20 May 2011

CONTACT

George C. Wu | Executive Director

202 223 5500 | gwu@ocanational.org

WASHINGTON – OCA, a national Asian Pacific American (APA) social justice organization, is severely disappointed in yesterday’s failed cloture petition to give Goodwin Liu a fair vote on the merits of his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Over 400 days after his initial nomination, Liu and his supporters from both sides of the political spectrum were denied an up-or-down vote by a minority of Senators.

“When the democratic systems fails to give a highly qualified nominee, to a seat deemed a judicial emergency in the U.S., a basic up-or-down vote, we all lose,” said OCA Executive Director George C. Wu.  “OCA thanks Goodwin Liu for his tireless efforts to serve the people of the United States as a judge and for the inspiration for civic engagement his nomination provided for the APA community.”

Yesterday’s vote on the petition for cloture – which would have ended debate and allowed for a full Senate vote on Liu’s merits – did not get the 60 votes required to end debate.  Fifty-two Senators voted to end debate to forty-three nays; with one Senator voting present and four Senators not voting.  A simple majority of votes is needed for a vote on the merits of a judicial nomination.

Liu is an Associate Dean and Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.  An acclaimed scholar, teacher, and lawyer, with experience in both the private and public sectors, Liu is a nationally-recognized expert on constitutional law and education law and policy.

Prior to joining the Berkeley faculty in 2003, Liu was an associate at O’Melveny & Myers in Washington, D.C.  He clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and for Judge David S. Tatel on the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Between his clerkships, Liu served as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education.  He has also worked for the Corporation for National Service, where he helped launch the AmeriCorps program.

Liu was born in Augusta, Georgia, to parents who emigrated from Taiwan, and he grew up in Sacramento where he attended public schools.  Liu earned a B.S. from Stanford University, an M.A from Oxford (where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar), and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

WHERE: The Liaison Capitol Hill, 415 New Jersey Ave, NW Washington, DC

This year, seven honorees have been chosen to receive the award. They are:

George Cheng – Executive Vice President – Chief Technology Officer, Head of Technology Governance Services, Wells Fargo

Melanie Gitaadji – Director of Operations, McDonald’s USA

Kevin Hamada – Director, Business Information and Analysis Systems, UPS

Jason Hatakeyama – Director, Design and Manufacturing Engineering for Boeing Defense, Space & Security, The Boeing Company

Sue Ann Hong – Claims Manager, State Farm

Theresa Windham – Benefits Specialist, Brinker International

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

31 August 2010

CONTACT

Iimay Ho | Program Manager
202 223 5500 | iho@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. – OCA, a national organization with 80 chapters and affiliates dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), is pleased to announce the 12 winners of the OCA-UPS Gold Mountain Scholarship. The scholarship awards $2,000 to high school seniors who are the first person in their family to attend college in the United States.  Scholarship recipients must also demonstrate academic achievement, leadership ability, and commitment to community service.

OCA and The UPS Foundation recognize that scholarships and financial aid are critical in helping students from lower income families attain a college education.  Since 1999, OCA has partnered with The UPS Foundation to award 134 scholarships for a total of $268,000, including 12 scholarships in 2010.

“At UPS we realize the transformative effects education can have on people and communities,” said Ed Martinez, director of philanthropy and corporate relations for The UPS Foundation. “By providing scholarships for these high achieving students, together UPS and OCA can change lives forever.”

“OCA is proud to partner with UPS to help these students attain their dream of a college education.  It is an honor to reward such bright and accomplished future leaders,” said OCA National President Ken Lee.

Four of the OCA-UPS Gold Mountain Scholars attended the OCA National Convention from June 17-20 in Houston, TX. Wenjun Grace Ge, Jenny Le, Steven Tang, and Magan Vashisht attended the convention Youth Track and were recognized during the Gala Awards Banquet.

The recipients of the OCA-UPS Gold Mountain Scholarship are:

Mary Jane Bermudez
University of Washington – Seattle

Wenjun Grace Ge
Rice University

Pakou Her
Brigham Young University – Hawaii

Jenny Le
Harvard University

Kevin Lin
L.A. Art Center College of Design

Andrew Lum
Vanderbilt University

Joanna Luo
New York University

Jennifer Nguyen
University of Georgia

Ali’itasi Suhren
University of California, Los Angeles

Steven Tang
University of Texas at Austin

Danh Tran
University of Maryland at College Park

Magan Vashisht
University of Texas at Arlington

UPS (NYSE: UPS) is the world’s largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain and freight services. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. UPS promotes community involvement through its ongoing volunteerism and grant programs, environmental sustainability and corporate philanthropy. In 2009, UPS’s charitable contributions totaled nearly $100 million and UPS employees and their families contributed more than 1.2 million hours of volunteer service. The company can be found on the web at UPS.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.

In 2010, OCA-GLA will continue to deliver high impact programs such as Mentored Path to Citizenship Grant, which provides financial and legal assistance for an eligible immigrant to naturalize and become a U.S. citizen, and “Imma Be,” high school career talks that connect first-generation students with leaders in different fields. OCA-OC will host Bamboo on September 16th at the Montage Laguna Beach, where over 50 aspiring APA professionals will have the chance to network and participate in a professional development session.

The Congressional August recess is quickly approaching; we cannot afford to have Judge Chen’s confirmation delayed any longer.TAKE ACTION NOW by calling or writing to Senator Harry Reid (NV) and Senator Mitch McConnell (KY) to vote for Judge Edward Chen’s confirmation before the August recess.

Please visit www.ocanational.org for additional information regarding APA Judicial Nominees.

If you have any questions please contact Mary Kong at mkong@ocanational.org

19 May 2010

CONTACT

Lan Nguyen | Program Associate

202 223 5500 | lnguyen@ocanational.org

Washington, D.C. — OCA, a national Asian Pacific American (APA) social justice organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates, encourages all community members to get screened, vaccinated and learn more about hepatitis B today, on World Hepatitis Day. Asian Pacific Americans are disproportionately affected by hepatitis B, a life-threatening disease that is often undetected.

Approximately one in ten APAs are infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and make up more than half of the 2 million HBV carriers in the United States. Hepatitis B is the cause of 80 percent of all liver cancers worldwide and HBV carriers can transmit the virus unknowingly. Due to the high prevalence of HBV, APAs are 2.4 times more likely to have liver disease than non-Hispanic Whites and have the highest rate of liver cancer among all ethnic groups. Yet studies have shown that more than half of APAs have not been screened or vaccinated for HBV.

OCA calls on community leaders to continue to educate and advocate for the increase of culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare access.

“Hepatitis B has long been a major issue for our community. OCA continues to work diligently on educating our members and the local APA community about this disease,” said Ken Lee, OCA National President, “OCA promotes the visibility and awareness of hepatitis B through health fairs, discussions, and working in coalition with APA health organizations.”

Today, the HHS Office of Minority Health, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) and national hepatitis advocacy organizations held a briefing with hepatitis B and C experts and patients to raise awareness and create action around reducing hepatitis transmission.

TAKE ACTION!

Ask Members of Congress to co-sponsor the House and Senate resolutions designating May 19th as World Hepatitis Day and the month of May as National Hepatitis Awareness Month. Call your Member of Congress’s DC office by calling (202) 225-3121 and ask to be connected to your Representative’s or Senator’s office. Once connected, ask to speak to the heath issue staff person. Whether you speak to this person directly, leave a message or e-mail, tell them:

“My name is ____________________ and I’m a constituent of Representative/Senator____________________. I am calling to urge my Member of Congress to co-sponsor a Congressional Resolution designating May 19th as World Hepatitis Day and the month of May as National Hepatitis Awareness Month.

Hepatitis B and C affect over 5 million Americans and is the leading cause of liver cancer, one of the most deadly, expensive, and fastest growing killers of Americans every year, and the leading cause of liver transplants each year. This Resolution is an important, cost-neutral and non-controversial step to increase the much-needed awareness of hepatitis among the American public and our health providers. This is important to me personally because________.

(If calling Rep:) H.RES.1302 was introduced with bipartisan support from Representatives Joseph “Ahn” Cao, Mike Honda, Hank Johnson, Charlie Dent, and Bill Cassidy.

(If calling Senator:) The Senate Resolution is going to be introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein and we need you as a co-sponsor.”