Pacific Islander Community Association (PICA-WA)

About PICA-WA: The Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington (PICA-WA) is a non-profit organization by NH/PI, by NH/PI that seeks to live out the Indigenous values of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NH/PI) communities here in Washington State through community organizing, mobilizing, while providing social supports and strengthening quality of life through activities and events that affirm NH/PI histories and cultures. 

Our Mission: Our mission is threefold: to establish a cultural home, center community power, and furthering the wellness of our communities physically, culturally, socially, and spiritually of all NH/PI communities in Washington State by fostering accountable relationships with community networks and coalitions between our Oceanic communities.  

Team Description: One hundred percent of our PICA-WA staff and board identify as NH/PI and indigenous. We are women-led and hold intentional spots on our executive staff team for our Elders, who are our community's cultural weavers. Our staff and board are diverse in age, ability, gender identity including our Samoan cultural third gender (fa'afafine) as well as sexuality, lived experience and citizenship status ranging from U.S. citizen to undocumented and COFA resident to U.S. National and refugee. Like our community, our staff and board also range in identifying as caregivers, formerly experiencing poverty and/or homelessness, displacement due to nuclear testing, immigrants, and survivors.