Archive for the 'Chapter Newsletter' Category
OCA-OC Newsletter - Week of August 24th
Hello Everyone,
I just want to start by saying what a pleasure it has been being your vice president of OCA-OC. I am new to OCA and new to the Asian American organization community. Prior to OCA, I could not have imagined how much could be accomplished by organizations. Since my involvement, I’ve met so many wonderful people and learn many life lessons. It has truly been unique experience. I mention this because I know many people are looking to get more involved in the community and perhaps the Asian community and I just want to note how rewarding it is. I encourage all of you who have thought about becoming more involved to talk to us officers and ask about our experiences and what we have been able to take away from it all. I personally would be more than happy to share my story of OCA and hope that you all would consider becoming more involved. Truly, by working together, we can make a difference in the Asian American community.
I’d like to also remind everyone about our next upcoming event, Bowers Museum to see the Terra Cotta warriors. Our plans previously mentioned dinner at Parrot Cafe afterwards but we recently found out that the restaurant is closed. We will find a new location shortly. The event will take place on September 5, roughly a week and a half from now. For more information, see below or email any one of us officers. We hope to see you all out there.
Yao Lee
OCA-OC Vice President
Note: If you or your organization would like an event posted on our newsletter, please contact me at yaolee@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 yaolee@gmail.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
Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor
at Bowers Museum
Bowers Museum Picture
September 5, 2008
4pm, 5pm, 6pm
Bowers Museum
2002 N Main Street, Santa Ana CA
The Bowers Museum offers free admissions on Friday nights for up to 100 visitors per hour at 4, 5, and 6pm. For a limited time only, Bowers Museum presents the largest exhibit of Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army ever seen outside of China. This Terracotta army of soldiers, servants, musicians, acrobats, and animals silently remained underground for two thousand years. Until, in 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well made the startling discovery of a terracotta head.
Now is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the 20th century’s greatest archaeological finds, often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World.
For additional information, please contact Betty Chu at BettyC@oca-oc.org
Community News
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Announces Mike Honda Fellowship
Los Angeles, CA - The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) seeks applications for the 2008-2009 Mike Honda Fellowship Program. This new fellowship will be focused on JACL’s advocacy and public policy awareness/programming, education and work on projects associated with the JACL National Youth Student Council. The fellowship is named for the Honorable Congressman Mike Honda in recognition of his lifelong commitment to public service and extensive history in working with the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The fellowship serves to honor Congressman Honda’s commitment to Civil Rights for all Asian Pacific Americans.
The Mike Honda Fellowship is funded by a generous $25,000 grant from Southern California Edison. Edison has an extensive history of financial and volunteer support for the API community. Floyd Mori, National Director of the JACL states, “We are extremely fortunate to be partnering with SoCal Edison, a company that is sensitive to the needs of our community and understands the challenges we face.”
“We are very pleased to have this opportunity to support JACL and this fellowship program to promote civic engagement and leadership development for the Japanese American community”, said Wes Tanaka, SCE Public Affairs Director. ” And, in naming the fellowship in honor of Congressman Honda, it is a fitting tribute in recognition of his ongoing and steadfast commitment to promote a strong voice for the API community” he said.
The Mike Honda Fellowship will be in the Los Angeles office of the JACL. The term of the fellowship will be for a 10 month period and will begin in September of 2008.
Interested applicants should download the application form www.jacl.org, or www.jaclpsw.org and submit it along with a resume, cover letter, and writing sample by September 15, 2008. For questions or further information contact Craig Ishii at the JACL Pacific Southwest District Office: 213-626-4471 or email psw@jacl.org.
Representative David Wu Ensures Longevity Of Historic Program For Asian American And Pacific Islander Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the final version of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, H.R. 4137, which incorporates Congressman David Wu’s historic program to increase college opportunities and services for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. Congressman Wu first shepherded the program into law in September 2007 and has now extended and expanded it through this legislation.
The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) program provides grants to eligible colleges and universities that serve large numbers of low-income and AAPI students to help the schools improve and expand their services.
“For six years I have worked to see that colleges and universities across the country better assist underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who are pursuing a college education,” said Congressman Wu. “This program, created last year and expanded today, does just that. Eligible schools will now be able to provide a variety of targeted services, helping AAPI students overcome barriers to a college degree and putting them on the path to success.” Services that may be funded under the program include:
* Curriculum development and academic instruction, including instruction in disciplines in which Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are underrepresented;
* Tutoring, counseling, and other student support services, including financial counseling designed to improve the financial literacy of students and families;
* Research and data collection for Asian American and Pacific Islander populations and subpopulations;
* Community outreach programs that will encourage elementary and secondary school students to develop the academic skills and the interest to pursue postsecondary education;
* Establishment of partnerships with community-based organizations serving Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders;
* Purchase of scientific or laboratory equipment, library books, and other educational materials; and
* Renovation and improvement of classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities.
The AANAPISI program was created last September with $10 million in funding to be used during fiscal years 2008-2012. The program has now been integrated into the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which authorizes the program through fiscal year 2013 and increases the allowable funding to $30 million each year.
Overall, the Higher Education Opportunity Act would:
* Encourage colleges to rein in price increases and provide students and families with helpful information, such as tuition prices, graduation rates, and popular majors;
* Restore integrity and accountability to the student loan programs;
* Simplify the federal student aid application process;
* Make textbook costs more manageable;
* Expand college access and support for low-income and minority students;
* Increase college aid and support for veterans and military families;
* Ensure equal college opportunities for students with disabilities;
* Boost campus safety and disaster readiness plans;
* Encourage colleges to adopt sustainable and energy-efficient practices; and
* Strengthen our workforce and our competitiveness.
H.R. 4137 is a compromise between the House and the Senate higher education bills; it is expected to be passed by the Senate this week and go to the president for his signature.
Congressman Wu is a member of the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee and the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus’ Education Taskforce.
The Coolie Trade: The Traffic in Chinese Laborers to Latin America 1847-1874
by Arnold J Meagher PhD
A thorough study of the roots of modern human trafficking and Chinese emigration. Against the backdrop of China’s rapid advance to the forefront of the world economy and sharp scrutiny over global trends in human trafficking, Meagher’s exhaustive survey of Chinese indentured labor is a richly informative, timely release. His volume, much broader in scope than the Latin America in his subtitle indicates, is a careful examination of cultural, political and socioeconomic factors that contributed to this phenomenon. Meagher argues that the termination of the African slave trade, an urgent need for laborers in the West and a deteriorating Chinese economy conspired to spawn the emigration of more than a quarter million Chinese laborers to Latin America in the span of 28 years. Beginning in 1847, Chinese emigration quickly evolved into a prosperous black market cottage industry that, alongside the illicit opium trade, attracted enterprising, often dubious characters. These overlords relentlessly plundered China’s human resources to satisfy a labor vacuum in the West. Scheming brokers often used any means available - false promises, deceit and fraud - to lure prey aboard ships. Victims of kidnapping account for more than a quarter of the human cargo, while appalling prisonlike conditions, mutinies and disease resulted in a 12 percent mortality rate during the nine-month voyage. Great Britain and the United States abandoned the coolie trade in the mid 1860s after much public outcry. Trafficking, however, continued to flourish until 1874 aboard other ships sailing for Latin America, often destined for Cuba and Peru, where booming sugar, guano and mining industries demanded a steady flow of fresh workers. This authoritative account is acutely critical of the coolie trade as a means by which the slave trade continued in the West, but suggests it did have its advantages: challenging draconian Chinese taboos that once forbade emigration and introducing Chinese culture to Western society. The author’s fluid, conversational style elevates Meagher’s work from the weight that often bogs down other academic texts.
For more information, Xlibris offers a more thorough description and provides a method to purchase this book here.
Upcoming Community Events
TAP
TAP Annual Banquet & Casino Night
Date: Saturday, September 13
Time: 6PM
Location: Kyoto Grand Hotel & Gardens
120 S. Los Angeles, St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Price:
Presale - $50/$55 (Members/Non-members)
Regular - $60/$65 (Members/Non-members)
Casino Only - $30 (no dinner)
RSVP: http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/KQPYXTWIVDSFNABBFDET/casinonight9.13
Please join TAP for our biggest event of the year, the 4th Annual Banquet & Casino Night extravaganza! This event brings our community to network, celebrate our past year, highlight individuals who have made a difference, and have fun! This year features live performances, poker room, 20 Casino night tables, DJ, dancing, silent auction, hosted bar, and more! Join hundreds of other young professionals for a night of celebration and fun with new and old friends!
Location Info: http://www.kyotograndhotel.com/
Attire: Semi-Formal
Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Poker, PaiGow, etc!
Prizes include hotel packages, certificates to top LA restaurants, Disneyland tickets, massage packages, club passes, Wii, and MUCH MORE!!!
OPEN BAR courtesy of Courvoisier!
Live Music Performer: Diana Li!
Featured Honorees:
SINGER-SONGWRITER VIENNA TENG
She shares her name with the Austrian home of Mozart and Beethoven. And she herself studied classical piano from the age of five. But there’s nothing old-world about the music of Vienna Teng, whose music brings to mind artists as diverse as Tori Amos, Simon & Garfunkel and Radiohead. A former Stanford computer science grad, and software engineer in Silicon Valley, she gave all that up to pursue her musical passions - a risky career move that has paid off. She has 3 critically acclaimed albums: 2002’s Waking Hour, 2004’s Warm Strangers, and 2006’s Dreaming Through the Noise. They have landed on three Billboard album charts and reached #2 on Amazon’s best-seller list. She’s appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and toured widely, opening for such artists as Shawn Colvin, Joan Osborne, Patty Griffin, Joan Baez and the Indigo Girls.
ASSEMBLYMEMBER TED LIEU
Represents the 53rd Assembly District covering the South Bay. Prior to his Assembly election in 2005, Lieu served on the Torrance City Council, as well as the City’s Environmental Quality 7 Energy Conservation Commission. He worked tirelessly on issues that he continues as an Assemblymember - education, public safety, the environment and transportation. Dedicated to his country, Lieu currently holds the rank of Major in the US Air Force Reserves, and served on active duty for 4 years as a member of the JAG Corps. He is Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus, and was honored at the 2007 APALS Reception as a keynote speaker.
CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS:http://tapcasino.eventbrite.com/
Questions? Email Pai.Hung@tacl.org, Social Projects Chair, or President Ben.Ling@tacl.org.
Annual Pacific Southwest 12th Annual Awards Dinner
PSW’s Heroes of Redress: 20 Years of a Living Legacy
Date: September 13th, 2008
Location: Grand Events Center
4101 E Willow St
Long Beach, CA 90815
The dinner will include a live band, silent auction and awards for those outstanding Pacific Southwest members who made such a large impact during Redress.
The annual dinner is the districts’ largest fundraiser, funding district youth programs, such as Project: Community! - a high school youth advocacy program, and Campus Leadership - a collegiate leadership training. Aside from these programs, the annual dinner will help support district initiatives on public policies and advocacy work as well.
For more information, please contact the district office at 213-626-4471 or email at psw@jacl.org.
Southern California Edison Presents
The 2nd Annual Harvest Moon Mixer
Date: September 16, 2008
Time: 5:30PM - 8:30PM
Location: The Villa
15081 Beach Blvd
Westminster, CA 82683
You are cordially invited to:
* Learn about energy savings programs
* Participate in business-to-business networking
* Celebrate the delights of the holiday with delicious Chinese cuisine and door prize
You will be able to meet Frank Quevedo, Vice President, Equal Opportunity and Erwin Furukawa, Vice President, Customer Program & Services, and SCE representatives from Supplier Diversity, Customer Services, and Public Affairs organizations at Edison.
It will be a true business-to-business networking event where you will make new business contacts, learn the latest energy saving programs for small businesses, enjoy the festivities and great food too!
RSVP by September 11, 2008 to Liz Cañadas at (626) 302-1156 or Elizabeth.Canadas@sce.com
Although this is a FREE event that is open to the public, space is limited and walk-ins will not be allowed. All attendees MUST RSVP except for our VIP guests.
APEX_Logo
15th Annual APEX Awards Gala:
Aspire to Inspire
Date: Septemper 27, 2008
Time: 6PM - 7PM (Reception) / 7PM - 9PM (Dinner)
Location: Omni Hotel - Downtown Los Angeles
251 South Olive Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
For the past fifteen years, APEX has strived to be the premier membership organization for Asian Pacific Islander Americans in Southern California. Deeply committed to excellence in professional development, community service, and cultural awareness, the APEX Board and its members have had a lasting positive impact on the community through its programs and events. As an all-volunteer organization, APEX has seen many dedicated people contribute to its success since 1993, and in September 2008, APEX will pay tribute to them at the 15th Annual APEX Awards Gala: Aspire to Inspire.
On September 27, 2008, the APIA community will come together to celebrate the 15th Annual APEX Awards Gala. Presented at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, the Awards Gala recognizes and honors prominent APIAs who are opening doors for more APIAs to rise as leaders in the community. Celebrating APEX’s 15th Year Anniversary, the Gala is not only a celebration of APEX and the communities’ current accomplishments, but it is a reflection of what the organization has meant to the lives of many in the Southern California region.
Awards:
* APEX Award for Excellence in Community Service
* APEX Award for Excellence in Corporate Leadership
* APEX Award for Excellence in Arts & Entertainment
APEX will also be celebrating the 2008 Youth in Leadership Excellence Award Winners!
Along with the Grand Prize and 3 Runner-ups, top art award submissions will be exhibited!
Attire: Black Tie Optional
BUY TICKETS HERE:
http://apexgala2008.eventbrite.com/
Tickets will sell out so Reserve Your Seat Today!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://apex.org/awards
OCA GLA Awards Dinner
OCA-GLA 17th Annual Image Awards
October 3rd, 2008
Omni Hotel, Lost Angeles
Additional information to come in the near future…
Check for updates here.
Irvine Global Village Festival
Irvine Global Village Festival
Date: October 4rd, 2008
Time: 10AM - 6PM
Location: Bill Barber Park
4 Civic Center Plaza
Irvine, CA 92606
Price: Free
Make plans to travel the world at the City of Irvine’s Annual Global Village Festival on Saturday, October 4, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Bill Barber Park. Boasting artistic cultural performances on three stages, the Festival’s live entertainment is a mosaic of music and dance representing more than 50 cultures from Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. Immerse yourself in cultural displays, world religion and demonstrations, indulge in international cuisine, explore our world marketplace and keep the little ones in motion with hands-on art projects, games and activities in a giant, interactive Kids Village.
Festival admission and parking are free. Food court tasting tickets are available for purchase at the event. Bill Barber Park is located adjacent to the Irvine Civic Center on Harvard between Barranca and Alton.
Additional information can be found at their website: http://www.irvinefestival.org
For question, email festival@ci.irvine.ca.us.
2008 Asian Global Sourcing & Procurement Conference
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2008
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: The Paradise Pier Hotel
1717 So Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802
TAKEAWAYS
* A Unique Look at Sourcing in China, India, Korea, Philippines, & Vietnam
* Asia Trends, Risks & Opportunities
* Real-World Case Studies in Global Goods & Services
* Interactive & Compelling Sessions
* Procurement Opportunities
GLOBAL SOURCING
Asian Global Sourcing, targeting buyers and sellers of goods & services from China, India, Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam. Diverse industry expert panel speakers who are directly engaged in the Asian markets are invited to share ideas on real-world issues and experiences dealing with these Asian markets.
PROCUREMENT
The Procurement segment of the conference is designed to provide large corporations, small businesses, government agencies, and the business community, the opportunity to network & access available procurement resources on contracting, purchasing, distribution, and supplier development relationships with Asian-owned businesses and other diverse companies currently dealing with Asian and/or US markets.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Enterprises with an interest in China, India, Korea, Philippines, & Vietnam.
Service companies in the global transportation, financial, legal & trade insurance sectors.
Corporations with an Asia strategy.
Companies interested in selling to our line-up of corporations.
Networking for professionals.
GLOBAL SOURCING DETAILS: Quanta Consulting, Inc. www.QuantaCo.com/seminars.html Seminars@QuantaCo.com
ONLINE REGISTRATION: www.abaoc.org
APALC
Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California Presents
25th Anniversary Dinner
Date: October 21st, 2008
Time: 5:30 pm Reception and Silent Auction
7 pm Program and Dinner
Location: The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
404 S. Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Black Tie Optional
Come join APALC as they recognize over 50 individuals, corporations, law firms and foundations that have supported the Asian Pacific American Legal Center over the years. The event will be held at the magnificent Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites.
The event will feature a silent auction where you will be able to bid on items and gift bags generously donated to support APALC. Click here if you are interested in making a donation to the auction. Silent auction and gift bag donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law
The silent auction will be followed by the program and dinner. Reserve your seat today!
Tickets - Individual tickets will be available for purchase soon.
For information on Table sponsorhips, please visit here. Sponsorship forms are available here.
The Asian Pacific American Legal Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Contributions over the fair-market value are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The fair-market value of each dinner admission ticket is $60.
For more information on the 25th Anniversary Dinner, please contact Clayton Yeung, Director of Special Events & Corporate Relations at (213) 977-7500 ext. 201.
Click here to learn more about the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.
Additional Opportunities
eMAPA
University of Texas Health Study on Physical Activity Attitudes
Project Website: http://mapa.nur.utexas.edu
Eun-Ok Im, PhD, MPH, RN, CNS, FAAN, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin and her colleagues are conducting a study to explore ethnic differences in midlife women’s attitudes toward physical activity.
The changing racial and ethnic makeup of the U.S. will require health professionals to practice with cultural competence in areas such as promotion of physical activity, where cultural beliefs may mediate health promotion behaviors.
You are eligible to participate in this study if you are a midlife women aged 40 to 60 years old who do not have any mobility problems; who can read and write English; who are online; and whose self-reported ethnic identity is Hispanic, non-Hispanic (N-H) White, N-H African American, or N-H Asian.
Data will be collected through the Internet from Feb. 1, 2008 to May 31, 2011. Methods for the data collection include an Internet survey among 500 midlife women in the U.S. on the Internet and four ethnic-specific online forum discussions among about 30 midlife women per ethnic group recruited among the Internet survey participants.
Your involvement will consist of the following: (a) about 30 minutes are usually needed to complete the Internet survey questionnaire; and (b) the online forums will be conducted for 6 months, should you agree to participate in the additional online forum discussion. Your participation is asynchronous (you can visit the online forum site and read and post messages at your convenience).
You will receive a gift certificate of 10 dollars for filling out the Internet survey, and an additional gift certificate of 50 dollars for participating in the additional online forum (only those who participate in the additional online forum for 6 months will be provided with this additional gift certificate). To get reimbursed for the online forums, you have to post at least one message per topic. For more information, please visit at our website (http://mapa.nur.utexas.edu/a>) and/or contact us.
Contact Information:
Ken-Li Chang
Undergraduate Research Assistant
School of Nursing, University of Texas at Austin
1700 Red River, Austin, TX 78701
E-mail: kchang@mail.utexas.edu
ViFF Logo
ViFF 2009
The Fourth Edition of the biennial Vietnamese International Film Festival
PRODUCTIONS ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION: Feature-length and short productions of any content (not necessarily related to Vietnam or Vietnamese) by persons of Vietnamese descent living anywhere around the world or productions about Vietnamese people or culture in the following categories:
* Narrative
* Documentary
* Experimental
* Animation
NO ENTRY FEE!
ENTRY DEADLINE: Entries MUST BE POSTMARKED no later than December 31, 2008. We will announce the final selection at the end of February 2008.
Download ViFF 2009 Entry Form (Word format)
For more information and a PDF of our entry form, please visit www.VietFilmFest.com. Please email vietfilmfest@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
ViFF’s mission is to support, celebrate, and project a diversity of visions and voices from filmmakers of Vietnamese descent and films by, for, and about the Vietnamese people and culture.
The Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF) is an eight-day event uniquely showcasing films made by Vietnamese and Vietnamese diasporic filmmakers. Presented biennially since 2003 by the two non-profit organizations Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) and Vietnamese Language & Culture (VNLC), ViFF has featured films from all over the world, including but not limited to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Poland, United States, and Vietnam.
ViFF is held mainly at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), with some screenings at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Westminster, Southern California. Each edition, ViFF attracts around 4,000 people coming from all over the world.
No commentsOCA-OC Newsletter - Week of August 10th
Hello Everyone,
Having just returned from the OCA National Convention, I feel reinvigorated to develop OCA-OC. The convention in Washington DC was wonderful and very educational towards chapter development and personal development. On top of that, we were able to meet many of the the great members and officers from the other chapters around the nation. I just want to mention that the convention is open to any OCA-OC member and that in 2009, it will take place in San Francisco, making it much more accesible to all of you. I really encourage anyone interested to not hesitate to mention your interest in attending.
With the last third of the year approaching, now is the time that we look to grow our officers and board of directors and to start inquiring our members about their interest in joining our group. If anyone is or knows anyone that is interested in running for a position as a officer, please contact me. More information about this issue will be coming soon. I want to stress the importance of having a strong officer group and that you as members have the right to have a say in who is nominated and who is elected. No prior experience is necessary and it is a great way to get more involved with the community. I encourage you all to email me and ask questions about what being an officer entails. It would be my pleasure to share my experiences with you. I look forward to hearing from all of you!
Yao Lee
OCA-OC Vice President
Note: If you or your organization would like an event posted on our newsletter, please contact me at yaolee@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 yaolee@gmail.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
Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor
at Bowers Museum
Bowers Museum Picture
September 5, 2008
4pm, 5pm, 6pm
Bowers Museum
2002 N Main Street, Santa Ana CA
The Bowers Museum offers free admissions on Friday nights for up to 100 visitors per hour at 4, 5, and 6pm. For a limited time only, Bowers Museum presents the largest exhibit of Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army ever seen outside of China. This Terracotta army of soldiers, servants, musicians, acrobats, and animals silently remained underground for two thousand years. Until, in 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well made the startling discovery of a terracotta head.
Now is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the 20th century’s greatest archaeological finds, often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World.
Members and those interested: Please join us for casual dinner afterwards at the GREEN PARROT CAFÉ at 7:30pm directly across from the museum. Please RSVP for dinner by 9/1/08.
Green Parrot Cafe: 2035 N Main St, Santa Ana CA
For additional information, please contact Betty Chu at BettyC@oca-oc.org
Community News
Representative David Wu Ensures Longevity Of Historic Program For Asian American And Pacific Islander Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the final version of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, H.R. 4137, which incorporates Congressman David Wu’s historic program to increase college opportunities and services for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. Congressman Wu first shepherded the program into law in September 2007 and has now extended and expanded it through this legislation.
The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) program provides grants to eligible colleges and universities that serve large numbers of low-income and AAPI students to help the schools improve and expand their services.
“For six years I have worked to see that colleges and universities across the country better assist underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who are pursuing a college education,” said Congressman Wu. “This program, created last year and expanded today, does just that. Eligible schools will now be able to provide a variety of targeted services, helping AAPI students overcome barriers to a college degree and putting them on the path to success.” Services that may be funded under the program include:
* Curriculum development and academic instruction, including instruction in disciplines in which Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are underrepresented;
* Tutoring, counseling, and other student support services, including financial counseling designed to improve the financial literacy of students and families;
* Research and data collection for Asian American and Pacific Islander populations and subpopulations;
* Community outreach programs that will encourage elementary and secondary school students to develop the academic skills and the interest to pursue postsecondary education;
* Establishment of partnerships with community-based organizations serving Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders;
* Purchase of scientific or laboratory equipment, library books, and other educational materials; and
* Renovation and improvement of classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities.
The AANAPISI program was created last September with $10 million in funding to be used during fiscal years 2008-2012. The program has now been integrated into the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which authorizes the program through fiscal year 2013 and increases the allowable funding to $30 million each year.
Overall, the Higher Education Opportunity Act would:
* Encourage colleges to rein in price increases and provide students and families with helpful information, such as tuition prices, graduation rates, and popular majors;
* Restore integrity and accountability to the student loan programs;
* Simplify the federal student aid application process;
* Make textbook costs more manageable;
* Expand college access and support for low-income and minority students;
* Increase college aid and support for veterans and military families;
* Ensure equal college opportunities for students with disabilities;
* Boost campus safety and disaster readiness plans;
* Encourage colleges to adopt sustainable and energy-efficient practices; and
* Strengthen our workforce and our competitiveness.
H.R. 4137 is a compromise between the House and the Senate higher education bills; it is expected to be passed by the Senate this week and go to the president for his signature.
Congressman Wu is a member of the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee and the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus’ Education Taskforce.
The Coolie Trade: The Traffic in Chinese Laborers to Latin America 1847-1874
by Arnold J Meagher PhD
A thorough study of the roots of modern human trafficking and Chinese emigration. Against the backdrop of China’s rapid advance to the forefront of the world economy and sharp scrutiny over global trends in human trafficking, Meagher’s exhaustive survey of Chinese indentured labor is a richly informative, timely release. His volume, much broader in scope than the Latin America in his subtitle indicates, is a careful examination of cultural, political and socioeconomic factors that contributed to this phenomenon. Meagher argues that the termination of the African slave trade, an urgent need for laborers in the West and a deteriorating Chinese economy conspired to spawn the emigration of more than a quarter million Chinese laborers to Latin America in the span of 28 years. Beginning in 1847, Chinese emigration quickly evolved into a prosperous black market cottage industry that, alongside the illicit opium trade, attracted enterprising, often dubious characters. These overlords relentlessly plundered China’s human resources to satisfy a labor vacuum in the West. Scheming brokers often used any means available - false promises, deceit and fraud - to lure prey aboard ships. Victims of kidnapping account for more than a quarter of the human cargo, while appalling prisonlike conditions, mutinies and disease resulted in a 12 percent mortality rate during the nine-month voyage. Great Britain and the United States abandoned the coolie trade in the mid 1860s after much public outcry. Trafficking, however, continued to flourish until 1874 aboard other ships sailing for Latin America, often destined for Cuba and Peru, where booming sugar, guano and mining industries demanded a steady flow of fresh workers. This authoritative account is acutely critical of the coolie trade as a means by which the slave trade continued in the West, but suggests it did have its advantages: challenging draconian Chinese taboos that once forbade emigration and introducing Chinese culture to Western society. The author’s fluid, conversational style elevates Meagher’s work from the weight that often bogs down other academic texts.
For more information, Xlibris offers a more thorough description and provides a method to purchase this book here.
Upcoming Community Events
FCC Logo
FCC Orange County Olympics Madness
Date: August 9th, 2008
Time: 1PM to 4PM Location: Cal State Fullerton Titan Student Union
800 N State College Blvd
Fullerton, CA 92834
Get your Olympics spirit revved up with an afternoon of Beijing fun at “The Pub” in the basement of Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Student Union. We will be showing the Olympics opening ceremony on a big screen with other Olympic events on small TVs all around the room. Kids can learn all about the “Friendlies,” play games, and win medals.
In addition to the fun planned by FCC in the Pub itself, parents can take kids to bowl, play ping pong, and other games offerred for a fee in facilities located adjacent to the Pub.
Parking is free at Cal State Fullerton on Saturdays. The best place to park is north of the Titan Student Union (TSU) in the parking structure off State College north of Dorothy Lane.
For more information, contact Debbie Kister at debbiekistler@sbcglobal.net or visit the website at http://www.fwcc.org/
Save the Date! “Summer Relief” Mixer
Date: August 16th, 2008
Time: 6PM to 10PM Location: Morono Kiang Gallery
218 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
OCA-GLA in association
Co-host with APEX, Chinatown Service Center, Families with Children from China, Garcia Calderon Ruiz LLP, Little Tokyo Service Center, Morono Kiang Gallery, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans and The Taiwanese American Professionals.
Community Sponsors: APABA, CAUSE, The Chinese Historical Society of Southern California and Friends
OCA-GLA is excited to be hosting Summer Relief, a community mixer to benefit the victims of the cyclone in Myanmar and earthquakes in China. This will be a perfect time of year to celebrate the summer, network with the community and contribute to a great cause.
Sponsorship opportunities available. Contact Clara Chiu at OCA-GLA for more information.
Minimum Suggested Donation $15 to the American Red Cross
Artwork from Li Yan one of the leading artists from the Beijing art scene.
Musical Performances by Projekt Newspeak and a DJ.
Delicious drinks will be provided by Hypnotiq, PAMA and The Coca Cola Company.
Street parking is available and paid parking on 3rd Street between Hill and Broadway.
NAAAP Convention Logo
NAAAP National Convention
August 21-24th, 2008
Location: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is proud to be the host of the 22nd Annual National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) Convention & Diversity Career Fair, which boasts the theme, “Leadership: Rising and Shining Stars.” The NAAAP National Convention will be held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles from August 21-24, 2008.
The NAAAP National Convention will include a two-day diversity career fair, more than 40 workshops focused on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, diversity and community service, over 45 national and local workshop speakers, inspiring keynote speakers, Friday and Saturday dinner galas, valuable networking, and exciting entertainment.
SPEAKERS AND WORKSHOPS
Year after year, NAAAP has been graced with many high profile individuals who have donated their time and energy to speak and inspire our community.
Confirmed speakers this year include but not limited to:
* Representative Mike Honda, United States Congressman
* Scott Oki, philanthropist, former Senior Vice President, Microsoft
* Toby Dawson, Olympic Medalist Skier
* John Chiang, California State Controller
* Ambassador Sichan Siv, former United Nations Ambassador
* Helen Tse, author
* Sachi Koto, first Asian American anchor on CNN
* Roger Fan, actor
* Judy Chu, California State Board of Equalization
* David Ono, news anchor
* Peggy Cherng, co-founder and co-chair, Panda Restaurant Group
* Far East Movement
* Charlie Woo, co-founder and CEO, Megatoys
* Angela Oh, Attorney and Political Activist
* J.D. Hokoyama and LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)
Workshop and Panel Topics will include but not limited to:
* Leadership for the 21st Century
* How ERGs and BRGs are Good for the Bottom Line
* Finding Your Passion, Change the World
* Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Executives in the Entertainment Industry
* How to Work with the Media
* Open Space Technology
* Going for the Gold: Asian Americans in Sports
* Negotiations with a Killer Attitude
* Conflict and Dispute Resolution
* Impressive First Impressions: The Most Important 30 Seconds of Your Career
* Lead, Manage, Follow, or Get Out of the Way
CONVENTION EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
* 1 day intensive NAAAP Leadership Institute
* The NAAAP Golf Classic
* NAAAP National Awards Gala
* Thursday evening preview screening of Asian American independent film “Ping Pong Playa”
* Friday evening reception and film screening at Fox Studios
* Pre-Convention Activity: Chinese American Community Night at Dodger Stadium
* An opportunity to network with over 1000 attendees from the United States, Canada and the world
* And the finale, the Who’s Who in Asian American Communities Leaders and Legends Awards
CAREER FAIR - This year’s diversity career fair will take place in the California Showroom of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles on August 22 and 23 from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Exhibitors include: American Family Insurance, ARAMARK, The Coca Cola Company, Coors Brewing Company, Dell, Disney, EMC, JP Morgan Chase, Kaplan, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, Raytheon Company, Safeco, Sodexo, State Farm Insurance Company, Sun Microsystems, Verizon, Wachovia Bank, and many more!
Admission to the career fair is free. Simply register www.naaap.org/careers, attend the fair and land your dream career!
Please visit our www.naaapconvention.org for additional information and registration!
About NAAAP: Established in 1982, the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) is the largest and fastest growing North American Asian professional organization in the United States and Canada. NAAAP is a volunteer-based, non-profit, 501©(3), professional organization that promotes the career advancement and leadership development of Asian American professionals in all fields, through networking, respecting Asian multiculturalism, and supporting diversity and community service.
There are currently over 25 chapters, ventures, and affiliates across the United States and Canada and a growing North American membership of more than 3,000. For more information, visit www.naaap.org.
email: info@naaapconvention.org
web: http://www.naaapconvention.org
For volunteer opportunities for the day of the event, please fill out this form and email Billy Wang at volunteer@naaapconvention.org.
Volunteer positions needed:
Registraton: help assist checking in convention attendees
Career Fair - assist corporate recruiters with specific needs and/or tasks.
Speakers/workshops: help Speakers Coordinator with specific tasks and also handle technical problems and maintain the stationary camera during taping of the session.
Host/Hostess: meet and greet attendees and assist with directions in the convention area or ballroom.
Runners/’as needed’: ready to help at a moments notice to assist when called upon.
*Golf Tournament: help check-in golfers, drive golf cart to deliver drinks to golfers and assist with award ceremonies.
All information can be found here as well.
IMELDIFIC!
A Concert to Benefit The New York Premiere of IMELDA: A NEW MUSICAL
Date: August 24th, 2008
Time: 2:00PM
Price: $250 - VIP, $100 - Orchestra, $50 - Balcony
“Remember the glitz! Remember the glamour!” Spread the glitz and glamour to New York. Help bring the show to the Big Apple. The cast of Imelda and East West Players’ Divas and Tenors present an afternoon of song and Imelda memories to let New Yorkers share LA’s secret: It’s got talent! Whether in sneakers or sequined high heels, in sensible shoes or outlandish boots, join us for an afternoon “filled with love, laughter, and above all entertainment.”
Directed by MARILYN TOKUDA
Musical Direction by NATHAN WANG
Featuring Original Cast Members of IMELDA: A NEW MUSICAL and
KERRY CARNAHAN ~ ANTOINE REYNALDO DIEL ~ RANDY GUIAYA ~ ETHAN LE PHONG ~ MAEGAN McCONNELL ~ JENNI SELMA ~ KATHY VILLANUEVA ~ LITO VILLAREAL
ONE NIGHT ONLY!
Imeldific! Ticket Order Form
More info at www.EastWestPlayers.org or calling 213.625.7000
100% of the proceeds from the benefit concert will go towards the New York-bound original musical produced by Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, in association with East West Players. It is scheduled to open in fall 2009 at the spacious Julia Miles Theatre.
Annual Pacific Southwest 12th Annual Awards Dinner
PSW’s Heroes of Redress: 20 Years of a Living Legacy
Date: September 13th, 2008
Location: Grand Events Center
4101 E Willow St
Long Beach, CA 90815
The dinner will include a live band, silent auction and awards for those outstanding Pacific Southwest members who made such a large impact during Redress.
The annual dinner is the districts’ largest fundraiser, funding district youth programs, such as Project: Community!—a high school youth advocacy program, and Campus Leadership—a collegiate leadership training. Aside from these programs, the annual dinner will help support district initiatives on public policies and advocacy work as well.
For more information, please contact the district office at 213-626-4471 or email at psw@jacl.org.
Southern California Edison Presents
The 2nd Annual Harvest Moon Mixer
Date: September 16, 2008
Time: 5:30PM - 8:30PM
Location: The Villa
15081 Beach Blvd
Westminster, CA 82683
You are cordially invited to:
* Learn about energy savings programs
* Participate in business-to-business networking
* Celebrate the delights of the holiday with delicious Chinese cuisine and door prize
You will be able to meet Frank Quevedo, Vice President, Equal Opportunity and Erwin Furukawa, Vice President, Customer Program & Services, and SCE representatives from Supplier Diversity, Customer Services, and Public Affairs organizations at Edison.
It will be a true business-to-business networking event where you will make new business contacts, learn the latest energy saving programs for small businesses, enjoy the festivities and great food too!
RSVP by September 11, 2008 to Liz Cañadas at (626) 302-1156 or Elizabeth.Canadas@sce.com
Although this is a FREE event that is open to the public, space is limited and walk-ins will not be allowed. All attendees MUST RSVP except for our VIP guests.
OCA GLA Awards Dinner
OCA-GLA 17th Annual Image Awards
October 3rd, 2008
Omni Hotel, Lost Angeles
Additional information to come in the near future…
Check for updates here.
Irvine Global Village Festival
Irvine Global Village Festival
Date: October 4rd, 2008
Time: 10AM - 6PM
Location: Bill Barber Park
4 Civic Center Plaza
Irvine, CA 92606
Price: Free
Make plans to travel the world at the City of Irvine’s Annual Global Village Festival on Saturday, October 4, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Bill Barber Park. Boasting artistic cultural performances on three stages, the Festival’s live entertainment is a mosaic of music and dance representing more than 50 cultures from Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. Immerse yourself in cultural displays, world religion and demonstrations, indulge in international cuisine, explore our world marketplace and keep the little ones in motion with hands-on art projects, games and activities in a giant, interactive Kids Village.
Festival admission and parking are free. Food court tasting tickets are available for purchase at the event. Bill Barber Park is located adjacent to the Irvine Civic Center on Harvard between Barranca and Alton.
Additional information can be found at their website: http://www.irvinefestival.org
For question, email festival@ci.irvine.ca.us.
2008 Asian Global Sourcing & Procurement Conference
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2008
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: The Paradise Pier Hotel
1717 So Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802
TAKEAWAYS
* A Unique Look at Sourcing in China, India, Korea, Philippines, & Vietnam
* Asia Trends, Risks & Opportunities
* Real-World Case Studies in Global Goods & Services
* Interactive & Compelling Sessions
* Procurement Opportunities
GLOBAL SOURCING
Asian Global Sourcing, targeting buyers and sellers of goods & services from China, India, Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam. Diverse industry expert panel speakers who are directly engaged in the Asian markets are invited to share ideas on real-world issues and experiences dealing with these Asian markets.
PROCUREMENT
The Procurement segment of the conference is designed to provide large corporations, small businesses, government agencies, and the business community, the opportunity to network & access available procurement resources on contracting, purchasing, distribution, and supplier development relationships with Asian-owned businesses and other diverse companies currently dealing with Asian and/or US markets.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Enterprises with an interest in China, India, Korea, Philippines, & Vietnam.
Service companies in the global transportation, financial, legal & trade insurance sectors.
Corporations with an Asia strategy.
Companies interested in selling to our line-up of corporations.
Networking for professionals.
GLOBAL SOURCING DETAILS: Quanta Consulting, Inc. www.QuantaCo.com/seminars.html Seminars@QuantaCo.com
ONLINE REGISTRATION: www.abaoc.org
APALC
Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California Presents
25th Anniversary Dinner
Date: October 21st, 2008
Time: 5:30 pm Reception and Silent Auction
7 pm Program and Dinner
Location: The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
404 S. Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Black Tie Optional
Come join APALC as they recognize over 50 individuals, corporations, law firms and foundations that have supported the Asian Pacific American Legal Center over the years. The event will be held at the magnificent Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites.
The event will feature a silent auction where you will be able to bid on items and gift bags generously donated to support APALC. Click here if you are interested in making a donation to the auction. Silent auction and gift bag donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law
The silent auction will be followed by the program and dinner. Reserve your seat today!
Tickets - Individual tickets will be available for purchase soon.
For information on Table sponsorhips, please visit here. Sponsorship forms are available here.
The Asian Pacific American Legal Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Contributions over the fair-market value are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The fair-market value of each dinner admission ticket is $60.
For more information on the 25th Anniversary Dinner, please contact Clayton Yeung, Director of Special Events & Corporate Relations at (213) 977-7500 ext. 201.
Click here to learn more about the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.
Additional Opportunities
ViFF Logo
ViFF 2009
The Fourth Edition of the biennial Vietnamese International Film Festival
PRODUCTIONS ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION: Feature-length and short productions of any content (not necessarily related to Vietnam or Vietnamese) by persons of Vietnamese descent living anywhere around the world or productions about Vietnamese people or culture in the following categories:
* Narrative
* Documentary
* Experimental
* Animation
NO ENTRY FEE!
ENTRY DEADLINE: Entries MUST BE POSTMARKED no later than December 31, 2008. We will announce the final selection at the end of February 2008.
Download ViFF 2009 Entry Form (Word format)
For more information and a PDF of our entry form, please visit www.VietFilmFest.com. Please email vietfilmfest@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
ViFF’s mission is to support, celebrate, and project a diversity of visions and voices from filmmakers of Vietnamese descent and films by, for, and about the Vietnamese people and culture.
The Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF) is an eight-day event uniquely showcasing films made by Vietnamese and Vietnamese diasporic filmmakers. Presented biennially since 2003 by the two non-profit organizations Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) and Vietnamese Language & Culture (VNLC), ViFF has featured films from all over the world, including but not limited to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Poland, United States, and Vietnam.
ViFF is held mainly at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), with some screenings at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Westminster, Southern California. Each edition, ViFF attracts around 4,000 people coming from all over the world.
No commentsOCA-OC Newsletter - Week of July 13th
Hello Everyone,
There are not many new updates this week, but I just want to remind everyone of the upcoming events. We have the OCA National Convention coming up at the end of the month. I know it is out in Washington, DC but for those of you who are able to make it, I think it will be a very educational and fun experience. I have heard many good things about the event and this year will be my first time attending it so I am really looking forward to it. Also, we have the Bowsers Museum event in September. For those who have never seen the Terra Cotta Warriors, this is an event you definitely will not want to miss. Finally, we are participating in HKASC’s mixer on July 24th which will showcase OCA-OC so that’s would be a good event to attend. Finally, I want to note the NAAAP Convention event that’s taking place toward the end of August. It is being organized by one of our very one board members, Jhemon Lee who has been a vital role to OCA-OC’s operations. The event will take place in Los Angeles and will span across the entire weekend with workshops, events, banquets, and a career fair so there’s definitely something for everyone. I strongly encourage everyone to attend if you have no prior engagements. It takes places every year but hardly in a location as close as Los Angeles so don’t miss this opportunity to check it out.
Also, I just want to mention that there have been layout changes to the newsletter and I would appreciate any input on the new look and how you think it can be improved or what you like about it. Our board runs on positive reinforcement so any comments, good or bad are welcome and encouraged.
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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 yaolee@gmail.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.
OCA News
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS SET TO JOIN OCA IN NATION’S CAPITAL TO CELEBRATE 35th ANNIVERSARY
OCA’s National Convention to be held in Washington, DC, from July 31 through August 3, 2008
WASHINGTON DC - OCA, a national Asian Pacific American organization with over 80 chapters and college affiliates around the country dedicated to advancing the political, social, and economic well-being of APAs, is proud to announce that its 2008 Annual National Convention will be taking place in Washington, DC, from Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, August 3. This year is OCA’s 35th anniversary.
“The theme of this year’s convention is Voices for Progress: Celebrating 35 Years of Leadership and Commitment. We will take this opportunity not only to look back on OCA’s achievements, but also to focus on our vision for OCA and its role in the APA community for the next 35 years,” said Ginny Gong, OCA National President, “We hope you will be able to join us for this remarkable and memorable event.”
This annual event draws over a thousand Asian Pacific Americans from around the country and is one of the largest gatherings of APAs in the US. This year the convention features three days of workshops; exhibits and a career fair; a community health fair; an authors’ forum; the OCA Gala Awards Banquet; and special programs for APIA youth and college student leaders, corporate employees, entrepreneurs, and seniors.
OCA will also honor members of the Asian Pacific American community, including this year’s OCA Pioneer Award recipients: Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong, “Father of American Tae Kwon Do” Grand Master Jhoon Rhee, OCA founder KL Wong, and actress Nancy Kwan (invited). OCA will also recognize the achievements of its own members with the Chapter of the Year Award and the Unsung Hero volunteer awards.
The workshops, exhibits, career fair, and community health fair are free and open to the public. College, youth and senior activities are free but are open to a limited number of registered participants. Interested parties should contact the OCA National Center at oca@ocanational.org This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or 202 223 5500. Tickets for all meals and special events, including the Gala Awards Banquet, are available for purchase online at www.ocanational.org. A full listing of all events is online. Early registration closes July 20, 2007. The conference will take place at the Hilton Washington in Washington, DC.
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OCA RECEIVES NEW INTERNSHIP FUNDING FROM THE COMCAST FOUNDATION
WASHINGTON DC - OCA, a national organization with over 80 chapters and college affiliates across the country dedicated to ensuring social justice for Asian Pacific Americans, is proud to announce that the Comcast Foundation has provided funding for the OCA Summer Internship Program in 2008.
“The OCA Internship program is one of OCA’s signature programs. Every year, we bring about 30 college students to Washington, DC, to work at the highest levels of the public sector. Our interns have gone on to become leaders in business, government, and their communities,” said Ginny Gong, OCA National President, “Nurturing youth leadership is one of OCA’s major program areas, and we are excited to be working with Comcast to continue this very successful program.”
Comcast will fund seven highly motivated and accomplished college students to participate in the OCA Internship Program, including a special Intern Day hosted by Comcast. The interns will be placed at such agencies as: Department of Justice, Department of Energy, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Interns have also been placed at Congressional offices and at partner organizations from the NAACP, NEA to APIA Vote. In addition, interns participate in weekly brown-bag lunches and OCA’s annual National Convention.
“We are proud to support this unique internship program for Asian Pacific American community members,” said Susan Gonzales, Vice President of the Comcast Foundation. “The OCA intern program provides outstanding training and education necessary to support the growth of our future leaders.”
“The OCA Internship program is one of the largest and longest-running programs of its kind,” said Michael Lin, OCA Executive Director, “We are dedicated to continuing to reach out to the next generation of leaders and providing opportunities for them to gain experience in Washington, DC. Comcast’s support of the program will certainly help us bring this program to the next level.”
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OCA Announces 2008 OCA/GM Unsung Heroes Awardees
Washington DC- OCA, a national organization with over 80 chapters and college affiliates across the country dedicated to ensuring social justice for Asian Pacific Americans, is proud to announce its 2007-2008 OCA/General Motors Unsung Heroes.
“We are honored to give the Unsung Heroes Award to ten OCA members whose tireless efforts, inspiring attitude, and generosity of spirit strengthen and build the APA community,” said Ginny Gong, OCA National President, “The Awards, created with generous support from General Motors Corporation, recognize our members for their hard work and dedication to OCA’s mission of advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans.
The awardees will be recognized at a presentation ceremony during the OCA Gala Awards Banquet. The Awards Banquet will be held on August 2, 2008, during OCA’s National Convention and 35th Anniversary Celebration in Washington, DC. All OCA members, except OCA Chapter Presidents, Executive Council members and National Staff, are eligible for this award.
“GM highly values volunteerism, and is committed to sponsoring organizations and programs that support the Asian American community. We are proud to sponsor the OCA/GM Unsung Heroes Award for the eighth year to bring recognition to deserving individuals working for the betterment of the Asian American community,” said Roderick Gillum, Vice President, GM Corporate Responsibility and Diversity
“The Unsung Heroes are the individuals who are diligently working behind the scenes, but who have inspiring stories that deserve to be shared,” said Michael Lin, OCA Executive Director, “OCA wishes to recognize them for the work they have done that has led to OCA and Asian Pacific Americans becoming a visible and integral part of their communities.”
The 2007-2008 Unsung Heroes Awardees are as follows:
Ken and Maricel B. Avelino (OCA-Greater Sacramento) are a powerful duo. Together, they produced OCA’s 2007 National Convention in Sacramento. Maricel’s theme for the convention “Light the Torch for the Next Generation” was prevalent throughout the event. The convention celebrated the APA community through an emphasis on unity and culture and was a huge success
Ann and Howard Chan ( OCA-Long Island) have been members of their OCA chapter for over 30 years, and recently became top fundraisers for the OCA-LI Gala. Ann has been Vice-President of Programming for the past five years, working hard nominating honorees for the annual galas, and programming meetings and events in the APA community.
Jerry S.Y. Cheng (OCA- New York) has served as President, Executive Vice-President and Treasurer of OCA- New York, and is currently a chapter board member. Jerry was very active in building up the Advisory Council and encouraging young professionals to sit on the advisory board. Jerry has also been able to successfully reach across lines, build coalitions with other organizations in the APA community, which has been a huge asset to the chapter
Phoenix Y. Cheng (OCA-Pittsburgh) has been an OCA member for over twenty years and has served as treasurer for much of that time. Phoenix helped reconstruct the chapter’s income statements, a daunting task that she accomplished diligently. As treasurer, she oversees many of OCA-Pittsburgh’s events and is also responsible for the General Fund, Youth Fund, Senior Fund, Cultural Fund, and United Way Fund. Her attention to detail and willingness to commit is unmatched.
Wallace S.J. Ching (OCA-Hawaii) has dedicated his life to public service. In 2006, when Wallace was president of OCA-Hawaii, the affordable housing that his father had dedicated much of his life to was being threatened with closure, and Wallace launched a strong campaign to keep it from being destroyed. He has made his life about giving back to the community in meaningful and concrete ways, strengthening both the OCA-Hawaii chapter and our community.
Mike Fong (OCA-Greater Los Angeles) is currently the community relations director for his chapter and has done a tremendous job fundraising for and organizing numerous events. Michael has gone full-force into the community to get people involved with and motivated about events, and was a member of several planning committees, organized raffle tickets, and helped to coordinate the silent auction for the OCA-GLA’s annual Image Awards.
Julie Hwang (OCA- Dallas/Fort Worth) has been an OCA member for six years and is currently a chapter board member and VP Secretary. She started her work with OCA as a facilitator for the youth leadership conference. She is now heavily involved in OCA events such as Feed the Homeless, PBS pledge drive, and the Junior Leadership Seminar. She is the editor and creator of the annual Lunar Program Book.
David Lai Len (OCA-New Jersey) is the chapter’s newsletter editor and has produced outstanding work, earning the chapter First Place in Chapter Excellence Award in Communication. He has also focused on raising awareness about human trafficking and for three consecutive years, he organized the OCA-New Jersey Human Trafficking Seminar. He also founded the Robert E. Wone Memorial Scholarship, which awards a scholarship to the winner of the OCA-New Jersey Asian American Essay Contest.
Wade W. Loo (OCA-San Mateo) has been a long-time member who never fails to help with dinners, mixers, scholarship luncheons, and Achievement Awards Galas. He is also the driving force behind the chapter’s annual Gala and works tirelessly on numerous tasks. He has been an invaluable asset in putting on events and organizing and motivating strong teams to help with OCA-San Mateo functions
Xiaochun Luo (OCA-Westchester/Hudson Valley) is the executive Vice President of OCA-Westchester/Hudson Valley chapter. She has worked hard to forge a strong relationship with Families with Children from China and volunteers for their events. Xiaochun served as the OCA Dynamic Achiever Award gala chair and meticulously planned the event and was very successful at fundraising, registering over 1,000 people for their Lunar New Year event.
Founded in 1973 as the Organization of Chinese Americans, OCA is a national organization dedicated to the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States.
Additional News
Historic Presidential Town Hall Available to be Viewed on You Tube & APIAVote Web site
Due to popular demand, APIAVote uploaded via You Tube the Presidential Town Hall event that featured Presidential Candidates as well as several performances emceed by Tamlyn Tomita.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders made history on May 17th at the first APIAVote Presidential Town Hall, where Senator Hillary Clinton attended via live satellite feed, and Senator Barack Obama attended via teleconference. The Town Hall drew approximately 1,800 attendees, and an additional 2,800 joined the Town Hall online, according to online streaming partners ImDiversity.com and Punjabi Community Hour.
“This dialogue that unites our national leaders to our issues is just the beginning,” APIAVote interim executive director Vida Benavides said. “We would like to continue the conversation with our national candidates in the years and elections to come, not only when candidates campaign, but more importantly, when they have been elected to office.”
“The questions we had for Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain reflect the diverse needs and disparities among our communities, and we certainly hope that they realize the growing strength and ability of how we vote accordingly based on these issues,” APIAVote co-chair Noe Kalipi stated. “We also anticipate that they increase their efforts to reach out to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Our votes are 3 million strong and growing steadily, and we are a permanent and increasingly influential fixture in the American electoral process.”
The Democratic Presidential Candidates addressed policy questions posed to them by local and national members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, including Doua Thor (Southeast Asian Resource Action Center), Napali Woode (Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement), MaryAnne Foo (Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Alliance). Senator McCain did not participate due to scheduling conflicts, and was represented by California State Representative Van Tran.
Photos and videos of the Town Hall are available at www.apiavote.org and www.youtube.com/apiavotenational. Clips online feature all of the Town Hall content including the presidential candidate portion and performances by Beau Sia, Camille Velasco, and Kaba Modern Legacy.
APIAVote is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Pacific Islander Americans in the electoral and public policy processes at the national, state and local levels. For more information about APIAVote, please visit www.apiavote.org.
Upcoming OCA-OC Events
OCA-OC invites you to join us at
HKASC’s 6th Summer Mixer
July 24, 2008
6:00pm - 8:30pm
Irvine Marriott Hotel
18000 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine CA 92612
Price: Members of HKASC or co-operating organizations - $15
Non-members/at the door - $20
Join us to meet and network with other association members and your potential business partners. Attendees will have a chance to win the Grand Raffle Prize, a roundtrip air ticket between Los Angeles/Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific Airways, with a Harbor Cruise in Hong Kong
For information on attending, please follow this link or e-mail any OCA-OC officers/board of directors or e-mail HKASC at info@hkasc.org.
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OCA National Convention
July 31st - August 2nd, 2008
Hilton Washington
1919 Connecticut Ave NW (At T St)
Washington DC
Price: Varies
We are pleased to announce the 2008 OCA National Convention and 35th Anniversary Celebration which will take place this year in Washington DC.
This event is a great opportunity for OCA-OC advocates to reach out to OCA on the national level. They will be providing many helpful workshops as well as hosting wonderful meals throughout the convention. There events are included with registration for the convention or can be attended a la carte. Some events will be free as well.
For more information, visit the website.
Convention flyer can be found here.
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OCA-OC presents
Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor
at Bowers Museum
September 5, 2008
4pm, 5pm, 6pm
Bowers Museum
2002 N Main Street, Santa Ana CA
The Bowers Museum offers free admissions on Friday nights for up to 100 visitors per hour at 4, 5, and 6pm. For a limited time only, Bowers Museum presents the largest exhibit of Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army ever seen outside of China. This Terracotta army of soldiers, servants, musicians, acrobats, and animals silently remained underground for two thousand years. Until, in 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well made the startling discovery of a terracotta head.
Now is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the 20th century’s greatest archaeological finds, often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World.
Members and those interested: Please join us for casual dinner afterwards at the GREEN PARROT CAFÉ at 7:30pm directly across from the museum. Please RSVP for dinner by 9/1/08.
Green Parrot Cafe: 2035 N Main St, Santa Ana CA
For additional information, please contact Betty Chu at BettyC@oca-oc.org
Upcoming Community Events
YGAP Beach Day
July 19th, 2008
11:00am - 4:00pm
Location: Huntington Beach, State Beach-side
Price: $10 non-YGAP members before July 17th and prepay
$15 non-YGAP members before June 27th and pay on-site
$20 non-YGAP members day of event
Summer is here! Can’t wait to hit the beach to get a cool breeze and a tan? Play some beach volleyball and other games! YGAP will provide lunch, snacks and drinks. All you need to bring is yourself and beach necessities (i.e. sun block, towel, beach umbrella, change of clothes).
The event will take place at the tables (and volleyball courts) closest to Newland St and Pacific Coast Highway, around tower 11. Look for the blue canopy! RSVP here.
For more information about the event, contact Ted at ted@ygap.org.
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NAAAP National Convention
August 21-24th, 2008
Location: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is proud to be the host of the 22nd Annual National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) Convention & Diversity Career Fair, which boasts the theme, “Leadership: Rising and Shining Stars.”
The NAAAP National Convention will include a two-day diversity career fair, more than 20 workshops focused on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, diversity and community service, over 45 national and local workshop speakers, inspiring keynote speakers, Friday and Saturday dinner galas, valuable networking, and exciting entertainment.
SPEAKERS AND WORKSHOPS
Year after year, NAAAP has been graced with many high profile individuals who have donated their time and energy to speak and inspire our community. Confirmed speakers this year include:
Mike Honda, United States Congressman
John Chiang, California State Controller
Scott Oki, philanthropist, former Senior Vice President, Microsoft
Kelly Hu, Actress
Coco Lee, Singer
Members of the band Linkin Park
J.D. Hokoyama and LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)
Workshop and Panel Topics will include:
Leadership for the 21st Century
How ERGs and BRGs are Good for the Bottom Line
Non-Profits: How to Really Get Involved
Asian Americans Breaking into the Entertainment Industry
How to Work with the Media
Open Space Technology
Going for the Gold: Asian Americans in Sports
Negotiations with a Killer Attitude
Conflict and Dispute Resolution
Financing Your Small Business
CAREER FAIR
This year’s diversity career fair will take place in the California Showroom of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles on August 22 and 23 from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Exhibitors include:
ARAMARK
Dell
Microsoft
Raytheon
Safeco Insurance
Sodexo
Wachovia Bank
Coors Brewing Company
McDonald’s
State Farm Insurance Company
The Coca Cola Company
Sun Microsystems
UPS
and many more!
Admission to the career fair is free. Simply register http://www.naaap.org/careers, attend the fair and land your dream career!
Please visit our convention website for additional information and registration!
Scholarship Opportunities
The Southern California Institute of Technology is offering two scholarship programs for qualified low-income individuals to get an education at no cost to them. The two curriculums offered through the scholarships are: Accounting Specialist, and Business Administration. It is a 7-month program and our Job Placement Department help to place students with companies local to the Orange/Los Angeles/Riverside Counties. Students may also continue their education to achieve a Bachelor of Science Degree (All programs). SCIT is fully accredited and has been in business in the city of Anaheim for over 21 years. Please contact Trinh Dang, admissions counselor for Vietnamese students at SCIT by phone at (714) 300-0300 ext 216. More information can be found on their website: www.scit-scu.edu/
Additional Opportunities
2009-2010 OCA Executive Council Nominations
OCA’s Nominations Committee is currently accepting nominations for those interested in running for a 2009-2010 Executive Council position in the October 2008 election. The eligibility requirements, official duties, and term conditions of the Executive Council members are available from our Bylaws which will be provided upon request from any of the OCA-OC officers/board of directors. No nominations will be accepted after September 1, 2008.
If you are interested, please contact one of the following members of the Nominations Committee:
Virginia Ng ( New Jersey), Chairperson, virginialou@yahoo.com
Joyce Eng (Greater Sacramento), jeng916@sbcglobal.net
Jhemon Lee (Orange County/Inland Empire), jhemon@post.harvard.edu (Our very own Board member)
Winnie Tang ( South Florida), winnievhtang@aol.com
David Yao (Greater Washington, DC), davidyao@patriot.net
This is your opportunity to help guide and shape OCA as we enter our next 35 years of leadership and commitment. We hope you will consider running for an office on the OCA Executive Council!
No commentsOCA-OC Newsletter - Week of July 6th
Hello Everyone,
I know it has been a while since the last newsletter. I have been busy and I apologize for the long delay. I would like to start this newsletter by congratulating the newest Officer of OCA-OC, Rex Chen. We look forward to working with him and hope that you all have an opportunity to come out to our upcoming events and get a chance to chat and get to know him. If you are interested in getting involved, feel free to contact any of the officers of OCA-OC or email contact@oca-oc.org. We are always looking for bright, talented, hard-working, dedicated individuals to join in our mission.
Secondly, I would like to thank all of you who made it out to our Huntington Library event with OCA-GLA! Despite the heat, the event was a success with over 50 attendees. We had some difficulty meeting up with everyone of you who showed up due to the area being so large; but I was glad that I was able to speak with some of you who came. I look forward to getting to know those who I did not get a chance to chat with at our next hosted event: Terracotta Warriors at the Bowers Museum. The event will be very casual and everyone will have a great chance to come out and network with our board and each other. The event is on September 5th so please save the date!
The next community event is the Hong Kong Association of Southern California’s summer mixer on July 24th. OCA-OC will be one of the co-organizing organizations at this event and would appreciate your support and attendance. More information about the event can be found below.
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 yaolee@gmail.com. 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.
OCA News
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS SET TO JOIN OCA IN NATION’S CAPITAL TO CELEBRATE 35th ANNIVERSARY
OCA’s National Convention to be held in Washington, DC, from July 31 through August 3, 2008
WASHINGTON DC - OCA, a national Asian Pacific American organization with over 80 chapters and college affiliates around the country dedicated to advancing the political, social, and economic well-being of APAs, is proud to announce that its 2008 Annual National Convention will be taking place in Washington, DC, from Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, August 3. This year is OCA’s 35th anniversary.
“The theme of this year’s convention is Voices for Progress: Celebrating 35 Years of Leadership and Commitment. We will take this opportunity not only to look back on OCA’s achievements, but also to focus on our vision for OCA and its role in the APA community for the next 35 years,” said Ginny Gong, OCA National President, “We hope you will be able to join us for this remarkable and memorable event.”
This annual event draws over a thousand Asian Pacific Americans from around the country and is one of the largest gatherings of APAs in the US. This year the convention features three days of workshops; exhibits and a career fair; a community health fair; an authors’ forum; the OCA Gala Awards Banquet; and special programs for APIA youth and college student leaders, corporate employees, entrepreneurs, and seniors.
OCA will also honor members of the Asian Pacific American community, including this year’s OCA Pioneer Award recipients: Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong, “Father of American Tae Kwon Do” Grand Master Jhoon Rhee, OCA founder KL Wong, and actress Nancy Kwan (invited). OCA will also recognize the achievements of its own members with the Chapter of the Year Award and the Unsung Hero volunteer awards.
The workshops, exhibits, career fair, and community health fair are free and open to the public. College, youth and senior activities are free but are open to a limited number of registered participants. Interested parties should contact the OCA National Center at oca@ocanational.org This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or 202 223 5500. Tickets for all meals and special events, including the Gala Awards Banquet, are available for purchase online at www.ocanational.org. A full listing of all events is online. Early registration closes July 20, 2007. The conference will take place at the Hilton Washington in Washington, DC.
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OCA RECEIVES NEW INTERNSHIP FUNDING FROM THE COMCAST FOUNDATION
WASHINGTON DC - OCA, a national organization with over 80 chapters and college affiliates across the country dedicated to ensuring social justice for Asian Pacific Americans, is proud to announce that the Comcast Foundation has provided funding for the OCA Summer Internship Program in 2008.
“The OCA Internship program is one of OCA’s signature programs. Every year, we bring about 30 college students to Washington, DC, to work at the highest levels of the public sector. Our interns have gone on to become leaders in business, government, and their communities,” said Ginny Gong, OCA National President, “Nurturing youth leadership is one of OCA’s major program areas, and we are excited to be working with Comcast to continue this very successful program.”
Comcast will fund seven highly motivated and accomplished college students to participate in the OCA Internship Program, including a special Intern Day hosted by Comcast. The interns will be placed at such agencies as: Department of Justice, Department of Energy, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Interns have also been placed at Congressional offices and at partner organizations from the NAACP, NEA to APIA Vote. In addition, interns participate in weekly brown-bag lunches and OCA’s annual National Convention.
“We are proud to support this unique internship program for Asian Pacific American community members,” said Susan Gonzales, Vice President of the Comcast Foundation. “The OCA intern program provides outstanding training and education necessary to support the growth of our future leaders.”
“The OCA Internship program is one of the largest and longest-running programs of its kind,” said Michael Lin, OCA Executive Director, “We are dedicated to continuing to reach out to the next generation of leaders and providing opportunities for them to gain experience in Washington, DC. Comcast’s support of the program will certainly help us bring this program to the next level.”
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OCA Announces 2008 OCA/GM Unsung Heroes Awardees
Washington DC- OCA, a national organization with over 80 chapters and college affiliates across the country dedicated to ensuring social justice for Asian Pacific Americans, is proud to announce its 2007-2008 OCA/General Motors Unsung Heroes.
“We are honored to give the Unsung Heroes Award to ten OCA members whose tireless efforts, inspiring attitude, and generosity of spirit strengthen and build the APA community,” said Ginny Gong, OCA National President, “The Awards, created with generous support from General Motors Corporation, recognize our members for their hard work and dedication to OCA’s mission of advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans.
The awardees will be recognized at a presentation ceremony during the OCA Gala Awards Banquet. The Awards Banquet will be held on August 2, 2008, during OCA’s National Convention and 35th Anniversary Celebration in Washington, DC. All OCA members, except OCA Chapter Presidents, Executive Council members and National Staff, are eligible for this award.
“GM highly values volunteerism, and is committed to sponsoring organizations and programs that support the Asian American community. We are proud to sponsor the OCA/GM Unsung Heroes Award for the eighth year to bring recognition to deserving individuals working for the betterment of the Asian American community,” said Roderick Gillum, Vice President, GM Corporate Responsibility and Diversity
“The Unsung Heroes are the individuals who are diligently working behind the scenes, but who have inspiring stories that deserve to be shared,” said Michael Lin, OCA Executive Director, “OCA wishes to recognize them for the work they have done that has led to OCA and Asian Pacific Americans becoming a visible and integral part of their communities.”
The 2007-2008 Unsung Heroes Awardees are as follows:
Ken and Maricel B. Avelino (OCA-Greater Sacramento) are a powerful duo. Together, they produced OCA’s 2007 National Convention in Sacramento. Maricel’s theme for the convention “Light the Torch for the Next Generation” was prevalent throughout the event. The convention celebrated the APA community through an emphasis on unity and culture and was a huge success
Ann and Howard Chan ( OCA-Long Island) have been members of their OCA chapter for over 30 years, and recently became top fundraisers for the OCA-LI Gala. Ann has been Vice-President of Programming for the past five years, working hard nominating honorees for the annual galas, and programming meetings and events in the APA community.
Jerry S.Y. Cheng (OCA- New York) has served as President, Executive Vice-President and Treasurer of OCA- New York, and is currently a chapter board member. Jerry was very active in building up the Advisory Council and encouraging young professionals to sit on the advisory board. Jerry has also been able to successfully reach across lines, build coalitions with other organizations in the APA community, which has been a huge asset to the chapter
Phoenix Y. Cheng (OCA-Pittsburgh) has been an OCA member for over twenty years and has served as treasurer for much of that time. Phoenix helped reconstruct the chapter’s income statements, a daunting task that she accomplished diligently. As treasurer, she oversees many of OCA-Pittsburgh’s events and is also responsible for the General Fund, Youth Fund, Senior Fund, Cultural Fund, and United Way Fund. Her attention to detail and willingness to commit is unmatched.
Wallace S.J. Ching (OCA-Hawaii) has dedicated his life to public service. In 2006, when Wallace was president of OCA-Hawaii, the affordable housing that his father had dedicated much of his life to was being threatened with closure, and Wallace launched a strong campaign to keep it from being destroyed. He has made his life about giving back to the community in meaningful and concrete ways, strengthening both the OCA-Hawaii chapter and our community.
Mike Fong (OCA-Greater Los Angeles) is currently the community relations director for his chapter and has done a tremendous job fundraising for and organizing numerous events. Michael has gone full-force into the community to get people involved with and motivated about events, and was a member of several planning committees, organized raffle tickets, and helped to coordinate the silent auction for the OCA-GLA’s annual Image Awards.
Julie Hwang (OCA- Dallas/Fort Worth) has been an OCA member for six years and is currently a chapter board member and VP Secretary. She started her work with OCA as a facilitator for the youth leadership conference. She is now heavily involved in OCA events such as Feed the Homeless, PBS pledge drive, and the Junior Leadership Seminar. She is the editor and creator of the annual Lunar Program Book.
David Lai Len (OCA-New Jersey) is the chapter’s newsletter editor and has produced outstanding work, earning the chapter First Place in Chapter Excellence Award in Communication. He has also focused on raising awareness about human trafficking and for three consecutive years, he organized the OCA-New Jersey Human Trafficking Seminar. He also founded the Robert E. Wone Memorial Scholarship, which awards a scholarship to the winner of the OCA-New Jersey Asian American Essay Contest.
Wade W. Loo (OCA-San Mateo) has been a long-time member who never fails to help with dinners, mixers, scholarship luncheons, and Achievement Awards Galas. He is also the driving force behind the chapter’s annual Gala and works tirelessly on numerous tasks. He has been an invaluable asset in putting on events and organizing and motivating strong teams to help with OCA-San Mateo functions
Xiaochun Luo (OCA-Westchester/Hudson Valley) is the executive Vice President of OCA-Westchester/Hudson Valley chapter. She has worked hard to forge a strong relationship with Families with Children from China and volunteers for their events. Xiaochun served as the OCA Dynamic Achiever Award gala chair and meticulously planned the event and was very successful at fundraising, registering over 1,000 people for their Lunar New Year event.
Founded in 1973 as the Organization of Chinese Americans, OCA is a national organization dedicated to the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States.
Additional News
Historic Presidential Town Hall Available to be Viewed on You Tube & APIAVote Web site
Due to popular demand, APIAVote uploaded via You Tube the Presidential Town Hall event that featured Presidential Candidates as well as several performances emceed by Tamlyn Tomita.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders made history on May 17th at the first APIAVote Presidential Town Hall, where Senator Hillary Clinton attended via live satellite feed, and Senator Barack Obama attended via teleconference. The Town Hall drew approximately 1,800 attendees, and an additional 2,800 joined the Town Hall online, according to online streaming partners ImDiversity.com and Punjabi Community Hour.
“This dialogue that unites our national leaders to our issues is just the beginning,” APIAVote interim executive director Vida Benavides said. “We would like to continue the conversation with our national candidates in the years and elections to come, not only when candidates campaign, but more importantly, when they have been elected to office.”
“The questions we had for Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain reflect the diverse needs and disparities among our communities, and we certainly hope that they realize the growing strength and ability of how we vote accordingly based on these issues,” APIAVote co-chair Noe Kalipi stated. “We also anticipate that they increase their efforts to reach out to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Our votes are 3 million strong and growing steadily, and we are a permanent and increasingly influential fixture in the American electoral process.”
The Democratic Presidential Candidates addressed policy questions posed to them by local and national members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, including Doua Thor (Southeast Asian Resource Action Center), Napali Woode (Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement), MaryAnne Foo (Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Alliance). Senator McCain did not participate due to scheduling conflicts, and was represented by California State Representative Van Tran.
Photos and videos of the Town Hall are available at www.apiavote.org and www.youtube.com/apiavotenational. Clips online feature all of the Town Hall content including the presidential candidate portion and performances by Beau Sia, Camille Velasco, and Kaba Modern Legacy.
APIAVote is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Pacific Islander Americans in the electoral and public policy processes at the national, state and local levels. For more information about APIAVote, please visit www.apiavote.org.
Upcoming OCA-OC Events
OCA-OC invites you to join us at
HKASC’s 6th Summer Mixer
July 24, 2008
6:00pm - 8:30pm
Irvine Marriott Hotel
18000 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine CA 92612
Price: Members of HKASC or co-operating organizations - $15
Non-members/at the door - $20
Join us to meet and network with other association members and your potential business partners. Attendees will have a chance to win the Grand Raffle Prize, a roundtrip air ticket between Los Angeles/Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific Airways, with a Harbor Cruise in Hong Kong
For information on attending, please follow this link or e-mail any OCA-OC officers/board of directors or e-mail HKASC at info@hkasc.org.
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OCA-OC presents
Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor
at Bowers Museum
September 5, 2008
4pm, 5pm, 6pm
Bowers Museum
2002 N Main Street, Santa Ana CA
The Bowers Museum offers free admissions on Friday nights for up to 100 visitors per hour at 4, 5, and 6pm. For a limited time only, Bowers Museum presents the largest exhibit of Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army ever seen outside of China. This Terracotta army of soldiers, servants, musicians, acrobats, and animals silently remained underground for two thousand years. Until, in 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well made the startling discovery of a terracotta head.
Now is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the 20th century’s greatest archaeological finds, often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World.
Members and those interested: Please join us for casual dinner afterwards at the GREEN PARROT CAFÉ at 7:30pm directly across from the museum. Please RSVP for dinner by 9/1/08.
Green Parrot Cafe: 2035 N Main St, Santa Ana CA
For additional information, please contact Betty Chu at BettyC@oca-oc.org
Upcoming Community Events
YGAP Beach Day
July 19th, 2008
11:00am - 4:00pm
Location: Huntington Beach, State Beach-side
Price: $10 non-YGAP members before July 17th and prepay
$15 non-YGAP members before June 27th and pay on-site
$20 non-YGAP members day of event
Summer is here! Can’t wait to hit the beach to get a cool breeze and a tan? Play some beach volleyball and other games! YGAP will provide lunch, snacks and drinks. All you need to bring is yourself and beach necessities (i.e. sun block, towel, beach umbrella, change of clothes).
The event will take place at the tables (and volleyball courts) closest to Newland St and Pacific Coast Highway, around tower 11. Look for the blue canopy! RSVP here.
For more information about the event, contact Ted at ted@ygap.org.
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NAAAP National Convention
August 21-24th, 2008
Location: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is proud to be the host of the 22nd Annual National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) Convention & Diversity Career Fair, which boasts the theme, “Leadership: Rising and Shining Stars.”
The NAAAP National Convention will include a two-day diversity career fair, more than 20 workshops focused on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, diversity and community service, over 45 national and local workshop speakers, inspiring keynote speakers, Friday and Saturday dinner galas, valuable networking, and exciting entertainment.
SPEAKERS AND WORKSHOPS
Year after year, NAAAP has been graced with many high profile individuals who have donated their time and energy to speak and inspire our community. Confirmed speakers this year include:
Mike Honda, United States Congressman
John Chiang, California State Controller
Scott Oki, philanthropist, former Senior Vice President, Microsoft
Kelly Hu, Actress
Coco Lee, Singer
Members of the band Linkin Park
J.D. Hokoyama and LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)
Workshop and Panel Topics will include:
Leadership for the 21st Century
How ERGs and BRGs are Good for the Bottom Line
Non-Profits: How to Really Get Involved
Asian Americans Breaking into the Entertainment Industry
How to Work with the Media
Open Space Technology
Going for the Gold: Asian Americans in Sports
Negotiations with a Killer Attitude
Conflict and Dispute Resolution
Financing Your Small Business
CAREER FAIR
This year’s diversity career fair will take place in the California Showroom of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles on August 22 and 23 from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Exhibitors include:
ARAMARK
Dell
Microsoft
Raytheon
Safeco Insurance
Sodexo
Wachovia Bank
Coors Brewing Company
McDonald’s
State Farm Insurance Company
The Coca Cola Company
Sun Microsystems
UPS
and many more!
Admission to the career fair is free. Simply register http://www.naaap.org/careers, attend the fair and land your dream career!
Please visit our convention website for additional information and registration!
Scholarship Opportunities
The Southern California Institute of Technology is offering two scholarship programs for qualified low-income individuals to get an education at no cost to them. The two curriculums offered through the scholarships are: Accounting Specialist, and Business Administration. It is a 7-month program and our Job Placement Department help to place students with companies local to the Orange/Los Angeles/Riverside Counties. Students may also continue their education to achieve a Bachelor of Science Degree (All programs). SCIT is fully accredited and has been in business in the city of Anaheim for over 21 years. Please contact Trinh Dang, admissions counselor for Vietnamese students at SCIT by phone at (714) 300-0300 ext 216. More information can be found on their website: www.scit-scu.edu/
Additional Opportunities
2009-2010 OCA Executive Council Nominations
OCA’s Nominations Committee is currently accepting nominations for those interested in running for a 2009-2010 Executive Council position in the October 2008 election. The eligibility requirements, official duties, and term conditions of the Executive Council members are available from our Bylaws which will be provided upon request from any of the OCA-OC officers/board of directors. No nominations will be accepted after September 1, 2008.
If you are interested, please contact one of the following members of the Nominations Committee:
Virginia Ng ( New Jersey), Chairperson, virginialou@yahoo.com
Joyce Eng (Greater Sacramento), jeng916@sbcglobal.net
Jhemon Lee (Orange County/Inland Empire), jhemon@post.harvard.edu (Our very own Board member)
Winnie Tang ( South Florida), winnievhtang@aol.com
David Yao (Greater Washington, DC), davidyao@patriot.net
This is your opportunity to help guide and shape OCA as we enter our next 35 years of leadership and commitment. We hope you will consider running for an office on the OCA Executive Council!
No commentsOCA-OC Newsletter - Week of June 8th
Hello Everyone, I would like to start of by thanking APEX for highlighting OCA-OC at their most recent mixer in Orange County as well as Spectrum Knowledge for generously sponsoring the mixer. Finally, thank you OCA-OC attendees for your continued support of our mission: to advance the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States. Seeing OCA-OC members attending events inspires us as officers to work hard and bring you these opportunities to get involved with our community and community members.
As a result, I would like to introduce our newest addition to our list of events to take place September 5th. I understand that the date is far off, but now would be a great time to save the date and join us at Bowers Museum as we visit the Terra Cotta Warriors display. It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these magnificent statues outside of China. We hope to see all of you there.
I would also like to remind all of you that our next event is coming up soon for those who have not yet registered. The Huntington Library’s Chinese Garden event is coming up in less than 2 weeks. It is not too late to join us for this event so please sign up today!
Finally, I would like to invite you all to the Hong Kong Association of Southern California’s summer mixer which will be taking place July 24th. OCA-OC will be one of the co-organizing organizations at this event and would appreciate your support and attendance. More information about the event can be found below.
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 yaolee@gmail.com. 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
Register Today!
OCA-OC and OCA-GLA Friends and Family Day at the Huntington Library’s Chinese Garden
June 21, 2008
1:00pm
1151 Oxford Rd
San Marino, CA 91108
Please join OCA’s Orange County Chapter and Greater Los Angeles Chapter at our Friends and Family Day at the Huntington Library’s Chinese Garden.
Visit the Huntington Library and Chinese Garden at your own pace and join us for some tea and light fare at the Freshwater Pavilion at 1pm (Huntington Library Hours 10am-4pm). Given the discounted Admission Fee offered to our group, space is limited. Click here for additional information or to RSVP.
Admission
Adult $15
Children (ages 6-11) $6
Children under 5 Free
For question, please contact us at: bettyc@oca-oc.org
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OCA-OC invites you to join us at
Hong Kong Association of Southern California’s
6th Summer Mixer
July 24, 2008
6:00pm - 8:30pm
Irvine Marriott Hotel
18000 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine CA 92612
Price: Members of HKASC or co-operating organizations - $15
Non-members/at the door - $20
Join us to meet and network with other association members and your potential business partners. Attendees will have a chance to win the Grand Raffle Prize, a roundtrip air ticket Los Angeles/Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific Airways, with a Harbor Cruise in Hong Kong
For information on attending, please follow this link or e-mail any OCA-OC officers/board of directors or e-mail HKASC at info@hkasc.org.
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OCA-OC presents
Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor
at Bowers Museum
September 5, 2008
4:00-7:30pm
Bowers Museum
2002 N Main Street, Santa Ana CA
The Bowers Museum offers free admissions on Friday nights for up to 100 visitors per hour at 4, 5, and 6pm. For a limited time only, Bowers Museum presents the largest exhibit of Emperor Qin’s Terracotta Army ever seen outside of China. This Terracotta army of soldiers, servants, musicians, acrobats, and animals silently remained underground for two thousand years. Until, in 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well made the startling discovery of a terracotta head.
Now is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the 20th century’s greatest archaeological finds, often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World.
Please join us for casual dinner afterwards at the GREEN PARROT CAFÉ at 7:30pm directly across from the museum. Please RSVP for dinner by 9/1/08.
Green Parrot Cafe: 2035 N Main St, Santa Ana CA.
For additional information, please contact Betty at BettyC@oca-oc.org
Upcoming Community Events
Asian Business League of Southern California presents:
The R Word: Do’s and Don’ts in a Real Estate Downturn
When: June 12th, 2008, 5PM - 8PM
Where: Omni Los Angeles Hotel
251 South Olive Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Price: ABL Member $40, Non-members $65
The Asian Business League of Southern California is proud to present the 20th Annual Real Estate Conference - “The R Word - Do’s and Don’ts in a Real Estate Downturn”, on June 12, 2008. Featuring the Economic Forecast for the region form Mr. Jack Kyser, the Chief Economist of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, ” The R Word” will examine the critical problems facing the Real Estates, finance, and construction industries, including falling home prices, record foreclosures, and capital markets turmoil. Moderated by Gregory Kams, a partner at Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP the conference promises to be lively and insightful. Last year’s conference attracted over two hundred people, so early registration is highly recommended.
For more information or to register for the Asian Business League’s 2008 Annual Real Estate Conference, please contact Yuko Ebina at (213) 624-9975 or ablsocal@aol.com.
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15th Annual YGAP Sports Day
June 28, 2008
9:00am - 4:00pm
Location TBD
Price: $10 non-YGAP members before June 27th and prepay
$15 non-YGAP members before June 27th and pay on-site
$20 non-YGAP members day of event
The 15th Anniversary of Sports Day is coming, YGAP’s membership appreciation day. An opportunity to show off your athletic prowess while fostering teamwork and sportsmanship. Something to talk about for the rest of the year, and beyond. Participants are RANDOMLY divided into coed sports teams, competing in basketball, volleyball, dodge ball and tug-of-war, with modified rules to create a more fun and balanced competition.
Participants will receive lunch, snacks and refreshments during the event. The cost also includes YGAP T-shirt.
YGAP is also looking for volunteers to help referee games. Referees will receive free entry into Sports Day; So if you’re nursing an injury, you can still come help out and referee, while enjoying the company of fellow participants.
RSVP here.
For more information about the event, contact Ted at ted@ygap.org.
Additional Opportunities
2009-2010 OCA Executive Council Nominations
OCA’s Executive Council Committee is currently accepting nominations for those interested in running for a 2009-2010 Executive Council position in the October 2008 election. The eligibility requirements, official duties, and term conditions of the Executive Council members are available in our Bylaws which will be provided upon request by any of the OCA-OC officers/board of directors. No nominations will be accepted after September 1, 2008.
If you are interested, please contact one of the following members of the Nominations Committee:
Virginia Ng ( New Jersey), Chairperson, virginialou@yahoo.com
Joyce Eng (Greater Sacramento), jeng916@sbcglobal.net
Jhemon Lee (Orange County/Inland Empire), jhemon@post.harvard.edu (Our very own Board member)
Winnie Tang ( South Florida), winnievhtang@aol.com
David Yao (Greater Washington, DC), davidyao@patriot.net
This is your opportunity to help guide and shape OCA as we enter our next 35 years of leadership and commitment. We hope you will consider running for an office on the OCA Executive Council!
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Job Opportunities
AmeriCorps Legal Fellow, Orange County Office
Agency Description: The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) was established in 1983 with broad-based support and has become the leading organization in the region dedicated to providing the diverse Asian Pacific American community with civil rights advocacy and multilingual, culturally-sensitive legal services and education.
Position Summary: APALC is seeking an AmeriCorps Legal Fellow who will be responsible for recruiting, training, and managing interns, volunteers, and pro bono attorneys; serving as a liaison with local law schools; working with community-based organizations to address legal needs expressed in the community; and developing and overseeing legal clinics. The AmeriCorps Legal Fellow will also provide direct legal services in poverty law areas such as immigration, family, and housing law, to APALC clients through intake, clinics, and other client contact.
Responsibilities and Duties: The position will be located in APALC’s office in Orange County (Garden Grove). The Orange County AmeriCorps Legal Fellow will be responsible for continuing to develop a new volunteer program focused on serving the legal needs of APA communities in Orange County, through legal clinics and other service models. Start Date is between August 1 and September 15, 2008. Term of service is at least 11 months for the first year, with a possibility of renewal for a second term.
Qualifications:
Candidates should be admitted to the California Bar or awaiting bar results as of August 2008.
Candidates should also have:
Excellent communication including oral, written, and research skills
Experience working with community groups, bar associations, and other organizations
Familiarity with and interest in working with immigrant communities
Commitment to public interest work and strong desire to assist indigent clients
Possession of a valid driver’s license, access to a vehicle and proof of insurance
Bilingual in Vietnamese
Experience organizing or working with volunteers preferred
Experience with advocacy preferred
Experience with Southern California community groups and institutions a plus.
Standard AmeriCorps Fellowship Benefits:
A living allowance of $22,800
Health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, parking provided
Child care assistance (if income eligible)
A $4,725 education award voucher to apply toward payment of federally backed educational loans and other expenses
Eligibility to place all qualified student loans into forbearance and receive an interest accrual payment at the end of service
The opportunity to attend a national training program to develop leadership skills, learn effective practices to accomplish your projects and meet colleagues from across the country
For more information on the Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps program, please go to
http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/programs/americorps/general.
Supplemental Benefits:
In addition to the standard AmeriCorps Fellowship benefits, APALC will also provide:
$500 per month stipend
$50 to $125 per month language stipend based on ability
Bar dues and reasonable MCLE training costs
Parking and local mileage reimbursement
Retirement plan contribution after one year
Staff training in relevant areas of poverty law and other training as needed.
Application Process:
Mail or fax résumé, cover letter and references to:
Human Resources
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
1145 Wilshire Boulevard, 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Fax: 213-977-7595
No phone calls or emails please
OCA-OC Newsletter - Week of June 1st
Hello Everyone,