OCA Wisconsin

09/11/2026

OCA Wisconsin’s "From Section 48 to King Drive" film was accepted into the MKE Short Film Fest, and is being shown this Saturday, Sept. 12th. It is about Milwaukee's Chinese laundries that were part of Milwaukee’s community for over 100 years, operated by early Chinese immigrants, and how the Chinese Exclusion Act impacted these families as they persevered and created futures for their families in Milwaukee.

Many, many thanks to Yinan Wang for his creativity and vision in developing this film. Yinan has promoted this film as a being by the "MKEOCA Collective" ... described as being a collective of a filmmaker, an urban explorer, a community organizer, and a retired professor, and it will be one of ~9 short documentaries shown along with a short talkback, from 1-3 p.m.

🎥 Where: MKE Short Film Fest in the Avalon Theatre in Bayview (2473 S Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207)

🕐 When: on September 12th in the Documentary Shorts Series from 1-3 p.m. (the talkback with Yinan will be in the last half hour or so)

🎟️ Admission: $11 at the door ($12 online due to the credit card surcharge, via the QR code in the image below).

The entire MKE Short Film Fest is on both Sept. 11 and 12, and festival info can be found on rbigley.wixsite.com.

Thank you WUWM 89.7 FM for mentioning our film in their recent coverage on what to see at the festival.
https://www.wuwm.com/milwaukee-international-short-film-festival-avalon-trailers

Here is a link to an interview that the film festival director, Ross Bigley, did with me to promote the film, as one of the "filmmakers"... feel free to view it! Thank you Ross!

https://bit.ly/MKEShortFilmFest-MKEOCA_LYoung_Interview

I had a lot of umss…but it does convey the context of our film as depicting Milwaukee's Chinese Americans being part of Milwaukee's history, and that this history will continue to be honored in the MKE community in part as a result of our relationships with the organizations involved with the two historical markers that the Wisconsin Historical Society granted OCA-WI ...the YWCA Southeast Wisconsin and Forest Home Cemetery and Arboretum.

07/14/2026

Thank you TMJ4 and Cassandra McShepard for your heartfelt interviews with artist Warren King and Lynden Sculpture Garden’s Polly Morris about Warren and his “Homecoming” exhibit.

Warren is an award-winning Chinese American sculptor whose work has been inspired by his personal and family journeys, as he explores his Chinese American identity through creating sculptures crafted of cardboard. He was born in Madison and raised in Brookfield, and now lives in NYC. We are proud that he crafted his "Homecoming" exhibit to honor his Wisconsin roots.

Come see the exhibit at Lynden Sculpture Garden’s indoor gallery which will be up until November 15th! While there, stroll through their beautiful outdoor exhibit of incredible sculptures!

Corrugated cardboard sculptures featured at Lynden Sculpture Garden

07/13/2026

OCA Wisconsin is proud to have co-hosted a reception for Warren King and his “Homecoming” sculpture exhibit on June 24th with Milwaukee’s Lynden Sculpture Gardens.

Warren is an award-winning Chinese American sculptor whose work has been inspired by his personal and family journeys, as he explores his Chinese American identity through creating sculptures crafted of cardboard. He was born in Madison, raised in Brookfield (his parents have been OCA-WI members!), and lives in NYC. We are proud that he crafted his "Homecoming" exhibit to honor his Wisconsin roots.

Come see his exhibit at Lynden Sculpture Garden’s indoor gallery which will be up until November 15th! While there, stroll through their beautiful outdoor exhibit of incredible sculptures!

07/13/2026

OCA Wisconsin thanks the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for featuring Warren King’s ‘Homecoming” exhibit at Lynden Sculpture Garden in its Sunday July 12 edition. And so prominently on the front page of its Life section!

Warren is an award-winning Chinese American sculptor whose work has been inspired by his personal and family journeys, as he explores his Chinese American identity through creating sculptures crafted of cardboard. He was born in Madison and raised in Brookfield (his parents have been OCA-WI members!), and we are proud that he crafted his "Homecoming" exhibit to honor his Wisconsin roots.

Come see his exhibit at Lynden Sculpture Garden’s indoor gallery which will be up until November 15th! While there, stroll through their beautiful outdoor exhibit of incredible sculptures!

You can also read the excellent article by MJS’ arts and culture journalist Anya Sesay online at https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2026/07/06/bronze-or-cardboard-warren-king-sculptures-come-to-milwaukee/90698744007/

You can also view an excellent 15-minute documentary created by filmmaker Curtis Chin on Warren’s story and artistry titled “Warren King: King of Cardboard” which is being streamed online on PBS’ American Masters program. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/warren-king-king-of-cardboard/38103/

Warren King blends his family's stories with ancient oral Chinese histories in intricate cardboard sculptures.

07/12/2026

OCA Wisconsin’s team was one of 51 teams participating in today’s Dragon Boat festival. Catch their enthusiasm in this video clip from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel along with Harley Davidson!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JrTt7dBX2/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/11/2026

Many thanks to TMJ4 for getting the word out about Milwaukee’s 12th Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, July 11!

What better way to spend the day! The weather forecast is perfect for our 50+ teams to compete and for spectators to watch! It has become a Milwaukee tradition!

Temperatures ranging from 69 degrees at 8 AM when the races start to 4 PM when they end. No precipitation! Wind speed of only 7 mph!

It’ll be a fun day cheering the teams on, catching the rhythm of our dragon dancers, enjoying our Asian cultural performances, eating Asian food, trying your hand at Mahjong, and relaxing in the sun!

For the race and cultural schedule and racing results: https://milwaukeedragonboatfest.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpNDzD09sMw&feature=youtu.be

12th annual Dragon Boat Festival

07/09/2026

Excited for OCA Wisconsin to be part of the 12th Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival!

50+ teams competing on the lakefront from 7 am to 4 pm with the races launched, Asian cultural dances and music performed, and food served all day at the Henry Maier Festival Park grounds.

The teams include your friends from community organizations including Milwaukee Turners, ElevAsian, Milwaukee Chinese Community Center, Wisconsin Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and local companies! Come cheer them on!

Schedule highlights:
🎪 8:00 AM Qualifying Dragon Boat Race starts, with 50+ teams competing
🛶8:11 AM OCA-WI Advocates team scheduled for its first of three races.
🐲 10:30 AM Opening ceremony with Dragon Dance, followed by cultural performances
🛶 10:45 AM Start Semi-Final races
🌺 11:15 AM OCA-WI's Dance Troupe scheduled to perform on stage
🛶 1:30 PM Start Championship Finals races
🎉4:00 PM End of Festival & B**r Tent Celebration

Dragon Boat Festival Public Entrance: South Gate Plaza, Henry Maier Festival Park, 200 E. Summerfest Place; (North and Mid-Gate is for Festa Italiana only)

$5 Admission for Adults (Children 12 and under and seniors 65+, Free)

Please note that the Henry Maier Festival Park has strict sizes for the bags for the general public when entering the festival grounds at South Gate Plaza.

For the race lineup and festival schedule:
https://milwaukeedragonboatfest.org

06/10/2026

OCA Wisconsin is proud to announce that from June 20 to November 15, 2026, the Lynden Sculpture Garden is featuring "Homecoming", an exhibit of sculptures by Warren King, a Chinese American artist whose work has been inspired by his personal and family journeys, as he explores his roots and Chinese American identity.

Warren King’s personal story is a Milwaukee intergenerational immigrant family story. He was born in Madison to Chinese immigrant parents, and the family settled in Brookfield. His father was a structural engineer who wanted Warren to follow his footsteps, and young Warren dutifully did so, getting degrees in structural engineering and then working in his father’s firm. But he found his calling later, using his skills to honor his roots and explore his Chinese American identity through creating sculptures crafted of cardboard. He now lives in New York City and many of his sculptures depict scenes and portraiture inspired by NYC’s Chinatown community.

Warren’s "Homecoming" exhibit at Lynden Sculpture Garden reflects his desire to honor his Midwestern roots while exploring his cultural identity.

Lynden Sculpture Garden is located at 2145 West Brown Deer Road, River Hills, Wisconsin. It is a wonderful family destination with impressive sculptures spread out through their beautiful grounds. Warren King’s exhibit takes place in their gallery. Free admission.

Here is a link to Lynden Garden’s description of his exhibit.
https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/exhibitions/WarrenKing

06/10/2026

Mark your calendar!

On June 23, 2026 at 6:30 to 8:00 pm, Lisa See features her newest novel "Daughters of the Sun and Moon". Milwaukee Public Library Centennial Hall, 733 N. Eighth Street, Milwaukee

In her new novel, author Lisa See draws on the vibrancy and turmoil of post-Civil War Los Angeles to tell the story of three Chinese women whose unexpected friendship helps them survive and eventually thrive, despite all odds.

Lisa See is a widely acclaimed author of numerous novels, including On Golden Mountain, Lady Tan's Circle of Women, Shanghai Girls, Dreams of Joy, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, and The Island of Sea Women.

Co-hosted by Milwaukee Central Library, Boswell Book Company, and OCA Wisconsin.

Please register at:

Boswell Book Company - 2559 N Downer Ave, Milwaukee, WI