Washington, DC (February 17, 2004) - The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for its nationally recognized essay contest, sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Corporation (formerly sponsored by Yum! Brands). "We hope this contest sparks in Asian Pacific American (APA) high school students a visualization of their very important roles as emerging leaders for their communities," states Raymond Wong, OCA National President. The OCA-KFC National Essay Contest is the only contest of this sort-sponsored by a corporation (KFC) in conjunction with a national APA organization (OCA). This year's essay topic is "With the changing demographics in the U.S., how do you see your community contributing to U.S. society in the next 20 years?"

Last year, the contest's first year, OCA and KFC presented award checks to three contest winners who provided organized, thorough, and effective essays. By submitting ideas that bring relevance and insight into the essay topic, students are provided the opportunity to win $1000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $300 for third place. Last year, nearly 200 students participated in this national contest.

"The essay topic gives students an opportunity to increase their awareness of the contributions made by APAs to the past growth of the U.S. economy and to project the significant positive impact APAs will have on the economy in the next two decades," states Jean Chang, OCA Vice President of Education and Cultural Affairs.

Students' essays will be judged according to a four-part criterion. The largest percentage will be based on the theme and content of the essay, which will include thoroughness of presentation, validity of ideas, and significance to the topic. Other criteria include the organization, development, grammar, mechanics, and style of the essays.

This year, OCA is pleased to work with the sponsorship from KFC Corporation to select the three winners. "KFC continues to seek opportunities to support the communities we serve, and we believe one of the best ways is through education", says Bonnie Warschauer, KFC Director of Public Relations. "We are proud to partner with the Organization of Chinese Americans because they are helping to shape the future of our emerging leaders."

KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain, specializing in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™, Twister® and Colonel's Crispy Strips® chicken with homestyle sides. KFC has more than 11,000 restaurants in more than 80 countries and territories around the world. For more information on KFC Corporation, please visit www.kfc.com.

For more information on the essay contest and application, interested students may go to OCA's website at www.ocanatl.org. The deadline for applying to the 2004 OCA-KFC National Essay Contest is May 1, 2004.

About OCA
The Organization of Chinese Americans, a national civil rights organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates across the country, was founded in 1973 to ensure the civil rights of the Asian Pacific American community. It maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C.