Lunar New Years Featured Speaker

The guest speaker at the OCA/NE, March 8, 2008, event will be Daniel Golden, the award winning writer and author of the widely acclaimed and best selling book, The Price of Admission. The book is now available in paperback with an epilogue that is of interest to Asian Americans.
 
Daniel Golden is a graduate of Harvard College.  He was a reporter at the Boston Globe for seventeen years.  From 1999 until recently, he was the deputy bureau chief at the Boston bureau of the Wall Street Journal and covered topics in education.  He won the George Polk Award in journalism for his four thoroughly documented front page articles about how “white affirmative action” favors the offspring of alumni and prospective generous donors at elite schools.   He won the Pulitzer Prize in 2004 for the Wall Street Journal writing which was characterized as sustained and knowledgeable coverage of a subject or activity.  He is currently a senior editor at the magazine “Portfolio”, a Conde Nast publication. The magazine has a business focus and exposes various business practices through investigative stories .  He and his family live in Belmont, MA.
 
Many students believe that college admission is based on merit.   The book, The Price of Admission, exposes this myth. The book documents stories of admission preferences granted to children of alumni and large donors at elite universities based on interviews conducted over a two year period with students, parents, school administrators, and college admissions staff. The author gives specific examples of students admitted with less than platinum test scores, academic records, character references, and other credentials, woven into an interesting narrative, He raises thought provoking questions about equality and the meaning of affirmative action.
 
In chapter seven of the book entitled, “The New Jews, Asian Americans Need Not Apply”, the author states that, “Asian Americans are now the odd group out, lacking racial preferences enjoyed by other minorities and the advantages of wealth and lineage mostly accrued by upper middle class whites”.  He goes on to state, “This second class status stymies Asian aspirations to join the country’s inner circle of political, economic, and social leaders and limits that leadership circle’s exposure to bright minds with fresh ideas.
 
Come join us on March 8, 2008 to hear Daniel Golden. There will be a question and answer period after his talk. Paperback copies (2007) of his book will be available for purchase and for the author to sign. Details on events page.

Opportunity, Achievement, and Responsibility

 

                                         Christine Qian, OCA-NE

                                               October 28, 2007

 

Representing the OCA New England Chapter, I recently attended the Annual OCA National Asian Pacific American Corporate Achievement Awards (CAA) event on October 19, 2007. It was a meaningful and memorable evening filled with inspiration, celebration, and friendship.

 

The OCA National APA Corporate Achievement Awards are dedicated to celebrating and recognizing Asian Pacific Americans in the corporate sector who exemplify not only excellence in their profession, but also leadership and commitment in their respective communities. It is the only national program of its kind to recognize corporate achievement and service to the community among APIA corporate employees. Honorees must be nominated by their respective employers, and then selected by a panel of judges.

 

The event also showcased the importance of diversity initiatives within Corporate America. With inspiration and opportunity, leadership can be well achieved. Contribution to community is essential, and is each individual’s civil responsibility.

 

In 2007, the following twelve amazing honorees have been chosen to receive the prestigious awards.

 

Dev Banerjee of the Boeing Company;

Mohamood Bhatia of Sodexho USA;

Karen Cho Garcia of Macdonald’s USA;

Richard Fu of Harrah’s Entertainment Inc.;

Lorraine Hansen of Kraft Foods;

Cintya Hato of Avon Products Inc;

Doreen Woo Ho of Wells Fargo &Company;

Punam Mathur of MGM Mirage;

Joe Nguyen of Chrysler;

Sandra Sherman of State Farm;

Ed Shinoda of UPS;

Darwin Wang of General Motors Corp.

 

In addition, the hosting Las Vegas Chapter also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Rozita Lee for her dedication and commitment to the APIA community.

 

To learn more about the honorees and the event, please go to OCA National’s web site www.OCANational.org. The event pictures and information will be available soon.

 

If your employer would like to nominate any outstanding APA employee for future CAA awards, please contact OCA-NE or OCA National.

 

Future Major OCA-NE and OCA National Events

 

OCA New England Holiday Brunch, Museum of Science, December 16, 2007

Co-chaired by Denise Chan and Leverett Wing; details on events page.

OCA New England Annual New Years Celebration March 8th, 2008, Key note Speaker Dan Golden, details on events page.

OCA New England Annual APA Heritage Celebration, May 2008

 

2008 OCA National Convention, Washington DC, July 31 – August 3, 2008

 

2008 OCA National APA Corporate Achievement Awards, Salt Lake City, October 2008

 

Program Opportunities

 

IMAGE Magazine Photo Contest;

Visual Arts Program on Immigration;

Voting and Election Program;

Entrepreneur Empowerment Training;

Please contact OCA National Office for more information.

 

The College Affiliate Program (CAP);

Contact Douglas Lee at dlee@ocanational.org

 

2008 JACL/OCA Leadership Conference sponsored by State Farm

Contact OCA-NE board for more info.

 

2008 OCA-Allstate Foundation Hate Crimes Initiative Event;

Contact Pei-Un Yee at pyee@ocanational.org

 

Job Openings in D.C.

 

Assistant Director, OCA National Office;

Development Manager, OCA National Office;

Contact Dr. Michael Lin, Executive Director, mlin@ocanational.org

Empowerment Through Involvement

Let’s light the torch for the next generation

 

                                                            by Christine Qian, President, OCA-NE

 

On January 12, 2007, OCA美华协会 made history with the dedication of the National Center for Asian Pacific American (APA) Leadership in Washington, D.C.  I was invited to the grand opening ceremony as the president of OCA New England Chapter, and witnessed the amazing historical event. Among the 300 attendees, there were dignitaries such as Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, Congressman David Wu, Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, Congressman Albert Wynn, U.S. Department of Labor Chief Financial Officer Sam Mok (representing U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao), OCA Founders, corporate partners, colleagues, community friends, OCA leaders and members from across the nation.

A Legacy of Leadership

Founded in 1973 as the Organization of Chinese Americans 美华协会, OCA is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APA) in the United States. OCA members were among the first APA groups to knock on the doors of Congressional representatives to advocate on legislative issues impacting the APA community.

·         Advocate for social justice, equal opportunity and fair treatment

·         Promote civic participation, education, and leadership

·         Advance coalitions and community building

·         Foster cultural heritage

OCA takes no collective position on the politics of any foreign country, but instead focuses on the welfare and civil rights of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States.

Success Stories

The OCA National Center for APA Leadership’s web site (www.ocanationalcenter.org) lists the numerous victories in the OCA history. The success stories range from legislative advocacy, justice cases to heritage and cultural promotions.  Here are just a few of examples:

·         The establishment of Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Week

·         The issuance of Lunar New Year Zodiac Commemorative Stamps

·         PBS documentary “Becoming American, the Chinese Experience”

·         Annual APA Youth Leadership training programs

Up Coming OCA Events

Contact Information

www.ocanewengland.org        www.ocanationalcenter.org       www.ocanational.org

OCA Logo For Immediate Release
January 14, 2007

Contact:Michael Lin - Executive Director

mlin@ocanational.org
202-223-5500

OCA  MAKES HISTORY WITH DEDICATION OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR APA LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

www.ocanewengland.org        www.ocanationalcenter.org       www.ocanatl.org
Washington, DC  Another historic chapter in the annals of OCA was made today with the dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony of the new OCA National Center for Asian Pacific American Leadership.
 
OCA National President Ginny Gong formally dedicated the building that will also become OCA  s permanent headquarters in the nation s capital. The over 300 attendees included dignitaries such as Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, Congressman David Wu, Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, Congressman Albert Wynn, U.S. Department of Labor Chief Financial Officer Sam Mok (representing U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao), OCA Founders Kung-Lee Wang and Alex Mark, corporate partners, colleagues, community friends, OCA leaders and members from across the nation. The ribbon cutting ceremony and reception at the new Center located in Dupont Circle followed the formal dedication held at the National Broadcasters Association.
 
 For more than three decades, OCA has continually demonstrated its leadership at the local and national levels, said Gong.   We have been a passionate voice for Asian Americans throughout the nation and visionary in our efforts to facilitate the gathering of hearts and minds. Once again, we had set our sights on a new horizon and have succeeded, she added.
 
OCA National Center Campaign Chair and OCA Past National President Claudine Cheng remarked, "With the establishment of the OCA National Center for Asian Pacific American Leadership, OCA is reaffirming to Asian Pacific Americans nationwide, our commitment to advancing the interests of the community at the national level. On behalf of the fundraising campaign committee, I thank the OCA chapters and all the contributors from around the country whose support has made it possible for OCA to acquire a permanent presence in Washington , DC .  This has truly been a grassroots campaign in the spirit of leaving a legacy for future generations and for the betterment of the entire community.

During the dedication, a special announcement was made by Leslie Moe-Kaiser. State Farm s Corporate Relations Manager for Asian and Pacific Islander American Communities. State Farm announced its decision to award OCA with a $500,000 grant for education programs in the areas of financial literacy for families and business development for entrepreneurs hosted at the OCA National Center . 

Special guest and Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta thanked OCA founders Kung-Lee Wang andAlex Mark for leading the way. He commended OCA as an organization that has historically served as a convener for the community for more than three decades.   Thirty-three years ago, no one had an idea that OCA would have their own headquarters in Washington , DC , he said.    The center of gravity has now changed to 1332 18th Street .
 
####
 
 
 Founded in 1973 as the Organization of Chinese Americans, OCA, a national organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates across the country, is dedicated to advancing the social, economic, and political well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States.

---------------------
To sign up for OCA's e-mail newsletters, stop getting them or change your e-mail address, please contact oca@ocanational.org 

Organization of Chinese Americans
1001 Connecticut Ave., NW #601
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-223-5500 Fax: 202-296-0540
Web: http://www.ocanational.org
E-mail: oca@ocanational.org


2005 OCA National Recognition

Chapter of the Year — Membership

OCA New England Silkscreen Print Now Available for Purchase

美華協會新年暨南亞募款晚會 by Epoch Times reporter

 Embracing the Year of the Rooster with Compassion by Emcee and Media Liaison, Angela Mah

 OCANE Commissions Print Edition to Benefit Tsunami Relief in Asia by VP Karin Oen

Our New Year's Celebration by VP-Social Affairs Ronnie Tow

Hate Crime in Lowell

The Nation's Anti-Immigrant Agenda by VP-Communications Giles Li