About WPC-USA
This campaign aims to serve the West Papuan community by providing emergency assistance, legal support, and advocacy work.
The West Papua Campaign USA (WPC-USA) was first established in January 2021 with the support of the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington (PICA-WA), as a program branch of their Wellness Navigation services. Since then, WPC-USA transitioned to a stand-alone fiscally-sponsored organization under PICA-WA, then gained our independent 501c3 non-profit status in 2024.
WPC-USA is a Melanesian West Papuan-led non-profit organization committed to advocating for the rights and well-being of West Papuans in the United States. Through our programs and initiatives, we work to preserve our cultural heritage, promote holistic wellness, and unite our community in the pursuit of justice and equality.
to empower our community through education, emergency assistance, legal support, and advocacy against oppression, colonialism, racism, genocide, and ecocide in Pasifika West Papua.
We recognize the unique challenges faced by West Papuans, many of whom are in the United States as political refugees or students seeking education. Our organization strives to bridge the resource gap that exists due to a lack of support from federal and state governments, as well as other NH/PI communities.
Our work
West Papuan Legal Clinic
Connecting the U.S. West Papuan community with reduced fee immigration legal services.
Emergency Assistance
Providing assistance to the West Papuan community in order to address immediate needs.
Mental Health Support
Working to establish support systems within the community, as well as education and awareness.
Free West Papua Movement
The Indigenous people of West Papua have long endured human rights abuses, environmental degradation, and cultural suppression.
Climate change & Environmental Justice
Join the movement to safeguard one of the planet’s last great wildernesses and prevent irreversible environmental damage.
Our Executive Director's Story
My name is Mirius Wenda. I am Indigenous West Papuan. I was born and raised in the beautiful village of Wamena, West Papua. I came to the U.S. as a student in 2016, attending Corban University in Oregon. However, due to the ongoing political situation in West Papua with the Indonesian government, I decided to remain in the U.S.
My background in political science changed my political view on how the Indonesian government treats my people. Growing up, I witnessed mistreatment, abuse of power, marginalization, and even genocide as part of life back home.
Why WPC?
In 2020, right after graduation, I decided to pursue an immigration lawyer to work on my case. I drove two and a half days from Oregon to Atlanta, GA. I was there for over six months, then flew to California for another four months, but wasn’t able to secure an immigration attorney. At the end of 2020, I contacted an immigration attorney in Oregon who filed my case with USCIS. I was charged $10,000+ just to secure my legality.
Knowing that many West Papuan students reside here in the U.S. due to threats from the Indonesian government, I decided WPC-USA should not only do advocacy work, but help provide basic needs and emergency assistance. We focus on immigration, food, temporary shelter, work authorization, and jobs, while bringing our culture together to address and prevent mental health issues and homesickness.
