5 July 2018
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact: Thu Nguyen | Communications Associate
202.223.5500 | tnguyen@ocanational.org
 
Washington, DC – OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates released the following statement in reaction to the reversal of the current Affirmative Action guidance by the Trump Administration, a non-binding guidance for educational institutions:
 
This Administration completely ignores the reality of race in America. The fact is that we do not live in a post-racial society. Race often informs where students live and go to school, and along with their opportunities for employment. Affirmative action has historically helped Asian Americans and women access institutions of higher learning. Still, certain Asian American and Pacific Islander communities still face considerable educational barriers. For example, only 17 percent of Hmong and Cambodian Americans have a bachelor’s degree, along with only 8 percent of Samoan and 10 percent of Tongan Americans. Holistic admissions inclusive of race in higher education is critical to engendering equity and equality for students of color. Although non-binding, this reversal sends a clear political message that diversity and our communities’ lived racial experiences do not matter. Courts have ruled time and again the legality of affirmative action policies. The President must reverse this decision, uphold the law, and reaffirm our federal government’s obligation to diversity and access in our schools.
 
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national organization of community advocates dedicated to the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs.)​

New York, NY - ​OCA New York - Asian Pacific American Advocates, questions Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC School Chancellor Richard Carranza’s proposed Bill A10427A which calls for changes to the current single-admissions test criteria to the city’s Specialized High Schools with the hope of improving fairness for all students seeking admissions and greater diversity at each of these Specialized High Schools.  While we applaud the Mayor and the Chancellor for trying to make changes that diversifies the classrooms for all children, eliminating the single-test criteria in the near-term is a slap-in-the-face to the Asian American communities of this great city.  Asian Americans make up nearly 16% of the public school population, many of whom are recent immigrants.  They arrive in this city with hopes and dreams of educating their children so they can have a better life.  Striving to gain admissions to an elite secondary school is the first-step in this process. 
 
The data establishes that Asian Americans constituted 52% of those admitted to the 8 Specialized High Schools.  Furthermore, many of these Asian American kids come from low-income families and/or are recent immigrants where English is not their first language.  Yet, these students work hard, focus, and work diligently to excel to gain admissions to one of these schools.  In their announcement for these proposed changes, the Mayor and Chancellor displayed racial undertones and stereotyping of Asian Americans that were deplorable.  What they have done is pit one community of color with another.   The Asian American community deserves a public apology from both the Mayor and the Chancellor. 
 
“OCA-NY strongly believes in diverse schools and communities.  However, what the Mayor and the Chancellor have proposed did not take into consideration the concerns of the Asian American communities.  The city did not engage all communities before announcing its recently proposed changes.   This is unacceptable to our community.  Unless all New Yorkers, including Asian Americans, are part of the decision-making process, we cannot support A10427A or any efforts to reform the admissions process.”
 
Moving forward, OCA-NY invites the Mayor and the Chancellor to a community meeting with Asian Americans to discuss possible approaches to enhancing admissions fairness and diversity.     

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     CONTACT:  Edward Lau
March 2, 2018                                                                       (347) 988-0189
                                                                                                            
OCA-NY Announces a Voter Registration Drive Ahead of Municipal and Statewide Elections
 
[New York, NY] OCA-New York - Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA-NY) announces a voter registration drive to increase voting participation in advance of this year’s municipal and statewide elections.  The organization will be mobilizing resources in Asian American communities to help eligible Americans to register to vote.  The drive will include setting up registration tables around various communities, phone banking, and door knocking to help Americans register for the upcoming election.  OCA-NY will be kicking-off its voter registration drive with community partner, Abacus Federal Saving Bank, at their Bowery and Flushing branches starting on Saturday, March 3rd from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The voter registration drive will continue every Saturday in March.
 
“These local elections have a direct impact on people’s daily lives,” said Chi Loek, President of OCA-NY. “The election outcome impacts the schools our children attend, police and fire protection, resources allocated to our senior citizens, parks, transit system, taxes, investments, and much more. The partnership with Abacus Federal Saving Bank will allow eligible voters to register quickly and easily in convenient community locations.”
 
Every year, millions of Americans, especially those in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, do not claim their right to vote because they miss a deadline, move, change names, or simply do not know how to register to vote. With over 25% of eligible Americans having not voted at all, the voter registration drive is a chance to make a difference in helping build a more representative democracy, starting within the New York City AAPI communities.
 
“Abacus Bank is proud to partner with OCA-NY in its 2018 Voter Registration Drive,” said Jill Sung, President and CEO of Abacus Bank. “Voting is a fundamental right that all Asian American citizens should exercise so that our civil rights as individuals and a community are protected and preserved.”  Abacus Bank was founded by Thomas Sung to ensure that financial equality is provided to the AAPI community, particularly to those who through no fault of their own, have been prevented access to the financial system.  Achieving both economic and socio-political empowerment is necessary to ensure the AAPI community’s strength now and for the future.
 
Abacus Federal Saving Bank     Bowery Branch:               6 Bowery, New York, NY 10013
                                                           Flushing Branch:             36-30 Main St, Flushing, NY 11354
 
Founded in 1976, OCA-NY - Asian Pacific American Advocates is a Chapter of OCA. OCA is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans. OCA-NY is also a member of APA VOICE, a non-partisan, pan-Asian collaboration of organizations and individuals seeking to increase civic engagement in the Asian American community.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2017
 
Contact: Eddie Lau | Program Manager, OCA-NY Advocates
347-988-0189 | info@oca-ny.org | eddielau.baruch@gmail.com
 
OCA-NY HOSTS FREE IMMIGRATION FORUM IN SUNSET PARK
What Immigrants Need to Know in This Time of Fear and Uncertainty
 
New York, NY – OCA New York - Asian Pacific American Advocates, today announce a free Immigration Forum will be hosted in Sunset Park, Brooklyn this Saturday, June 10, titled “What Immigrants Need to Know in This Time of Fear and Uncertainty.” Attendees can expect to learn latest immigration information from the District Attorney’s Office, among many immigrant representatives.
 
In order to address the major uptick in immigration arrests happening nationwide. New data released by ICE last week showed that since President Donald Trump signed an executive order on immigration enforcement, arrests are up by 40%.
 
OCA-New York invites members of the immigrant community to attend “What Immigrants Need to Know in This Time of Fear and Uncertainty” at the Chinese Promise Baptist Church on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 2 to 4 p.m., 842 41st Street, Brooklyn NY 11232.  The event is free and all are welcome. Simultaneous Chinese translation will be provided.
 
Chi Loek, President of OCA-NY stated, “In recognizing that we're a country of immigrants, we contribute to the growth of the economy, diverse culture, religion, and strength of our community. In times of need, we need to embrace and support our newcomers because they will be our future, just as I came to America as an immigrant more than 48 years ago.”
 
Winnie Hu, OCA-NY Board Member, Event Organizer and Chair of Development Committee stated, "There are a lot of immigrants who get in trouble with the law who are feeling very uncertain and fearful of how this would affect their petition for family members to come to America or how this would affect their citizenship status. Many of these immigrants are living in fear of deportation and are under great stress mentally and emotionally under the new Trump administration. We hope that by providing this Immigration forum, people can become more educated to protect themselves and their families"
 
Eve Guillergan, OCA-NY Member and Immigration Attorney stated, "There are a lot of immigrants who get in trouble with the law who are feeling very uncertain and fearful of how this would affect their petition for family members to come to America or how this would affect their citizenship status. Many of these immigrants are living in fear of deportation and are under great stress mentally and emotionally under the new Trump administration. We hope that by providing this Immigration forum, people can become more educated to protect themselves and their families"
 
TJ Mills, Regional Immigration Attorney, Justice for Our Neighbors stated, I am honored to take part OCA-NY’s immigration forum and any other action that might provide our immigrant neighbors a safe haven from a Government that has run amok.
 
Other confirmed speakers include Jose Interiano from Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and Tiffany Wheatland-Disu from The New York Immigration Coalition.
 
The Forum will be conducted in English, moderated by Elizabeth R. OuYang, Immigration Attorney & Adjunct Professor at Columbia and NYU. Simultaneous Chinese translation/free light refreshments will be provided.
 
To register, please go to http://bit.do/ocanyforum or contact Winnie Hu at (347) 208-2733.
 
This event is sponsored and made possible by Brooklyn Community Foundation, New York State Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix W. Oritz, New York City Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney, NYC Human Rights, UA3, Light & Love Home New York, Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York, New York Justice For Our Neighbors, Chinese American Planning Council, United East Athletics Association, Chinese-American Sunshine House, The New York Immigration Coalition, Asian Americans For Equality, MinKwon Center For Community Action, Asian American Bar Association of New York, etc.
 
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Founded in 1973, OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national non-profit civil rights organization promoting and protecting the political, economic, and cultural rights of Asian Pacific Americans in America.  We are interested in working with anyone who shares our mission of creating a stronger America by advocating for the values of equal liberty and justice for all.
 
OCA-NY is a 501(c)(3) organization. Our financial statements are submitted annually to the IRS. All of our board members are volunteers.