Seeking Community Leader
The OCAW Maryland Chapter wishes to extend its sincere thanks to Karina Hou, for leading the chapter as its President for the past six years. Karina’s numerous commitments to various other organizations made it very difficult for her to continue working in this capacity for OCAW, and thus she needed to step down. She is one of the top leaders in the Chinese community in the Washington Metropolitan area, and actually, her leadership extends much beyond this region. Her association with OCAW has helped to enhance its prestige, and for that we are grateful.
National President Maria Yang has graciously taken on the position of Acting OCAW Maryland President, until a replacement can be found. Maria also was kind enough to be Acting Maryland President for a period of time several years ago, when the chapter also had a vacancy in this position.
Maria is actively soliciting an individual who would like to fill this role. No prior leadership experience is necessary, and it does not require a heavy time commitment. If you are interested and would like more information, or if you know someone who might be interested, please contact Maria at:
ocawmaryland@yahoo.com. OCAW National is here to provide guidance and support as you consider the next chapter of leadership for Maryland.
Duanwu Jie / Dragon Boat Festival: History, Culture, and Culinary Treats
This was a combined project with Maryland and Virginia chapters.
Click here to go to Virginia’s page for the article.
Lunch at Q by Peter Chang
(from Linda Devine)
June 15, 2024, OCAW Maryland Chapter hosted a lunch at the Q by Peter Chang restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland. Many OCAW-MD members did not know one another, so the main purpose of the occasion was for them to meet and learn about each other. Members were also invited to bring a guest, and many chose to invite individuals whom they wanted to introduce to the chapter, with the potential that these ladies could become interested and involved with OCAW. About twenty attendees participated.
OCAW National President Maria Yang was unable to attend the lunch due to unavoidable conflict and sent her regrets. However, Maria wanted to extend her greetings to all, and said she hoped that she would be able to meet everyone at a future time. Linda then introduced special guest Cathy Roberts, a longtime OCAW member who serves as the National Vice President for Membership, in addition to being the Treasurer of the OCAW Virginia Chapter. Karina commented that as she looks around the room, she sees that every woman there is capable and powerful. She encouraged all of us to combine our power to create a bigger whole, with which we could accomplish much. She welcomed those attendees who were with us for the first time, to join our big family with love, care, and support – and especially in today’s current environment, to advocate for peace. Karina was personally very generous and had brought bottles of champagne to share. Flutes were filled with fine bubbly, and we all toasted to one another and the occasion.
Everyone’s introductions continued to be interesting, insightful, and enthusiastic. Originally, attendees had also been informed that if they chose to, they could talk about a favorite charity, and possibly others might be interested in learning about it and perhaps want to support it. Maybe the charity could be a health organization, or a cultural entity such as a symphony orchestra or theater group, or a community service organization which helps those less fortunate in some way. Participants were able to bring ones to the audience’s attention.
Christina announced that she had brought membership applications for those who might be interested in joining. We are delighted that as a result, the Maryland Chapter gained two new members! Welcome to Yang Yu, guest of Christina Poy, and Roxanne Yamashita, guest of OCAW-MD member Pam Wong. Roxanne also joined as a MD Lifetime member!
Claire Chao, an OCAW Hawaii member and author, had co-written a memoir with her mother, entitled Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels, and Claire had very generously offered complimentary books to OCAW members. Linda had brought copies of the book to those MD members who had expressed an interest in receiving one, and she reminded those attendees to pick up their designated books. The OCAW Maryland Chapter wishes to thank Claire once again for her generosity! We were particularly pleased when Peter Chang gave additional dishes to taste and made an appearance in our special dining room to say hello, so we could personally offer our thanks for his generosity.
Library of Congress Cultural Event in Celebration of AAPI Heritage Month
(from Kitty Hsu Dana, Vice President)
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, on Thursday, May 8, 2025, the Library of Congress Asian American Association hosted a splendid event at the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., to highlight the rich contributions of our communities. The program paired a significant Keynote on Feng Shui with rich musical performances. OCAW members were invited to attend this event, and Maryland members were proud to support it with our presence. We embraced the opportunity to celebrate our identity and to enjoy and cheer the accomplished presenters.
(Photo taken by Maria Yang)
Keynote by Khadro Crystal Chu Rinpoche, renowned spiritual teacher, Feng Shui educator, and consultant, writer, and international lecturer, opened the event with her presentation, “Feng Shui: Creating Balance and
Harmony in Your Life.” She has been invited to lecture and teach at distinguished institutions and
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organizations worldwide, including United Nations staff groups, the Library of Congress Asian American Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture FAPAC, the Harvard Medical School Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute, New York University, the University of London, the University of New South Wales in Australia, George Mason University, and many others.
In addition to teaching Buddhist philosophy, spiritual cultivation, meditation, and spiritual personal growth, she also offers the Two Year Feng Shui Certification Program and the Advanced Feng Shui Mentorship Program. These programs are designed to transmit the most authentic Black Sect Esoteric Buddhism Feng Shui teachings and to train highly qualified Feng Shui practitioners and consultants.
As lineage holder and spiritual leader of the Fifth Stage of Black Sect Esoteric Buddhism, Khadro Crystal spoke about Feng Shui as a key factor in harmonizing individuals with the living and working environment that they build. Feng Shui integrates spirituality with modern adaptability, revealing adjustments that can be made on our surroundings to enhance people’s health, prosperity, and success. By incorporating principles of Feng Shui into daily life, individuals can align their energy with their environments to foster balance and harmony in all aspects of life.
The beautiful musical program featured exquisite and exciting performances by artists from several Washington area cultural groups. The Washington Dunhuang Guzheng Academy (WDGA) has been dedicated to promoting traditional Chinese culture through innovative performances of guzheng artistry by
integrating both Western and traditional Chinese instruments, teaching, and community engagement. We were treated to lovely music of an ensemble of five young girls and a moving solo by Lei Gu, founder of the Academy and noted organizer of Sino-American cultural exchanges.
Chinese American Museum Tour and Reception
Auspiciously on this day, the rain had stopped and clouds had given way to clear skies and lovely fall weather as Maryland and Virginia members made their way to downtown D.C. from disparate locations in the two states, some coming a long distance to join in the occasion.
CAMDC is a new museum, and the first and only one in the nation’s capital dedicated to the Chinese American story – its history, culture, and impact. Its mission is “to advance the understanding, knowledge, and appreciation of the Chinese American experience, by highlighting the history, culture, spirit, and contributions of Chinese Americans to our nation and beyond.”
When we arrived at the museum, we were greeted by Louisa Sorkness, the museum’s Program Coordinator. As attendees gathered, some of us who were early were invited to explore the various floors, including an exhibition by Chinese American and longtime Washington area artist Dora Fugh Lee, whose exquisite paintings graced the walls of the third floor.
Once guests were assembled, Karina welcomed the group, and on behalf of OCAW, she extended our gratitude to the museum for organizing and hosting this event. In particular, she thanked Jenny Liu; David Uy, Executive Director; David Yao, Advisor, Outreach and Community Relations; and Penny Yao, Senior Advisor. She also acknowledged Louisa Huang in advance for her presentation to come.
Following Karina, David Uy made remarks on behalf of the museum. He informed us that the idea of a museum was first conceived in 2017, and it has been in development since 2018. He then gave us some history of the project. He also talked about the many exhibitions and programs that they have been able to host, including several virtual ones. Uy concluded by saying, however, that they “still have a long way to go” in future programming, and his pride in the museum was evident.
We then had the privilege of hearing a presentation by Louisa Huang about the current exhibition, “Golden Threads: Chinese Opera in America.” Louisa is Co-founder and President of DC Beauty of Beijing Opera. She began by briefly talking about the elaborate makeup used on the performers. Understandably, it requires a considerable amount of time to apply.
Presentation by Louisa Huang
She then moved into a detailed discussion of the costuming for the performances, and how this aspect played a critical role in opera. On display in the exhibition were numerous garments, spanning a large variety. Louisa methodically went from one costume to another, pointing out various characteristics of each piece. Costumes are replete with symbols – particular pictures in their design which indicate the gender of the wearer, and also his/her status and character. The different necklines of the costumes also have meaning. Beside one costume was a pair of shoes, and Louisia explained that the higher the soles, the more elevated the status of the wearer.
The Peking opera costumes in the exhibition were from the extensive collection of Victoria Chen Lee. She was born in Shanghai, China in 1917. A fan of Peking opera, she studied the art in Beijing and performed professionally in Taiwan. Her collection comprises 200 costumes and accessories, most of which were custom-made for her in China and Taiwan.
Louisa’s presentation was very informative and interesting, and we were grateful for the time she spent with us.
Afterward, we were given a nice reception. Tea and a variety of desserts were served, and we appreciated the offerings. We also embraced the opportunity to have wonderful social time with museum personnel and one another. The COVID pandemic had taken its toll on many of us, and we had spent a lot of time sequestered in our homes, so it was liberating to be able to finally enjoy a nice outing in a great setting. We were able to meet new people, and reunite with those whom we hadn’t seen in person for quite a while.
We again extend our thanks to the Chinese American Museum DC and all who made this enjoyable event possible.
To learn more about the museum, visit: www.ChineseAmericanMuseum.org
The museum’s vision strives to be a nationally-recognized center for everyone by working with other organizations across the country.
Karina was able to connect with other Chinese Americans in DC where they had the pleasure of viewing the exhibit together. She urges OCAW members to show their support by checking out the museum’s website for upcoming events and ways to assist them in their cause. The URL is: https://www.chineseamericanmuseum.org
The Orange Ribbon
Cooperation with Maryland and Virginia Chapters. Click this link Orange Ribbon to see article in Virginia section.
“Stop Asian Hate Vigil and Rally”
The numbers of racism and hate incidents increase all over our country. We cannot keep silent and need to have our voices heard.
On Saturday, March 27, 2021, Christina Chang and her husband Steve attended the “Stop Asian Hate Vigil and Rally” at Cheverly Legion Park in Prince George’s County, MD. Amy Fry, a member of the Cheverly Town Council and also a Korean American, organized this event in a short week, and over 100 people of different diversity show up.
During the rally, we shared one message, ‘Stop Anti-Asian Hate,’ while also acknowledging the pain the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are feeling, and have felt for years.
We need to be careful and be aware of our surroundings. Stay vigilant and report any hate crime right away.
Maryland State has two numbers to report incidents: Emergency number: 911
Non-emergency number: 301-279-8000
Both numbers will reach the same office, but the emergency number will take priority.
Note: WUSA9, a local CBS affiliate, aired a story about the protest.