Category: Youth Leadership
Youth leadership for the well-being of all Americans
UCA WAVES Trifold


See UCA WAVES Mental Health Track at Summer Convention: Register Now!
UCA Announces Student Scholarship on Racial Justice “From Vincent Chin To George Floyd” in summer 2020
UCA to Join Asian American Communities in Honoring Heroes
UCA to Join Asian American Communities on June 22nd, in Houston, Texas
In Honoring Heroes in the Midland Hate Crime and Host a Webinar on Anti-Racism Movements
On June 23rd, 1982, Chinese American Vincent Chin died in Detroit, Michigan after being attacked and fatally beaten by two white autoworkers for looking like Japanese, at a time of rising anti-Japanese and anti-Asian racial tension. Vincent Chin’s death has become a crucial turning point in Asian American history and civil rights movement led by Lily Chin, Vincent’s mother, who stood up courageously for her son’s justice.
In March 2020, 38 years later, a Burmese family Cung, was mistaken to be ‘Chinese infecting people with Coronavirus’ and was attacked at a local Sam’s Club store in Midland, TX. The family’s two children, ages 2 and 6, along with the father, were badly wounded by knife cuts, some were even left on the face.
Two months later, George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis by a white policeman. His death and the recent killing of innocent African Americans, have fueled the rage of the community, already distressed disproportionally in the COVID-19 pandemics. The tragedies continue to rip the country apart and generated national and international outcries against systematic racism and institutional discrimination in the US against people of color.
UCA and many Asian American organizations have come out firmly and clearly immediately after George Floyd’s death, condemning such brutality and crimes. We stand up together with our brothers and sisters who have been tormented by the dark side of American’s history. We are here to unite with the vulnerable communities and to ask for the continuous push for racial justice and social progress in this country.
On June 22nd, 2020, the 38 anniversary of Vincint Chin’s death, UCA is joining Asian American communities and anti-hate-crime anti-racism organizations to host an award ceremony and an advocacy event in commemorating this historical moment. We invite all community members to join us on these special occasions to honor the Midland heroes and to participate in the community dialogue on how we can move forward from this point on.
The event details from Houston Chinese Community Center are here: https://ccchouston.org/advocacy-award/
The donation to the victim family can be continuously made here: https://www.memberplanet.com//campaign/united-chinese-americans/general_giving_158_1_1
Lily and Vincent Chin Advocacy
Award Ceremony
Monday, June 22 at 10:30 a.m. CST

Two Midland, Texas heroes, Zach Owen and Bernie Ramirez, who intervened in a violent anti-Asian stabbing of the Cung Family, a Burmese father and his two young sons, will receive the Lily and Vincent Chin Advocacy Award* on Monday, June 22 at 10:30 am CST at the Chinese Community Center in Houston, TX. Despite injuries to his leg and hand, Zach Owen, with the help of Bernie Ramirez, disarmed and subdued the attacker until the police arrived. Labeled a “hate crime”, the suspect said he thought the family was Chinese and spreading the coronavirus.
The award ceremony is organized by Asian American organizations including those in the Asian American Salute Front Heroes campaign Houston, UCA, and sponsored by many other local and national organizations. UCA will present a donation to the Cung Family to support the medical expenses for future surgeries and challenges the 2 and 6 year-old children may face due to the attack.
To watch the event live, please join by: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opm1Lbx9pdc.
The donation can be continuously made here: https://www.memberplanet.com//campaign/united-chinese-americans/general_giving_158_1_1
Please email steven.pei@ucausa.org for questions or comments on the donation and award ceremony.
From Vincent Chin to George Floyd:
A Panel Discussion
Monday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. CST
A panel discussion will be held virtually via Zoom on the evening of Monday, June 22 at 7:00 pm CST, discussing the 38th anniversary of the brutal killing of Vincent Chin and the recent killing of George Floyd. Both deaths created and sustained a major movement to oppose racial hate and discrimination.
Please register the zoom meeting ahead of time at: https://form.jotform.com/201684865046057 , and email steven.pei@ucausa.org for questions or comments on this panel discussion.
“From Vincent Chin to George Floyd” will feature:
Moderator

Gordon Quan
Attorney and former Houston Council member
Panelists

Helen Zia
An award-winning journalist and community activist who has covered Asian American communities and social and political movements for many years. She is a founder in the movement for justice for Vincent Chin and is outspoken voice for human rights.

Zach Owen
Recipient of the Lily and Vincent Chin Advocacy Award* for risking his life to save the Burmese family from hate crime committed at Midland, TX on March 14, 2020.

Reagan Hognojos
Friend of the Cung family.

Mark Touban
Attorney and serves as the Regional Director for the ADL’s Southwest Regional Office in Houston, Texas.

Cherry Steinwender
Co-Executive Director and co-founder of the Center for the Healing of Racism.

Annie Tan
Special education teacher and storyteller in New York’s Chinatown. She has been a fighter for public education, unions, tenants and Asian American rights. She is a cousin of the late Vincent Chin.
*AASFH has been authorized by the Estate of the Chin family to use the name “Lily and Vincent Chin Advocacy Award” for this special recognition of two Frontline Heroes on June 22, 2020. Photos used with permission (c) All rights reserved.
UCA Student Scholarship on Racial Justice
“From Vincent Chin to George Floyd” in 2020 Summer Semester
UCA is announcing a student scholarship to be awarded to Chinese American students who are actively engaged in fighting against racism and hate crimes, and propel the progress towards civil rights protection and racial justice. The summer 2020 scholarship to honor the “From Vincent Chin to George Floyd” event will be given to a high school student led project in the amount of $1000 and to a college student led project in the amount of $1000.
The winners will be invited to a UCA national forum to discuss their work, and present their essays and materials. Content of their projects including the essays, media, and presentations will be promoted on UCA website and social media channels
Projects will need to commence after June 22nd, 2020, and last throughout summer 2020. The scholarship application must be submitted by 11:59 PM August 31st, 2020. The winners will be announced by September 22nd, 2020, selected by a panel of judges of UCA.
Please visit the scholarship announcement page for more details. Please email UCA board members, Helen Shih, or Jinliang Cai, for questions and comments: helenshihuca@gmail.com, jlcai@yahoo.com
UCAWA Initiated Youth Mental Health Program
UCAWA Initiated Youth Mental Health Program
United Chinese Americans in Washington (UCAWA) is a newly formed chapter of UCA. Since founding the organization we have stared several programs including Youth Leadership & Government Internship Program. We have also initiated a conversation with Bellevue School Foundation and Bellevue School District to explore the possibility to work together in addressing the mental health issues that young students including Asian students are facing in today’s world.
Bellevue School District is ranked the best school district in Washington State with student population over 20,000. Among 20,000, there 45%+ Asian students, and 20%+ Chinese students. In the recent years the school has seen a big increase of reported mental health incidents and cases among its middle and high school students. According the data collected by the District there are average 40+ per week reported mental health related incidents and cases in its students population. Many of us found the number astonishing since Bellevue School District is situated in a predominantly higher middle-class city. But we believe this is the new reality that the schools and the school district are facing in our state, and other states in the US as well.
After many email exchanges, discussions and meetings, now the leaders of BSF and BSD have made administrative decision to collaborate with UCA/UCAWA to do a series of youth mental health lectures and events. Detailed plan and timelines are still being worked on. We are so glad that we will have an opportunity to help and support the effort of Bellevue School District in addressing the youth mental health issue and make our contribution. For the past two month we have received abundant help from UCA and UCA Illinois Chapter that has provided valuable information, resource materials and expertise. We look forward to joining force with UCA, Illinois Chapter and other experts in the fields to make the program happen, and make this pilot project a success.
— UCAWA

Parenting Conference on Asian American Mental Health
To engage in the youth initiatives described below,
please email info@ucausa.org
UCA-IL Presents
Parenting Conference
Asian Parents, American Children
Time: April 22, Sat, 2017 ( 8:00am – 4:30pm)
Location: Hyatt Place Rosemont, 6810 Mannheim Rd, Rosemont, IL 60018
Program: Lectures and discussions
Parenting in a new country and new culture, or being a child of the first generation immigrant parents, is a new and uncharted territory for many of us. We are excited to offer this unique opportunity to see how we are going to learn together as a community from experts and other parents who care about our next generation; also to learn together in our homes, between our first generation immigrant parents and second generation kids to create the happier, more harmonious and successful children and families!
It takes a village to raise a child. We don’t have all of the answers, but in the grace of God, together, step by step, we will find our way; step by step, we can and will work to make our families happier and to make our community stronger yet!
Respectfully Yours,
Steve Hugh
Chairman, UCA-IL Board
Issues we all face to a certain degree in our homes
- My teenager son doesn’t want to talk to me, 我的十几岁的儿子不想跟我说话。
- My daughter is dating with someone I disapprove of, 我女儿约会的人我们不同意。
- My child doesn’t have motivation to work hard, 我的孩子没有勤奋努力的动力。
- Boys / male young adults seem to have more pressure compared to girls. 男孩子似乎承受的压力更大
- My child doesn’t want to try new things and has low self-esteem, 我的孩子不想尝试新事物,自尊心低下。
Do you find yourself asking the following questions?
- How can I get my parents to understand me more?” 如何才能让我的父母理解我?
- Are my parents and I even speaking the same language? 怎么父母好像跟我都不是一个语言在沟通?
- Why do my parents not have reasonable expectations of me? 为何父母对我不能有合理的期盼?
Introduction and Promotion
Event Promotional Video
Movie Trailer
Welcome remark: Lily Chen, Haipei Shue and Hong Liu
Feature Presentations
Paul Li: Emotional needs of our children
Justine Chen: What is a successful student under? Understanding the importance of stress, communication, and emotional wellness
Juliana Chen: Film Screening: “looking for Luke”
Sharon Wu: Personal growth/success and ways to improve students’ ability to think deeply and communicate effectively (1/3)
Sharon Wu: Personal growth/success and ways to improve students’ ability to think deeply and communicate effectively (2/3)
Sharon Wu: Personal growth/success and ways to improve students’ ability to think deeply and communicate effectively (3/3)
Panel Discussions
Film Panel Discussion: Justine Chen, Juliana Chen and Paul Li
Panel discussion Growing up in America in a Chinese Home Moderator: Paul Li, Panelists: Theresa Mah, Elain Zhou and Jason Jiang (1/2)
Panel discussion Growing up in America in a Chinese Home Moderator: Paul Li, Panelists: Theresa Mah, Elain Zhou and Jason Jiang (2/2)
Closing Remarks
Conference closing remark by Steven Hugh , Chair of UCA Illinois Board