View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]

============================================================
2025 OCA NATIONAL CONVENTION
** ([link removed])

Thank You for Joining Us for the 2025 OCA National Convention!

We hope you had a fantastic weekend connecting with our community, gaining new insights from our sessions, and celebrating together. Your participation helped make this year’s convention truly memorable!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on your experience. Please take a few minutes to complete our feedback survey so we can continue improving future conventions:
** Convention Feedback Survey. ([link removed])

We’ve also collected hundreds of photos from the weekend so you can relive the memories and share them with friends. View and download general convention photos here: ** Convention Photos. ([link removed])

If you attended the Awards Gala, don’t miss the photobooth snapshots: ** Awards Gala Photobooth Prints. ([link removed])

Thank you again for being part of this unforgettable celebration. We look forward to seeing you at the next OCA National Convention in Detroit, MI!
** CONVENTION SURVEY ([link removed])
** ([link removed])

Convention Swag Back by Popular Demand!

In case you missed out, our convention swag was so popular that we’re placing another order. If you didn’t receive a tote bag or t-shirt, or if you’d like an extra, you can reserve yours below:
** SWAG ORDER FORM ([link removed])
UPDATES
** ([link removed])
#SpeakUp for Higher Education
Higher education changes lives—and it's time to share how. ** AAPI Data ([link removed])
, ** Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE) ([link removed])
and ** OCA ([link removed])
are building a movement to #SpeakUp for higher education and protect the institutions where we learn, grow, and thrive. Share your story with us today at ** aapidata.com/speakupsurvey ([link removed])
and be a part of this movement.
** SHARE YOUR STORY HERE ([link removed])
July Donors
Thank you to our July donors: Amy Wipfler, Mabel Menard, Amy Tarnoviski, Ginny Gong, Frank Washington, Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman, Anne Sung, Randolph Huynh, Leah Tsao, Marguerite Ro, Andrew Lee, Nelson Dong, and Bernadette Connor 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.

And a special thank you to Anne and Bob Chao for their continued support for the OCA National Internship program! Your generosity will fund opportunities and resources that the AANHPI community can build upon for generations to come.
PRESS RELEASES & STATEMENTS
** ([link removed])

OCA Applauds Court Decision Temporarily Blocking Birthright Citizenship Executive Order
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates will continue to fight to protect birthright citizenship for all children born in the United States. ** Click here to read more. ([link removed])

** ([link removed])

OCA Condemns Texas Redistricting Plan, Census Exclusion Threats to Fair Representation
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates calls for federal action to end partisan gerrymandering and safeguard a fair, accurate census—one that ensures every community is seen, counted, and represented. ** Click here to read more. ([link removed])

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
** ([link removed])
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])
** ([link removed])
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])
** ([link removed])
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])
.
** ([link removed])

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])
.

CHAPTER EVENTS
** ([link removed])

Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America by OCA - Cleveland

Join us for an impactful film experience at the Ohio Premiere of Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America, a special in-person screening on Wednesday, August 13, at 5:30 p.m. in Cleveland, Ohio. This event includes a live discussion with Director Jon Osaki and a panel of educators, including Stacey Diane Arañez Litam, Cleveland State University, Luling Raina Li, Shaker Heights Schools, and Ana Chapman, Honesty for Ohio Education; Panel Moderator: Wayne Wong.

This is more than a documentary—it’s a call to action, a celebration of resistance, and a roadmap for future change.

Why Making Waves Matters Now More Than Ever
As debates rage across the country about what histories are taught in schools, Making Waves delivers a vital reminder: education is not neutral. From the earliest days of the Asian American movement to today's youth-led demands for an inclusive curriculum, the film underscores how Ethnic Studies has empowered generations of Asian Americans to speak their truths, stand against racism, and build solidarity across communities.
** RSVP HERE ([link removed])
** ([link removed])
OCA - New England Regional Leadership Summit
Join us for the OCA New England Regional Leadership Summit! 🌟 Two days of inspiring conversations, AAPI advocacy, and community building — plus FREE food! 🍜

📅 Sun 8/24 @ MassBay Community College, 9AM–3PM
📅 Mon 8/25 @ MA State House, 11AM–2PM

Don’t miss this chance to connect with leaders, learn, and take action!
** RSVP HERE ([link removed])
** GIVE TO OCA ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** OCA National Website ([link removed])
OCA National Center
Embracing the hopes and aspirations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

900 19th St. NW, 6th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20006

Copyright © 2025 OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, All rights reserved.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.