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The Making of a New Executive Director

Christine Chen.

By Janet Ng

As a child, Christine Chen wasn’t interested in politics or becoming an activist. But today, she is one of the most visible civil rights leaders on the API scene.

Last month, the Organization of Chinese Americans, Inc. (OCA), one of the first national Asian American organizations, chose Chen as its new executive director. OCA, a nonprofit and nonpartisan advocacy organization, was founded in 1973 to “secure the rights of Chinese Americans and Asian American citizens” on the national level.

Chen interned for OCA in 1994 while at Ohio State University. Since then, she’s been active in the organization, running the College Leadership Program, serving as chair of the Asian Pacific Islander American Vote campaign, and sitting on the board of the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership and Youth Vote 2000.

As director, Chen hopes to take a more pro-active role in combating the image of Asian Americans as foreigners.

“From the White House contribution scandal, to Wen Ho Lee, to the spy plane incident, we’re constantly being questioned about our loyalty,” Chen remarked. “I want to change people’s minds about how they view us so that they won’t have these automatic emotional judgments.”

She plans to work with the community to educate others about the contributions of Asian Americans, so that APA Heritage Month will be viewed as more than just a celebration of ethnic food and cultural dances. Chen’s other goal is to strengthen OCA chapters because, she pointed out, legislation occurs more at the state and local levels than at the national level.

As a sociology major in college, Chen learned about racial discrimination and discovered a need for Asian Americans to find support in one another and to share their experiences. She helped found the Midwest Asian American Student Union (MAASU), a coalition of student groups on campus.

Working in MAASU, she learned even more about Asian American issues and identity. Growing up as a first-generation child, she had to deal with integrating her Chinese and American cultures. “I had separate identities. I separated my life into different boxes.”

Only as student body president in college did Chen “feel like [herself],” combining what she chose from each culture. “It’s important to recognize diversity, not only in the politically correct sense, but really understanding it,” she said.

As only the second female and the first minority student to hold such a position, Chen “learned how politics and policy would impact [her] life and the lives of students.” She taught others that students do have a voice and can influence elected officials.

Chen’s parents, immigrants from China, always encouraged her involvement in service organizations and clubs. When she started working at OCA, they even started a local OCA chapter in support of her efforts.

Chen also plans to address the issue of the first and second generation gap.

“OCA is about making people understand that they can mold and be a part of the decision-making process,” Chen said. “Everyone has something to contribute.”

For her, “everyone” not only means Asian Americans, but also Asian Americans of different ages.