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2025 OCA NATIONAL CONVENTION
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Seattle Convention Regular Registration Open
🚨REGULAR REGISTRATION for #OCACON is now open until June 15th! This is your chance to be part of an unforgettable experience. By registering, you’ll gain access to exclusive luncheons, dinner events, and a seat at the prestigious Awards Gala.

Flying to Seattle? Make Sure You’re REAL ID Ready!
On May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities. Find out if you’re REAL ID ready or map out your path to REAL ID readiness at ** dhs.gov/real-id ([link removed])
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** GET YOUR TICKETS ([link removed])
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Be a Part of the Seattle Convention Volunteer Team
🤝 Be a part of the OCA National Convention Volunteer Team! Eager to support Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities? Interested in being at the center of an extraordinary event? We invite you to volunteer with us! Experience isn’t necessary – we’ve got all the training covered.

👋 Connect with others, contribute to meaningful causes, and help us make this convention one for the books. Sign up to volunteer at ** bit.ly/ocaconvol2025 ([link removed])
** SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER HERE ([link removed])
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Sponsor a Student
While all workshops are free and open to the public at the 2025 OCA National Convention in Seattle, WA, we understand that cost can still be a barrier for students who want to have the full convention experience. That is why, this year, we have created a system in which OCA members or the general public can donate $175 (the cost of a Youth ticket) so that a college student can attend the OCA National Convention for free.

Full-package registration gives you access to the following:
* Friday: Youth Recognition Luncheon
Saturday: The State of Constitutional Law Plenary Breakfast
* Saturday: OCA Membership & Chapter of the Year Luncheon
* Saturday: OCA Awards Gala
* Convention T-Shirt

Interested students must apply to receive a free sponsored full-package ticket. The free registration will be distributed on a first-come, first-served, rolling basis, while supplies last. To be eligible to receive a free sponsored full-package ticket, applicants must be current college students.
** APPLY NOW! ([link removed])
If you are interested in donating a free Youth ticket ($175) for a current college student to attend the OCA National Convention, please donate at www.ocanational.org/donate, fill out the donation form, and select “2025 Convention - Youth Registration Donation” from the drop-down menu.

Questions? Please contact ** [email protected] ([link removed])
. Learn more about OCA National Convention at ** www.ocanationalconvention.org ([link removed])
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** DONATE TODAY! ([link removed])
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Sponsor a Student
🌲Explore Seattle with the OCA - Greater Seattle Chapter on some side quests! These free, optional events include a UW campus tour, a Mariners baseball game, a Bruce Lee legacy tour, and more. Don’t miss out on the fun during Convention week!
** SPOTS ARE LIMITED. RSVP HERE ([link removed])
UPDATES
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OCA Reads: A Virtual Conversation with Mia Wenjen
On May 22, Mia Wenjen joined OCA for a special AANHPI Heritage Month book talk, moderated by Jenny Cho of OCA-DC. Mia shared the story behind her latest picture book, We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court, which follows musician Simon Tam’s fight to reclaim his band’s name and his right to free speech. The discussion provided thoughtful insight on anti-Asian racism, legal activism, and the importance of age-inclusive storytelling for complex issues.

Congratulations to our raffle winner Greg F. on winning a free signed copy of the book!

See more of Mia at her ** website ([link removed])
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PRESS RELEASES & STATEMENTS
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OCA Announces 2025 National Convention Gala Honorees
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates will host its 2025 National Convention at the University of Washington in Seattle, celebrating AANHPI history, youth leadership, and community advocacy through engaging panels and special honors. ** Click here to read more. ([link removed])

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OCA Welcomes 2025 Cohort of AAPI Leaders
Through OCA’s 2025 Summer Internship Program, twelve college students from across the nation will spend the summer in Washington, D.C., gaining real-world experience in policy, advocacy, and public service. ** Click here to read more. ([link removed])

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OCA Condemns Trump Administration’s Decision to Revoke Visas for Chinese Students
The Trump administration’s decision to revoke visas for Chinese international students is a discriminatory and politically motivated action that fuels anti-Asian sentiment, undermines academic institutions, and damages America’s global competitiveness. ** Click here to read more. ([link removed])

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
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FREE Virtual College Prep Program for Class of 2026 by Greater NY Chinese Dollars for Scholars
Monthly workshops and office hours from June–December are led by a Chinese Dollars for Scholars alumna who worked in admissions at the UCs, Cornell, and NYU, was a long-serving interviewer for Penn, and has a BS from Wharton and MSEd from Penn GSE. We’re proud of our Class of 2025, who received offers from Harvard, Brown (QuestBridge Match), NYU Stern (Full Four-Year Scholarship), Princeton, Vanderbilt, UMichigan, Yale, Cornell, UCLA, Cooper Union, Macaulay Honors College, and more!

** Apply by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 9, 2025 ([link removed])
Want to learn more or refer a rising senior?
* Visit ** bit.ly/chinesedollarsforscholars ([link removed])
* Refer: ** bit.ly/collegeprepnominate ([link removed])
* Email: ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

This program is specifically designed for students underrepresented in higher education due to socioeconomic status and/or first-generation status.
** LEARN MORE AND APPLY HERE ([link removed])
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2025 President's Circle Initiative
📢Calling all OCA Chapters!

Want to fund your community project and make an impact? The President’s Circle Initiative is your chance! Submit a proposal to receive funding for community-building and advocacy projects—and pitch your vision to donors at the 2025 OCA National Convention in Seattle! 🌟
🔹 Chapters must have a $1,000+ funder in the Circle to qualify
🔹 Submit your proposal now: ** bit.ly/2025pciproposal ([link removed])

🔹 Learn more: ** bit.ly/joinocapci ([link removed])

Don’t miss this opportunity to amplify your chapter’s voice! 💪🏽✨

** SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL HERE ([link removed])
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NCAPA Story Collection
We are looking for AANHPI perspectives on how recent executive orders have impacted different members of the community. We are looking to collect stories from community members and organizations on how they currently rely on federal programs, such as health care, social security, and language access or adversely impacted by policy changes to immigration, education, equity and inclusion, and beyond. We would be grateful for your perspective on these federal changes if you have them and also if you could support us in sharing our storybank with your partners, members, and community.
** SHARE YOUR STORY TODAY ([link removed])
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Share Your OCA Origin Story!
For 50 years, OCA has been a powerful voice for our communities, growing and evolving—from the Organization of Chinese Americans to OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates. But our true strength comes from you—our members, volunteers, and supporters who have shaped this journey.

We want to celebrate your experiences, your impact, and the stories that connect us. Whether you've been with OCA for decades or just joined, your voice matters. Take a moment to share your story and be part of the legacy we continue to build together!These testimonials will play a vital role in our storytelling efforts, helping us highlight the impact of OCA through our members' voices.

Your story could be featured in IMAGE Magazine, on our social media, or in our monthly newsletter!
** SHARE YOUR OCA STORY TODAY ([link removed])
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U.S. Writers Aid Initiative Grant Opportunities
** The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative (USWAI) ([link removed])
is intended to assist fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, translators, and journalists in addressing short-term financial emergencies. To be eligible, applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. The fund is limited, and not every application can be supported. Grant decisions are made on a quarterly basis by a volunteer committee of literary peers in consultation with PEN America staff.

Writers currently enrolled in degree-granting programs are also not eligible. Writers do not have to be Members of PEN America to receive a grant, but all recipients of emergency funding will be given a complimentary one-year PEN America membership.

Questions may be addressed to ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Website link ** HERE ([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 35 years. ** Fill out the form ([link removed])
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CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
OCA - San Mateo Chapter
OCA San Mateo held its scholarship awards luncheon in Foster City, California on May 17, 2025. Nine scholarships were awarded to San Mateo County high school students who demonstrated outstanding scholastic achievement, exemplary leadership qualities, and impactful community involvement. Some of these students have overcome challenging life circumstances. The audience of 50 parents, community and city council members were inspired by each of the awardee's stories.
The City of San Mateo, California, held its first ever AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration on May 3, 2025 at San Mateo Central Park. OCA San Mateo set up a voter education and outreach table for participants. We applaud the City of San Mateo for making the effort to recognize the growing AANHPI community within their city with this educational and celebratory event.

OCA - Greater Washington D.C Chapter

OCA-DC Student Leaders Uplift AANHPI Stories at MCPS Heritage Month Webinar
On May 22nd, OCA - Greater Washington D.C Chapter proudly partnered with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to participate in a special AANHPI Heritage Month Zoom webinar. During this impactful event, OCA-DC Student Council leaders Anna Jhon and Sidharth Harishanker took center stage, presenting to an audience of over 300 attendees. These remarkable students didn’t just participate—they led with purpose and passion.

In their powerful presentation, Anna and Sid explored the rich and often overlooked history of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. They highlighted both national milestones and local contributions rooted in Montgomery County, while emphasizing the importance of visibility, cultural pride, and representation in leadership and education.

They spotlighted several inspiring AANHPI trailblazers from the region, including:
* Aruna Miller, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
* Dr. Roxanne Yamashita, Bioinformatics Scientist & Member of the Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs
* Rajan Natarajan, Founder and CEO of Global Alliant
* Susan Lee, Maryland Secretary of State

By connecting past achievements with present-day advocacy, Anna and Sid delivered a message that was both empowering and timely: AANHPI students are not just part of the narrative—they are actively shaping it.

Through their thoughtful and passionate advocacy, these student leaders reminded us of the power of youth voice. Their work continues to inspire peers to embrace their identities, uplift underrepresented stories, and step forward as leaders in their schools and communities.

OCA - Wisconsin Chapter

OCA - Wisconsin Chapter hosted “The Six” book event with author Steven Schwankert and conversation partner Tom Fong at Boswell Bookstore in Milwaukee. Schwankert’s book was published this April, documenting the harrowing story of the six Chinese survivors of the 1912 Titanic shipwreck who were expelled from the NYC port due to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. Schwankert is also the lead researcher for the 2021 documentary film. Fong is the Wisconsin-born son of one of the 6 survivors, Fong Wing Sun, and the owner of Cozy Inn, a Chinese restaurant in Janesville, WI. This event has special meaning for OCA Wisconsin, as Fong had been a resident of Milwaukee when he was a child, and was childhood friends with at least four of our OCA Wisconsin members: Valerie Ko and her mother Annie, Anna Wong, Betty Chan, and Judy King. We appreciate Schwankert’s relentless research over the past decade to pursue the real story of these Chinese survivors as depicted in both the “The Six” book and documentary
(which is now available via streaming services).

To honor May 2025 AANHPI Heritage Month and the 2024 passage of Act 266, Wisconsin’s Hmong American and Asian American Education, Lorna Young, OCA Wisconsin’s President and Chair of the AAPI Coalition of Wisconsin’s Education Committee, worked with the Wisconsin Historical Society, key stakeholders, and a core team of Wisconsin K-12 educators experienced in teaching AAPI history and culture to develop and distribute 200 book bag kits with educational materials and books to K-12 educators across the state. This K-12 educator team also supported the development of lesson plans and resources on Wisconsin’s AAPI history which were recently published this May on the Wisconsin Department of Instruction’s WiseLearn website. Implementation across Wisconsin in all our school districts will take time, but this bill is a baseline. As a result, AAPI communities across the state have been energized to support initiatives to develop educational resources about our diverse histories. We are uncovering our
stories and bringing them to light.
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OCA National Center
Embracing the hopes and aspirations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

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