OCA News

OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) would like to remind you about the deadlines for the upcoming programs available for college students across the country.

APIA U: Leadership 101 Training  
Campus based APIA U Leadership 101 to date has reached thousands of students. These emerging leaders from all over the country are exposed to awareness raising and skills building sessions within a social justice framework. The one day training provides a foundation for students to become more involved on campus and in their communities. Two experienced APA facilitators guide 30-60 students through hands-on exercises, workshops, and discussions focused on APIA identity, history, leadership skills, and social justice. Through personal and group reflections, participants are asked to share their experiences, analysis and develop leadership tools in order to effectively serve as life-long catalysts for social change. Students are encouraged to register early based on the deadlines provided.  The updated schedules of trainings are listed below:

· Hendrix College - February 25, 2012
· Columbia University - March 3, 2012
· University of Minnesota - March 17, 2012
· American University - March 31, 2012
· University of Arizona - April  14, 2012
· University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - April 21, 2012
· University of California, Irvine - May 19, 2012 

For over a decade, this program has been made possible through a generous support provided by State Farm®. As one of the most important ways to ensure that we have a strong pipeline of grass-roots leadership, “State Farm ® and OCA is committed to investing in the energy and creativity of student leaders. We are proud to partner in developing leadership skills and providing networking opportunities for young Asian and Pacific Islander Americans,” said Dr. Leslie Moe-Kaiser, National Programs, Public Affairs.

For more information on the APIA U: Leadership 101 Training program and to register, go to OCA’s website atwww.ocanational.org and click “APIA U” under “Programs.” Click here to directly go to the online registration form. 

OCA Summer Internship 
Celebrating its 23rd year, the National Asian Pacific American Summer Internship seeks to cultivate future leadership by providing students from all over the country an opportunity to gain a unique working experience by directly engaging in opportunities to be involved in public programs and policy issues at the Capital of the United States, Washington DC.

Summer interns will be placed at a full-time position in a federal agency, nonprofit, congressional office, or corporation that matches their backgrounds and interests. Interns can also be placed at the OCA National Center. In addition to their placements, summer interns will be involved in many OCA activities and programming including experience with advocacy for critical issues facing APAs. 

Interns are expected to commit to working full-time for ten weeks between the dates of May 28 – August 17, 2012.  A stipend will be provided for living expenses. Applications will be reviewed by the Internship Committee and telephone interviews will be extended to qualified candidates.

For more information and application on the OCA National Asian Pacific American Summer Internship, go to OCA’s website atwww.ocanational.org and click on the “Internship” tab, under “Programs” or Click on this link “Application” to take you directly to the online application form. All submissions are due by March 12, 2012.  

For questions and assistance, please contact Mary Dynne Montante, Program Manager, Student Leadership Development Programs at (202)-223-5500 or mmontante@ocanational.org.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the political, social, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), strongly condemns sensational speech that capitalizes on an individual’s race. Tweets sent out by Floyd Mayweather on February 13 and 14 have turned his casual observation into an outrageous claim that the “hype (behind the basketball player Jeremy Lin) is because he’s Asian.” The irony lost to Mr. Mayweather is that his dismissive statements perpetuate criticisms that are similar to the racial scrutiny that Jackie Robinson faced when he entered the Major Leagues.

In recent weeks, Jeremy Lin has risen to national attention through his impressive athletic performance as point guard for the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, Mr. Mayweather’s tweet is extremely problematic, stating that, “Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise.” Such an unfounded, divisive opinion has the potential to pit one community of color against another on and off the court. It is simply disrespectful to the on-going efforts to improve race relations in this country. 

While OCA supports Mr. Mayweather’s right to free speech, rhetoric that exploits the ethnic identity of a public figure for promotional purposes is wrong on many levels and certainly has no place in journalism or under the cover of “speaking (his) mind on behalf of other NBA players,” further claiming that “they are programmed to be politically correct and will be penalized if they speak up.” 

We also urge media organizations to exercise prudence when covering gravely regrettable statements such as that of Mr. Mayweather’s which only seeks to provide undue attention for his uninformed opinions. 

We call on all media outlets to balance coverage of personal attributes with athletic issues and thoughtfully consider the impact of their statements. While we acknowledge that an apology has been made by Mr. Mayweather to Jeremy Lin, we believe a sincere statement offering a stronger commitment to the practice of integrity should be presented to the community at-large.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), urges Mr. Pete Hoekstra to apologize for the “Debbie-spend-it-now” advertisement recently aired widely during the Super Bowl on February 5, 2012 and discontinuance of other inflammatory messaging.  

Anti-Asian sentiments within often unfounded economic context have in the past gravely influenced antagonistic sentiments resulting in violent and fatal attack on such individuals as Vincent Chin, in the home state of Mr. Hoekstra in the 1980s and the massacre of Chinese immigrants in California during the 1800s to name a few.  

According to 02/06/12 AP article by Kathy Barks Hoffman titled “Critics worry Senate ad will revive Asian-bashing,” a GOP consultant Mike Murphy tweeted that it was “really, really dumb…” Foreign Policy magazine managing editor Blake Hounshell called the ad “despicable.”

OCA as a national civil rights organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates urges all candidates and political organizations, when addressing their audience to be respectful of the multi-ethnic fabric of America. To this end, APAs in their own right are and continue to be strong social, economic, and political contributors and leaders of all ideological persuasion and affiliations. The debate should be issue-focused without resorting to unfair and inaccurate comparisons. Demonizing a specific class of people using fear tactics based on broad political and economic generalizations or predictions should not be tolerated by the community at-large.

Our non-partisan position stands (originally issued on November 1, 2010):

Statements and electoral campaign tactics from public officials and political candidates that malign Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as well as other communities of color have emerged and continue in the months leading up to the elections. Such messaging has harmfully impacted our communities and the undersigned organizations urge all candidates, political parties, and those who attain office to ensure that civility and inclusion return to the national political discourse.
 
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have experienced an extended history of treatment as “perpetual foreigners.” This stereotype has unfortunately manifested itself in the political realm where the community has repeatedly been portrayed as disloyal and threatening, particularly in the years following 9/11; often cast as outsiders seeking to “steal American jobs”; looked at with suspicion and fear; and painted as aliens within a country we have long called home. This election year, candidates of Asian American or Pacific Islander descent have been called racial epithets and accused of being unable to relate to voters because of accents or “foreign” last names. Other remarks have alluded to fears of immigrant, including Muslim, “invasions.” Concerns about the economy have also exacerbated the scapegoating of minorities. For example, in numerous political advertisements blaming trade and outsourcing to China as a reason for the country’s current economic distress, the faces of Asian Americans are conflated with the idea of threatening foreign powers.

Inserting xenophobic rhetoric and imagery within political discourse has wide-ranging consequences affecting how members of certain groups are viewed by the public and treated by the government. The combined impact of xenophobic rhetoric used by politicians and candidates has already reached a critical stage, most recently in the aftermath of statements made by candidates against the Park51 Islamic cultural center in Lower Manhattan. Ahmed Sharif, a Bangladeshi-American cab driver who has lived in the United States for 25 years was brutally stabbed by a passenger who asked if he was Muslim, and a turbaned Sikh convenience store clerk in Seattle was punched in the head after being called “Al-Qaeda.” Such hate crimes show that the use of racist and xenophobic rhetoric has real-life consequences.

As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders become more involved in civic life, we call upon political parties to promote an environment that welcomes the inclusion of diverse perspectives and experiences. In the final day before this year’s elections, we urge political candidates to refrain from using xenophobic language and imagery. We also urge those elected into office to support policies that address the discrimination and bias that our community members continue to face.

Dear Friends:

It is my pleasure to introduce our inaugural Civil Rights Fellow, Kendall Kosai. Kendall comes to us from his home town of Seattle and a graduate of University of Washington. He like many of our staff brings inspired enthusiasm matched aptly by his deep demonstrated commitment to advancing social, economic, and political justice for the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. We are very fortunate to bring on a fellow who has a significant history with the National Center as a Summer Intern (Class of 2011).  

As I have mentioned before, we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to grow our team in line with our strategic initiatives to engage more robustly with our national network of over 80 chapters and affiliates as well as our partnering organizations across sectors. Together, through advocacy, leadership development, and celebrations, we continue to embrace the hopes and aspirations of all APAs to meet their full potential. Please join me in welcoming Kendall to OCA as he will be staffing our new grass roots civic engagement program: APA Engage!  

Tom L. Hayashi
Executive Director
OCA National Center

_____________________________________________

Meet OCA's Civil Rights Fellow!

About Kendall Kosai
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kendall graduated from the University of Washington last June 2011 with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in Japanese language. Prior to being accepted to the fellowship, Kendall worked as the senior political editor for the North American Post, the largest and oldest Japanese American community newspaper in Seattle, covering issues such as immigration, civil rights, health care, elections, and budget cuts. Kendall is a fourth generation Japanese American and alumni of the OCA Summer Internship Program (class of ’11). Throughout his life, he has been a dedicated leader in his community through his committed volunteer work at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington as well as serving as President of the Senior Young Buddhist Association at the University of Washington. His heritage is important to him as well, as he has experience internationally participating in past Japan-United States relationship exchanges. He can be reached at kkosai@ocanational.org. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tom L. Hayashi, who joined OCA as Interim Executive Director in June 2011, has been named the Executive Director effective February 8, 2012. 

"The Executive Council selected Tom Hayashi following a national search," said OCA National President, Ken Lee. "We are very excited to have Tom lead our organization to greater levels of achievement to advance our efforts in advocacy for the APA community." 

Founded in 1973, as the Organization of Chinese Americans, OCA is a national organization dedicated to advancing the hopes and aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in the United States. OCA is engaged in organizing its over 80 chapters and affiliates across the nation to develop both leadership and community involvement. 

Tom comes from a rich OCA background, as an active member and former President of the  OCA-Greater Los Angeles chapter. In 2003, Tom became a capacity building consultant for the organization, which lead to developing the Mentoring Asian American Professionals (MAAP) program. In his role as a consultant he has drafted and guided the implementation of the current strategic plan, and advised on diversified fund development strategies among other notable accomplishments.  

“I am very humbled and appreciative of the opportunity to serve a national organization that stands firmly for equity and equality on behalf of the Asian Pacific Islander community. I particularly am very excited to pursue organizational strategies that translate our passion for advocacy through innovation to include not only issues of public policy but also programmatic investments in leadership development for youth through older adults in partnership with a network of advocates across communities and across sectors,” said Tom. 

OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), urges Mr. Pete Hoekstra to apologize for the “Debbie-spend-it-now” advertisement recently aired widely during the Super Bowl on February 5, 2012 and discontinuance of other inflammatory messaging.  

Anti-Asian sentiments within often unfounded economic context have in the past gravely influenced antagonistic sentiments resulting in violent and fatal attack on such individuals as Vincent Chin, in the home state of Mr. Hoekstra in the 1980s and the massacre of Chinese immigrants in California during the 1800s to name a few.  

According to 02/06/12 AP article by Kathy Barks Hoffman titled “Critics worry Senate ad will revive Asian-bashing,” a GOP consultant Mike Murphy tweeted that it was “really, really dumb…” Foreign Policy magazine managing editor Blake Hounshell called the ad “despicable.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), is pleased to announce is pleased to announce that they received an $80,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation. The grant will be utilized in 2012 to support OCA's goals of education and leadership by funding OCA's Internship Program for first generation APA college students. 

Established in 1989, the OCA Internship Program has grown into a year round program to include over 20 undergraduates each year. OCA has provided internship opportunities to over 400 APA college students to learn about public policy issues that are affecting the APA community as well as leadership development tools, focusing on networking and workforce development. OCA interns are placed in Congressional offices, federal agencies, the OCA National Center, and other prominent non-profit organizations for ten weeks. The internship program has influenced many of the participants' career paths by providing an in-depth look at the political pulse of America.

“With the generous support given by Walmart and the Walmart Foundation for the 2012 Internship Program, OCA will be able to expand its ongoing programs and continue to educate, organize, and serve its constituency comprised of APAs, youth, and the communities that need the most assistance,” said Ken Lee, OCA national president. 

In 2011, OCA supported 25 interns in placements that included the Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu, National Education Association, Office of Management and Budget, and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

“The generation working its way through college right now is going to graduate into a complex, global world,” says Pepe Estrada, Director of Corporate Affairs for Walmart, and liaison to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. “We share the OCA’s belief that an internship experience like this will better prepare these students to identify and solve the issues of tomorrow, while contributing to the policy of today.”

About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support initiatives that are helping people live better around the globe. In May 2010, Walmart and its Foundation made a historic pledge of $2 billion through 2015 to fight hunger in the U.S. The Walmart Foundation also supports education, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.

OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), is pleased to announce they received a $157,500 grant from State Farm. The grant will be utilized in 2012 to support OCA’s APA Youth Leadership Summit, APIA U: Leadership 101 Training, and the upcoming JACL/OCA Leadership Summit.