Karen Narasaki, Executive Director of Asian American Justice Center
Daphne Kwok, Founding NCAPA Chair and former executive director of OCA. Daphne Kwok is also the current Chair to the President's Advisory Council on Asian American Pacific Islanders.
History
The 1990s saw significant growth in the number and size of Asian-Pacific American (APA) organizations. Nevertheless, many of these organizations spoke for only a segment of the broader community. The push to create an organization gained additional impetus after the 1996 United States campaign finance controversy1996 United States campaign finance controversy
The 1996 United States campaign finance controversy, also known as Chinagate, was an alleged effort by the People's Republic of China to influence domestic American politics during the 1996 federal elections....
, in which Asian-Pacific Americans played a significant role. At the July 1996 Organization of Chinese Americans
Organization of Chinese Americans
Founded in 1973, the Organization of Chinese Americans is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States...
convention in Chicago, Illinois, the leaders of several APA organizations agreed that there was a need for an advocacy coalition which would bring together APA organizations on the local, state, regional and national levels. Former U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Norman Mineta
Norman Mineta
Norman Yoshio Mineta, is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. Mineta most recently served in President George W. Bush's Cabinet as the United States Secretary of Transportation, the only Democratic Cabinet Secretary in the Bush administration...
assisted the group in convening a series of meetings to discuss the new organization's mission and functions.
NCAPA was formally constituted in 1997. Daphne Kwok of the Organization of Chinese Americans was elected the organization's first chairperson.
NCAPA has been primarily active in politics. In 2000, the group strongly criticized Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
for using the "gooks" to describe his North Vietnamese prison guards. Four years later, NCAPA took a more proactive role by issuing a first-of-its-kind political platform
Party platform
A party platform, or platform sometimes also referred to as a manifesto, is a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidates voted into political office or...
addressing APA issues, and asking presidential candidates to adopt the platform as their own.
In 2007, after the Virginia Tech massacre
Virginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
, NCAPA worked to counteract discrimination against Asian-Pacific Americans and negative images of APAs in the national media.