Houston Chinese Alliance (HCA) stands against Texas 88th Legislature Senate Bill 147. Bill Title: Relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities. ( Bill text https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/SB00147I.htm )

While the bill may have its original intention of protecting national security and combating illegal activities, it has negative consequences in multiple domains. One major concern is that the bill would discriminate against individuals based on their country of origin, which is unjust, unfair, and unconstitutional.

HCA is committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of all people, those of Chinese ethnicity in particular, in the greater Houston area, and to promoting their well-being and development in the United States. SB147, in its current form, limits the rights and opportunities of people of Chinese ethnicity based solely on their country of origin and has the potential of intensifying hostility toward all individuals of Chinese descent. As such, HCA objects to SB147, especially the following:

Sec. 5.0051. PURCHASE OF OR ACQUISITION OF TITLE TO REAL PROPERTY BY CERTAIN FOREIGN INDIVIDUALS OR ENTITIES PROHIBITED. Notwithstanding any other law, the following may not purchase or otherwise acquire title to real property in this state:

                 (4) an individual who is a citizen of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia. 

In order to stop this proposed bill from becoming law, we strongly encourage voters of Texas to contact their senators and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, to express objection to SB147. To find the Texas senators for certain districts, please visit https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home.

The Board of Houston Chinese Alliance

Varsity Level Winners (9th – 12th Grade)

1st Place : Owen Zhang – Support, Benjamin Who – Oppose

2nd Place : Marco Ma – Support, Jason Gao – Oppose

3rd Place : Grace Zhang – Support

Participation Award: Yutai Long, Helen Peng

Booster Level Winners (Kindergarten – 8th Grade)

1st Place : Victoria Zhang – Support

2nd Place : Clement Ding – Support

3rd Place : Lawrence Li – Support

Participation Award: Charisse Ding, Amelia Liu, Sean Lu, Austin Pham, Chloe Shao, Qiran Zhang, Shella Zhang.

Award Ceremony

Due to the COVID-19, the award ceremony was cancelled. HCA has sent the trophies and award to the winners via mail. Congratulations and thank you all for participation!

Participant Requirements :

Greater Houston area school students with Chinese heritage from Grades K to 12.

Varsity Level (Grade 9 to 12)

Essay Topic : Mayor Sylvester Turner signed Executive Order No. 1-68 on Sep 28 2020, authorizing the City of Houston to join Harris County’s Cite and Release Program. The following Class A and B misdemeanors are eligible for tickets instead of jail time:

• Possession of a controlled substance, if the controlled substance is four ounces or less.
• Criminal Mischief, if the amount of pecuniary loss is $100 or more but less than $750.
• Graffiti, if the amount of pecuniary loss is $100 or more but less than $2500.
• Theft, if the value of the property stolen is $100 or more but less than $750.
• Theft of Service, if the value of the service stolen is $100 or more but less than $750.
• Contraband in a Correctional Facility, if the offense is a Class B misdemeanor.
• Driving with an invalid license.

Do you support or oppose this Executive Order? Please do your own research and write an essay to support your opinion.

Essay requirements : 500-800 words (not including title and references)

Awards : Monetary awards for top Varsity Level essays (for both sides of the argument) will be
offered:

• $300 for 1st place
• $200 for 2nd place
• $100 for 3rd place

Booster Level (Grade K to 8)

Essay Topic : Should social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, should have the right to delete posts.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Please do your own research and write an essay to support your opinion.

Essay requirements : less than 500 words (not including title and references)

Awards : $20 for each winning participant (top 3 on both sides)

Essay format requirement for both levels :

• Essay Language : English
• File Type : Your essay should be submitted as a word .doc or .docx file.
• Font : Please use Times New Roman font, 12 pt font size.
• Spacing : Double spaced.
• References : Your essay must include a list of at least three references which you consulted. These references can be from printed or online sources.
• Style Guide: You may use either the MLA, Chicago or APA style manual for citations and reference formatting.
• Do: Please fill out the application form and sign the waiver by yourself and your legal guardian, and make sure to send it back with the essay.
• Don’t: Please do NOT type in your name within the essay, or in any other way convey or imply your personal identity in the essay, as all essays will be rated anonymously.

Judging criteria for both levels :

• 30% writing skills and grammar
• 35% arguments
• 35% research and supporting data

Please email your essay and application form to : hcatx2014@gmail.com

Download application form : HCA_Legislative Essay Contest_2020_E Form

Deadline for submission : February 28th, 2021 (Results of the contest will be announced in April 2021)

Reading material: How A Bill Becomes A Law In Texas (https://house.texas.gov/about-us/bill/)

League of Women Voters of Houston helps voters make informed decisions when it comes to elections at national, state, and local levels. After contacting and asking candidates to respond to candidate questionnaire on important issues, LWV reproduces these responses exactly as they are submitted. This helps voters get direct access to the candidate responses on those issues. 

It is critical for Asian voters to exercise their rights to vote. 

 “THE FUTURE OF THIS REPUBLIC IS IN THE HANDS OF THE AMERICAN VOTER” 

– PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER.

Why vote? 

• To decide and shape the quality of life for you and your children.
• To choose how your tax money are spent.
• To make a positive impact on your community.
• To set an example to your children on civic engagement. 

Your vote, your voice! 

For the complete English version of the Houston Voters Guide, click here.

For the complete Chinese version of the Houston Voters Guide, click here for simplified Chinese and here for traditional Chinese.

Note that you need to do the following to access the Chinese versions once you are at the links above: 

1. Go to: https://www.vote411.org/ 
2. Click “Find What’s on Your Ballot.” After entering your address, click “Chinese” in “Choose My language” section and then click “Go to My Races.” 
3. You can then select the various races and find out about the candidates responses by clicking on the candidate names. 

Thanks to the generous support from our community, HCA has raised $88,119.32 since we started our fundraiser on March 18, 2020. In the meantime, we have worked day and night searching for suppliers of personal protective equipment (PPE), verifying products, making purchases, contacting hospitals and medical institutions to confirm needs, and arranging delivery. In total, we have purchased 22,135 PPE items. As of April 20, we have made donations to the following organizations:

Ben Taub Hospital : We donated 880 KN95 masks, 200 3M N95 masks, 400 goggles, 200 isolations gowns, and 50 protective coveralls, with a total value of $7084.40.

Fire Station #78 : We donated 1000 surgical masks and 350 medical masks, with a total value of $710.00.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office : We donated 60 goggles, with a total value of $415.20. In addition, an HCA board member also organized a PPE drive from the Telfair neighborhood, Sugar Land. They collected and donated about 1100 masks to the Office.

Harris Health System : We donated 240 googles and 200 isolation gowns, with a total value of $3412.80.
Pic/receipt: Jiang Meng

Houston Health Foundation – City of Houston : To support the drive-through testing sites in the city of Houston, we donated 200 3M N95 masks and 32 protective coveralls, with a total value of $7,719.78.

Houston Methodist Hospital Katy : We donated 500 KN95 masks, 500 N95 masks, 100 isolation gowns, and 400 goggles, with a total value of $6166.00

Houston Methodist Hospital TMC : We donated 394 protective coveralls with a total value of $8647.5.

Memorial Hermann Katy : We donated 500 KN95 masks, 500 N95 masks, 100 isolation gowns, and 200 face shields, with a total value of $4304.00

Memorial Hermann Hospital : We donated 1000 KN95 masks, 180 goggles, 200 protective coveralls, 400 face shields, and 600 goggles, with a total value of $9213.85.

Memorial TMC /UT Health McGovern Medical School : We donated 200 isolation gowns, with a total value of $2008.00.

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center : We donated 75 protective coveralls, with a total value of $783.29.

Precinct 5 Constable Office : We donated 650 medical masks and 700 surgical masks, with a total value of $740.

St. Luke’s Hospital : We donated 1200 KN95 masks, 200 isolation gowns, and 600 goggles, with a total value of $7868.00.

St. Luke’s Hospital Anesthesiology Department : We donated 120 3M N95 masks, 180 goggles, 150 protective coveralls, and 200 face shields, with a total value of $3652.00.

The doctors were excited and grateful to receive our donations. They made high risk intubation kits out of these PPE so they can grab and go when they conduct intubation for Covid-19 patients.

St. Luke’s Hospital Pearland ER : We donated 60 goggles, with a total value of $415.20.

Sugar Land Donation Event : We donated 180 goggles and 50 protective coveralls, with a total value of $1725.6

Texas Children’s Hospital : We donated 40 3M N95 masks, with a total value of $120.00.

Texas Children’s Pediatric Fannin: We donated 500 KN95 masks, with a total value of $1050.00.

Texas Children’s Pediatric Katy : We donated 500 KN95 masks, 50 protective coveralls, and 100 face shields, with a total value of
$1755.00.

Special thanks to our community partners:
Katy Chinese Neighbors
ConocoPhillips Chinese American Employees 
Chevron Chinese Employee Group

The Covid-19 outbreak has spread exponentially all over the world, with confirmed cases and death toll increasing rapidly. The medical personnel of Houston are now working hard to mitigate the spread and they need all the protection they can have to better help the community.

HCA has already decided to donate boxes of protective gears to the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. In the meantime, HCA encourages all community members to make donations to our fund. Together we are stronger!

Goals of the Donations

HCA will purchase much needed medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) from verified suppliers and donate to local hospitals and related institutions for the purpose of fighting Covid-19.

Considering the scarcity of medical supplies at this time, HCA may not be able to fully secure supplies. In that case, HCA will donate the rest of the funds to local hospitals and related institutions to help them fight Covid-19.

Administration of the Funds

HCA is a 501(3) nonprofit organization and every donation is tax deductible. All detailed information about the donation and its use will be published on HCA website.

How can you donate?

Quick Pay: hcatx2014@gmail.com (Please specify your name and email address)

PayPal: hcatx2014@gmail.com (Please choose “Send to Friend“)

HCA website: https://hcaus.org/donate/. (Please choose the third option and write in “Covid-19 Pandemic”)

If you have any questions, please email hcatx2014@gmail.com

HCA is run by volunteers and charges no overhead fees on the funds collected .

HCA does not accept in-kind donations at this time, due to the lack of personnel and potential legal issues regarding the health and safety of volunteers.

Varsity Level Winners (9th – 12th Grade)

Essay Topic : HCR88 ( https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HCR88/2019) Urging Congress to pass stricter gun laws, including a ban on the sale of assault weapons. Do you support or oppose the bill? Please do your own research and write an essay to support your opinion.

1st Place : Katherine Chen – Support, Jason Gao – Oppose

2nd Place : Angela Zhong – Support , Natalie Pang – Oppose

3rd Place : Owen Zhang – Support, Anna Huang – Oppose

Participation Award : Daniel Chen, Rachel Gai, Amy He, Tracy Huang, William Liu, Selena Wang

Booster Level Winners (Kindergarten – 8th Grade)

Essay Topic : Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang said this in twitter: “We came up with the SAT during World War II to determine who to keep from the frontlines. Now every year is wartime. We should deemphasize standardized tests and evaluate kids more holistically.” (https://mobile.twitter.com/andrewyang/status/1181967264167448582?lang=en)
Do you agree or disagree with him? Please do your own research and write an essay to support your opinion.

1st Place : Chloe Weng – Support, Mingyi Chen – Oppose

2nd Place : Victoria Zhang – Support, Yutai Long – Oppose

3rd Place : Dylan Wang – Support, Grace Zhang – Oppose

Participation Award : David Chen, Leetyan Chen, Langdon Dai, Laura Huang, Matthew Li, Jaylon Ma, Emily Xu, Qiran Zhang, Dylan Zhong

Award Ceremony & Sponsors

Due to the outbreak of COVID – 19 (Coronavirus), the award ceremony will be held during the summer of 2020 instead of spring. Thank you to all who participated and congratulations to the winners.

We also thank our sponsors : Lucy Zhao from the AIG Financial Network and SpiderSmart Bellaire and Memorial Center.

January 7, 2018

December 11, 2016

December 6, 2015

2015 Lunar New Year