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UPDATES
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OCA Greater Seattle Mourns Passing of Activist, Community Leader Francisco “Uncle Frankie” Irigon
OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates of Greater Seattle (OCA-GS) are deeply saddened and mourn the loss of our dear friend, Francisco “Uncle Frankie” Irigon. On the afternoon of September 12, 2024, Frank passed away after a long battle with heart disease.

“Uncle Frankie” had served on the OCA-GS board member since 2012. He was a dedicated advocate for the AANHPI community and throughout his life; he offered sanguine advice and unfiltered words of wisdom to the marvel/shock of those around him.
** READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ([link removed])
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OCA National Internship Program's 35th Birthday Bash
Join us for the OCA National Internship Program's 35th Birthday Bash on Wednesday, November 13th, 2024 at Luna Hall DC (625 H St NW Unit 103, Washington, DC 20001) from 6:00-8:00 PM.

Celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the OCA National Internship Program with an after-work happy hour!

** CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND RSVP ([link removed])
** CAN'T MAKE IT? DONATE TODAY TO CHANGE A LIFE! ([link removed])
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On The Front Lines of Democracy: An Election Official’s Story of Protecting the Vote in 2020
Jackie Wu (OCA Intern Class of 2011) recently authored her first book, On The Front Lines of Democracy: An Election Official’s Story of Protecting the Vote in 2020. The book is a firsthand account of her time working as senior manager at the Orange County Registrar of Voters in 2020 during a pivotal time in history. In 2020, Jackie and other election officials across the country had to overcome the uncertainty of the early days of COVID-19 and countless other crises, from voting and election misinformation, threats of violence, fake ballot drop boxes, wildfires, and more.

To learn more and purchase the book, visit ** HERE ([link removed])
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Jackie is available for interviews and speaking opportunities to encourage voter education and engagement; to coordinate, please email ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
.
** CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ([link removed])
September Donors
Thank you to our September donors: Jo Anne Meza, Caliopie Walsh, Veronica Contreras, and Woon-Wah Siu, for your generous contributions towards the President's Circle Initiative! Your contributions directly support local OCA chapter programs and projects that impact AANHPI communities around the country.
PRESS RELEASES & STATEMENTS
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Statement on Protecting Students’ Right to Free Expression
As the new school year begins, OCA — Asian Pacific American Advocates firmly upholds the principle that students’ rights to free speech and peaceable assembly are fundamental to the fabric of our nation, enshrined within the First Amendment of the Constitution. This amendment guarantees all individuals the liberty to express their thoughts and ideas and to come together in peaceful assembly, without fear of censorship or retaliation.
** CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ([link removed])
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OCA Condemns Measures Fueling Xenophobia and Discrimination
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates condemns H.R. 1398 for unfairly targeting Chinese and Asian Americans, and urges Congress to reconsider the legislation to protect civil liberties and promote unity. ** Click here to read more. ([link removed])

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
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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 35 years. ** Fill out the form ([link removed])
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CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS

OCA - Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter
At the November 11. 2023 OCA-WHV Dynamic Achiever Awards Gala & 43rd Anniversary Celebration, two exceptional students Joyce Huang and Andrew Son, who have demonstrated a strong commitment to social justice advocacy justice advocacy for AAPI communities, received the inaugural Robert S. Chao Endowed Memorial Award. The award and $1000 check were presented to each student by Ann Chao and daughter Yvonne Chao.

On December 5, 2024, Robert "Bob" Shyun-Jing Chan, the past OCA-WHV president and one of the founders of the New Bridges Coalition, will be posthumously inducted to the Westchester County Seniors Hall of Fame. This is a very rigorous and competitive process and we are proud to note that Bob will be the 4th AAPI to be inducted, Bill in 2022 , Rose and Sr. Joanna Chan, EdD in 2023.

OCA - San Diego Chapter
At the World 2024 AI Conference on September 18-19, 2024, held at the historic Westgate Hotel in San Diego, Eileen Lundquist, a San Diego Chapter Board Member, delivered an inspirational keynote speech that captivated an audience of 150 participants. She masterfully connected American historical events, personal experiences, and transformative technologies. Eileen highlighted three major milestones in the advancement of communication: the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s, the development of Short Message Service (SMS)—for which she was the lead engineer behind the world’s first mobile SMS—and the rise of AI. Board members Chih-Wu Chang and Leah Tsao and Eileen’s husband Frederick Lundquist were also present.

The audience was given a compelling history lesson, illustrated with well-crafted PowerPoint slides, on how Eileen’s great-grandfather, along with 20,000 Chinese laborers, helped build the Transcontinental Railroad. These workers faced harsh discriminatory practices and life-threatening conditions and later endured even more severe discrimination, culminating in the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which remained in effect for 61 years. Many attendees were astonished to learn about this crucial, often overlooked part of American history. As a direct descendant of one of these unsung heroes, Eileen’s presence and personal connection to the history made her speech even more powerful, moving several AI governance professionals in the audience to tears.

The presentation was the result of months of dedicated research and data collection, with tremendous assistance from Bill Morey, the conference organizer and Director of information Governance at Oracle. Eileen would be happy to discuss any opportunities to present at future events or conferences to raise awareness about the history of Asian Americans. She can be contacted at ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
.

She was also invited to host a book signing session after her speech for her book, Wings of Silk.

Special thanks to National President Linda Ng, who hosted Eileen in Sacramento in June and supported her research efforts, including visits to the Railroad Museum and a hike to Summit Tunnel, as well as to Conference Organizer Bill Morey for his nomination and advocacy in honoring Asian heritage.

OCA - Greater Washington D.C Chapter
OCA - Greater Washington D.C Chapter was honored to attend Connie Chung's book tour event for her new memoir Connie at 6th & I on the evening of September 18th. The event, hosted in partnership with OCA-DC, brought together an intimate group of community activists, journalists, family, and fans, creating a warm and personal atmosphere in a historic venue steps from the heart of Washington DC’s Chinatown.

The evening program was Connie in conversation with Maury Povich, her husband of 40 years. Their easy banter and deep connection set the tone for the night, giving us a glimpse into the private life of a public figure who has long been a trailblazer in journalism. Maury played the role of both interviewer and adoring husband, prompting Connie to share anecdotes that ranged from funny to deeply touching. Connie’s humor and humility shone through as she recounted stories from her career, her experiences breaking barriers as an Asian-American woman in the male-dominated news industry, and her personal journey of navigating fame and family.

OCA - Greater Washington D.C sponsored voter registration tables in the Washington, DC Cleveland Park area, in front of a cleaners, by GOTV Chair and VP of Membership, Siddarth Sharma, and Mary Tom, OCA-DC President, conducted a voter registration table in front of the New York grocery Mart in Rockville, MD. They had to call New York management to authorize Mary to manage a voter registration table in their store front! Mary will be managing a table at the Great Wall grocery store next week.

Mary and other members of the Board will acquire Voter Registrar status with the Board of Elections to aptly respond to questions from voter registration applicants, and plan to conduct voter registration tables at Montgomery County Public Libraries and other host sites at Montgomery College, Gaithersburg and Germantown MD before the October 15 voter registration deadline.

OCA - Greater Cleveland Chapter
September was a dynamic month for OCA - Greater Cleveland, marked by impactful events and community engagement. We kicked off September by celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with Cleveland's local AsiaTown community, where attendees celebrated and received free mooncakes.

To celebrate both the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Voter Registration Day, we also hosted a "Mid-Autumn Festival Mango Mixer" at Mango Mango Dessert, which proved to be a great success. In addition to serving as a voter engagement and professional networking opportunity, we offered free professional headshot sessions and discounted drinks.

During National Voter Registration Week, we partnered with AsiaTown Cleveland to canvas the neighborhood to meet residents and register voters. We also registered new Americans at two Naturalization Ceremonies as part of Constitution and Citizenship Week. Additionally, we were a proud sponsor of the Cleveland Dragon Boat Festival and were delighted to support the teams and share voting information.

Lastly, OCA - Greater Cleveland partnered with Spectrum to host two digital literacy classes for seniors in Cleveland's AsiaTown community. Cyber-Seniors presented the sessions in Mandarin Chinese, and with the help of our volunteer interpreters, we assisted almost 100 seniors in Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and Korean, furthering our mission to educate and empower our community.

OCA - St. Louis Chapter
On Saturday, September 28, OCA - St. Louis chapter gathered at St. Louis University for a session on how to best engage with friends, family, and your community that may have questions about voting. This was hosted by APIAVote and included educational training and situational role playing on topics such as voter rights and how to engage with those who may have questions about the election and voting process, polling centers, and questions around if their vote matters. The chapter is grateful to the MAAY Foundation take the lead on organizing and for Asian American Civic Scholars and Asian American Association at Saint Louis University for being a part of this event.

OCA - Georgia Chapter
On September 14th, 2024, OCA-Georgia held a very successful and well-attended lunch and learn event. The Wills, Trust and Estate Planning presentation was held 2nd consecutive year, made possible by an Educational Grant awarded by NAAAP in Atlanta for 2023 and 2024.

Attorney Holly Geerdes spoke about the pros and cons enforcing a will versus a trust. Financial Advisors, Ed Thepsouvan and Joane Kaine provided information about Medicare, ways to reduce taxes and conserving money and preserving family wealth.

It was held at the beautiful venue at Chamblee Public Safety building. Lunch was co-sponsored by Farmers Basket. About 90 people in attendance.

OCA - San Mateo Chapter

OCA - San Mateo Chapter set up a voter registration booth at the Self Help for Elderly's Annual Moon Festival Celebration in San Mateo Central Park on September 14, 2024. People of all ages and ethnicities dropped by and spun the wheel of fortune for a small prize and some even registered to vote that day.
CHAPTER EVENTS
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Regional Advocacy Summit by OCA - Las Vegas Chapter
The Regional Advocacy Summit is a FREE 2-day event on November 16 and 17 in Las Vegas, NV packed with interactive sessions focused on how to address issues in your community and work with local elected officials to enact change.
** CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER ([link removed])
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CA Voter Rights and Statewide Propositions nonpartisan Workshop by OCA - San Mateo Chapter
CA Voter Rights and Statewide Propositions nonpartisan Workshop on Zoom in English with both Cantonese and Mandarin simultaneous translation available using the Language Channel option. Instruction will be provided on how to access your language of choice at the beginning of the session.

DATE: 10/11/24 Friday 12noon-1pm PST
LOCATION: Online Only/ Zoom Meeting

Pre-registration is not required, but recommended to receive supplemental information. Click ** HERE ([link removed])
to register.

** Join Zoom Meeting HERE ([link removed])

Meeting ID: 839 2626 5905
Passcode: 626991
** LEARN MORE FROM HERE ([link removed])
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APIAVote Training Hosted by OCA - Greater Cleveland Chapter
OCA Greater Cleveland is hosting a Candidate Forum in partnership with the Asian American Coalition of Ohio, Ohio Chinese American Association, AsiaTown Cleveland, Asian Services In Action, and APIAvote on Saturday, October 12, 2024, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Li Wah Restaurant inside Asia Plaza in Cleveland's AsiaTown neighborhood.

Join us and get to know the candidates before you vote in the upcoming General Election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The event is free.

** RSVP HERE ([link removed])
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Annual Giving Campaign
This year’s annual giving campaign, “Ignite the future: 35 Years of AANHPI Youth Empowerment,” celebrates the remarkable milestone of 35 years of the OCA National Internship Program! This anniversary is a celebration of our past achievements and a testament to the continued importance of our program in shaping future leaders from the AANHPI communities. Learn how you can support this program, including participating in a fundraising competition where you can win a grand prize worth over $2,500!
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