Founded in 1978, OCA-NY Asian Pacific American Advocates is a non-profit civil rights organization whose mission is to promote and defend the political, economic, and cultural rights of Asian Pacific Americans in New York City.  The New York Chapter is one of over 100 chapters and affiliates of OCA nationwide. The top three civil rights priorities for OCA -NY are Combating Hate Crimes, Voting Rights, and Immigration Reform.

2015 Campaigns and Projects. Highlights of OuYang’s work, as an OCA-NY member include:

-co-leading a coalition to drop charges against Qingyou Li, a 64 year old monolingual man with glaucoma who was arrested after being beaten by a stranger who became enraged after Mr. Li tripped over his dog’s leash

-organizing the 9th Annual Hate Crimes Prevention Art Project, a summer project to empower and educate high school students on how to use art as an advocacy tool-the project culminates in a youth run city-wide hate crimes prevention art contest and display of submissions at the Museum of Chinese in America

2009-2014 President.  Highlights under OuYang’s presidency include:

Advocacy/Hate Crimes and Government Accountability

– leading a 2 and 1/2 year campaign for justice for Private Danny Chen that resulted in 8 superiors being found guilty and discharged from the Army, President Obama signing anti-hazing legislation, and a street sign, “Private Danny Chen Way” in Manhattan’s Chinatown

– co-leading a successful campaign to get criminal charges dropped against Kang Wong, an 84 year old monolingual man who was injured after receiving a jaywalking ticket in New York City (a policy the precinct suddenly began to enforce without notice to the community)

– leading community organizations in securing a governor’s pardon for Qing Wu that saved him from imminent deportation for a teenage criminal record and led to the creation by Governor Paterson of a Special Immigration Board of Pardons

 -organizing the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Annual Hate Crimes Prevention Art Project

Voting

-registering more than 350 new voters and Get Out the Vote efforts reaching 3,894 voters in 2014

-testifying before federal, state and local redistricting commissions/hearings that  contributed to the creation of the first Asian majority state senate district; organizing successful naturalization clinics in Queens

-co-sponsoring candidates’ forums

Immigration Reform

-collecting over 500 signed postcards in Brooklyn in support of comprehensive immigration reform

-convening educational forums in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and the need for comprehensive immigration reform

-advocating for passage of the State Dream Act in Albany

-participating in the 2010 Immigrant March for America, Washington, D.C.

 During OuYang’s presidency, the OCA-NY chapter received the following awards:

2009-2014 First Place Chapter Excellence Award for Advocacy (five years in a row) at the Annual OCA National Convention

2013 Commitment to Care Award from EmblemHealth

2013 Community Service Award from United East Association

2013 2nd Place Chapter of the Year Award from OCA National

2012 Lifetime Community Service Award from the NYPD Asian Jade Society

2012 Caring Award from Museum of Chinese in America

2012 Third Place Chapter of the Year Award, OCA National

2010 Honored at Chinatown Youth Initiatives 10 Year Anniversary Gala

2009 OCA-NY Dragons won first place in the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Competition’s regular mixed division in Queens