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AAPI Legislative Caucus Announces Mike Fong as New Chair
OCA proudly recognizes and congratulates our Greater Los Angeles Chapter member, Mike Fong, on his selection as Chair of the California AAPI Legislative Caucus. Representing the 49th Assembly District in the West San Gabriel Valley, which has the largest AAPI population in Southern California, Mike currently chairs the Assembly Higher Education Committee. He has been a strong advocate for the AANHPI community, pushing for legislation that improves language access and incorporates AAPI history into school curriculum. Mike’s ongoing involvement in OCA at both the national and local levels highlights his deep commitment to our community, and he remains dedicated to advocating for AANHPI communities and ensuring their voices are heard in state government.
PRESS RELEASE
OCA Welcomes Vice President Kamala Harris's Historic Nomination
OCA applauded Vice President Kamala Harris's historic nomination for the 2024 Presidential election as a milestone in U.S. political history, while not endorsing any candidate. Click here to read more.
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
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 35Â years. Fill out the form.
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
OCA - Greater Phoenix Chapter
OCA - Greater Phoenix Chapter held the OCA-GPC 2024 Youth Leadership Summit this past Saturday, August 24th, 2024 at the Paradise Valley Community College's Education Building.Â
We had a total of 4 speakers that provided our high school and college students valuable leadership knowledge for present and future use. Our speakers (Barry Wong, Sadi Chhoa, Jannah Scott and Jeannine Kuropatkin) talked about topics including public image, public speaking, AAPI history and financial literacy. All topics, which we believe are crucial to understanding during our youth years. In addition to the insightful knowledge, the students were provided with informative materials from OCA and Paradise Valley Community College to assist them during this summit.Â
We were able to recruit more OCA members and sign up some students as interns for the upcoming semester. We are so excited to work with these bright students and help pave a way of success for them.Â
We received great feedback from parents and the students are excited in pursuing an internship with our organization.Â
OCA - Wisconsin Chapter
Milwaukee's tenth Dragon Boat Festival was held on the picturesque shores of Lake Michigan on Saturday, August 10, with fifty teams from community organizations, businesses, and corporations across the region competing and enjoying the festivities. OCA - Wisconsin Chapter is a co-sponsor of this signature event with our community partners, and each year the festival has increased public awareness, not only of the lively races, but also of the richness of Chinese culture, with demonstrations of folk and dragon dances, music, food, and martial arts. This festival has been a wonderful team- and community-building event for Wisconsin, and the 1,000+ team members loyally look forward to participating every year.Â
Wisconsin is considered to be a purple state this election season. OCA-Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters hosted a GOTV table at our annual July picnic (attended by over 100 members and friends) and the August Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival, to encourage people to vote, which was well-timed for Wisconsin's August 13 primary election.Â
OCA - San Mateo Chapter
OCA - San Mateo Chapter held their annual summer picnic at Shoreview Park alongside the Hong Kong Students Alumni Association on August 10, 2024. About 100 people attended the BBQ where OCA - San Mateo volunteers and board members encouraged attendees to register and vote in the upcoming November election.
OCA - Greater Tucson Chapter
OCA - Greater Tucson Chapter was in the house at Pan Asian Community Alliance Annual Luau on August 24, 2024. Leslie Moe-Kaiser and Executive Vice President Allen Miller joined over 200 celebrants for a festive night of Hawaiian cuisine, Polynesian music, and dance performances, and Korean drumming. Leslie presented grants to Siva Maia Polynesian Dancers, the Filipino Mabuhay Cultural Foundation of Tucson, and Bayanihan Fil-Am Club of Tucson to support cultural education programs.
OCA - Greater Washington DCÂ Chapter
Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn is an educator, trainer, and writer, who presented, on August 4, her new book for middle schoolers, About Exclusion and the Chinese American Story. The event included a short reading, moderated discussion by Iris Liu, Policy and Programs Intern from OCA National, and Sana Friedman, 1882 Foundation, plus book signing. Sponsorship of this event was a collaboration between OCA National, DC Mayor's Office of Asian Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA), 1882 Foundation, Asian American Lead, and OCA-DC Chapter.
OCA-DC Chapter President, Mary Tom, was excited to purchase two books, one for her reading alongside her granddaughter, Maddie, a 7th grade middle schooler, whom Mary will conduct a mini-book club exchange to learn what Maddie learned from Sarah's book and what impact it had on her from the important historical social injustice learning that she learned from Sarah's Chinese American Story.
CHAPTER EVENTS
Free Senior Technology Class by OCA - Greater Cleveland Chapter
OCA - Greater Cleveland Chapter is excited to announce a FREE class on using smart devices. Although the event is mainly tailored for our senior community, all interested individuals are welcome to join. We will host two sessions on Wednesday, September 25th, at Asian Evergreen Apartments from 1 to 3 p.m. and at St. Clair Place from 4 to 6 p.m. Cyber-Seniors will lead both sessions in Mandarin with Cantonese and English interpretation. There will also be giveaways at both sessions! Please register through the QR Code on the flyer or sign up from HERE.
Thank you to Spectrum/Charter Communications for generously sponsoring this program and to Asian Evergreen Apartments and St. Clair Place for hosting the workshops.
2024 Community Service and Leadership Awards Gala by OCA - New York Chapter
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OCA-New York (OCA-NY) is thrilled to invite the OCA community to our 2024 Community Service and Leadership Awards Gala, to be held at House of Joy (28 Pell Street, New York, NY) on Friday, September 27th, 2024 at 6 PM. This year’s theme is “OCA-NY Making Progress, Driving Impact.”
At our gala, we will bring together hundreds of community members and leaders to celebrate our chapter’s achievements and honor an amazing slate of honorees. Our annual gala benefit is a celebratory evening that raises funds that will enable OCA-NY to maintain its vital role in advocating for our community. We invite you to join us on this milestone occasion and support our work. You can purchase individual tickets through the link on our flyer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Secretary, Lisha Luo Cai at [email protected].
 APIAVote Training Hosted by OCA - St. Louis Chapter & SLU
Join us between 10 am - 2 pm at St. Louis University on September 28 to for training and education about voter registration and education training. It is a free event, non-partisan, and lunch will be provided.
Sunday Movie Matinee by OCA - Greater Tucson Chapter
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 “Beetlejuice 2” is the 3Q Sunday Matinee movie that releases on September 6. Ten free tickets are available to members and one guest each on a first-come first-served basis. Please email Leslie for your preferred Sunday. We will select the most popular Sunday at the theaters at Broadway Mall. [email protected]. If you are in Tucson in September, please let me know your interest in attending.
