Breast Cancer Awareness Event (April 2023)

OCA-DC’s Public Health Intern, Selin Prasad, hosted a health education outreach event with the Vietnamese American Services in Silver Spring, MD. Selin worked with a student translator from George Washington University to underscore the importance of breast cancer screening in Asian American communities. Cancer is a leading cause of death for Asian Americans yet are screened at lower rates than the majority of Americans. With the deferral of primary and preventative care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, health outreach events such as these are essential to addressing APA health disparities.

“Boba for Boosters” Bivalent Vaccine Booster Campaign (November 2021)

OCA-DC also partnered with various AAPI-affinity student organizations from Georgetown University and a Vietnamese-owned restaurant, Simply Banh Mi, to increase awareness of COVID-19 bivalent vaccines. This not only encouraged AAPI community members to schedule their COVID-19 bivalent vaccine, but it also increased community connection and visibility of AAPI small businesses.

COVID-19, RSV, Monkeypox and Influenza with South Asian Americans (November 2022)

OCA-DC hosted an outreach event at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandhir, a worldwide Hindu organization, in Beltsville, Maryland to spread awareness and information of the “Tripledemic” of COVID-19, RSV, and Influenza during peak travel time for South Asian Americans. 

“COVID-19 & AAPI Mental Health: Trauma and Healing After the Pandemic” Panel Discussion (October, 2021)

This virtual panel focused on discussing the main cultural risk factors that exacerbated poor mental health outcomes among the AAPI community during the pandemic, as well as providing resources and ways to help the community heal after the pandemic.

With this, OCA-DC created a digital resource pamphlet on AAPI Mental Health, titled “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,” with culturally-appropriate content and additional resources in 6+ languages available to share with family members and friends. This pamphlet included background information on the issue of AAPI mental health in the context of COVID-19, content in the form of questions/answers about culturally-specific issues that can create mental health burdens for individuals and families, as well as a resource list to AAPI therapist directories and other AAPI mental health resources.

“Demystifying the COVID-19 Vaccine”: Expert Medical Panel and Q&A Event (2021)

OCA National hosted a panel of expert medical professionals in the Washington, DC area for an informational session to discuss and respond to questions regarding the Covid-19 Vaccine from the AAPI community.