This year’s honorees are:
- Leadership Award: Jeanette Moy, Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services
- Trailblazer Award: Yu and Me Books
- Community Award: UA3
- Corporate Leadership Award: United Healthcare
- OCA-NY Board Recognition: Brianna Cea, Immediate Past President, OCA-NY
Location: House of Joy
About OCA
OCA was founded in 1973 to give voice and representation to Chinese Americans across the United States. Interest in civil rights advocacy had been growing in Chinese American communities since the late 1960s. OCA founders, among them Kung-Lee (K.L.) Wang, recognized a need for an organization to advocate for Chinese Americans on the national level in the same way as the NAACP and the JACL advocated for their respective ethnic groups.
In September 1971, K.L. Wang and others established the Chinese American Leadership Council, the precursor to OCA, in Washington, DC. K.L. Wang then traveled to many cities in the U.S. to promote a national advocacy organization for Chinese Americans. In November 1971, at the urging of K.L. Wang, Alex Mark chaired a steering committee to establish a national organization for Chinese Americans in Detroit, Michigan. By February 1972, the Association of Chinese Americans was established and incorporated in Detroit, with Alex Mark as its first president. In late 1971, K.L. Wang also met with a group of about 20 Chinese Americans in the St. Louis community. This meeting lead to the formation of the League of Chinese Americans in early 1972. William Chang was elected its first president.
On May 3, 1973, Alex Mark and K.L. Wang sent invitation letters for OCA membership to Chinese American communities in Detroit, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Washington, DC. These pioneering groups came together at the first National Convention on June 9, 1973. One hundred twelve delegates from across the nation attended the convention, in which the constitution, bylaws and the name of the organization were adopted. Pauline Tsui of Washington, DC, served as the convention committee chair. Anna Chennault was instrumental in recruiting support from Congress and the Administration. K.L. Wang was elected as its first national president.
The Association of Chinese Americans in Detroit, while retaining its name, became a chapter. The original OCA in Washington, DC, evolved as a distinct chapter with Harry Woo as its first president. The League of Chinese Americans in St. Louis also joined, becoming the third founding chapter of OCA.
In 2013, OCA's National Board of Directors passed a resolution to change its name to "OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates" to reflect a more expansive mission to represent the pan-ethnic interests of the community.
