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UPDATES
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OCA National Convention 2024
🐦Great news! The EARLY BIRD offer for the OCA National Convention has been extended to April 30! Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy discounted prices. Register NOW and gain access to exclusive luncheons, dinner events, a seat at the Awards Gala, and the chance to witness a historic Presidential Town Hall.

Secure your tickets below👇
** GET YOUR TICKETS NOW ([link removed])
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T-Shirt Design Contest
🎨Our t-shirt design contest is making a return this year! Put on your creative hats and seize the opportunity to have your artwork showcased on our official convention tees! The winner of this t-shirt contest will be awarded one full registration convention ticket, airfare, as well as lodging. The deadline to submit is April 28!
** SUBMIT YOUR DESIGN NOW ([link removed])
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2024 OCA-UPS Gold Mountain Scholarships

🚨 REMINDER: The deadline for the 2024 OCA-UPS Gold Mountain Scholarships, sponsored by UPS, is Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT!

👉 $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to 12 high school students who will be graduating high school this year and starting college this fall.

👉 $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to 4 undergraduate students who will be starting their final year of college/university or community college this fall.

👉 Students must identify as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and first-gen to be eligible. Applicants DO NOT need to be a U.S. citizen. DACA students or undocumented students must have a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

** LEARN MORE AND APPLY ([link removed])
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2024-2025 President's Circle Initiative

Apply to be part of the 2024-2025 cycle of the President's Circle Initiative!

Chapter proposal applications are now live, and we are continuing to fund chapter initiatives that are related to community building and advocacy. You may apply and submit your proposal by clicking the button below through April 30.

To submit a proposal, chapters must have a funder in the circle who pledges a minimum of $1,000. More information on pledges can be found ** HERE ([link removed])
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** SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL HERE ([link removed])

2024 JACL/OCA Leadership Summit

In March, JACL and OCA jointly hosted the annual JACL/OCA Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. This year was particularly special as we celebrated the 30th anniversary of OCA co-hosting the program, alongside JACL’s remarkable 40-year legacy of running it. The summit engaged 27 JACL and OCA members in learning and advocacy, culminating in congressional visits to support the “All Students Count Act” and the “Reuniting Families Act.”

Our heartfelt appreciation goes to State Farm for their generous support, enabling us to offer this invaluable opportunity to our members year after year. Also, we want to extend our profound thanks to AT&T for providing the meeting space that facilitated such an engaging and productive summit.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our generous donors, whose unwavering support continues to drive our mission of advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of AANHPIs. Your contributions make a profound impact, empowering us to make a positive difference in our community and beyond.

Thank you to our January-February donors
* Leslie Moe-Kaiser
* Andrew Lee
* Yaqin Xu

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
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Nominate for OCA Executive Committee Positions

Here's an election you can get excited about!

Nominate your favorite Board Member, or self-nominate for one of 11 OCA Executive Committee positions.

Application package available in March. Nominations are open until July, and elections will be held in November 2024.

Email ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
with interest or questions.
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Fuel the Next 50

After introducing potential donors to your work, they may find giving appreciated stock attractive. Stock giving means their contribution will go even further to support your chapter’s initiatives, all while saving on taxes. ** Learn how to give stock today! ([link removed])
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Help us update our OCA Intern Alumni Directory
We are requesting all OCA National internship program alumni to fill out the OCA Intern Alumni Directory Form to help us update our internal database so we can stay in touch with our intern alumni from the last 30+ years. ** Fill out the form ([link removed])
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CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
OCA - Central Virginia

On 3/3, OCA - CVC supported Richmond-Zhengzhou Sister City Commission to celebrate the sister cities’ 30-year anniversary at the Richmond Hippodrome Theatre. The event was to promote cultural and tourism exchange between the two cities. The event was very successful. Over two hundred attendees enjoyed the cultural performances, paper cutting, dough figurines, and Zhengzhou snacks.

On 3/24, OCA - CVC supported to reactivate the Virginia Commonwealth University Chinese Students & Scholars Association (VCU CSSA). Activation of VCU CSSA will help promote Chinese culture in VCU and local community.
OCA - Greater Tucson

OCA - Greater Tucson was an Event Sponsor at the League of Women Voters Greater Tucson’s Issues & Eggs Forum on March 1st. The topic, “Murder and Kidnapping of Indigenous Women,” included an update of state and federal laws that facilitate justice. Nevertheless, the path to justice for all is not clear, and strong advocacy is necessary. Ms. Wei-Ling Wang and Leslie Moe-Kaiser represented OCA - Greater Tucson.

On March 9 & 10, the chapter staffed a table at the Tucson Festival of Books, an annual event that attracts more than 125,000 visitors. We registered voters, displayed flyers of programs, and distributed information on 2024 programs and events. Volunteer staffers included University of Arizona AANHPI students and Siva Maia Polynesian group. We also strengthened relationships with other nonprofits, such as Make Us Visible, Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, and League of Women Voters Greater Tucson talking about current community issues. We donated chocolate fortune cookies to their staffers. We hosted a dinner for author Curtis Chin on Saturday evening.
OCA - Wisconsin

WISCONSIN DID IT! WE MADE HISTORY!
Asian American and Hmong American history, culture, and contributions will now be required for inclusion in Wisconsin’s K-12 public school instruction! On March 12, 2024, Wisconsin’s Senate unanimously approved the bipartisan Assembly Bill 232/Senate Bill 240. This signals that the bill will now become law, as the Assembly had already approved it in February. This is a significant milestone for Wisconsin, not only for Wisconsin’s K-12 educational curriculum but also for visibility and inclusion in our state’s public policy. The final step is for Governor Evers to sign the bill, which will be scheduled soon.
OCA - Wisconsin is a member of the AAPI Coalition of Wisconsin, and Lorna Young, OCA-WI’s board president, chairs the Coalition’s Education Committee. The Coalition was formed in 2020 in response to the rise of anti-Asian hate and is the first statewide organization to bring together our diverse AAPI community to amplify our collective voice on issues that affect us directly. Education about AAPI is one such issue that our AAPI communities across Wisconsin care about.
ORGANIZING WORKS! We worked with a wonderful coalition of Wisconsin’s AAPI leaders, K-12 and university educators, students, parents, and community allies who came together by sending postcards, writing letters to and talking with legislators, sending written testimony, personally speaking at the State Assembly and Senate Public Hearings, and sharing support with our communities. This is a significant achievement for Wisconsin that shows organizing our AAPI communities is effective. Our voices matter when we work together!

AND REPRESENTATION MATTERS! With the unwavering and inspiring leadership of Assembly Representative Francesca Hong, Wisconsin’s first and only AAPI legislator, this bill is a significant milestone for Wisconsin after decades of advocacy attempts in prior legislative sessions. Asian American History is American History!

OCA - New York

On Friday, April 12th, OCA - New York is sponsoring Free Senior Technology Classes for seniors in our community. The class will be conducted in Mandarin and will be available to attend at two locations. The event is sponsored by Spectrum, Hamilton House, and Cyber-Seniors.
COMMUNITY PARTNER EVENTS
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Young Voices Contributor Program

What is Young Voices?
Young Voices provides fledgling writers with the guidance needed to succeed during the most critical years of their early career. We do so by acting as a copy editor, agent, and mentor to a roster of pro-liberty writers through our cornerstone Contributors Program. Our network generates 50+ commentaries in print, online, TV, and radio every single month. On top of our public relations capabilities, our writers have exclusive access to continuing education opportunities through our program, including training and mentorship from top think tank scholars. In short, Young Voices is a one-stop-shop for aspiring intellectuals to build their brand and develop their expertise as advocates for market solutions.

What is the Contributor Program?
Young Voices’ Contributor Program is the cornerstone of our operations. Upon acceptance into the program, each new contributor has access to Young Voices’ staff of editors and media experts. We’ll act as your nonprofit PR agency, editing and pitching your articles to top publications and scheduling interviews in broadcast media. ** Click here to apply! ([link removed])

Key info about applying to the Contributors Program:
* Young Voices accepts applications from writers ages 18-35.
* Applicants should be prepared to submit their resume, an unedited op-ed draft, and a two-minute introductory video explaining why they’d like to join Young Voices. Applications are reviewed twice per year for classes of 30-40.
* Applications for the Fall 2024 class (which begins July 1, 2024) are open now and will close on May 31, 2024 at 11:59PM ET. All questions can be directed to ** [email protected] ([link removed])
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** (mailto:[email protected])
Recruiting AANHPI Students for Mental Health Survey

NAAPIMHA is partnering with Child with ** Child Trends ([link removed])
, and ** The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) ([link removed])
to conduct a series of focus groups to look at mental health among AANHPI youth. They are on a very short turn around time and are particularly interested in identifying students representing the following populations: 1) South Asian; 2) Southeast Asian; 3) Filipinx; 4) Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Multiracial and multiethnic individuals are encouraged to sign up. Study participation will include participating in completing a 15-20 minute online survey prior to the focus group and a 90-minute virtual focus group with Child Trends and AANHPI youth researchers. All activities are voluntary. Participants will be compensated with a $30 electronic gift card for their time after completion of the online survey and joining a focus group.

Interested young people or their parents/caretakers may email Winnie Chan (** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
) to sign up. We are grateful to TAAF and and Child Trends for their leadership in conducting this survey.
** (mailto:[email protected])

** (mailto:[email protected])

Cancer Pain Management: A Technology-based Intervention for Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors (CAI)

Despite few studies on Asian American breast cancer survivors, it is well known that these women shoulder unnecessary burden of breast cancer because they rarely complain about symptoms or pain, delay seeking help, and rarely ask or get support due to their cultural values and beliefs and language barriers. This demonstrates a definite need for support in this specific population. However, survivorship programs that are increasingly instituted at cancer centers have serious impediments to providing information and coaching/support because of the lack of staff time and insurance reimbursement.

Furthermore, the pressure of fast-paced clinical patient-provider interactions leaves little time for health care providers to provide up-to-date information and coaching or support for these women based on their cultural attitudes. All these circumstances necessitate an innovative and creative delivery method of information and coaching/support. A technology- based approach using computers and mobile devices (smart phones and tablets) promises to meet this necessity with high flexibility and accessibility, and minimizes the cost of the intervention in busy and costly health care settings. Also, a technology-based intervention that does not involve face-to-face interactions could work better for many women from cultures where breast cancer is still a stigmatizing experience. Therefore, based on Preliminary Studies (PSs), the research team has developed and pilot-tested a theory-driven technology-based information and coaching/support program that is culturally tailored to Asian American
breast cancer survivors using multiple features.

The purpose of the proposed randomized intervention study is to develop an existing technology-based cancer pain management program with additional components for Asian American breast cancer survivors with depressive symptoms (ABD) and the individual optimization functionality (CAI) and to test the efficacy of CAI in improving cancer pain experience of ABD. The specific aims are to: a) develop and evaluate CAI through an expert and a usability test; b) determine whether the intervention group will show significantly greater improvements than the control group in primary outcomes (needs for help, physical and psychological symptoms, and quality of life) from baseline (pre-test) to Time Points 1 (post 1-month) and 2 (post 3-months); c) identify theory-based variables (attitudes, self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and social influences) that mediate the intervention effects of the CAI on the primary outcomes; and d) determine whether the effects of the CAI on the primary outcomes are
moderated by background, disease, genetic, and situational factors.

The proposed study will be guided by the Bandura's Theory of Behavioral Change. This study adopts a randomized repeated measures pretest/posttest control group design in 330 Asian American breast cancer survivors.

The long-term goals are to: (a) implement the program into various health care settings; (b) determine if the CAI will lead to long-term improved health outcomes; and (c) fundamentally enhance the methodology/paradigm of culturally tailored technology-based interventions for ethnic minority groups of breast cancer survivors.

If you have any questions, please contact us (contact information: ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
).
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