N.Y.C. CHINATOWN REUNION NEWSLETTER
NEW YORK outstanding students with significant financial need
to reach their fullest potential. GMS selected 1,000
On Tuesday, December 9, 2003 at 4:30 p.m., a high-achieving students for the 2003-2004
Chinese man will be inducted as Judge of the Civil academic year, bringing the total number of
Court of the City of New York. This is great event students awarded to more than 7,000 since the
for the Chinese community. His name is Jeffrey K. program's inception.
Oing, a lawyer. His wife is Mary Hom, who came The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the
from the Bronx. The induction will be at 111 administrator of the GMS initiative. To reach,
Centre Street, Room.353. Reception to follow. This coordinate, and support Asian Pacific Islander
is a feather in the cap for the Chinese community. Americans, UNCF has partnered with the
Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) to assist
GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLARS (GMS) in implementing the initiative. UNCF has also
AWARD - DEADLINE: JANUARY 16, 2004 partnered with the American Indian Graduate
Center Scholars (AIGCS) and the Hispanic
Washington, DC - About one month remains until Scholarship Fund (HSF) to assist in serving
the deadline for the 2004 - 2005 Gates Millennium American Indians/Alaska Natives and Hispanic
Scholars award. All completed Nomination Materials Americans respectively.
must be postmarked or submitted on-line no later
than January 16, 2004. Students (Nominees), Eligibility Criteria
Nominators, and Recommenders are encouraged to
apply online or download Nomination Materials on In the 2004-2005 academic year, individuals are
the GMS website (). General information, detailed eligible to be considered for a Gates Millennium
instructions, and current scholar profiles can also Scholar award if they:
be found on the GMS website.
* are Asian Pacific Islander American, African
Throughout the months of December and January, American, Hispanic American or American
GMS volunteers from the Asian Pacific Islander Indian/Alaska Native;
American (APIA) communities will conduct * are a citizen/legal permanent resident or
information sessions and workshops. To find a site national of the United States;
near you, please visit the Organization of Chinese * have a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.00 scale
Americans (OCA) website (), click " Partnerships (unweighted) at the time of nomination;
"on the top, click " Gates Millennium Scholars " on * will be entering a U.S. accredited college or
the left-hand side, and then click " Information university as full-time, degree-seeking freshmen in
Sessions and Workshops. "Nomination Materials the 2004-2005 academic year;
and/or informational brochures may also be * have demonstrated leadership abilities through
requested on the OCA website. Scroll down the participation in community service, extracurricular
main page and click "Request or order 2004-2005 or other activities; and
GMS Nomination Materials or Informational * meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria.
Brochures." (Eligibility for Federal Pell Grant can only be
determined through the submission of a Free
Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS), funded by a $1 Application for Federal Student Aid [FAFSA] to the
billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates U.S. Department of Education.)
Foundation, was established in 1999 to provide
outstanding Asian Pacific Islander Americans, For further information, contact:
African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Catherine Domaoan, Director of Outreach
Natives, and Hispanic Americans with an 866-274-4677 x2 (toll-free),
opportunity to complete an undergraduate college gmsoutreach@ocanatl.org
education in all discipline areas. Continuing GMS
Scholars may request funding for graduate Washington, DC
education in the following areas: mathematics,
science, engineering, education or library science. OCA COMMEMORATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY
REPEAL OF CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT
The goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence
and to provide an opportunity for thousands of
N.Y.C. CHINATOWN REUNION NEWSLETTER
The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a
national Asian Pacific American (APA) civil rights Founded in 1973, the Organization of Chinese
advocacy and educational organization with over 80 Americans is a national civil rights advocacy and
chapters and affiliates nationwide, wishes to educational organization dedicated to advancing
commemorate the 60th anniversary of the repeal of the social, political and economic well-being of
passage of the law excluding Chinese from Americans of Chinese and Asian/Pacific Islander
immigrating to the United States. Immigrants from descent. With over 80 chapters and affiliates across
Asia have had a long history of discrimination in the the country, it maintains its headquarters in
United States, since the first Chinese came to the Washington, D.C.
United States in the early 1800s and throughout
the California Gold Rush in the 1840s and 1850s. Organization of Chinese Americans
After the Gold Rush, Chinese immigrants filled the 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW #601
need for labor in western railroad and industrial Washington, DC 20036
development projects. However, widespread Tel: 202-223-5500 Fax: 202-296-0540
resentment grew towards the Chinese as the www.ocanatl.org
numbers steadily rose and as the country entered a
period of economic depression. CALIFORNIA
In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion OCA has been working with Congressman Honda in
Act, which suspended further immigration of its fight to renew the White House Initiative on
laborers from China and also stated that Chinese Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and to
were not able to become naturalized U.S. citizens. secure proper resources and staffing for it. If you
This was only the first of several laws excluding have friends and family in the Santa Clara area,
immigration from China and eventually, all Asian please encourage them to attend this hearing on
countries. January 13, 2004. Thank you.
The law was repealed on December 17, 1943, Invitation to Attend A Congressional
when persons of Chinese descent were allowed to Asian Pacific American Caucus Field Hearing
enter the United States and also become
naturalized citizens. Dear Friends:
As Asian Pacific Americans, it is important that we I invite you to attend a critical field hearing
remember the discrimination that our ancestors sponsored by the Congressional Asian Pacific
faced when they attempted to come to the United American Caucus on the status of the White
States and as they tried to build a life for House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific
themselves here, said Raymond Wong, OCA Islanders (the Initiative).
National President. The anniversary of the repeal of The hearing will provide background on the
Chinese Exclusion allows us to commemorate the Initiative, and will review the current and future
end of official legal discrimination against persons status of the Initiative. The hearing will take
of Asian descent to the United States. place on Tuesday, January 13th from 10:00 a.m. -
noon at the Santa Clara City Council Chambers,
As we observe this anniversary and reflect on how 1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, CA.*
far we have come as a community, it is also crucial
that we recognize the obstacles that we still face, As you may know, the Initiative was originally
said Christine Chen, OCA Executive Director. Even established by President Clinton's Executive Order
after the repeal of the exclusion acts, Asian Pacific 13125, which also established the President's
Americans have endured discrimination, whether in Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and
the form of persecution during the McCarthy era, or Pacific Islanders (the Commission). President
through racial profiling. This is why OCA continues Bush signed an Executive Order renewing the
to commit itself to this mission of dispelling Initiative and Commission once, but that Executive
stereotypes and working towards racial harmony. Order extended the Initiative and Commission only
to June 7, 2003.
About OCA
N.Y.C. CHINATOWN REUNION NEWSLETTER
The Initiative was originally established to advise
the President, through the Secretary of Health and *Parking is available in the lot east of the Council
Human Services, on the three mandates of the Chambers in designated visitor spaces or
Executive Order: To develop, monitor and undesignated spaces. Parking is also available on
coordinate federal efforts to improve Asian Warburton Avenue and across the street from City
American and Pacific Islander participation in Hall in the Triton Museum of Art parking lot.
government programs; to foster research and data Please do not park in spaces reserved for City
collection for Asian American and Pacific Islander vehicles.
populations and sub-populations; and to increase
public and private sector and community
involvement in improving the health and well-being
of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
The Commission presented an Interim Report to
the President in January of 2001, and focused on
five cross-cutting issues: * Improving data
collection, analysis and dissemination for Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders; * Ensuring
access, especially linguistic access and cultural
competence, for Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders; * Protecting civil rights and equal
opportunity for Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders; * Strengthening and sustaining Asian
American and Pacific Islander community capacity;
* And recognizing and including Native Hawaiians
and Pacific Islanders in federal programs and
services.
I sincerely hope that you will make the time to
come find out more and offer input about the
Initiative's progress and future direction. A
distinguished panel of AAPI community leaders, as
well as representatives from the Initiative, will be
invited to give us all more insight into the plans for
the direction of this important effort. Your input is
essential, as we provide important feedback to the
Administration about next steps for the Initiative.
For more information about our hearing, you can
contact Jennifer Van der Heide Escobar, Chief of
Staff, and Bob Sakaniwa, Senior Counsel at 202-
225-2631; or Victoria Tung, CAPAC Fellow, and
Elizabeth Lee, Field Representative at 408-558-
8085.
Thank you in advance for participating at this
critical forum.
Sincerely,
H
Michael M. Honda
Chair-Elect
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus