Special Message from OCA-OC President, Lisa Akiyama

Letter from our President:

Dear Friends,

As we near the end of a successful 2009, the 2010 OCA-OC Officers and Board have been hard at work preparing for what promises to be another exciting year. Coming up we have The Annual Toy Drive on December 10th and our Lunar New Year event and Membership Drive on January 23rd, we would love to have you join us!

We were sad to say farewell to our former President Ellen Lu, and Vice President Yao Lee as they moved to Taiwan, but we are equipped with the valuable lessons and legacy that their leadership left behind. We are also glad to introduce the new OCA-OC Advisory Council where Jhemon Lee, Ellen Lu and Yao Lee will continue to impart their experience and wisdom to our organization even from afar!

In what has been a time of transition for our Chapter, the new 2010 Board of Directors and Officers have been hard at work planning out an exciting line-up of events and programs for next year. I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to introduce you all to OCA-OC’s 2010 Board of Directors and Officers. This dynamic and enthusiastic group of professionals and students are dedicated to furthering OCA’s mission of empowering Asian Pacific Americans. We hope to continue building a community of empowered and mobilized APAs in Orange County. Please join us for the exciting year ahead!

2010 Officers

Lisa Akiyama (President)
Paul Odanaka (Vice President)
Nikun Khoongumjorn (Secretary)
Daniel Chew (Treasurer)
Michelle Nguyen (Community Relations)
Shawn Kim (Membership Chair)
Carrie Gan (Programs)
Nap Chan (Public Affairs)
John Lew (Community Relations & Technology)
Jacqueline Wu (Student Intern)
Justin Balagtas (Student Intern)

2010 Board of Directors

Howard Wang
Tammy Peng
Alex Quong

Updates on OCA Membership and Benefits

If you’ve considered becoming a member of OCA-OC this is the year to do it! You will not only be connected with one of the oldest Asian American organizations in the United States, OCA-OC will give you many opportunities to get involved in the community and network with fellow professionals.

Below is a list of some of the benefits of membership. Please note that new this year are special offers from UPS, Enterprise and Sam’s Club to OCA members!

HOW to renew!

You can send in your membership form by mail or in person at one of our upcoming events! If you would like a membership form, please feel free to contact our Membership Chair at: shawn1225@gmail.com.

Membership Benefits:

* Access to members-only events and discounts to OCA Orange County events as well as OCA chapters throughout the United States;
* Additional discounts with co-sponsored events and OCA affiliated organizations;
* Work with thousands of other OCA members and other Asian Pacific American community leaders and members to overcome the forces that divide Asian Pacific Americans;
* Work to eliminate stereotypes in the media, in the policy arena and in American communities; help to build a more positive and accurate image of Asian Pacific Americans;
* Support OCA, the only national Asian Pacific American organizations based in the nation’s capital that provides a common forum for all Asian Pacific Americans;
* Receive IMAGE, our tri-annual news magazine which provides current information of interest to Asian Pacific Americans;
* Raise your visibility in your community; get your views and needs addressed;
* Become an informed, active and responsible citizen as a member of OCA-OC and
* Your membership dues are fully tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) charitable contribution.

NEW BENEFITS THIS YEAR!

* UPS — OCA members can join the UPS Savings Program and save up to 28 percent on their express shipping. The program also includes a 10 percent discount on business services at UPS Store locations. Members who sign up for the program will receive a special Corporate Card in which the 10 percent discount is good on a wide array of business services. (The discount at The UPS Store does not apply to shipping). For more information on the UPS savings program, visit the OCA National Web Site at www.ocanational.org or call 1 (800) 325-7000.
* Enterprise — OCA members can now receive special discounted rates when renting from Enterprise Rent-A-Car! There are no blackout dates and no additional driver or underage fees. Please contact us for more details.

As members and friend of OCA-OC, please feel free to share with us your thoughts on our events and what events you would like to see us organize. Also, we are always looking for new energetic people to join our team and to work together to fulfill the mission of OCA. If you are interested or have questions about getting involved, please send an email to contact@oca-oc.org.

Lisa Akiyama
President

Photos from our most recent events can be found can be found on the OCA-OC Facebook group here.

For those who have Facebook account and would like more information on OCA-OC and to keep track of OCA-OC events, please join the group. Upcoming OCA-OC events will be posted there as well as any updates. It is a great way to get more involved so join today.

Note: If you or your organization would like an event posted on our newsletter, please contact me at justinbalagtas@gmail.com. Also, if any of you have news that you think would be beneficial or interesting to OCA-OC members, feel free to email me that as well. All requests will be reviewed before being posted. As a kind reminder to our members, OCA-OC officers are here to help you so feel free to contact us anytime. I am easily accessible through e-mail at justinbalagtas@gmail.com.com. As you can see, the newsletter is constantly changing and always a work in progress. I am open to hearing from you regarding any topic: from our website and newsletters to suggestions you may have for our organization to how you can get more involved with OCA-OC. We are always looking for energetic individuals to help achieve our mission in empowering the Asian American voice in the Orange County and national community. The information found on this newsletter can also be found on our website here.
Upcoming OCA-OC Events
OCA-OC presents as a community partner with NAAAP-OC and YGAP:
The Annual Christmas Toy Drive

December 10, 2009
6:00pm Registration, 7:30pm Program
$15 Admission, $5 with a toy donation (minimum value $10)

7 Seas Restaurant
12941 Main St.
Garden Grove, CA 92840-5114
(714) 590-2222

Please RSVP by sending an email to: Margaret@naaapoc.org.

National News

For immediate release Contacts:

November 18, 2009 Nicole Duran, AAJC, 202.296.2300 x 144

L. Sookyung Oh, NAKASEC, 202-567-1397

Asian Americans & Pacific Islander (AAPIs) Support Immigration Reform

AAPIs Join Thousands in House Parties in CA, DC, FL, IL, MD, MI, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA, TX, VA, and WA

( Washington , D.C. ) Today, Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) will share details about the comprehensive immigration reform legislation that he intends to introduce this year through a national telebriefing. Communities across the country are joining this national conversation in their homes, churches, classrooms and worksites, and then taking actions to promote immigration reform. Organized by the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign, this call follows an earlier public rally on October 13 where Rep. Gutierrez laid out the core principles that will serve as the substance of his bill.

“Though the AAPI community is diverse, immigration is one issue that crosses all ethnic lines. Whether they are first generation or fifth generation, AAPIs recognize the fundamental importance of the issue and its impact on our community,” stated Curtis Chin, board president of Asian Pacific Americans for Progress.

“The importance and urgency of comprehensive immigration reform for Asian Americans and for all Americans cannot be overstated,” stated Karen Narasaki, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center . “By participating in this national call, Asian Americans across the country, from California to Florida , Michigan to Texas , are letting their members of Congress know that Asian Americans are demanding action – now.”

“A prevailing misconception in mainstream America is that the broken immigration system does not impact AAPIs. That’s simply not true; we are adversely impacted in many ways. A surprising 10% of the undocumented are AAPIs, including young people, and countless others are languishing behind bars in detention centers. That’s why we are stepping up our actions and this event is part of that,” stated EunSook Lee, executive director of NAKASEC.

List of Participating AAPI organizations:

Asian American Justice Center

Asian Pacific American Legal Center

Asian Pacific Americans for Progress

Korean American Resource & Cultural Center

Korean Resource Center

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum

National Asian Pacific Center for Aging

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium

OCA – Embracing the Hopes and Aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans

Philippine American Foundation for Charities, Inc.

South Asian Americans Leading Together

OCA Criticizes Bo Dietl for Offensive Behavior

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

16 November 2009

CONTACT

Sarah Smith Nester | Communications Manager

202 223 5500 | ssnester@ocanational.org

OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), was disturbed by former NYPD detective Bo Dietl’s behavior on the Nov. 9 installation of the Don Imus show. During the show, Dietl poked fun at journalist Katie Couric’s appearance by stating, “She’s got her eyes pulled so far, she’s starting to look Chinese herself…ten years ago, she looked American. Today she looks Oriental.” He also pulled his eyes back in a “slant-eye” gesture.

Not only were his statements about Couric distasteful and rude, Dietl used historically discriminating language regarding Americans of Asian descent to suggest that Couric looked un-American. The term “Oriental” and the slant-eye gesture fall within a long and unfortunate history of people mocking and denigrating individuals of Asian descent.

Dietl is often featured on Imus’ show as well as other Fox News programs such as The O’Reilly Factor, Your World with Neil Cavuto and Hannity. OCA strongly objects to allowing Dietl to continue to have airtime on any news network.

Dietl’s statements can be found on Youtube and other Internet sites. OCA encourages all concerned citizens to send a letter objecting to Dietl’s behavior to Roger Ailes, president of Fox News Channel, at 1211 Avenue of the Americas , New York , NY 10036 .

NCAPA STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 12, 2009

CONTACT:

Floyd Mori, NCAPA Chair dc@jacl.org

NCAPA CONDEMNS RACIST REMARKS TARGETING REP. CAO

Washington, D.C. – The National Council on Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) condemns the racist attacks against Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, a first-term Republican from Louisiana and Vietnamese American who was the lone Republican to vote for the H.R. 3962 Affordable Health Care for America Act on Saturday, November 14, 2009, when it was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Cao has been called “Mao” in various blogs and has been the target of many racial epithets in unacceptable, and we call upon all his colleagues to rebuke the racism from these various bloggers and commentators. commentary. Expressing discontent with Rep. Cao’s vote through derogatory rhetoric and statements is unacceptable, and we call upon all his colleagues to rebuke the racism from these various bloggers and commentators.

Lawmakers should not be subjected to personal attacks based on their race or ethnicity simply for representing their constituents. Health care reform is a critical issue for all Americans including Asian Pacific Americans, and this rhetoric used against Rep. Cao detracts from the actual issues and the important discourse in which we all need to partake.

#####

Founded in 1996, The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) is a coalition of twenty-six nationwide Asian American interest organizations that advocate for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.

National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
1828 L St. NW, Suite 802

Washington, DC 20036

Phone: (202) 223-1240 Fax: (202) 296-8082

Enactment of Hate Crimes Prevention Act a Victory for APAs and OCA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

28 October 2009
Washington D.C. —Today, OCA joined President Barack Obama at the White House to commemorate the enactment of the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, an expansion of federal hate crime laws to protect victims of crimes who are targeted because of sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.

As a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), OCA has long-engaged members and affiliates to ensure that adequate hate crimes legislation is enacted at its stories of Vincent Chin and Joseph Ileto not forgotten.

“OCA has fought for over a decade to make our voices heard on the need to protect our communities from violence and hate,” said OCA National President Ken Lee. “We remember Vincent Chin, a Chinese American who was beaten to death because of prejudice toward APAs. With this new legislation, our hope is that hate crime offenders will be held accountable for their crimes, unlike in Vincent Chin’s murder.”

Over the years OCA has worked with our chapters and in coalition with other national organizations on hate crimes prevention, and established educational programs to teach people how to prevent and respond to hate crimes prevention.

“The murder of Matthew Shepard and many other LGBTQ-identified people has been devastating for the community and it is time to end the violence,” said OCA National Secretary Sharon Wong, who attended the White House reception. “We are thrilled this bill has been finally enacted. We have worked on this for so long and we are proud to stand with our civil rights partners as we celebrate this victory.”

For more information on OCA hate crimes prevention, visit our Web site.

Upcoming Community Events
The Asian Business Association of Orange County presents:
14th Annual Recognition and Awards Gala
Firday, December 4th, 2009
6:00pm

Doubletree Hotel
100 The City Drive
Orange, CA

Tickets are $60 at the door. Bob Decastro of KTTV Fox 11 is the emcee. For more information, feel free to check out the ABAOC website. To RSVP, please email info@abaoc.org.

The OC Asian American Bar Association presents
5th Annual Holiday Dim Sum Party
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
11:30am – 1:00pm

King Lobster Palace
2045 N. Tustin St.
Orange, CA

Costs are $20 for members, $25 for nomembers, $10 for judges, and $15 for students. For more information, please contact the OCAABA website, call (949) 440-6700 x254, or email them at ocaaba@cox.net.

Community News
News from around Orange County and Southern California

Senate Confirms First Vietnamese American Federal Judge

UCI Pleads State for Money Through Write-In
OCA-OC
Embracing the Hopes and Aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans
Founded in 1973, the OCA is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization dedicated to securing the rights of Asian Pacific Americans through initiatives at all levels of the government. Visit www.oca-oc.org for more information.
Contact Info: contact@oca-oc.org or 13710 Alderton Lane, Cerritos, CA 90703