First meeting of OCCACC in April 1989
橙縣華人商會成立大會全體會員合影
Orange County Chinese American Chamber of Commerce was founded in April 1989 in Orange County.
OCCACC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of primarily Chinese American entrepreneurs and business professionals. We welcome all lines of business leaders and professionals to join us as members. Together we can achieve a lot more. For those who are interested in joining our membership, kindly visit our site at www.occacc.org for further information.
The Orange County Chinese American Chamber of Commerce Foundation (OCCACCF) is the community charitable part of Orange County Chinese American Chamber of Commerce (OCCACC). The Primary objective of OCCACCF is to help promising young adults by providing financial assistance and scholarship to those who meet the requirements imposed by our Foundation. Our scholarships are intended for students who are pursuing advanced studies in a university or college within the United States of America.
Since 1995 OCCACC/OCCACCF has awarded scholarships to the high school graduates in Orange County and Greater Los Angeles area. In 2015 we started
the Elite Scholarship Program which is a $5,000 for 4 years, a total of a $20,000 Scholarship for each recipient. OCCACCF selects ten Scholars every year, adding the commitment from the previous three years, so starting from 2018 we have been awarding 40 students, total funds needed is $200,000 every year. Due to the pandemic of COVID-19 2020-2021 Scholarships were successfully conducted virtually under more than hundred VIPs, guests and our members.
The Foundation has formed a Scholars Committee to stay in touch with all the past and current scholars and to organize social activities to keep the scholars connected.
(Courtsey of Orange County Chinese American Chamber of Commerce)
OCCACC pageant in the 90’s
橙縣華人商會親善小姐選拔賽盛況
OCCACC scholarship award ceremony in 2018
2018 橙縣華人商會獎學金頒獎典禮
橙縣華人商會創立於 1989 年四月，本會是一個非營利組織。商會成立的宗旨在於：
- 為華商提供一個平台來交換經驗，互換心得，共同成長茁壯。
- 團結華商，提供社交活動以增進彼此間的了解，致力於消除語言，種族及文化之差異所引起的障礙及缺陷。
- 推廣有關經濟教育活動，以加強商會的發展。推廣有關社交文化活動，以加強華商的存在價值。
希望在美華人都能來加入我們的行列，一起為華人社區服務，共同為華人創造更好的遠景。
本會在成立初期舉辦了三屆親善小姐選拔活動，每年提供十名獎學金給德智兼備應屆畢業生，選拔賽是比照美國小姐選美方式，除儀容外同時著重才藝表演以及機智應對，本會特邀主流社區人士擔任選美裁判以求公平公正。盛況空前，博得無數的佳評，得獎的親善小姐及公主除獲得獎學金外，必須履行參與許多公益的社區服務。
1995 年橙縣華人商會發行橙縣華商黃頁電話簿專案，華商黃頁免費贈送橙縣華人社區，提供華商推展商務廣告機會。該華商黃頁發行了三期，之後由於徐湛生會長在 1998 年為商會申請了電腦網址，方便商家上網刊登廣告，於是結束了黃頁的編印。
1995 年開始本會成立橙縣華人商會獎學金，提供十名獎學金頒發給成績優異的應屆畢業生。並成立橙縣華人商會基金會以負責獎學金之申請、審核及頒發。橙縣華人商會／橙縣華人商會基金會自 2015 年開始將獎學金名額及金額調整為每年 10 個名額，逐年增加 10 名，2018 年開始每年維持在 40 名額，每人每年$5000 元的獎學金，以資助優秀畢業生在四年的大學費用，並擴大範圍以涵蓋橙縣及大洛杉磯地區有才華之清寒高中畢業生。獎學金的申請、審核、選拔需經過嚴謹而公正的審議後確認，並於每年六月的頒獎晚
宴中隆重發放。獎學金的申請與審核是個冗長的過程，為求公平、公正、公開的原則，審核委員必須經過討論、家訪及集體面談，以最嚴謹的態度來處理每一個申請者家庭狀況、實際的處境與學業上的成就等因素，因此每位獲獎者不但在經濟上確有需要協助，而且個個都是品學兼優的學員。通過這個審慎的作業，他們都是名符其實的學者，而被尊稱為橙縣華人商會的學者（OCCACC Scholars）。
雖然 COVID-19 疫情十分嚴峻，然而 2020-2021年度的獎學金之頒發不曾中斷，而是改由線上會議方式，在百餘嘉賓及會員見證下完滿進行。
（橙縣華人商會提供文字與照片）