Asian American

The Asian Affairs Commission (AAC) was established by City Ordinance in the fall of 2023. The Commission is comprised of 15 representatives from the Asian community in Tulsa and primarily serves to strengthen representation of Asian immigrant and refugee communities in Tulsa and serves in advisory capacity to the Mayor and the City Council. The Asian Affairs Commission is one of six Title V commissions that represent and advocate for women, Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and human rights in Tulsa. It heavily contributes to City of Tulsa’s Resilience Strategy pillar to build an inclusive future that honors all Tulsans and celebrates our diversity. The Resilience Plan serves as a roadmap to address Tulsa’s most pressing challenges and seeks to build capacity among residents, city systems, and community partners to build a more resilient, equitable, and world class city.

By ordinance the commission is made up of the following representatives:

• 3 appointees from the 3 largest Asian populations in Tulsa
• 1 member with experience in education (K-12 or Higher Education)
• 1 member who is a community leader
• 1 member who is a business owner, leader, or entrepreneur
• 1 member with experience in the field of policy or immigration law
• 1 member who is a public health advocate
• 7 members at large

The commission accomplishes its work via subcommittees. Committees are chaired by a member of the commission and can include community members. The Asian Affairs Commission currently has the following actives sub-committees:

• Workforce & Education
• Cultural Hubs and Community Development
• Data and Research
• Cultural Event

Commission Members

• Meg Chang
• Sarah Gilpin - chair
• Ha Huynh
• Masood Kasim
• Athan Lau
• Hieu Lê
• Sofia Nagda Noshay
• Yasamin Nawabi
• Cecilia Nguyen
• Bee Paredes
• Parisa Pilehvar- vice chair
• Anna Thao
• Vivian Wang
• Yi Zhang

Asian Affairs Luminary Awards

Tuesday, November 18 | 12:00 – 1:30 pm | 101 Archer

The City of Tulsa’s Asian Affairs Commission is accepting nominations for their second annual Asian Affairs Luminary Awards.

The Luminary Awards were established to spotlight individuals and organizations making a meaningful impact in education, workforce development, leadership, civic engagement, and cultural enrichment. Through this recognition, the Asian Affairs Commission (AAC) aims to uplift the changemakers who are driving progress, fostering inclusion, and strengthening Tulsa’s diverse Asian communities.

This year, AAC seeks nominations in four award categories:

• Champion of Workforce Development
• Excellence in Education
• Community Leadership Award
• Business Leadership Award

Submit your nomination online for an individual, organization, or business making a difference in Tulsa’s Asian communities by August 30.

Additionally, save the date for the Asian Affairs Luminary Awards Ceremony on November 18.

Focus for 2025

The AAC’s focus for 2025 is leadership development. Three goals, as voted on by the commission, are:

• Connecting with community leaders.
• Raising up future leaders.
• Increasing awareness of the commission as an advisory group in Tulsa’s AAPI community.

Save the Date: Asian Affairs Luminary Awards on November 18

Save the Date: Tulsa Asia Fest on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at Arvest Convention Center

2024 End of Year Report

Contact

The Asian Affairs Commission meetings are held at 12 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month (except July and December), City Hall, located at 175 East 2nd Street, 4th Floor, Committee Room.

For more information about AAC, please email the Department of Resilience and Equity at: Resilient@cityoftulsa.org. The staff liaison will direct your question to the Commission. Meetings are open to the public or you can follow on TGOV Online. For a list of meetings for the year and agendas, please visit: Agendas

To access past meeting minutes please visit: Meeting Minutes