“The Pacific currents are moving; it remains to be seen where they will take us.“

— Lisa Kahaleole Hall

The Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition first assembled as the Oregon PI COVID-19 Response Task Force in 2020. During this time PIs had the highest COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates in Oregon. The government deemed Pacific Islanders as a “hard to reach” population and was struggling to manage this public health emergency. In response, our community redistributed personal resources to address the gap in critical services. 

Given the impact of our mutual aid work, public agencies relied on our volunteer-run task force to lead their emergency response efforts. We utilized this rare moment of visibility to advance our vision of indigenous justice. Together, we successfully advocated for PI’s to become a priority population in Governor Brown’s COVID-19 response plan; produced some of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the State; and consulted State agencies to bring data justice into their resource allocation processes.

The lessons from COVID-19 told us that it was time for something different. As indigenous peoples we could no longer afford to be an afterthought or addendum to Asian-led API spaces. We must speak for ourselves and address the history that divided our movement. In 2022, task force leaders created our first charter to establish the Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition. Our vision was big: build a Pan-Pacific organizing space that stewards a movement for Pacific Islander self determination. 

Through collective action, we made history. Shortly after our establishment OPIC led the State’s Pacific Islander Data Modernization initiative, piloting a data sovereignty agreement with the Oregon Health Authority to retain rights over indigenous data. In 2023, we held the first Pacific Islander Funder’s Convening in Oregon, and secured a $600,000 investment for PI CBOs from Meyer Memorial Trust. That same year OPIC passed HB 3144: Pacific Islander Student Success Act, a law that committed $2 million to improve PI educational outcomes.

Together we are challenging the status quo and building abundant indigenous futures. To this day OPIC remains governed by Pacific Islanders, for Pacific Islanders. At the heart of OPIC is the relationships we have built with one another, and our shared love for Oceania.