Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2024
Happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! This month-long observance honors the vibrant diversity, rich history, and remarkable accomplishments of our community members. OCA National staff and OCA chapter members have compiled several lists of recommendations that reflect our cultural heritage. Check out all of the recommendations at www.ocanational.org/apahm.
Give in May 2024
We want to express our deepest gratitude to all of our members, chapter affiliates, and fellow advocates for their unwavering support. Your participation in our programs, engagement on social media, and generous donations have been instrumental in advancing our mission. This May, we kindly ask you to consider making a donation to OCA. Your contribution will support our ongoing efforts to combat anti-Asian hate, provide professional development opportunities through our internships, and bolster our policy and advocacy actions. Additionally, we are currently fundraising to provide scholarships for AAPI youth to attend the 2024 OCA National Convention in Philadelphia. This is a wonderful opportunity for young individuals to engage, learn, and grow. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our cause.
🐦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.
🎨 Our t-shirt design contest is back this year! Unleash your creativity and grab the chance to have your design featured on our official #OCACON tees in Philadelphia! The submission deadline has been extended to May 12, 2024.
The winner of this t-shirt contest will be awarded one full registration convention ticket, airfare, as well as lodging.
📌Don’t miss this opportunity to save on your hotel stay for OCA’s National Convention with OCA group discount! Book your room before June 19th. Hurry, before time runs out!
⌛Time is running out! 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. The deadline to submit chapter proposals has been extended! You may apply and submit your proposal at bit.ly/2024pciproposal through Friday, May 10.
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 at bit.ly/2024pcipledge.
Any questions may be directed to Caroline Buaron at [email protected].
Thank you to our April donors, Wendy Karahalios, for supporting the President's Circle Initiative! Your contribution funds chapter projects that benefits local AANHPI communities. Thank you so much!
Chinese Americans in Hollywood
Chinese Americans have been involved in the movie business since its earliest days, whether as extras, leading actors like Anna May Wong and Keye Luke, or Oscar-winning cinematographers like James Wong Howe. Join us virtually on May 22nd at 8 PM ET for a presentation on Chinese Americans in early Hollywood with William Gow, author of Performing Chinatown: Hollywood, Tourism, and the Making of a Chinese American Community, and Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong, followed by conversation and audience questions, moderated by Jenny Cho. Those in attendance will have a chance to receive free copies of both books! Register at tinyurl.com/4ED873MX.
This event is co-hosted by 1882 Foundation, OCA-Greater Washington, D.C. chapter and OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates. Not Your China Doll is available now. Performing Chinatown is currently available for pre-order and is scheduled to be released on May 14th. Use the code GOW20 to receive 20% off your purchase of “Performing Chinatown” when ordering directly from Stanford University Press.
OCA is proud to support the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) at their Legislative Leadership Summit taking place May 13-14, 2024 in Washington, D.C. The 2024 APAICS Legislative Leadership Summit brings together nonprofit and corporate leaders, subject matter experts, as well as local, state, and federal elected officials to discuss important issues that affect the Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community and the nation at large. Past events focused on issues, policies, practices, and trends in the AA & NH/PI community in an environment that facilitates solution-oriented dialogue and building public service pipelines in communities of color. OCA's Executive Director Thu Nguyen will appear on the panel “The Monolithic Mistake - Digital Literacy in AA & NH/PI Communities” on Monday, May 13th at 1:25pm-2:05pm.
OCA Applauds Historic Federal Data Collection Standards Update
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released updated standards for federal race and ethnicity data collection, which is a pivotal advancement in better serving and accurately representing the rich diversity within the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. Click here to read more.
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
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.
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!
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.
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
OCA - Greater DC Chapter
Youth Creating Change (YCC) Social Change Conference on 4/24
The President of OCA - Greater DC Chapter, Mary Tom, attended a weekend Youth Creating Change (YCC) Social Change Conference on 4/24 at the Montgomery County Education Association in Rockville, MD.
Anna Jhon is one of our leaders of OCA-DC's High School Student Leadership Council, and she presented our efforts for oral testimonies in Annapolis, from both adults and high school and elementary school students, who testified why they wanted the inclusion of AANHPI studies into the K-12 MD public school American history curriculum. The testimonies were well-received, but did not yield approval this year.
Anna is pictured in the first attached photo as a panelist speaker on our Chapter support of this important initiative. Anna is to the right of the crutches of one of the panelists that needed crutch support that day. Anna is also a YCC fellow where high school students advocate for causes of interest. Anna is an Education Advocate seeking policy change!
In the second photo, Samir Paul of the MD State Department of Education was the keynote speaker, and he is very open to a zoom call with us for next steps' strategies to revisit this important issue to have MD schools join other states for K-12 AANHPI studies included into the American history curriculum of MD public schools!
In the third photo, State Delegate Sarah Wolck, moderated this Policy Advocacy panel where Anna was one of the featured panelists. The forth photo shows a panel for Educational Equity.
There are some of the Exhibitor displays at the YCC Conference in May.
Mary was very impressed with all the presentations that included an Exhibit Hall session to view some of the great social change programs that other high school students were passionate about. OCA - Greater DC Chapter is proud of the enthusiasm of our high school youth to create and champion social change for the greater good!
Perspectives on History: AAPI Voices in the American Story on 5/1
OCA-DC chapter board and members attended event at the National Archives highlighting AAPI perspectives in the American story. The event kicked off AANHIP Heritage month at the National Archives in Washington, DC and included an illustrative panel moderated by MSNBC/NBC journalist and author Richard Lui. Perspectives and panelists included Stewart Kwoh, Founding President of Asian Americans Advancing Justice; Dr. Karen Korematsu, Founder and President of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute; and Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director of Asian American Scholar Forum. From left to right: Andrew Procter, Adrienne Poon, Hank Hoang, Matthew Wee, and Siddharth Sharma.
Revitalization of Gallery Place - DC Chinatown Event on 5/5
Mary Tom, the chapter president of OCA - Greater DC Chapter, attended the subject event this past Saturday where 8 Big Ideas were presented to a full auditorium of community leaders and stakeholders at the MLK Library, with the opportunity for all to post their top 3 priority ideas that were most appealing to them. This was OCA-DC’s efforts for fair and equitable advocacy on behalf of the DC Chinatown residents and Asian business owners.
Mary had the honor to meet and chat with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser where she made remarks at this event.
The Chinatown/Gallery Place Task Force will have in-person and virtual public input sessions in the spring, summer and fall of 2024 regarding plans for improving the entire neighborhood.
Other attendees at this event included Ben de Guzman of the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA), and Ted Gong of 1882 Foundation.
Rita Lee of the Wah Luck adult day care center brought to the event a few residents of the Wah Luck House apartment building who seek a Chinese grocery store in Chinatown and are concerned about possible displacement due to a proposed hotel development project that would be around the corner of the Wah Luck House, which provides affordable rent for Asian seniors through the federal housing choice voucher program for 300 residents.
Here's a LINK noting the need for an Asian grocery store for especially the Wah Luck House residents of DC Chinatown. OCA-DC is pleased to support our DC Chinatown residents and hope that Asian business owners will return with the redevelopment of DC Chinatown.
OCA - Greater Tucson
From March 25-April 15, the chapter partnered with Tucson Unified School District on the annual OCA Greater Tucson Art Contest. The theme was “Think about happy places to be.” The top three entries received cash prizes and a copy of “Love Boat Reunion” by Abigail Hing Wen. Two honorable mentions each received a copy of the book.
On April 27, “Positive Thinking in a Post-Pandemic World” was presented by Dr. Sue Tham, who presented educational and experiential practices for reducing stress and anxiety. Over 30 attendees learned and practiced breathing, imaging, and transactional exercises in a very enjoyable session. Dr. Tham raffled off copies of Transforming Trauma, by James S/ Gordon, MD. Thanks to our sponsors Raytheon ASPIRES, Pima County Health Department, Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, and eHotPot for making the workshop possible. We also had a voter registration table in the lobby of the Center staffed by volunteers from League of Women Voters Greater Tucson. The photo above shows the attendees as well as Dr. Leslie Moe-Kaiser, Dr. Sue Tham, Yoshi Delgado, Raytheon ASPIRES.
CHAPTER EVENTS
AAPI Restaurant Weeks by OCA - Greater Houston
More than 40+ restaurants are participating in AAPI Restaurant Weeks 2024
Join OCA-Greater Houston in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by supporting AAPI food establishments and supporting our community service project to provide bags of rice/noodles for low income seniors.
The online directory will include participating locations.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of Asian American culture at this year's OCA fundraising event - The Night Market Gala!
Connect with the Asian American communities of St. Louis and support local businesses. Enjoy live entertainment and a karaoke room. You won't want to miss a night of community, culture, and mouth-watering food. Get ready to experience the rich tapestry of Asian American heritage and support a great cause whole having a blast!
Contact us at [email protected] or register today from the button below!
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!
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].
Recruiting AANHPI Students for Mental Health Survey
NAAPIMHA is partnering with Child with Child Trends, and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) 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]) to sign up. We are grateful to TAAF and and Child Trends for their leadership in conducting this survey.
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]).
