OCA-JACL Annual Chinese New Year Banquet
By John Chin
Feb. 17, 2000

Friends and members of the Denver chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans and the Mile-Hi chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League got together for their annual Chinese New Year dinner. JACL and OCA have jointly sponsored this annual dinner for over 10 years. Benny Cheng, past OCA president and banquet organizer, was very pleased with the banquet's continuing success.

OCA is dedicated to "embracing the hopes and aspirations of Chinese and Asian Pacific Americans in the United States." Founded in 1973, OCA has 77 chapters and affiliates. It maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Denver chapter was formed in 1974. The Denver chapter was one of the four hosting organizations for the Millennium Chinese New Year Celebration at the Paramount Theater. For more information on OCA, go to http://www.ocanatl.org.

The Japanese American Citizens League was founded in 1929 to fight discrimination against people of Japanese ancestry. It is the largest and one of the oldest Asian American organizations in the United States. The Mile-Hi chapter was chartered in 1938. JACL maintains a public affairs office in Washington, D.C. JACL's website is: http://www.jacl.org/

This year's event, as in recent previous years, was held at Johnny Hsu's Palace Chinese Restaurant. Hsu personally prepared the evening's delicious ten-course meal.

The evening's program began with the traditional Chinese Lion Dance performed by the Shaolin Hung Mei Pai Kung Fu Association. Shifu Howie Solow has been a long-time supporter of OCA. He sits on the OCA, Denver chapter, Board of Directors.

John Chin, President of OCA, Denver, and Tom Migaki, Mile-Hi Board member, jointly emceed the program. Ms. Nobuko Ninomiya started the entertainment by singing "Koko Ni Sachiari" which translates as "Good Luck, Fortune and Happiness." She was followed by Ms. Miyoka Bando who performed "Sakura, Sakura" (Cherry Blossom). Ms. Bando was graduated with a teachers certificate from Tokyo's renowned Bando's School of Dance.

The drawings for door prizes and raffle gifts are an always highly anticipated part of any JACL-OCA annual dinner. This year was no exception. JACL provided 30 door prizes. Additionally, there were 18 raffle gifts ranging from Cross pens to Chokin Plate collectibles to Ty Beanie Buddies.

The second half of the entertainment was a presentation of Chinese fashions through the millennia. Models Ken Chang, Michael Chin, Natalie Chin, Tom Ging, Febra Johnson, and Michelle Johnson wore replicas of Chou, Han, Tang, Sung, Yuan, Ming and Ching dynastic period clothing. The elaborate and colorful outfits were typical of Chinese rulers, court officials, nobles, military leaders and courtesans. The Chinese costumes were generously loaned to OCA by the Chinese American Council of Colorado.

As the evening ended, petitions for Wen Ho Lee were turned in to be part of the 100,000 signature campaign recently initiated by OCA.

John Chin is President of the Denver Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans. Contact John at johnchin@worldnet.att.net. The National Board of OCA will be meeting in Denver in late April.