OCA-East Spring Mixer on Wednesday June 15th

OCA Thanks Goodwin Liu for Courageous Fight to Fill Judicial Emergency

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

20 May 2011

CONTACT

George C. Wu | Executive Director

202 223 5500 | gwu@ocanational.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

White House Initiative on AA/PIs: Presentation on the 2010 Census and the AA and NHPI Populations

UPDATE: A Webinar and audio conference have been added to the presentation. Please find details below.

Please join us for a presentation on what the 2010 Census numbers reveal about the Asian population and the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population. According to the latest census numbers, the Asian population grew faster than any other major race group - increasing 43 percent from 2000 to 2010.

Demographers from the U.S. Census Bureau will discuss this rapid growth, and provide insights to distributions of the Asian and Pacific Islander populations across the country. They also will preview upcoming Census data that offer more detailed ethnic breakdowns of the Asian and Pacific Islander populations.

WHAT:

An analysis of the 2010 Census statistics on the Asian population and the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population; a question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.

WHEN:

Thursday, May 19, 2011

12:00 -1:30 pm (EDT)

WHO:

Nicholas A. Jones, Chief, Racial Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau

Sonya Rastogi, Demographer, Racial Statistics Branch, U.S. Census Bureau

WHERE:

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Ave. SW

Washington, DC 20202

Please note: Space is limited. Please RSVP by 5 pm Tuesday, May 17, 2011 to Eun Kim at eun.k.kim@ed.gov or at (202)384-7937 if you plan to attend.

WEBINAR INFORMATION

To view the presentation online:
1. Go to https://educate.webex.com/educate/k2/j.php?ED=146951067&UID=1163285427&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Enter the session password: welcome1
4. Click "Join Now".
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

To listen to the presentation:

Dial in: 800-857-9848

Participant password: EDUCATE

Diablo Valley JACL's Tsunami Relief & School Classroom Supply Drive

IT’S BOWL-A-THON TIME!
Tsunami Relief & School Classroom Supply Drive

Please distribute widely!

By popular demand, once again, Diablo Valley JACL’s Bowl-A-Thon is back! This year, we will be dividing the profits from the bowl-a-thon: 75-25% between Japan tsunami relief and providing school supplies for classrooms at a local elementary school (Bel Air Elementary in Bay Point, CA).

WHEN: May 22, 2011

BOWLING - Diablo Lanes 1500 Monument Blvd. Concord, CA. Registration starts at 9:30 am; Bowling 10 am to noon

LUNCH –: China Wall Restaurant (BUFFET LUNCH) at 12:15 pm - 1673 Willow Pass Rd., Concord (in Park n Shop Center)

Your registration cost of $40 per person (or 2 for $70) covers bowling, lunch and donation to the fund-raising. We also ask if you can, please get people to sponsor you or donate to the fundraiser. We are also happily accepting school supply donations at the event. Diablo Valley JACL is a 501 (c ) 3 non-profit and your donation is tax deductible.

RSVP to Tomoko Roudebush at (925) 817-8177 or email: tomokoroudebush@yahoo.com

Join OCA-East Bay for a luncheon with Oakland City Auditor Courtney Ruby on Friday, June 3rd, 12 noon.

Restaurant Peony (back room)

Pacific Renaissance Plaza, Suite 288

388 9th Street, Oakland, CA 94607

Between Franklin and Webster

Cost of Lunch $25/person

Space is limited, please RSVP by 5/27/2011 to:

Suzie Lee: (510)-836-6688 or suzie@yhla.net

Early Bird Registration has begun for the 2011 OCA National Convention in New York City

OCA Members and Supporters from all over the country will converge to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing Asian Pacific Americans.

Click the logo for more information about registration, hotels, and airfare.