Chinese American Citizens Alliance

52nd Biennial National Convention

Dear Brothers & Sisters:

Mark your calendars from August 6th through August 11th! Our lodge has planned a wonderful Convention schedule for Delegates and Non- Delegates. Our activities schedule will allow you to get to know and love the Bay Area as much as we do. The attached Convention Tidbits will provide a teaser of what's to come, but in short, our tours include: U.S.S. Hornet, Chabot Space Science Center, Angel Island, and ChinaCamp. For those of you who attended convention in San Francisco a couple of years ago, don't skip out on the Angel Island tour! The Immigration Station has been restored since your last visit and is now open to the public. Oakland Lodge is very excited about hosting the upcoming 52nd Biennial Convention! We hope to see you all here!

Yours truly,

Edward Yu
President, Oakland Lodge

Visit Host Lodge Website for more information: http://cacaoakland.org/convent/index.html

Presidential Proclamation -- Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2013

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Each May, our Nation comes together to recount the ways Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) helped forge our country. We remember a time 170 years ago, when Japanese immigrants first set foot on American shores and opened a path for millions more. We remember 1869, when Chinese workers laid the final ties of the transcontinental railroad after years of backbreaking labor. And we remember Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have made our country bigger and brighter again and again, from Native Hawaiians to the generations of striving immigrants who shaped our history -- reaching and sweating and scraping to give their children something more. Their story is the American story, and this month, we honor them all.

ALLIANCE ACTION ALERT

Grand President Carolyn H. Chan and Washington, D.C. Lodge President Ted Gong urge your consideration to take action and sign the petition created on the White House website requesting a Presidential statement or proclamation to recognize the harm of the Chinese Exclusion Laws and their impact and significance to Chinese Americans today. Please take action by April 20 to meet the goal of 100,000 signatures.

Friends: Please sign a petition asking the President to apologize for the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and related laws. Go to http://wh.gov/ssMz

Grand Lodge Communications - Alliance Connection March 2013

President’s Message
Carolyn H. Chan, Grand President

Gung Hay Fat Choy! May the Year of the Snake bring you abundant happiness, excellent health, and good fortune.

SAVE THE DATES-August 7-11, 2013, for the 52^nd Biennial National Convention hosted by Oakland Lodge. Arrive for stays at the Oakland Marriott Center Hotel on August 6 so we can open the convention promptly at 9:00 AM at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290, Oakland, CA 94607. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to reunite with old friends and make new friends with your brothers and sisters and visit China Camp and Angel Island, important Chinese American historic sites.

Help ensure smooth operation of the convention by buying ads for the program booklet. Full details about hotel registration, convention registration, and advertising forms are available at the Oakland Lodge website at www.cacaoakland.org/convent/index.html

IMPORTANT DEADLINES for submitting substantive resolutions and lodge reports will be sent to Grand Board and local lodge leaders by e-mail.

Thanks to the participation of our members and leaders, we continue to make strides in educating youth and achieving equity. Every member is important to our success.

2013 C. A. C. A. National Essay Contest (updated)

Since its beginning thousands of high school students across the nation have participated in the Alliance’s National Essay Contest. The essay contest is intended to foster creative thinking and self-expression and encourage an awareness of current local and world events. Top placing finishers receive cash scholarship towards their education endeavors.

This annual contest is open to any student enrolled in senior high school (grades 9-12). No entry fee required. Participants are to compose an essay in English not to exceed 500 words on a contemporary topic concerning the Chinese and Asian American communities. The essay topic is given at the time of the contest.

This year’s contest will be held Saturday, March 2, 2013, commencing at 10:00 a.m. and concluding at 12:00 p.m. (local time). Please contact your nearest host representative for additional information and/or to register. Please check back on this website if your nearest location and contact information has not been announced. Deadline date to register is February 26, 2013.

Application Form available online

Essay Contest Locations (confirmed as of February 5, 2013):

2013 NATIONAL ART CONTEST - "A Moment In Your Family History"

Chinese American Citizens Alliance’s National Art Competition in Partnership with the Chinese American Museum

We are pleased to announce a juried, nationwide Art Competition for students during the 2012-2013 school year. The purpose of this Art Competition is to explore your family history by doing research or interviewing your family members. For over 100 years, the Chinese American Citizens Alliance sought to better the welfare of the community and to achieve equality and justice for Chinese Americans and to encourage American patriotism. The Chinese American Museum, located in Los Angeles, across Union Station, seeks to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of America’s diverse heritage by researching, preserving, and sharing the history, rich cultural legacy, and continuing contributions of Chinese Americans.

>>Download Application and Rules