2002 OCA Voter Registration Drive

By Scanews staff

	Every two years, there is a general election in the State of Missouri for selecting senators and congressman that can voice our opinions. The Organization of Chinese Americas (OCA) - St. Louis chapter, a civil rights organization, usually launches a voter registration drive to promote awareness of the election and importance of voting, thereby encouraging Asian Americans in Missouri to vote. OCA has been trying very hard for the past years to ameliorate the voter apathy among Asian Americans. OCA wants to stress the fact that voting is our rights and also our obligation, of every U.S. citizen, to express his/her choice in the political process. Asian-American voices need to be heard!	

	The election date this year is on November 5th, 2002 but the deadline for the voter registration is on October 9th. So, Missourian voters who intend to vote, should register by the deadline.

	OCA kicked off the 2002 Missouri voter registration drive on September 21, 2002 after the last session of its executive seminar series at the Missouri Baptist Medical Center. On Sunday, September 22nd, OCA set up a voter registration booth at the St. Louis Chinese Language School and Modern Chinese School to facilitate the registration. OCA also had the vote registration drive at different locations such as Richman Theater concurring with the Shanghai Youth Orchestra performance (Saturday evening, September 28th) and the St. Louis Chinese Academy (Sunday, October 29th). OCA will have another 2 sessions at the Double-Ten celebration party (Holiday Inn, at 2:00 pm, Saturday, October 5th) and Central Trading Place on Olive (Saturday morning, Oct 5th).
	
This year, OCA is very excited that the Young OCA, an organization for young Chinese Americans, has the aspiration to be involved in future civil right movements, and is going to support the voter drive. Ms. Yang Ruan (the president) and other members of Young OCA joined the voter drive on September 28th (Saturday) and will join the Central Trading Place (Saturday morning, Oct 5th). In addition, OCA appreciates the support of Jodi Ritter, Youth Vote Coalition, to photo copy the Voter Registration cards from all of the OCA Voter Registration events and who volunteers to drop them off at the Board of Elections.  

	If you have questions about how to register, please contact Mathew Yu (president of OCA, 314-654-6587) or Hung-Gay Fung (314-516-6374), email: fungh@msx.umsl.edu.