OCA Westchester Quarterly

OCA Westchester Quarterly

A Publication of OCA Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter

52 North Broadway, White Plains, NY 10603 ♦ Tel.: 914-220-5873 ♦ Email: info@oca-whv.org ♦ Website: www.oca-whv.org



Pablo Cue, Publisher





Volume 29, Issue 3 Autumn-Winter 2009 Edition



A Very Successful Gala on Dynamic Achiever Awards 2009!

(see the story and more DAA photos on pages 13-17)

“Embracing the hopes and aspira-

tions of Asian Pacific Americans

in the United States”.



Upcoming

Events



CHINESE NEW YEAR PARTY 2010

Sat., Feb. 6 - Starts at 2:30pm

New Rochelle High School

New Rochelle, NY

ANNUAL INDOOR TENNIS PARTY

Saturday, March 20 - 6pm

Solaris Indoor Tennis Court

Hawthorne, NY

2010 RISING STARS CONCERT

Dynamic Achiever Awards Recipients 2009 - The gentlemen in the middle!

Sunday, May 2 at 1-4pm

Ossining Public Library

Ossining, NY





Join OCA Today!

We invite you to join OCA. We are

dedicated to advancing the social,

political, and economic well-being of

APA communities.

1- 2010 membership is now being

accepted.

2- OCA Westchester is one of the

most active chapters of all OCA chap-

ters in the country.

3- We’d like to thank our new mem-

bers and those who have renewed

this year.

4- For detailed membership informa-

tion and other inquiries, please call The Student Leadership Awardees, L to R, Julie Qiu, Katherine Liu, & Joy Li.

Vincent Young at 917-885-5899 or

READ A SPECIAL FEATURED STORY ABOUT JEANNETTE WANG IN GERMANY FOR HER CANCER TREATMENT.

Xin Zheng at 718-450-1087. See pages18-20.



Autumn-Winter 2009 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Message from the President OCA Westchester Quarterly

Published by

My best wishes to you and your family for a happy, OCA Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter

P.O. Box 541, White Plains, NY 10602

healthy, and prosperous 2010. If you‘re like me, you‘re Email: info@oca-whv.org

relieved that the challenging and difficult 2009 is behind Website: www.oca-whv.org

us, and are looking forward to the brighter days in 2010.

Despite all the challenges of 2009, OCA-WHV Board Publication Board 2010

continued to carry on our mission of advancing the well- Publisher Pablo Cue

being of Asian Americans in the community through a Editor Rose Tan Kaung

wide variety of activities and programs. The year Xiaochun Luo Associate Editor Shirley Koo

started out with one of our most successful Chinese New Year Cele-

Photographer Chester Mah

brations, with the combined forces of OCA-WHV, WACA, FCC and

HuaXia Chinese School. In March, we held our second Shining Stars Contributing Writer Frances Chu

Concert, showcasing eleven young Asian American musical talents, 2010 Board of Directors

with support from Chappaqua Library. The level of performance was

so impressive that the library proposed we make it an annual signature President Xiaochun Luo

event. Exec. Vice Presidents Wanda Eng & Joan Jia

In May, we hosted the grandest event of the year, the Asian American Secretary Lawrence Ng

Heritage Festival, in conjunction with Asian American Heritage Month. Treasurer Shuyi Xiao

The event attracted close to six thousand spectators, a very successful

Legal Counsel Lani McCann

event. In October, we held our annual Meet the Candidates Forum at

Pace University, attended by all key candidates running for local gov- VP-Communications Pablo Cue* &

ernment office, another successful event. In November, we held our Rose Tan Kaung

signature Dynamic Achievers Award Gala, where we recognized the VP-Comm. Outreach Dan Lewis & Helen Tang

significant accomplishments of three outstanding Asian Americans from VP-Finance Gary Guo, Jenny Kho &

the fields of literature, business, and medicine: Henry Chang, Michael Meow Yee*

Chen and Dr. Nai-Kong Cheung. We also recognized three young

VP-Membership David Chen, Vincent

Asian American high school stars for their outstanding achievements in Young* & Xin Zheng

academic excellence, community service and leadership, serving as

positive influences in their communities. The event was such a high VP-Programs William Kaung* & Li Lin

caliber that many attendees told us that it inspires their pride of being VP-Public Relations Peggy Chen & May Lai

Asian Americans. Web Master James Chu

We have continued being a driving force of the advocacy efforts for VP-YOCAA Xin Cheng

Asian Americans in the community on issues such as immigration and

senior citizens, and have formed a strong partnership with the Census Directors-at-Large Daisy Yau

2010 group to help ensure accurate counting of Asian American popu- Immed. Past President Jeannette Wang

lation in the community. These are just some examples of what we *Past President

have done in the past year, out of the many activities that the board PREFACE

organized. I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to all our board OCA is a national non-profit, nonpartisan civil rights,

members, along with our friends and supporters, for making these and educational organization with 81 chapters and

events possible and successful. affiliates nationwide. It is dedicated to advancing also

the social, political, and economic well-being of APA

Along with the start of the new year, we now have a new Board. I want communities. It’s headquartered in the nation's capital,

to take the opportunity to welcome our new additions, and thank the Washington, D.C.

contributions of the board members who will be leaving us. It is The OCA Westchester Quarterly is a publication of the

through the commitment and tireless volunteering work of these indi- OCA Westchester and Hudson Valley Chapter. Con-

viduals that we can continue the legacies that our founding members tents may be reproduced but with the expressed written

consent from the Publisher. Letters and unsolicited

started for us almost 30 years ago. materials sent to OCA Westchester Quarterly for publi-

OCA-WHV will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2010. We are cation become the properties of the Publication. While

every precaution is taken to insure the accuracy of

thankful that this significant anniversary coincides with the year of the information included herein, neither the Publisher nor

Tiger on the lunar calendar, which symbolizes vigor, ambition, optimism the editors shall be held liable for damages arising from

and fearlessness with challenges. We have a full year of events ar- errors or omissions or unintentional mistakes. The

ranged for our members and community (please refer to the list in the opinions expressed are those of the authors and not

necessarily those of OCA Westchester Quarterly or

newsletter on page 5), we invite you to participate and we can‘t wait to OCA Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter. We re-

take part in them with you. Have a wonderful and auspicious new year! serve the rights to edit all articles.



Autumn-Winter 2009 2 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Autumn-Winter 2009 3 OCA Westchester Quarterly

2010 RISING STARS CONCERT

By OCA Westchester



OCA Westchester & Hudson Valley is sponsoring a concert to be held on May 2. The purpose

is to showcase young artistic Asian American musicians who will individually and in groups play

Asian or Western musical pieces of their own choosing.

The musicians must be 18 years of age or younger. All participating performers must com-

plete the application form below. Auditions will be conducted to select not only 10 out-

standing student performers but also groups of musicians in duets and/or quartets. A panel

of professional musicians will evaluate the performers; their judgment will be final. The

concert will be recorded and broadcast on our local TV channel after the event. All student

performers will receive a certificate of recognition.



Concert Information: Concert Location:

2010 Rising Stars Concert Ossining Public Library

Sunday, May 2 at 1-4 PM 53 Croton Avenue, Ossining, NY 10562-4917

Phone: (914) 941-2416

This is a free-admission concert. We gladly accept all donations and the donations will support

OCA’s student scholarship and leadership programs.



2010 RISING STARS CONCERT

APPLICATION FORM

Deadline: March 25, 2010



Applicant’s Name: Age: ____ Grade: ____

Home Address: _______________________________________ State: ___ Zip: ______

Name of Your Music School and Music Teacher:

____________________________________________________________________________________

Name of Your Regular School: ________________________________________________

Instrument: _________________________ Email Address: ________________________

Title of Your Musical Piece: _________________________________________________

Brief Self-description – e.g. hobbies/interest, awards, community service (max. 50 words):

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

You will receive an email with details on how to arrange for an audition appointment.

Mail completed form to: 2010 RISING STARS CONCERT, OCA Westchester, P.O. Box 541, White

Plains, NY 10602 with an application fee of $25. Make check payable to OCA Westchester.

Should you have any questions, contact Mr. Xin Zheng at (718) 450-1087 or email him at

xzheng@aecom.yu.edu.



Autumn-Winter 2009 4 OCA Westchester Quarterly

OCA WESTCHESTER & HUDSON VALLEY CHAPTER

EMBRACING THE HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS









Season’s Greetings

Have a Joyful Year of the Tiger!

OCA Westchester and Hudson Valley

wishes you the happiest of holidays.

Travel safely and thank you for

your contributions to OCA's mission.

Our best wishes to you and your whole families.



"If the First Amendment has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing

citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech." -

a decision by U.S. Supreme Court over Federal Election Commission made on Jan. 21, 2010.

The First Amendment provides that ―Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.‖





2010 OCA-WHV SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (SEE update in www.oca-whv.org)

DATE EVENT LOCATION



Sun, Jan. 10, 11am Second Day Issuance of Lunar Stamps Palisades Mall, Nyack, NY



Sat-Sun, Jan 23-24 National Board Meeting Irving, Orange County, CA

Sat., Feb. 6, 2:30pm Annual Lunar New Year Celebration New Rochelle H.S., New Rochelle, NY

Sat., Mar. 21, 6pm Annual Tennis Party & Membership Drive Solaris Indoor, 5 Browns Lane, Hawthorne, NY

Late March National Board Meeting Denver, CO



Apr., TBA Hate Crimes Workshop Pace University, Pleasantville, NY

Sun., May 2, 1-4pm 2010 Rising Stars Concert Ossining Public Library, Ossining, NY

Sat., May 29, 11am 12th Annual Asian American Heritage Festival Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla, NY

Thu-Sun, Jun 17-20 OCA National Convention & National Board Meeting Houston, TX

Sun., Sep. 12, 11am Annual OCA-FCC Family Picnic Van Saun State Park, Paramus, NJ

Oct., TBA 4th Annual Golf Tournament and Fundraising Holiday Hillls Golf Course, Ossining, NY

Oct.., TBA Annual “Meet The Candidates” Forum Pace University, Pleasantville, NY

Fri., Oct. 15 Annual OCA Corporate Achievement Awards Gala Washington, DC

Sat, Nov. 13, 6pm 30th Chapter Anniversary Celebration plus DoubleTree Hotel, Tarrytown, NY

27th Annual OCA-WHV Dynamic Achiever Awards Gala



Dec., TBA Induction of 2011 OCA-WHV Board of Directors Jade Garden Restaurant, Hartsdale, NY

Autumn-Winter 2009 5 OCA Westchester Quarterly

OCA AND YUM! BRANDS TO LAUNCH

NEW ASPIRING PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM



WASHINGTON DC,– OCA, a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and eco-

nomic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), has partnered with Yum! Brands, Inc., the world's

largest restaurant company and owner of global restaurant chains of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and

Long John Silver's to launch ‗Bamboo,‘ an aspiring professional development program. ‗Bamboo,‘ a one-

day event consisting of workshops, seminars and networking was created to strengthen and build the

OCA brand nationally and create a pipeline of future memberships.

―As an Asian Pacific American organization, we strongly believe aspiring APA professionals are essential

to advancing our mission,‖ said OCA National President Ken Lee. ―With Bamboo we hope to not only in-

crease the engagement of aspiring professionals in our chapters, but also provide meaningful profes-

sional development, networking and mentoring opportunities to our rising leaders.‖

Build, Breakthrough, Believe is the three-word mantra of the ‗Bamboo‘ program and will be used as

building blocks for the event agenda. Workshops and seminar topics will range from personal branding

to corporate success tactics and strategies.

‗Bamboo‘ will be held at the W Hotel, DC on October 23 with a kick-off reception taking place Thursday,

October 22nd. Participating speakers will include; Sandi Karrmann, Yum! International Chief People Offi-

cer, Richard Lui, News Anchor for HLN, and Lisa Lee, Publisher for Hyphen Magazine.

Co-sponsors include: Anheuser-Busch, Kraft, Southwest Airline and State Farm. Register for ‗Bamboo‘

by calling 202.223.500 or emailing vrumsey@ocanational.org.



OCA CELEBRATES ACHIEVEMENTS OF TWO APA LEADERS

Kiran Ahuja was recently named executive director of the White House Initiative on Asian Ameri-

cans and Pacific Islanders. Ahuja was the founding executive director of the National Asian Pa-

cific American Women's Forum and an honored trial attorney with the United States Department

of Justice, Civil Rights Division. OCA is excited to work with her and the President‘s Advisory

Commission on AA/PIs.

On October 15, President Obama signed an executive order re-establishing the Initiative and the

Advisory Commission. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Initiative, which was

created to improve the quality of life in underserved AA/PI communities through increased participation in fed-

eral programs. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke are the co-chairs of

the Initiative.

Also, on December 1, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Jacqueline Nguyen as a federal district judge in the

Central District of California. She is the first Vietnamese-American woman to serve as a federal district court

judge in the United States. Currently, APAs make up less than one percent of all federal judges. OCA ap-

plauds this historic confirmation and will continue to advocate for the confirmation of Judge Denny Chin for an

appellate judgeship on the Second Circuit, Edward Chen as a district judge in the Northern District of Califor-

nia, and Dolly Gee as a district judge in the Central District of California. (Read more stories on Judge

Nguyen on page 22.)



Autumn-Winter 2009 6 OCA Westchester Quarterly

UPS FOUNDATION AWARDS $100,000 TO OCA

FOR SCHOLARSHIP AND MENTORING PROGRAMS

December 10, 2009 - OCA is pleased to announce they received a $100,000 grant from The UPS Founda-

tion, the charitable arm of UPS (NYSE:UPS). The grant will be utilized in 2010 to support OCA‘s UPS Gold

Mountain Scholarship and the Mentoring Asian American Professionals (MAAP) Program.

―OCA is so honored to have this relationship with UPS and we are grateful for their continued support,‖ said

Ken Lee, OCA national president. ―Because of UPS, we have been able to provide future leaders with the

tools they need for success.‖

The OCA-UPS Gold Mountain Scholarship Program provides an opportunity for APA high school students

who are the first in their family to attend an institution of higher education. For ten years, UPS has provided

scholarships to 118 APAs to help them reach their full academic potential.

In 2009, OCA launched the three-month MAAP (Mentoring Asian American Professionals) program, designed

to cultivate the next generation of confident, empowered, equipped, and collaborative APA professional lead-

ers through mentoring, skills-building, and networking. With the generous support of The UPS Foundation,

MAAP was launched in Atlanta, San Francisco and Washington, D.C .

―The UPS Foundation is committed to funding impactful programs that make a meaningful difference in our

communities—so we are proud to support OCA‘s efforts to provide scholarships and mentorship opportuni-

ties,‖ said Ken Sternad, president of the UPS Foundation.

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, Ga., The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its back-

ing clearly impacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach, The UPS Foundation has identified the

following focus areas for giving: nonprofit effectiveness, economic and global literacy, encouraging diversity,

community safety and environmental sustainability.

In 2008, The UPS Foundation distributed $46.9 million worldwide through grants that benefit programs such

as the UPS Gold Mountain Scholarship and MAAP, and provided support for building stronger communities.





ENACTMENT OF HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT A VICTORY FOR APAS AND OCA

On October 28, 2009, OCA joined President Barack Obama at the White House to commemorate the en-

actment of the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, an expansion of federal hate

crime laws to protect victims of crimes who are targeted because of sexual orientation, gender identity and dis-

ability.

As a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific

Americans (APAs), OCA has long-engaged members and affiliates to ensure that adequate hate crimes legis-

lation is enacted so that the stories of Vincent Chin and Joseph Ileto are not forgotten.

―OCA has fought for over a decade to make our voices heard on the need to protect our communities from vio-

lence and hate,‖ said OCA National President Ken Lee. ―We remember Vincent Chin, a Chinese American

who was beaten to death because of prejudice toward APAs. With this new legislation, our hope is that hate

crime offenders will be held accountable for their crimes, unlike in Vincent Chin‘s murder.‖

Over the years OCA has worked with our chapters and in coalition with other national organizations on hate

Cont’d on next page



Autumn-Winter 2009 7 OCA Westchester Quarterly

STATE FARM JACL/OCA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 2010

The annual State Farm JACL/OCA Leadership Conference is designed to introduce OCA and JACL leaders

to the political process by having them meet with members of Congress, the Congressional Asian Pacific

American Caucus, Administration officials, government agencies, as well as with OCA‘s and JACL‘s col-

leagues in the Washington, D.C. social justice community.

This annual leadership training conference is a joint program operated by the JACL (Japanese American

Citizens League) and OCA, the two largest Asian Pacific American membership-based civil rights organiza-

tions in the United States. This four-day conference gives 30 emerging leaders of the JACL and OCA an

opportunity to learn firsthand about the current public policy issues facing our communities. Previous topics

included: immigration, post 9/11 policies, Hurricane Katrina briefings, coalition building, non-profit lobbying,

grassroots organizing through the internet, and media & message training.

OCA members are strongly encouraged to apply to participate in the conference. In the past, it has proven

to be extremely helpful to members in realizing how OCA chapters can most effectively work with OCA Na-

tional Center on issues important to the APA community.

DATE: Friday, March 5—Tuesday, March 9, 2010 DEADLINE: Monday, January 11, 2010.

LOCATION: Washington, D.C.

ELIGIBILITY: OCA Executive Council, National Board Members, and Chapter Board Members who have

paid their current OCA membership dues.

COST: OCA Chapters are responsible for the $100 Conference registration. Fee includes all meals, travel

& accommodations during the actual conference.

APPLICATION: We strongly encourage all interested participants to apply online. Hardcopies of the appli-

cation can be downloaded here.

INFORMATION: If you have any questions, please contact Pei-Un Yee at 202.223.5500 or at

pyee@ocanational.org.



Cont’d from page 7 on Hate Crimes



crimes prevention, and established educational programs to teach people how to prevent and respond to hate

crimes.―

The murder of Matthew Shepard and many other LGBTQ-identified people has been devastating for the com-

munity and it is time to end the violence,‖ said OCA National Secretary Sharon Wong, who attended the

White House reception. ―We are thrilled this bill has been finally enacted. We have worked on this for so long

and we are proud to stand with our civil rights partners as we celebrate this victory.‖

A Note on U.S. Census 2010



As the 2010 U.S. Census approaches, Philippine Ambassador to the United States

Willy C. Gaa urged the Filipino community to participate in the decennial national

census of the United States population. The census is a count of all persons living in

the United States - citizens and non-citizens alike, and it is conducted every ten

years.

In 2000, there was an estimated 2.3 million Filipinos living in the United States. The census data serves as a

basis for determining the number of seats for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives. It also affects

the allocation of federal funding, which is partly based on the information gathered from the count.



Autumn-Winter 2009 8 OCA Westchester Quarterly

OCA's Work with the Census Bureau

2010 CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRE: SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR EVERYONE

The 2010 Census questionnaire will be sent to every housing unit in the country. The person in who fills out

the form (Person 1) will provide the household information, including whether the home is rented or owned,

and will answer just seven questions about every household member, including himself or herself:

 Name

 Sex

 Age/birth date

 Hispanic ethnicity

 Race

 Relationship to the person filling out the form

 Other residence, for example, military or college residence, if they sometimes live at another address.

Each question - how it is worded, how many and which categories are included - is carefully considered

and pretested. The information is either required by law to provide constitutionally mandated information for

apportioning congressional seats, or for drawing new legislative district boundaries, distributing federal

funds, administering federal programs, or it is collected to help ensure the accuracy and completeness of

the census. Although the name of each household member is also collected, it remains confidential for 72

years.

Three of the above questions included in the 2010 Census are highlighted below.



RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE HOUSEHOLD

Everyone living in a household is listed according to his or her relation to "Person 1," in one of 14 catego-

ries, including husband or wife, stepson or stepdaughter, roomer or boarder, or unmarried partner. These

responses tell us, for example, how many people live alone or with nonrelatives; how many children live

with one parent or grandparent; and how many households include extended family members such as in-

laws or adult siblings. Together these responses provide a snapshot of the American family. The informa-

tion about relationships within U.S. households is used for federally funded nutrition and education pro-

grams, housing funding, and other social services.

HISPANIC IDENTITY

Since the 1970 Census, the questionnaire has asked U.S. residents whether they are of Hispanic origin,

and if so, which broad Hispanic group they identify with. Hispanic origin is considered separately from race

in the Census - and Hispanics may identify with any race. As the largest and fastest-growing ethnic minor-

ity in the United States, the information about Hispanic origin is of growing importance. It is used in numer-

ous programs and for monitoring equal employment opportunities.

RACE

The 2010 questionnaire lists 15 racial categories, as well as places to write in specific races not listed on

the form. The 2010 Census continues the option first introduced in the 2000 Census for respondents to

choose more than one race. Only about 2 percent of Americans identified with more than one race in the

2000 Census, but the percentage was much higher for children and young adults and will likely increase in

2010.



Autumn-Winter 2009 9 OCA Westchester Quarterly

OCA APPLAUDS RE-LAUNCH OF WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE ON

ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS

On October 14, 2009, President Obama signed an Executive Order restoring the White House Advisory Com-

mission and Interagency Working Group to address issues concerning the AAPI community.

The White House Initiative on AAPIs and the President‘s Advisory Commission on AAPIs were first created

by an Executive Order under President Bill Clinton and then extended until May 2007 by President George

W. Bush. During the past two administrations, OCA worked closely with the Initiative staff and the Commis-

sion on issues ranging from health disparities to economic opportunities for AAPI community members.

―This is an important first step in ensuring we have a government that not only understands, but represents

and truly serves the AAPI community, said OCA Executive Director George Wu. ―We look forward to working

with the administration to ensure the Initiative, Commission and staffers have a clear mandate of advancing

the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans.‖ Wu attended the ceremony that

was held in the East Room of the White House.

According to the Executive Order, the Initiative and Commission will work to ―improve the quality of life and

opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through increased access to, and participation in,

Federal programs in which they may be underserved. In addition, each will work to advance relevant evi-

dence-based research, data collection and analysis for AAPI populations and subpopulations.‖

Asian American Movers and Shakers



JOHN C. LIU EASILY ELECTED AS NYC COMPTROLLER

John Liu was elected easily by a 76% margin to become New York City

Comptroller on November 3rd, 2009. He was formerly a city councilman rep-

resenting Flushing, Queens. His role as comptroller could make him a strong

contender for mayor in 2013.

In 2001 Mr. Liu, then a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, became the

first Asian member of the City Council. The election was hailed as a water-

shed for the Chinese-American community, which had long been shut out of

the political mainstream. Mr. Liu easily won re-election in 2003 and 2005.

His ability to quickly mobilize a news conference became a hallmark of Mr.

Liu and his seemingly tireless aides.

Yet Mr. Liu's tendency to stray across district lines to speak out on issues, particularly those affecting Asian-

Americans, also earned him sharp criticism from some of his colleagues. Some portrayed Mr. Liu's aggres-

sive marshaling of the news media as little more than grandstanding, and accused him of not alerting them to

news conferences in their own districts, much less inviting them to stand alongside him in front of the cam-

eras.

As a candidate, Mr. Liu, a former actuary, counted on allies he had made speaking out on issues like hate

crimes, stands that struck a chord with immigrant and minority groups. While campaigning, Mr. Liu visited

about 50 ethnic and community newspapers to present his policies. One issue he raised again and again was

expanding economic opportunity to immigrants.

Mr. Liu came to the United States from Taiwan at the age of 5, the son of a banker and a garment worker.





“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge." - Carl Sagan (1934-1996), an American Astronomer



Autumn-Winter 2009 10 OCA Westchester Quarterly

A Contributed Article

A GIFTED SPECIALIST

By Frances Chu, Chapter Founder and 1st President



One of my habits since I was young was to sit in my bathroom for a long time

and read. That bad habit resulted in my living with an illness with pain for over

40 years. It got worse since 2002 when I started to take blood thinner for my

heart disease. I had developed piles that were not only painful, but they also

bled. My internist sent me to see a gastroenterologist and after I had a colono-

scopy, biopsy, etc. I was told that I had to see surgeons, and they all recom-

mended surgery.

A well-known colorectal surgeon who specialized in traditional rectal surgery in

Westchester County said that since my case is so bad, he would recommend

staying in the hospital overnight after the surgery. And he said that the recov-

ery period would take about 6 weeks. But my friends’ feedback from their own

experiences was that the recovery period could be very painful and might take 6 months. So I decided to

wait and see.

In 2006, a friend recommended a gastroenterologist in Queens who gives laser surgery that cured my

friend’s piles. So I saw that doctor and started my treatments there – once each 3 months. No matter what

time my appointment was, I had to wait at least an hour to see the doctor. The waiting room was always to-

tally full with a TV on and lots of people talking loudly on cell phones. Those were things that I could not get

used to since all the other doctors’ offices I regularly visit do not have those conditions.

I had to take expensive daily injections on my tummy 5 days before and after each procedure to prevent

blood clots. Because the treatment required full anesthesia, a friend, Mark Lee, had to drive me there and

waited for 3 hours or more each time to drive me back. That doctor prescribed daily use of some over-the

counter suppository that was hard for me to use after each treatment. Yet, the worst was after 6 visits and

15 months later, he told me that he could not get rid of all of my piles and that I should see a regular sur-

geon. And, the bleeding got worse. By then, I was so disappointed that I thought I had to live with my bleed-

ing ailments until I die.

However, the successful removal of a benign tumor in my cheek in 2008 gave me a lift (http://

franceschusblog.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html). So again I started to search for good doctor to

take care of the bleeding. In July, 2009, I called an old friend Nancy just to say hello. She told me about her

good news that Dr. Jeffrey Freed of 969 Park Avenue, NYC took care of her similar problems for her. Surfing

the web, I found that indeed, Dr. Freed has a great reputation: He is one of America's top doctors specializ-

ing in colorectal surgery, an associate clinical professor, and co-chair of Mount Sinai Alumni. He is so compas-

sionate that in 2008, he led a group of doctors and nurses from The Mount Sinai Medical Center that traveled

to Liberia to provide urgently needed medical care to people in that country.

The first impression I got in my appointment with Dr. Freed on 7/16/09 was that his office was very effi-

ciently run. Hardly any waiting time and no cell phone usage were allowed. I started taking treatments from

him on 7/27 to get rid of some of my internal mass and to stop the bleeding. My treatments were in 2-week

intervals with no prep required. Since he did not give me any anesthesia, I know that he is very skillful with

his innovative techniques. Almost totally painless, I was in and out of his office within 30 minutes each time

and was able to drive home by myself. Dr. Freed is so caring that he gave me his personal cell phone num-

ber but I never had any need to call him after each procedure.

I am so grateful that this miracle doctor has taken care of me. Now I know that I no longer have to live with

the painful bleeding nuisances until I die. I also know that there are some really good specialists out there. I

read from WebMD that “about half of the people in the U.S. will suffer from hemorrhoids at some point in

life.” Some could be as severe as mine and hopelessly give up on getting cured. Therefore, I am sharing my

experience with you. I have learned that there are gifted doctors out there in every field waiting to cure us.

Don’t give up! There is hope!



Autumn-Winter 2009 11 OCA Westchester Quarterly

A Contributed Article

On Chinese Philosophy

By Frances Chu, Chapter Founder and 1st President



I enjoyed the discussion on Chinese Philosophy. My mother had a law degree, she

went to Japan to attend graduate courses and she was fluent in foreign languages.

My grandmother and my aunt were very well versed in old Chinese Philosophy and

many Chinese proverbs were just household phrases that I was

brought up with.



I feel that although the virtue of Filial Piety (Hsiao孝) was one of the Confucius'

teachings, it could very well have started way before that in Chinese families‘ way

of life. The Lun Yu refers to filial piety as consisting of obedience, fostering the will

of the parents, and relates to the method of carrying out filial piety. But in the mod-

ern way of thinking, it can be thought of as just 'love and respect' to parents, grandparents, great-grand par-

ents, and all elders in the family.

Taken from the book A History of Chinese Philosophy by Fung Yu-lan: ―The Hsiao Ching says: ‗Now filial pi-

ety is the root of all virtue, and that from which all teaching comes. … Our bodies, in every hair and bit of skin,

are received by us from our parents, and we must not venture to injure or scar them. This is the beginning of

filial piety. When we have established ourselves in the practice of Way (Tao道), so as to make our name fa-

mous in future ages and thereby glorify our parents, this is the goal of filial piety. Filial piety is the way of

Heaven, the principle of Earth, and the practical duty of man. Heaven & Earth invariably pursue this course,

and the people take it as their pattern.‘ According to this concept, anyone who possesses the virtue of filial

piety must thereby posses all the other virtues. Hence filial piety is the source of all the virtues including virtu-

ousness(ren仁), righteousness(yi義), correct manners(le禮), uprightness(chi直), etc.‖

However, there are many passages in the Lun Yu that discuss the quality of (jen) as ‖perfect virtue.‖ The

word jen – one of the most important in Confucian thought – is composed of the character meaning ―man‖

and the character for ―two.‖ Thus, it is a word embracing all those moral qualities that should govern one man/

woman in his/her relations with another. It combines the morality with all the virtues of humanity. Therefore, I

prefer to translate it as ―integrity‖.

I do believe that interpretations do not change the basic principles. I can‘t put my 16 years of learning of

moral and family values on one page. Life is filled with evil temptations. However, I strive to keep those vir-

tues in my everyday practice. I realize from recent entries in blog/web sites that this may not be a popular

sentiment. But I can‘t help feeling that if we place more importance on the basic ―moral‖ values in our every-

day lives, those unfortunate and disappointing news items would not have happened.

News of Interest to APA Community



THE BOON OF IMMIGRATION:

NEWCOMERS TO AMERICA MORE THAN PULL THEIR ECONOMIC WEIGHT

Excerpted from NY Daily News Editorial, November 30, 2009



As documented by the Fiscal Policy Institute, immigration has been a vital force in the American economy.

Even in tough times, immigrants boost or replenish the labor pool and inject entrepreneurial energy that

opens businesses and creates jobs.

Using data from the Census Bureau, the report looks at 25 major cities, from Los Angeles to New York to Mi-

ami to Seattle, and proves that immigrants more than pull their weight.

In New York - including suburbs - immigrants make up 28% of the population and are responsible for 28% of

the economic activity. Miami is 37% immigrants; they produce 38% of that's city economic output. In Los An-

geles, the numbers are 35% and 34%. The pattern holds even for smaller cities such as Cincinnati and Min-

neapolis.

Cont’d on page 21



Autumn-Winter 2009 12 OCA Westchester Quarterly

2009 Dynamic Achiever Awards Honorees: Henry Chang, Michael Chen and Nai-Kong Cheung, MD, PhD

Keynote Speaker: Jennifer 8 Lee









Autumn-Winter 2009 13 OCA Westchester Quarterly

DYNAMIC ACHIEVER AWARDS GALA 2009

By Shirley Koo, Newsletter Associate Editor



On November 7, 2009 approximately 200 people joined the festivities as OCA West-

chester & Hudson Valley celebrated its 29th Anniversary and honored this year‘s Dy-

namic Achievers in the beautiful Grand Ballroom of the Doubletree Hotel in Tarrytown,

New York. We were glad that attendees agreed that this was one of our best galas.

The duties of mistress of ceremonies for the event were admirably performed by Pei-

Sze Cheng, reporter for NBC-4, New York. The national anthem was sung by young

Chelsea Baccay, one of the winners of the 2009 ―Shining Stars of Tomorrow‖ competi-

tion. Chelsea is a member of the New York Youth Symphony. Welcoming remarks

were made by the chapter president, Xiaochun Luo, and Ken Lee, president of OCA National. Guests included

members from the sister OCA chapters of New Jersey, New York and Long Island.

The audience was entertained by the keynote speaker, Jennifer 8. Lee, reporter for the New York Times

and author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. She described her travels and experiences as she unearthed the

truth about chop suey, General Tso‘s chicken, and fortune cookies. Her accompanying video showing people in

China tasting fortune cookies for the first time was truly hilarious.

Since 1983 our chapter has recognized outstanding members of the

Asian American community in our region who have exemplified the best

in their fields. Our first honoree, Henry Chang, was introduced warmly by

his sister-in-law, Violet Lee-Chang. Henry Chang is the acclaimed author

of Chinatown Beat and Year of the Dog. A resident of Chinatown, New

York, Chang is working on the third part of his trilogy about the detective,

Jack Yu.

Balki Iyer, Business Development Manager for Energy Infrastructure, GE

Global Research, introduced the second honoree, Michael Chen, by list-

ing his attributes using the acronym, MICHAEL. Chen is the President

and CEO of Media, Communications and Entertainment for GE Capital. We are grateful that he was able to at-

tend the gala having injured his back earlier.

Dr. Chi-Man Lo introduced our last honoree, Dr. Nai-Kong Cheung, Enid

A. Haupt Chair in Pediatric Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer

Center in New York City. Dr. Cheung heads the clinical and research

program in neuroblastoma and has developed therapies that have been

effective for young children and adults afflicted with cancer. He is a true

role model to the young aspiring doctors in the audience.

The achievements of young members were recognized with the Student

Leadership Awards. The finalists were chosen for outstanding academ-

ics, leadership, community service and involvement in Asian Studies

including studies in language, Asian culture and heritage. The winners

were Joy Li, Briarcliff HS, Katherine Liu, Edgemont HS and Julie Qiu, John Jay HS. Each of these young la-

dies, all aspiring doctors, impressed the audience greatly. We were all very proud of them, along with the stu-

dents‘ families and friends.

Guests were entertained by the deejay, Marilu Lerma, who also got the crowd up to participate in meringue les-

sons. The authors, Henry Chang and Jennifer 8. Lee, autographed copies of their books. The money raised

from the silent auction and sale of raffle tickets go towards funding OCA

educational programs which includes an OCA Endowed Student Scholar-

ship Program at Westchester Community College. This year‘s WCC

scholar, Che Won Leong, was in attendance.

Through the hard work of the entire board and Young OCA (YOCAA), this

award gala was a wonderful event enjoyed by all. We want to thank our

partner, the United States Census 2010, for its participation and the silver

sponsor, GE, along with the other sponsors who helped make this event

an outstanding and memorable success.



Autumn-Winter 2009 14 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Dynamic Student

Achiever Leadership

Awardees Awardees

2009 2009

(top row) (2nd row)



Photos

Henry Chang with Michael Chen with courtesy of Dr. Nai-Kong Cheung with

Xiaochun Luo Balki Iyer of GE Capital Chester Mah Xiaochun Luo and Joan Jia









Student honoree - Julie Qiu, 2nd from right Student honoree -Katherine Liu, 2nd from right Student honoree - Joy Li, 2nd from right









OCA-WHV Board of Directors 2009









Autumn-Winter 2009 15 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Photos by Chester Mah









Autumn-Winter 2009 16 OCA Westchester Quarterly

OCA National President

Kenneth Lee and his wife.









Photos by

Chester Mah









Autumn-Winter 2009 17 OCA Westchester Quarterly

A Special Feature on Jeannette Wang - First Installment



SELECTED LETTERS FROM JEANNETTE WANG BEFORE AND

DURING HER RECENT CANCER TREATMENT IN GERMANY

Dear All:

Many of you are worried about the state of my cancer. I thank you for your concerns. As you all

know I now have a late stage cancer. It has metastasized from the lung (2 tumors 2.5cm and

1.5cm) to the liver, and the bone and in the lymph nodes. Alan (Neiditch) and I have spoken in

person with a German oncologist today. And I have chosen a very innovative way to treat it.

In this country there is only one protocol for treating late stage cancer. My oncologist, Dr. Ursula

Jacob, will be working with the Frankfurt University, where I will be going in a short time. They will

“shoot up” the chemo to the specific tumor in my lungs. This will shrink it and probably will alleviate

all the water problem I have in my lung. Next step will be at a clinic. Blood samples will be taken

for a detailed analysis of what kind of chemo treatment my cancer will react to. They will also use Alan and I on a gondola ride in

antigens to target not just the live cancer cells but the dormant ones. This will be a systemic treat- Venice (Italy) in the St. Mark

ment. Just because it was estrogen positive in my first cancer does not mean they are systemic Square in summer 2009.

reactive. The cancer genes do change, too, after they survive my first chemo 5 years ago.

Also, there will be liver detoxification program and other nutritional program to build up my immune system. There is a lot of hope for

me, at least I will have a good chance. I am going to try to see if Alan & I can create a blog so you and I can all share the stories.

Good luck to me, and please send those wonderful prayers my way. Your friendship and caring has made my life worthwhile.

JW (Permission to publish the stories was granted by JW.)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - Arriving in Germany

Alan wrote: At the Frankfurt University hospital, a very modern and major facility, we met with Professor Doctor Thomas Vogl. He

has a whole wing for his use dealing with cancer patients. His procedure is to use an MRI to guide the insertion of a catheter into a

vein in the groin area and then thread it directly to the tumor. In Jeannette's case, they inserted the catheter directly to her right lung.

I watched in amazement the entire procedure. The machinery in the operating room is all space age and on a huge monitor I watched

the catheter enter her right lung. Dr. Vogt then injected chemo right into the tumor and used laser to close the vessels. After the pro-

cedure, which took 20 minutes, Jeannette was sent to a recovery room. She then went back for a CT scan before being sent off.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - Privatklinik (the Clinic)

Alan wrote: We are staying at the Privatklinik operated by Dr. Ursula Jacob, a clinic located in

the Black Forest section of Germany. It’s a very bucolic setting with farms and small houses

nearby. In the clinic there is a staff of 3 doctors and 12 nurses who are extremely competent

and very friendly. The administrators are exceedingly nice. The food is wholesome, tasty and

plentiful. The clinic can accommodate 17 patients, but with less than 10 presently. There is an

extra bed in each room so a spouse/guest can stay and keep the patient company. Everyone

on the staff speaks fluent English and it seems like everyone in Germany speaks English. We

do not speak German but I recognize a word here and there since my parents spoke Yiddish at

home.

With Dr. Ursula Jacob in recovery room.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - At Pivatklinik

Alan wrote: We met with Dr. Jacob. There is good news and bad news. Good news is that Jeannette does not have cancer in the

liver, a big relief! But the bad news is that the cancer in her right lung has spread to her heart wall, lymph nodes in the thorax area

and in some of the surrounding bones. They drew blood to do a detailed analysis to determine chemo sensitivity. They gave

Jeannette drips with lipioc acid, Vitamin C, Glutathione and other drugs to build up the liver and immune system. Next, guided by

ultrasound and with another doctor and nurse's assistance, Dr. Jacob removed 1.2 liters of yellowish fluid from Jeannette's right lung

that had been building up now for several months. Dr. Jacob said she added something to stop the fluid from returning. She also

sent it off to pathology.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 -

Alan wrote: After breakfast, we had massages from Ziccor, our expert massage therapist. Then off to the treatment room where

Jeannette gets her infusions and oral medications. The doctor and nurses are having a very hard time with Jeannette's veins as they





Autumn-Winter 2009 18 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Cont’d from previous page - Cancer Treatment in Germany

move around and are difficult to enter. Dr. Jacob met with Jeannette and encouraged her to get a port surgically installed in her chest

to aid in future infusions of medicines and chemo. Jeannette readily agreed because her hands and arms always hurt from the effort

to find a suitable vein. Dr. Jacob also said that she has been giving Jeannette a very aggressive array of medicines because the can-

cer has progressed. She is very concerned that the cancer is in the lymph nodes in her chest region. After infusions, Jeannette was

feeling nauseous and vomited. In the afternoon, we were driven by taxi to a local hospital about 10 minutes away where Dr. Keisling,

a surgeon, went over the procedure. Jeannette was taken into surgery and the port was inserted into her chest. From the port en-

trance, which is under the skin, a tube takes the medicine directly into a large vein. After two hours in recovery, a chest x-ray showed

the port to be in place. We waited another hour for Dr. Keisling to come and give his OK for us to go back to the clinic. We returned

very tired around 6:30pm. We ate a light dinner and went back to the treatment room for Jeannette to finish her treatment. Jeannette

was feeling very tired, so we went to bed early. At about 11:30pm, she woke up with a 102 degree fever. I called the nurse who came

upstairs immediately and gave Jeannette a drip of some kind and ice packs. The nurse checked on Jeannette all night long and the

fever went down. We were advised that the fever was probably due to the medicines Jeannette had been given to address the cancer

in her bones.

Thursday, November 19 - The Meaning of Courage

Jeannette wrote: Last night, I learned the meaning of the word “courage”. We met three patients. The first one is Diana who was diag-

nosed with a rare kind of cancer and she had over 50 tumors in her lungs. She had done at least a dozen chemo procedures with

Prof. Dr. Vogl in Frankfurt. She also was on the latest antibody therapy that made her very sick. She reacted like I had with shivers,

105 fever, bone pain and nausea, yet she smiled and her tumors were almost gone. She is going home to Los Angeles. The second

patient had just arrived from Greece. He had lung tumors and went the route of traditional treatment. In Greece, the doctors took out

part of his lung, gave him the most aggressive chemo, but unfortunately he was not responding. Rather than giving up, he found Dr.

Jacob on the internet and she is rebuilding his system and helping him with alternative medicines. His whole family came with him

with smiles and love, surrounding him with hope and affection. The third patient came from Australia. He was diagnosed with terminal

pancreatic cancer and has been in this clinic since August. His cancer has shrunk. The doctors had to take out 1.8 liters of fluid from

his abdominal area on two separate occasions.

All these patients are fighting and cherishing life; they all had fever numerous times and cherished

each minute with no complaint. I will learn from them. Cherish each minute. I have so much to fight

for with Alan by my side and with all your good wishes. One of the nurses brought in his newborn

baby; she was so adorable. It reminded me of when my first born Stanley was born: the joy and

joie de vivre upon looking at the angelic face. My lovely children are also with me in my heart. My

second son, Dave, reminded me that it was always darkest before dawn, like when going on the

sugar free diet - the body reacts like it is in misery. Same here when it is getting rid of toxins. I told

this parable to another patient and she was elated. Dave wrote about his poker experience. It

Horb, Germany made me laugh so I asked Dr. Jacob if we can have a poker tournament here, too, and she just

laughed. I miss you all. I am waiting for the next fever and pain to come back to know that this will

mean I am getting rid of dead cancer cells in my body. Alan said that his father had a proverb on the wall in his office which said “I

used to complain that I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet.”

Dr. Jacob says the fluid has come back to my lung, so tomorrow I will be punctured again to remove the fluid. She also said that the

tumors in the pleura are quite thick and numerous, but we will wait for the chemo sensitivity test which is expected to come back on

Monday or Tuesday before I start a chemo regimen. I told Alan I must get well because we have a purpose.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - DAISIES SPROUTING

Jeannette wrote: I am here sitting in a chair for hours, then awaken suddenly by some unknown noise that turned out to be the patient

snoring next to me. I was in such pain with a nose bleed, sore mouth, black and blue veins that I wanted to scream. By now even the

thriller with serial killers I was reading sounded predictable. I was contemplating complaining about the dreary German weather, hav-

ing not seen any sunshine nor flowers since my arrival. I looked around the room and all of sudden it reminded me of a time when

my children and I were in Beijing in the train station 5 years ago.

Those of you who had been to China know that there is no such thing as personal space. You are lucky if only one person steps on

you, usually there are many more on all sides touching, sitting, pushing, especially in a train station. The train was late, since there

was flooding and so many trains were canceled. When ours arrived, the riders were running away from doom like an exodus from a

refugee camp. Millions of feet shuffled forward toward the platform, I thought I was going to be squeezed juice for the day. We bought

$100 ticket each for a sleeping cot since it was a 20 hour trip from Beijing to Guilin. As a family, we complained about the small size



Autumn-Winter 2009 19 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Cont’d from previous page - Cancer Treatment in Germany

of the cots till we noticed that in the first several cars people bought $1 tickets for standing room

only. Then there were those better off that paid $2 for a seat, and there they stayed standing or

just sitting for 20 hours or more. I thought wow, what happened to these souls when they were

sick. Would they be lying in a leather covered chair watching TV, reading novels or just dying

alone on the road somewhere..

This time I looked around carefully and noticed that most of the patients with their mouths open

producing the melodious snore looked so much at peace. I hope wherever their loved ones are

they can see them at rest and in the best of care. I also remember all of your thoughts and

prayers, that I am loved and prayed for. Somehow the flowers that grow from human kindness

Houses in Horb.

are more beautiful than anywhere outside. I can even imagine the daisies sprouting from the pa-

tient next door’s open mouth. At that thought, I started laughing so loud that the nurses looked up and checked their records probably

wanting to make sure that I was on a correct infusion and not some laughing gas. Everyone around me seemed to be sprouting flow-

ers - I love it! So I guess I will lie down and open my mouth and let everyone knows that I am also at peace and let my daisy sprout.

When you pray for me please include all those in need.

Thursday, November 26, 2009—The Great Flood

Alan wrote: Last night, I started to take a shower before retiring for the evening. Now the European showers are different from the

U.S. as they are not enclosed and not in a tub with a shower curtain. It is part of the bathroom with a generous area of tiling that

slopes toward the drain. If you are not careful, however, the water can spray all over the bathroom. When I turned the water on, only

hot water came out of the shower head and was not adjustable at all. So I turned it off quickly as not to get scalded. Rather than call-

ing for help and acting like any red blooded American man would do, I noticed a valve that seemed to control the water flow, assum-

ing red for hot and blue for cold. I reached for the blue valve high up on the wall and turned it. And it snapped right off my hand, and

a tremendous rush of hot water came gushing out. It sprayed the entire bathroom and pouring also out into the bedroom area. Since

the bedroom and bathroom are separated, not by a door that closes shut, but by a sliding door that has space all around it. I started

yelling for Jeannette to call for help, but she was fast asleep. I then pulled the emergency cord in the bathroom, and I pulled it so hard

that the entire mechanism came out of the wall. I threw on some clothes, ran downstairs screaming for help. The night nurse Alex

called for help. It turned out that there was a meeting going on of all the mechanical and administrative people since the Clinic is only

a few months old and still under construction. They quickly shut the water off. Pouring into our room came four mechanics, three ad-

ministrative staff, two nurses and four housekeepers totaling13 people. They were moving furniture, mopping the floor, fixing the leak,

yelling back and forth and rushing in and out of the room. Throughout this entire storm of activity, Jeannette slept away like a new

born baby oblivious to the tumult surrounding her! She only awoke when we had to move her and everything to another room. And

then she went right back to sleep as if nothing had happened. Actually the valve I snapped off the wall was defective, but the alarm

system now does not work anywhere in the clinic, and they are calling it Alan's alarm.

Thursday, November 26, 2009— Thanksgiving Day

Alan wrote: Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. In Germany we celebrated with pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie for desert from our

great chef, Sven, but no turkey or fixings. The results of cancer chemo sensitivity tests came in today. They showed a very aggres-

sive cancer that has a penchant for invading other body organs and is resistant to many typical conventional treatments. It also

showed, however, which treatments would be effective against Jeannette's particular cancer based on its genetic makeup. Armed

with this knowledge, Dr. Jacob developed an array of medicines to combat the cancer. Some are standard chemotherapy and anti-

body treatments found in the US and are FDA approved, but others are experimental, innovative and cutting edge. Dr. Jacob leveled

with us that this cancer is tough to beat, but she also gave us hope and hope is all we can ask for on this Thanksgiving Day.

Jeannette wrote: Let me ’defend’ myself that I was just sleeping through the ruckus the other night when Alan created a flooding in

our room. Imagine that - a big mess, requiring a full night staff to clean up. In truth, I was in touch with my spiritual side. For many

years, I had a wonderful cat named Sasha, who died from cancer four months ago. Every night I had a routine of patting my bed and

calling for Sasha, and she would jump up on the bed and curl up next to me to keep me warm and company when I was feeling

lonely. Many mornings I would awake with Sasha' derriere in my face, although she often tired of my snoring and would sleep some-

where quieter. In my dream, Sasha and my other dead cat, Tiger, were fighting to protect me. Then an old bearded man came to me

in my dream and told me that I should pay special attention when Dr. Jacob came to me to talk about stem cell treatment. I did not

know who this man was or what he was talking about. I was surprised when, the next morning, Dr. Jacob came to talk about a stem

cell vaccine! I told her about my dream and the message from the old man, but I think she thought I was not all there.

The best part of my day, however, was talking via Skype with my sons and daughter, David, Stanley, and Christine, and Stan's friend,

Annie. It was so much fun talking to them about what was happening, and to see them over the internet. It was heaven on earth.

To be continued in next issue of OCA Westchester Quarterly



Autumn-Winter 2009 20 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Asian American Movers and Shakers



CHARLES KAO, A NOBEL LAUREATE IN PHYSICS 2009



Three scientists who harnessed the power of light in ways that helped turn the

Internet into a global phenomenon and launched the digital-camera revolution were

jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.

Charles Kao, who received half the total prize money of $1.4 million, was lauded for

a breakthrough that led to fiber-optic cables, the thin glass threads that carry a vast

chunk of the world's phone and data traffic and make up the circulatory system of

the Internet.

The other half of the prize was shared by Willard Boyle and George Smith for work

that led to the charge-coupled device, the "electronic eye" of a digital camera that

turns light into electrical signals. The device, which eliminates the need for captur-

ing images on film, paved the way for both today's point-and-shoot digital cameras

and the Hubble Space Telescope.

The Nobel committee described the three physicists as "masters of light."

Optical fibers, developed in the 1950s, had great theoretical potential because light can carry a lot more data

than microwaves or radio waves. But impurities in the glass fibers of the time absorbed much of the light. In

1966, Dr. Kao, while working at Standard Telephones and Cables' laboratory in Harlow, England, tackled the

problem.

"His insight was that if you could get rid of the impurities, you could transmit light over many kilometers," said

Jeff Hecht, who wrote a history of fiber optics in 1999.

Dr. Kao, who was born in Shanghai and has both U.K. and U.S. citizenships, figured out a way to increase the

distance information could be sent to about 60 miles. Manufacturing breakthroughs then opened the way for

moving signals over far greater distances, and the first ultrapure fiber was made in 1970.

Industry experts were skeptical. But, eventually, they were won over by Dr. Kao's vision of how fiber optics

could substantially alter communication.

Today, fiber-optic cables transport words, sound and images from one end of the planet to the other in a split

second. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel prizes, estimates that if all the

glass fibers around the world were unraveled they would stretch to more than 600 million miles.



Cont’d from page 12 on Boon of Immigration



With the 25 cities providing half of the U.S. gross domestic product, even in tough economic times immigrants

contribute mightily to the well-being of their adopted country. The report found that immigrants are more

likely than their U.S.-born counterparts to be of working age, defined as 16 to 64. While they make up 20% of

the people in those 25 big cities, they compose 24% of the labor force.



And work they do, in high-end and low-paying jobs and everything in between. One-fourth are managers or

professionals - executives, doctors, attorneys, engineers, teachers, artists. Another quarter are in technical,

sales and administrative support. Twenty-one percent hold service jobs, ranging from cleaners and guards to

cops and firefighters. Some 30% are blue-collar workers.



Beyond that, 22% of the money brought in by people who own their own businesses was earned by immi-

grants. In some small cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland, the immigrants' share of proprietors' income was

double their proportion in the population.



"One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure." -

William A. Feather, 1889-1981, an American publisher and author



Autumn-Winter 2009 21 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Asian American Movers and Shakers

JACQUELINE NGUYEN CONFIRMED AS A FEDERAL JUDGE

On Dec. 1, 2009 the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Los Angeles Superior Court

Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Nguyen, 44, was the first Vietnamese American woman to serve on the California bench.

She will be the first federal judge in California appointed by President Obama, and the first

Vietnamese American to serve as an Article III federal judge.

Senators confirmed Nguyen by a vote of 97-0. Sen. Dianne Feinstein recommended her

appointment to the president earlier last year, and she received a unanimous ―Well Quali-

fied‖ rating from the American Bar Association and was approved in a voice vote of the

Senate Judiciary Committee.

Feinstein, whose office provided a copy of her floor remarks, told her colleagues that the

jurist ―is a tested judge with a track record of success as both a judge and a federal prosecutor‖ and was

highly recommended by the bipartisan committee the senator uses to screen judicial applicants.

She noted the difficult path that Nguyen had traveled since coming to the United States as a child.

Nguyen was born in Dalat, South Vietnam, the daughter of a South Vietnamese Army major who worked

closely with U.S. intelligence officers. The family fled after the fall of the government in 1975, and lived for

several months in an Army tent at Camp Pendleton.

After leaving Vietnam and Camp Pendleton, Nguyen grew up in Los Angeles and La Crescenta and gradu-

ated from Occidental College in Highland Park in 1987. She earned her law degree from UCLA.

Prior to her Superior Court appointment, Judge Nguyen served in the Criminal Division of the United States

Attorney‘s Office. Before that, she was a commercial disputes, intellectual property and construction defects

attorney with Musick, Peeler & Garrett in Los Angeles.

Nguyen has been a member of a number of Asian American bar groups, including the Vietnamese American

Bar Association of Orange County, the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, the Korean Ameri-

can Bar Association and the Japanese American Bar Association. She helped found and was president of the

Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

She also served as a deputy chief of the General Crimes Section, where she was responsible for training and

supervising new federal prosecutors in the Central District. Nguyen, who is married to Assistant U.S. Attor-

ney Pio Kim, will fill a seat that has been vacant since Nora Manella was named to this district‘s Court of Ap-

peal in 2006.

Asian American Movers and Shakers

Christopher P. Lu, Obama Cabinet Secretary

Christopher Lu is Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary for President Barack

Obama's executive office. Lu graduated from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton Uni-

versity and from Harvard Law School, where he was a classmate of Obama, although the

two were only casually acquainted at the time. He served as a litigation attorney for the

Washington, D.C. firm Sidley Austin before taking his first political position as deputy chief

counsel for Representative Henry Waxman and the Democratic staff of the United States

House Government Reform Committee.

After serving briefly as an advisor on Senator John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, Lu

came to work in Barack Obama's U.S. Senate office, where he served as legislative direc-

tor and acting chief of staff. Following Obama's successful 2008 campaign for presidency,

Lu was appointed executive director of the Obama-Biden Transition Project. When Obama

appointed Lu as Cabinet Secretary, The New York Times described him as "one of the highest-ranking Asian

Americans in the Obama administration".



“Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation. It is better

to be alone than in bad company.” - George Washington, 1st president of the United States of America



Autumn-Winter 2009 22 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Asian American Movers and Shakers



EVAN LOW SWORN IN AS YOUNGEST ASIAN-AMERICAN,

OPENLY GAY MAYOR IN THE COUNTRY

The Campbell (California) Council Chamber wasn't big enough to hold a

gathering of family and friends wanting to catch a glimpse of history as one of

their own was about to take the mayor's seat.

In a standing-room only chamber with people pouring out the doors, a gallery

of news cameras zeroed in on Evan Low when the Campbell City Council on

Tuesday made him the youngest Asian-American and openly-gay mayor in

the country.

As soon as the 4-0 decision passed, with Low abstaining, a crowd filled with

plenty of family members and local and state political heavy hitters erupted in

cheers and applause. Dozens of them, some with gifts and flowers in hand,

remained after the meeting to take photos of and with the new mayor as he

sat behind his new mayoral name plate.

In his opening statements, Low, 26, acknowledged the many family members present and local and state dig-

nitaries, including Assemblyman Paul Fong, whom Low serves as an aide. Low said it is "truly an honor" to be

the city's next mayor, before outlining his mission as city's figurehead.

Despite the challenges for government, from federal to local levels, Low encouraged the city not to waver in

making important decisions, particularly in the fields of technology and sustainability. He also encouraged the

city to support local business and young entrepreneurs.

"In the face of these tough economic times, we know that we must adjust," Low said. "But fiscal responsibility

does not mean that we stop investing in our city. It just means that we must keep a very watchful eye."

Additionally, Low pledged for more accessibility and transparency in government. He pushed for city proceed-

ings to be broadcast online and said he would build formal and informal relationships with the community to

"foster a greatest sense of partnership and civic engagement that will lead to a better Campbell."

Low added that he believes a good government is one of, for, and by the people. "This means you, the peo-

ple of Campbell, must be seen and heard," he said.

Low's latest achievement adds to an already impressive young political career that includes Santa Clara

County Supervisor Liz Kniss awarding him the Asian American Hero Award and San Francisco Mayor Gavin

Newsom proclaiming June 5, 2006, as "Evan Low Day" in the city and county of San Francisco. Low also

continues to make his mark in the Campbell community, following in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Art Low, a

former Campbell Chamber of Commerce President and the 1994 Citizen of the Year.

Throughout the evening, the young mayor sparked several laughs from the crowd, including a would-be joke

at the expense of now Vice Mayor Jason Baker, who is an attorney.

"I had a lawyer joke here, but it was suggested to me that it would not be a good idea for the mayor to alien-

ate all the lawyers and the judges in this room here today," Low quipped.

Baker, who was unanimously chosen to serve as vice mayor, takes the seat next to the mayor on the council.

A former civic improvement commissioner, Baker is in his first term on the council after being elected in No-

vember 2008.

"I am genuinely honored and humbled to be entrusted with this responsibility. It is a particular honor to be se-

lected by this group up here," Baker said, after acknowledging his family.

"Each member is a pillar of the community." Low, who received his associate's degree from DeAnza College

and his bachelor's in political science from San Jose State University, replaced three-time mayor Jane Ken-

nedy in the council rotation. Kennedy will serve the last year of her final term on the council in 2010. Low also

graduated from the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at the John F. Kennedy

School of Government at Harvard University.





Autumn-Winter 2009 23 OCA Westchester Quarterly

News of Interest to Asian Americans



ASIAN STUDENTS BOYCOTTING SOUTH PHILLY HIGH SCHOOL

On December 7, 2009, Asian students at South Philadelphia High School were speaking out for their safety

and fighting back against the ongoing, increased violence directed against them, with the latest incident in-

volving 26 Asian students getting attacked the week before by a group of African American students.

On Friday, December 4, school district officials met with Asian students and community leaders to address

the assaults, and announced new measures -- including patrolling and counseling -- that would be imple-

mented to prevent further violence: South Philly High students met with officials after attacks.

A student was quoted saying: ―I don't know about you, but I don't find these new measures all that comforting.

And, apparently, neither do the students who attended Friday's meeting.‖ With their concerns still unad-

dressed, dozens of students have committed to boycotting South Philadelphia High School.

Instead, the students will be spending a week working and studying on their own, as well as meeting with

community and district leaders. They will meet at a Chinatown location during school hours. Student leaders

have requested that police and school district officials respect students' ability to travel during this time:

The following is a statement by Wei Chen, president, South Philadelphia High School Chinese American Stu-

dent Association:

It is our opinion that South Philadelphia High School is still not a safe place for us. Because we are Asian

immigrants, we are targeted. We have been working with the school a long time, but still the school has failed

to provide a concrete plan to address our safety inside and outside the building.

We remain very upset with some staff members who are unresponsive to our concerns. We have been say-

ing repeatedly that the security team has problems, but the School District still has not responded to our con-

cerns. One staff person even slept through our meeting last Friday.

Because of that we will not return to South Philadelphia High School this week. Instead, we are going to meet

in our community to figure out some real solutions of our own. Dozens of students have already committed to

meeting during school hours. We ask the police and school district to recognize what we're doing and respect

our ability to travel between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

We invite concerned students from all races to contact us if you want to join us.

Further, can you blame these students for taking refuge elsewhere? Many of these students actually moved

to the United States from Asia for a chance at a better education, only to find themselves under constant

threat of violence. It's absolutely ridiculous that it's come to this, that a school cannot protect its own students.

I am still completely baffled by the school district's insistence that these attacks are not racially motivated.

How is this possible? So they're saying that every kid that's been on the receiving end of an attack just hap-

pens to be Asian? And the attacks are totally at random? You've got to be kidding me.

Students have put out a call for assistance for Mandarin and Vietnamese translators and for contributions to

help pay for the cost of transportation as well as meals during the walkout. Contributions may be sent to

Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (215-922-6056) or Asian Americans United (215-925-

1538).

Still, this is only a temporary action. I suggest keeping the pressure on the school district, as well as the

greater Philadelphia community, by utilizing the *contact information provided below. Even if you aren't local,

it will demonstrate that this issue is getting national attention, and the students are drawing support from peo-

ple outside of Philadelphia.

Wei Chen, president

South Philadelphia High School Chinese-American Student Association



*Michael Silverman, Comprehensive High School Regional Superintendent

The School District of Philadelphia

3133 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132 Tel.: 215-684-5132



Autumn-Winter 2009 24 OCA Westchester Quarterly

3rd Annual Stand Against Racism

The YWCA's 3rd Annual Stand Against Racism will take place on Friday, April 30, 2010

The Stand Against Racism has grown! We are expecting approximately 2,000 Participating Sites and well over 200,000 individuals,

who will take a stand in a unified effort to raise awareness that racism still exists and that we stand strong against racism and dis-

crimination of any kind!

The 2010 Stand Against Racism is a collaboration of 68 YWCA Associations across the country.

Please note: in order to be a Participating Site, your local YWCA Association must be a participating YWCA of the Stand Against Ra-

cism.

BECOME A PARTICIPATING SITE OF THE STAND AGAINST RACISM

How it Works

Any group of any size can become a Participating Site of the Stand Against Racism: corporations large or small, schools (from ele-

mentary schools to universities), government agencies, non profit or civic organizations, hospitals, churches or synagogues, even two

neighbors gathered around a kitchen table.

After your group signs up online, you will receive an email with instructions on how to download all your documents. These docu-

ments are "turn-key" and will guide you on how to organize your Stand. Your Stand could be open to the public or private (i.e. for your

own constituents).

The Stand Against Racism materials include "How To" documents that guide you on how to organize your event, as well as tem-

plates, such as the "Invitation Template" that you could use to invite people to come to your Stand. Your Stand could be as simple as

a 15-minute discussion/presentation or as large as an outdoor rally, an all-day open house, or anything in between. We will provide

you with several ideas of what you could do. You may also want to visit our 2009 Highlights page to learn more.

If you choose to be a Public Stand, you will be listed on our site and individuals near you will be able to find out about you and the

details of your particular event.

There is no cost whatsoever to become a Participating Site.



“MEET THE CANDIDATES” FORUM 2009

By Shirley Koo, Newsletter Associate Editor



The “Meet the Candidates” forum was held the evening of October 6, 2009 at the Student Center of Pace Uni-

versity in Pleasantville, New York. Thanks to the efforts of Mark Fang and Bill Kaung of OCA-WHV, seven can-

didates appeared before an audience of about fifty people including OCA members and students from Pace.

This annual program is sponsored jointly by OCA and Pace University’s Project Pericles, a national initiative

that promotes and develops citizenship. We would like to give thanks to Heather Novak from Pace for helping

to set up the room arrangements and providing refreshments from the university and to Daisy Yau for providing

some Chinese pork buns.

The program began with welcoming remarks by Xiaochun Luo, OCA-WHV President. Mark Fang moderated the program. We first

heard from the Westchester County Executive, Andy Spano, and his opponent, Rob Astorino. They were followed by the Westchester

District Attorney, Janet DiFiore, and her opponent, Dan Schorr. Judge Charley Wood from Yonkers, who is running for New York Su-

preme Court, next addressed the audience. The final speakers were running for Westchester County Legislature - Tom Bock from

District #8 and Greg Kane from District #4.

The audience was able to discuss issues that were important to them - rising taxes, expenditures and budgets, non-duplication of

services and more efficient government, conservation of resources, enforcement of the laws, and affordable housing. This forum

gives the community an opportunity to be more involved with our democratic process.



Autumn-Winter 2009 25 OCA Westchester Quarterly

Favorite Chinese Recipes

DEEP-FRIED TOFU (OR BEAN CURD)

Deep-frying gives the tofu a golden brown color and a crispy texture. Serves 3 to 4.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound medium or firm tofu

3 - 4 tablespoons cornstarch or flour, as needed

Oil for deep frying, as needed

Directions for deep-fried tofu:

1. Drain the tofu.

2. Cut the tofu into 4 large cubes as desired.

3. Roll the tofu in the cornstarch or flour.

4. Heat wok and add oil for deep frying. When the oil is heated to at least 350 degrees F., carefully add 2

tofu pieces into the wok.

5. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on

paper towels. Keep warm while frying the remaining tofu. Serves 4.

6. Serve with Soy-ginger dressing, Sweet and Sour Sauce, or Chinese-Style Peanut Sauce.





OCA SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 2010

Washington, DC - OCA is now accepting applications for its 2010 Summer Internship Program.

Celebrating its 21th year, the OCA Internship Program seeks to cultivate future leadership by provid-

ing students from all over the country an opportunity to be involved in the political process through a

national organization. The program has successfully led past interns to become more active on their

college campus and increased the presence of the APA community in local, state and federal gov-

ernments.

―The OCA summer internship is one of our signature programs, and we are proud to have helped

generations of APA college students to become leaders who stay engaged with the APA commu-

nity,‖ said OCA Executive Director George Wu.

Summer interns will be placed at a paid full-time position in a federal agency, nonprofit, or congres-

sional office that matches their interest. Interns can also be placed at the OCA National Center. In

addition to their placement, summer interns will be highly involved in many OCA activities and gain

experience with grassroots organizing.

In addition to connecting interns with the APA community and developing their leadership, OCA also

brings summer interns to the OCA National Convention, the largest APA conference in the country.

The 2010 National Convention will be in Houston from June 17-20. The convention will feature

speakers, entertainment, workshops, and our signature gala. Applicants are strongly encouraged to

make sure they are able to attend.

For the summer session, interns are expected to commit to working full-time for ten weeks between

the dates of May 24 – Aug 13, 2010. Applications will be reviewed by the Internship Committee and

a telephone interview may be scheduled.

For more information on the OCA Summer Internship and to apply, go to OCA‘s website at

www.ocanational.org and click ―Internship‖ under ―Programs.‖ We highly encourage applicants to

apply online. Applications for internships need to be postmarked or submitted online by March 1,

2010 for the summer session. Please contact the OCA National Center at 202-223-5500 or

iho@ocanational.org if you have any questions.



Autumn-Winter 2009 26 OCA Westchester Quarterly

AVAILABLE JOB OPENINGS

In this economic hard time, when many Americans are out of work, especially Asian Americans, we

are willing to post any job openings in this corner. If you hear of any jobs available locally and in

and around New York City, please send them to the attention of the Publisher, OCA-WHV, P.O. Box

541, White Plains, NY 10602.

Job Opening for Young APA



APAICS ANNOUNCES 2010 SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Washington, D.C. – The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) will be accept-

ing applications for its 2010 undergraduate Summer Internship Program starting in December. The applica-

tion form is available at www.apaics.org and must be submitted by January 31, 2010. There will be no exten-

sions.

Each year, APAICS selects undergraduate students for a first-hand learning experience in American politics

and policy making. Interns work in congressional offices, federal agencies, or non-profit organizations in

Washington, D.C. Past interns were placed in the congressional offices of Majority Whip James Clyburn and

Joseph Sestak, Jr., The Bureau of Engraving and Printing, The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Civil

Rights in The Department of Agriculture, and The American Bar Association. Through a series of seminars,

interns learn about national Asian Pacific American (APA) advocacy organizations and network with peers

from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute

(CHCI). Last summer, the 90 interns in the Tri-Caucus Organizations (APAICS, CBCF, CHCI) participated in

a joint youth summit focused on coalition building and the impact of the 2010 U.S. Census.

The APAICS Summer Internship Program encourages the political and civic involvement of young Asian Pa-

cific Americans, fosters their interest in careers in politics and public policy, and develops their leadership

skills.

Short-term Job Opening Available



TEACHING ARTIST WANTED FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

In February 2010 the Gallery and Public Program Manager at Pelham Art Center is looking to celebrate Chi-

nese New Year as part of their Folk Art Program. All their public programs are free and open to the public.

Recently they celebrated Korean Folk Arts Day with a musical performance by two traditional Korean musi-

cians, and Diwali: Indian Festival of Lights, which was a day of art and performance. Both were very well at-

tended. This coming year we are looking to have an art making work shop celebrating Chinese New Year on

Saturday, February 13, from 1:30-3:30.



They need someone who could teach the workshop. They are also hoping to find a performance artist (vocal,

musical, dance) who might do something to celebrate as well. They have a budget of $400-$500.



Please contact Christine Milo of Pelham Art Center at 155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803 or 914-738-2525

ext. 113. The Center website: www.pelhamartcenter.org or her email: cmilo@pelhamartcenter.org







"Sycophants will stand in the rain a week to see you and will treat you like a king.

They'll come sliding in and tell you you're the greatest man alive — but you know and I

know you ain't." - Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn, Speaker of the U.S. House of

Representatives during Truman time in reply to Truman lamenting

the loneliness of being in the Oval Office.









Autumn-Winter 2009 27 OCA Westchester Quarterly

OCA Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter Non-Profit Org.

P.O. Box 541 U.S. Postage

White Plains, NY 10602-0541 PAID

White Plains, NY

10602

Permit # 1083









TO:









OCA CHAPTERS in the United States and Hong Kong









Autumn-Winter 2009 28 OCA Westchester Quarterly