Skip to content

OCA National Website

Donate Now
Achievements Print E-mail

About OCA | Our Mission | Facts & History | Achievements | Resolutions | Bylaws | FAQs

August 2009
OCA hosts the 2009 National Convention at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, California. Speakers and honorees included Cathay Post veterans, White House Director of Public Engagement Tina Tchen, author Helen Zia, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, angryasianman.com’s Phil Yu, designer Anna Sui, YouTube founder Steve Chen, historians Phil Choy and Him Mark Lai (posthumous), and Congressman Mike Honda.

OCA-New York chapter wins the OCA Chapter of the Year Award.
September 2009

OCA commends the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for unanimously adopting a Resolution acknowledging the role of the City government in advancing the policies of the Chinese Exclusion Act and encouraging the learning of the history and celebration of the contributions of Chinese Americans.

OCA launches MAAP (Mentoring Asian American Professionals) Bay Area.

OCA Serves, a nation-wide community service initiative, is launched with a food donation project. OCA chapters collected over 350 boxes, 12 bags and 180 pounds of food, and $300 in cash donations for local food banks.


October 2009
OCA celebrates the historic signing of the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

OCA applauds re-launch of White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

OCA hosts the 2009 National Asian Pacific American Corporate Achievement Awards in Washington, DC at the new W Hotel. Seven corporate leaders were honored and Representative Judy Chu provided greetings as the first Chinese American woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress. Kraft was honored as OCA’s 2009 Corporate Partner of the Year.

OCA unveils Bamboo: Build, Breakthrough & Believe - an aspiring professionals program.

OCA hosts APIA U Leadership 101 trainings at Rice University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Colorado, Boulder.


November 2009
OCA launches MAAP DC.


December 2009
OCA commends the confirmation of Judges Jacqueline H. Nguyen and Judge Dolly M. Gee to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

January 2010
OCA encourages its chapters to endorse the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign to strengthen the APAI voice in the national immigration reform movement.

OCA Serves returns with a book donation project and OCA chapters hosted multiple reading and donated over 500 books to local libraries and literacy programs.

OCA works with Lunar New Year stamp illustrator Kam Mak to allow him to attend the Reveal Ceremony for the 2010 Year of the Tiger stamp in Los Angeles, California.

February 2010
OCA mobilizes members in support of the nomination of Goodwin H. Liu to the US Circuit Court of Appeals.

OCA celebrates the Lunar New Year with more than 15 chapter-based celebrations.

OCA hosts reception for White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Executive Director Kiran Ahuja.

OCA welcomes Lan Nguyen and Mary Kong to the OCA National Center staff.

March 2010
OCA celebrates passage of historic Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

OCA participates in the Census Week of Action, holding Census events in 14 cities and connected with over 3,000 people, plus collecting commitment forms from individuals agreeing to contact 1,500 additional people.

OCA marches in support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform in Washington, DC, including OCA members who bused in from Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Illinois.

OCA hosts successful 16th Annual JACL/OCA Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, which included a White House meeting with senior officials like Director of Public Engagement Tina Tchen and Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu. Participants also met with Senator Daniel Inouye and Representatives Mazie Hirono, Madeliene Bordallo, Mike Honda, Judy Chu, Eni Faleomavaega, and David Wu.

OCA hosts APIA U Leadership 101 trainings at Cornell University, College of William and Mary, and University of Kansas.

April 2010
OCA criticizes Arizona's anti-immigrant law, SB 1070, and raises concerns over potential racial profiling.

OCA commends the Senate confirmation of Judge Denny Chin as the first APA federal appellate court judge to be nominated and confirmed outside the Ninth Circuit.

OCA hosts APIA U Leadership 101 trainings at Tufts University, University of Connecticut, Georgia State University, and Santa Clara University.

OCA re-launches the monthly OCA e-newsletter with a brand new design.


May 2010
OCA celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Nordstrom collaborates with designer Phillip Lim on a limited-edition T-shirt sold exclusively at Nordstrom for the month of May. All net proceeds benefit OCA’s youth programs.

OCA Serves hosts a national children’s book tour. OCA chapters hosts children’s book hours across the country featuring live readings by APA authors. The book tour features APA children’s book authors: Cynthia Chin-Lee, Milly Lee, Kam Mak, Pooja Makhijani, Icy Smith, Janet S. Wong and Lisa Yee. OCA will donate over 500 APA books to local libraries, elementary schools, and youth attendees through 13 readings across the country.

OCA hosts an APIA U Leadership 101 training at University of California, Irvine.

OCA launches newly designed IMAGE magazine, the official semi-annual publication of OCA, with original cover art by Tak Toyoshima of Secret Asian Man.

OCA celebrates World Hepatitis Day and continues to raise awareness around this critical health issue for the APA community