NCVA eREPORTER
- November 15, 2005
The National
Congress of Vietnamese Americans' NCVA eReporter is a regular email
newsletter containing information on
grant/funding
opportunities, events/forums/conferences, available
internships
and news items pertinent to the Vietnamese American and Asian
Pacific American communities.
In this NCVA eReporter:
EVENTS
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
TIPS/RESOURCES
NEWS
******************
EVENTS
[Editor’s Note: Although this event is in the past,
perhaps you will still consider a small donation.]
FUNDRAISER DINNER FOR MICHAEL DUONG, VICTIM OF GANG VIOLENCE
ST. Paul — The great news that Michael Duong has emerged from a
month-long coma and appears alert and healing, is received with
great joy by his classmates at Highland Park Junior High, who
are holding a fundraiser dinner on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 5:00
to 7:00 p.m. at the school, 975 S. Snelling Ave. Saint Paul, MN,
55116. The cost is $5 per person, $3 per student and donations
are greatly appreciated. Call 651-293-8950 with any questions or
to reserve a seat at the event.
Funds from the event will go toward medical expenses of HPJH
student Michael Duong, a victim of gang violence currently
receiving medical care at Regions Hospital. Duong is recovering
from his injuries and is expected to return to school by the end
of the year. However, he has been in the hospital since
September 23, the night of the attack, and the fundraiser will
ease the cost of physical therapy and his hospital stay.
“My brother is on the road to recovery,” said Lan Ngo, Duong’s
older brother. “He’s excited to get back to school soon, and
we’re hoping this fundraiser will help us with the hospital
bills, as well as show him how important he is to his family,
friends, and the community.”
Michael Duong was attacked the night of September 23 by two gang
members who mistook him for a member of a rival gang. The two
are facing attempted murder charges in Ramsey County Juvenile
Court.
(http://www.aapress.com/archive/2005/webnov4/c-duong.htm)
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POLL PRESENTATION
THE LESSONS OF KATRINA:
HAS A SINGLE EVENT CHANGED THE WAY AMERICANS VIEW RACE
RELATIONS, POVERTY, CLIMATE CHANGE & ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
WHAT: Briefing with noted pollster Sergio Bendixen on the
first national multilingual poll on the lessons of Katrina,
commissioned by New America Media (NAM).
WHY: Virtually all Americans and much of the world
witnessed Hurricane Katrina. In one single event Americans came
face to face with core issues confronting the society race,
poverty, climate change and government effectiveness.
How did the storm, its impact and the government’s response
change the way Americans view these issues?
What are points of consensus uniting America’s four major ethnic
groups on the priorities the country needs to address? What are
the deepest points of conflict? How do these groups compare
Katrina to other disasters in their lifetimes?
To date, national polls have surveyed immediate reactions. Some
have framed the responses in a black versus white perspective.
NAM’s survey is the first to explore the deeper issues raised by
the storm and to survey 1000 African Americans, Asian Americans,
Hispanics and Whites in six languages. This survey reveals what
a national conversation about Katrina sounds like when all of
America’s major ethnic populations are included.
WHEN: 11:00 a.m.- 12:30pm
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Equality Room, Human Rights Campaign
1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington DC
Please RSVP to Alex Moe, NAM Communications (646) 812-4885 |
amoe@pacificnews.org
Special thanks to briefing sponsors: Center for American
Progress, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund
and Open Society Institute
Executive summary of poll is available at
http://www.ncmonline.com/polls
New America Media | 275 9th Street | San Francisco, CA 94103 |
415-503-4170 |
www.newamericamedia.org
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LEGACIES OF
WAR BENEFIT & RECEPTION
Join us for a night devoted to building new legacies.
Come out to support Legacies of War in launching a national
fundraising campaign to develop a museum exhibition about the
history and legacies of the secret bombings in Laos. The event
will include:
* A special preview of historic drawings done by survivors of
the bombings, which will be featured in the museum exhibition.
* Laotian appetizers, music, & cocktails.
* A silent auction with items of tantalizing proportions.
* Special guests Ambassador Phanthong Phommahaxay, Congresswoman
Betty McCollum, Bobby Muller, formerly with the Int'l Campaign
to Ban Landmines and leaders in the Laotian-American community.
Suggested Donation: $20 or 217,300 Lao Kip - pay at the door
Thursday, November 17
6:30 pm -
9:00 pm
The Josephine Butler Parks Center
2437 Fifteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 10016
Tel. 202-462-7275
Background: Laos is officially the most bombed country in
history. During the Vietnam War, the US military dropped over 80
million anti-personnel cluster bombs on Laotian territory. Up to
30% of those bombs did not explode. As a result, someone in
Laos is injured or killed by unexploded ordnance (UXO) every
day. The Legacies of War project was created to engage the
Laotian Diaspora and international community in raising
awareness of the need for increased UXO clean-up efforts in Laos
and to aid survivors.
Supporting organizations: Center for Hmong Studies, Fund for
Reconciliation & Development (FFRD), Laotian-American National
Alliance (LANA), Laotian American Women's Alliance (LANA),
Newcomer Community Service Center, Public Interest Projects,
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), TeAda
Productions, ThaiLinks, United Laotian Community Development (ULCD)
(http://www.legaciesofwar.org/low_news_washdc.htm)
******************
Supporting Committee For The Vietnamese Language Section
At Thomas Jefferson Library
Cordially invites you to
The
GRAND OPENING CEREMONY OF THE VIETNAMESE SECTION AT THOMAS
JEFFERSON LIBRARY
7415 Arlington Boulevard
Falls Church Virginia 22042
Saturday,
December 3, 2005
12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Program Agenda
12:30 PM Lion Dance by Nga Mi group (Library parking lot)
1:05 PM National Anthems
Welcome remarks by the Library and Committee Representatives
Recognitions of Contributors and Sponsors
1:30 PM Remarks by Distinguished Guests and Elected Officials
2:00 PM Ribbon Cutting
Presentation of the Vietnamese Language Section
Cultural Performance by the Dong Phuong and Viet Nhi Groups
Special exhibit of Vietnamese Calligraphy Arts by Vu Hoi
3:00 PM Reception with light refreshments
Your presence will be an honor for us and a great encouragement
for our effort.
RSVP and Contact Info:
Nguyen Kim Huong Hoa
(703) 904-0255
Toa Do (703) 963-7991
******************
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
GRANTS FOR TEACHER
TRAINING
The Fund for Teachers provides grants to classroom teachers who
work with students in grades K-12 so that they may participate
in training and enriching activities that will improve and
enhance their skills and capacities as teachers. Applications
will be accepted from teachers in 30 states and Washington, DC.
Applicants must have a minimum of three years teaching
experience and propose a summer activity that will make the
applicant a better teacher. Teachers may apply as an individual
or as a team. The application deadline is January 20, 2006.
(http://www.fundforteachers.org)
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FUNDS FOR HUNGER RELIEF
FOOD FOR ALL is a program of the Food Industry Crusade Against
Hunger, which is a voluntary effort of the food industry to
alleviate hunger and malnutrition by fostering long-term,
self-help solutions. Grants are awarded to programs that address
one of three focus areas: Building Community Food Security,
Developing Individual and Family Self-Reliance, and Creating
Employment Opportunities. To be eligible to apply, an
organization must be located in a geographic area where
retailers participate in the year-round program. The application
deadline is February 3, 2006. To receive a FOOD FOR ALL grant
application, please email a contact name, the name of your
organization, your mailing address, email address and phone/fax
numbers to (damein@foodforall.org).
(http://www.foodforall.org/Anti-hunger%20national.html)
******************
INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM
AND LIBRARY SERVICES: NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS FOR MUSEUMS
National Leadership Grants for Museums, a program of the
Institute of Museum and Library Services, supports projects that
address current problems in creative ways, develop and test
innovative solutions, and expand the boundaries within which
cultural heritage institutions operate. Funded projects should
provide creative solutions to issues of national importance and
provide leadership for other organizations. Successful proposals
should show evidence that they will have national impact and
generate results, whether new tools, research, models, services,
practices, or alliances, that can be widely adapted or
replicated to extend the benefit of federal support. IMLS
particularly encourages projects that meet community needs
through innovative collaborations between museums and libraries.
The application deadline is February 1, 2006.
(http://www.imls.gov/grants/museum/mus_nlgm.asp)
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THE NATHAN CUMMINGS FOUNDATION SUPPORTS SOCIAL JUSTICE GRANTS
The Nathan Cummings Foundation is rooted in the Jewish tradition
and committed to democratic values and social justice, including
fairness, diversity, and community. The Foundation’s core grant
programs include arts and culture; the environment; health;
interprogram initiatives for social and economic justice; and
the Jewish life and values/contemplative practice programs.
Letters of inquiry are accepted throughout the year.
Organizations whose projects fit most closely with the
Foundation guidelines will be asked to submit a full
application.
(http://www.nathancummings.org/)
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PACIFICORP
FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING
The PacifiCorp Foundation for Learning fosters strategic,
sustainable learning initiatives that serve the best aspirations
of individuals, organizations, and communities, and that enhance
and develop their capabilities to address significant challenges
and opportunities. The Foundation limits its support to major
operating areas in the Northwest where PacifiCorp has a
significant presence including locations in Northern California,
Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Grants are
provided in the following four categories: civic and community,
education, culture and arts, and health and human services.
Requests are reviewed four times per year with the focus on a
specific category each quarter. Health and human services
requests will be accepted for the next deadline of December 15,
2005.
(http://www.pacificorpfoundation.org)
******************
GEORGE GUND FOUNDATION SEEKS FELLOWSHIP CANDIDATES
Through the George Gund Foundation Fellowship, the George Gund
Foundation, a philanthropic organization that plays a vital role
in supporting the civic life of Greater Cleveland as well as in
various national policy deliberations that impact the community,
provides an opportunity for promising professionals to work
inside the foundation. The fellowship, a two-year, full-time
commitment beginning in Summer 2006, requires residence in
Northeast Ohio during the term of engagement.
Established in 1952, the Gund Foundation is the largest private
foundation in Ohio and makes grants totaling approximately $21
million annually. Program officers professionally handle
grantmaking in the arts, economic development and community
revitalization, education, environment, and human services.
The fellowship experience is tailored to the foundation's needs
and includes a wide range of substantive assignments, including
reviewing grant proposals, organizing and conducting site
visits, and researching topics related to the foundation's
grantmaking interests.
Each Gund Foundation Fellow will receive a stipend of $40,000
per year and a full benefits package. Housing, transportation,
and other living arrangements are the responsibility of the
fellow.
Successful candidates for this fellowship will have a graduate
degree and/or several years work experience in the nonprofit
sector. Excellent writing skills and sufficient computer
competency to carry out assigned projects are essential. A
demonstrated desire to work in public service or the nonprofit
sector is also important, as the foundation views the fellowship
to be a valuable early career opportunity. The selection process
is anticipated to be highly competitive.
(http://www.gundfoundation.org/news_and_publications/news/fellowship_2005_announcement.asp)
******************
PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FOUNDATION ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR
COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM
The Public Interest Law Foundation at Columbia Law School is an
independent, not-for-profit corporation founded by members of
the Columbia Law School community to support legal work in the
public interest. Since its inception in 1980, PILF has raised
and awarded more than $500,000 in grants to individuals and
organizations across the U.S.
This year, the foundation plans to award four to five grants of
$1,000 to $15,000 each. The foundation is particularly
interested in funding innovative projects that would not be
undertaken without a grant and in helping established projects
that suffer from a funding shortage. PILF has awarded grants to
a wide variety of projects, including advocacy and
representation for families at risk of homelessness; advocacy
for children and youths subject to unlawful exclusion from
school; advocacy for mentally ill persons in the criminal
justice system; assistance with pension advocacy to retired
workers; direct representation and advocacy on behalf of special
education children; education of coalfields workers on the laws
related to black lung disease; investigative services for
indigent capital defendants; legal assistance for gay men and
lesbians involved in custody battles; and political asylum
representation.
Both individuals and organizations are eligible for funding.
Organizations should explain how the proposed project relates to
their existing goals and projects. Individual applicants must
demonstrate a strong commitment to public interest law.
(http://www.columbia.edu/cu/pilf/grants.html)
******************
CENTER FOR INFORMATION
AND RESEARCH ON CIVIC LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCES NEW
GRANT COMPETITION
CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning
and Engagement) promotes research on the civic and political
engagement of Americans between the ages of 15 and 25. With
funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, CIRCLE will
make grants in 2006 to support research on civic education at
the high school level.
In the current Request for Proposals, CIRCLE is seeking research
that will help educators and policy makers improve civic
outcomes for U.S. students of high-school age (roughly 14-18).
"Civic outcomes" include, but are not limited to, knowledge of
politics, democracy, and civil society; knowledge of social
issues; values such as tolerance, trust, patriotism, concern for
others’ rights and well-being, and efficacy (the belief that one
can make a difference); skills and habits of deliberating about
public issues and participating in politics and community
affairs; volunteering and membership in voluntary and/or
nonprofit groups; and intentions to vote or to consider careers
in public service (in the government or nonprofit sectors).
CIRCLE welcomes proposals from academics, students (especially
Ph.D. candidates at the dissertation stage), independent
scholars, practitioners, and nonprofit research organizations
and firms. CIRCLE also welcomes proposals from high-school-age
youth, perhaps working in partnership with adults. Such
youth-led research proposals will be evaluated separately and
not compared directly to proposals from adults.
The total pool of money available in this RFP is $500,000.
CIRCLE has never chosen to make a grant in excess of $100,000
and is unlikely to exceed that limit in this competition.
(http://www.civicyouth.org/whats_new/RFP.htm)
******************
TIPS/RESOURCES
DONORS: WHAT
ARE THEY THINKING WHEN THEY GIVE?
Yesterday, the most successful nonprofits were those that donors
knew best. Today, the most successful nonprofits are those that
know their donors best -- not simply as statistics -- but as
real people.
According to Todd Baker, senior account executive at Masterworks
in Poulsbo, Wash, "Donors are not ATMs! Donors are driven by
needs and wants and they give based on an exchange of values."
-Donor give, according to Baker, for many reasons:
* To enhance self-worth
* To do the right thing
* To create a return on investment
-And people give to people who:
* Are in need
* Are in crisis
* Are in despair
-According to Baker, donors are loyal to charities that:
* Are perceived to be leaders
* Connect with them emotionally
* Provide relevance and meaning
* Offer significance and fulfillment
* Help them make a statement about what they value
* Help them to accomplish great visions
* Help them change the world now and for all time
* Provide them with a sense of belonging to something greater
than themselves
-People best respond to communication that:
* Seeks first to listen and understand
* Has a vision of relationship building
* Is responsive to their inquiries and requests
* Is relevant to their lives
* Is driven by them
-People who give to charity contribute in five primary ways:
* Their time though most of us are "time poor," volunteerism is
a significant indication of loyalty.
* Their talent everyone has a one. Involve your donors in this
manner and watch an increased enthusiasm.
* Their influence engage your donors in exploring the idea of
leveraging their place in life to further your cause.
* Their resources most corporations have an excess of "stuff"
that your charity could use. Very often these gifts-in-kind help
charities become more cost effective.
* Their money and actually, other than cash, there're a number
of ways that donors can make a financial impact on your
organization, such as stocks, bonds, life insurance, real
estate, personal property, etc.
Now you have the giver's take on philanthropy, said Baker.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/donors.html)
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GRANTS:
ALLOCATING INDIRECT COSTS
Many nonprofit organizations are heavily or completely funded by
grants. These grants come from a variety of sources federal,
state, or local governmental agencies, and/or private
foundations.
According to Liz Marenakos, product line manager, financial and
business solutions at Blackbaud in Charleston, S.C., for
government grants, there are specific guidelines around what is
and is not chargeable to a specific grant.
In addition to direct expenses, a percentage of the
organization's overhead (i.e., indirect costs) is often
reimbursable under the grant guidelines. Grants are either
issued on a contract or reimbursable basis, and both direct and
indirect expenses are charged to these grants, Marenakos
explained.
* A cost is allocable to a federal grant if it is incurred
specifically for the award, can be distributed in reasonable
proportion to the other benefits received, and is necessary to
the overall operation of the organization even though a direct
relationship to any particular cost objective cannot be shown.
* Direct expenses are those expenses that can be directly
attributed to performance under the grant or contract. These
expenditures are necessary and reasonable for carrying out the
terms of the agreement.
* Indirect expenses are expenses that are essential but are not
necessarily directly associated to performance under the
contract.
* Under the contract scenario, the governmental agency contracts
with the nonprofit to provide a specific service. The two
parties agree on a rate at which the organization can bill the
funding agency for overhead costs associated with performing
under the contract. This charge may be on a per-head or
per-square-foot basis. Alternatively, the governmental agency
might agree to pay the nonprofit a certain dollar amount over
time.
* The rate at which a nonprofit is reimbursed for overhead
expenditures can be either negotiated beforehand or calculated
at the end of each reporting year.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/grants.html)
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PLANNED GIVING: DISCLOSURE OF EXPECTATIONS IS VITAL
It is possible for donors of planned gifts to be disappointed
with some aspect of their return, but there are steps an
organization can take to avoid problems that may arise.
Organizations routinely inform potential donors of the benefits
that can be gained, but they are not often as forthcoming about
risks.
It is essential, therefore, that certain areas be disclosed to
make donors aware of the pitfalls as well as the benefits of
planned giving.
Those issues are:
* Investment or asset management issues. These include the
choice of manager, how the gift will be invested, and potential
risks.
* Gift vehicles. This involves the ramifications of particular
gift planning options, such as the fixed or variable nature of
payments, the irrevocability of the gift and the selection of a
payout rate.
* Gift assets. This area includes the information that donors
should have when deciding how to fund a particular gift plan,
and it involves the tradeoffs of using cash versus appreciated
assets and the issues to consider when giving real property or
other hard-to-value assets.
* Financial and tax benefits. This involves the disclosure that
should accompany projections of tax deductions, future
beneficiary payments and the ultimate benefit to the charity.
* Gift administration. The is concerned with how the gift plan
will operate, including payment methods, reporting and how fees
and expenses will be paid.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/plangive.html)
******************
NATIONAL COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT COALITION REPORT DOCUMENTS
CRA COMMITMENTS
The mission of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition is
to increase fair and equal access to credit, capital, and
banking services/products because discrimination is illegal,
unjust, and detrimental to the economic growth and well-being of
our society. NCRC seeks to support and provide long-term
solutions that include providing tools for building community
and individual net worth. NCRC’s newest report on Community
Reinvestment Act (CRA) agreements documents banks' commitments
of $4.2 trillion to minority and lower income neighborhoods.
(http://www.ncrc.org/policy/cra/documents/2005-09-21_CRACommitmentsUpdated.pdf)
******************
CHAPTERS:
ARE YOU REALLY A FEDERATION?
Many of the largest and best-recognized nonprofits in the United
States operate as networks of local affiliates that share
mission and program model but are legally independent of one
another and the national office.
In an article of McKinsey Quarterly, Maisie O'Flanagan and Lynn
K. Taliento observed that this model, which they refer to as the
federation, is very rare outside the nonprofit world. Further,
they argue that, while the structure might be sound, there may
be a need for overhaul. According to them, the national offices
of federated nonprofits must focus on supplying affiliates with
four main benefits. These benefits are:
* A valuable national brand. The national office must define the
brand and communicate its attributes to donors and local
communities, just as a for-profit would.
* A reliable system for measuring performance. A well-run
organization develops specific program and administrative
standards that help it to review and benchmark the performance
of its affiliates and share best practices.
* Shared administrative services. At the very least, most
organizations should share information technology systems,
procurement in areas such as insurance and travel, and HR
functions such as benefits and relocation assistance.
* Coordinated fundraising services. The organization must divide
responsibility for different types of donors, draw up guidelines
for the transfer or sharing of resources, create procedures to
resolve conflicts and institutionalize opportunities to share
lessons and practices within the organization.
******************
NEWS
November 2, 2005
VIETNAMESE
WORK TO RECOVER IN ALABAMA CITY AFTER KATRINA
By SHELIA M. POOLE
Cox News Service
BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. — Business is still slow at Vien Dong
supermarket in this small southwest Alabama fishing town.
It's taken weeks for owner Tu Phuoc to pick up the pieces after
Hurricane Katrina trounced the area, displacing scores of
residents and temporarily shutting down some businesses.
He's had to buy new refrigerators, a new freezer and replace his
inventory of Asian foods and spices.
"It was bad," said Phuoc, who moved to the United States from
Vietnam in 1978, three years after the end of the Vietnam War.
Phuoc also owned a Vietnamese and Chinese restaurant next door
to his grocery store. Large sheets of plywood cover the windows.
He said the place was heavily damaged by water and mold. He had
to throw everything away, costing him thousands. He's waiting to
see what federal agencies can do to help cover those costs.
In the past few weeks, Sister Christine Truong My Hanh, a
Catholic nun and the founder and director of Good Shepherd
Services in Chamblee, Ga., and Hieu Duong, who teaches English
as a second language and computer courses, have traveled from
Atlanta to Alabama to take food and other items.
Hanh said she learned about the Vietnamese community on the
Internet.
"They needed help," she said. "We took to them what we could and
what people donated. We had to do something."
Phuoc plans to stay and says it will take more than a hurricane
to force him from the place where he had planted roots.
Longtime resident Dewayne Buie isn't so sure he'll stay.
"We lost everything," said Buie, who stopped by the small store
on South Wintzell Street to buy a couple of packs of curried
sausage. Buie evacuated to Dothan before the storm hit, but when
he returned he found his indoor flea market destroyed.
"I've got to relocate," he said.
According to the 2000 census, Asians make up about 33 percent of
Bayou La Batre's population, and Vietnamese represent the
largest segment.
Many Asians moved into the community decades ago to work in the
fishing and shrimping industries, which were hit hard by
Katrina.
Sal Versaggi, vice president of the Southern Shrimp Alliance,
said the storm cut production by half, but the industry is
rebounding and operating at about 75 percent capacity.
In Bayou La Batre in far southwestern Alabama, "everything
revolved around the fishing industry," said Versaggi.
The state is fifth in terms of shrimp production.
News about the Vietnamese neighborhood spread quickly on the
Internet, but Xia Hong, a mother of four, said more aid is
needed.
The family went to Montgomery to wait out the storm, then
returned a few days later.
Her home, where she has lived for about a dozen years, was
flooded even though it rests on cinder blocks. The family had to
get rid of all of their furniture.
"All our stuff was moved around, and pictures were overturned,"
said Hong. "It didn't look like our house. When I opened the
door I felt really sad. We lost everything."
Today the family lives in a cramped FEMA-issued trailer in the
backyard.
The seafood processor where she works has closed for a while,
putting Hong out of work.
Hong said it would help if someone could come and help fix her
house, as she doesn't have the money to do so on her own. She'll
also have to replace her furniture and appliances.
A major obstacle has been language. Hong speaks very little
English. A daughter, Nikki Duong, 23, tries to help her mother
navigate the system. "She said she gets frustrated at times, but
she has to be patient," Duong said.
Shelia M. Poole writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
E-mail:
spoole@ajc.com
(http://www.pulsejournal.com/hp/content/shared/news/nation/stories/11/1102_COXKATRINA_VIETNAMESE.html)
******************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: November 4, 2005
CONTACT: Brad German
703-903-2437
FREDDIE
MAC, ASIAN-AMERICAN GROUPS TO HELP VIETNAMESE, CAMBODIAN, LAO
FAMILIES DISPLACED BY RECENT HURRICANES
U.S. Reps. Davis, Moran, Honda Hail Effort to Surmount Language
Barriers to Storm Relief
McLean, VA . . . Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) is joining forces with
three Asian-American organizations in an effort to break down
cultural and language barriers separating public and private
hurricane relief programs from hundreds of Vietnamese, Cambodian
and Laotian families whose Gulf Coast homes and businesses were
wrecked by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The three groups are the
National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (NCVA), Boat People
SOS, and the National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service
Agencies (NAVASA).
Freddie Mac’s $200,000 corporate grant will enable the three
Asian-American groups to send bi-lingual, bi-cultural staff to
the hurricane disaster areas to help nearly 1000 families find
temporary shelter and to apply for federal, state, local and
private aid.
The bi-lingual staff the three organizations can now deploy are
expected to place 700 Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Lao families in
temporary housing in Bayou La Batre, Alabama and Biloxi,
Mississippi, provide housing assistance to an estimated 250
additional families returning to New Orleans, and help the
Vietnamese community assess its rebuilding needs in areas
affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Today’s announcement drew quick praise from several Congressmen,
including Rep. Tom Davis, Chair of the House Committee on
Government Reform. “I applaud Freddie Mac for the grant they
awarded to the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (NCVA),
Boat People SOS (BPSOS), and the National Alliance of Vietnamese
Americans Service Agencies (NCVA),” Davis said. “I know
firsthand these three highly regarded community organizations
will work tirelessly to ensure this grant money helps Vietnamese
Americans rebuild their homes and communities in the aftermath
of Hurricane Katrina and Rita.”
“The devastation from Hurricane Katrina is a great challenge for
our nation,” added Congressman Jim Moran, a member on the House
Committee on Appropriations. “We will rebuild the Gulf Coast and
bring New Orleans back as one of this country’s most vibrant,
culturally infused cities. But it will take a collective
effort, one that people of all races, creeds and ethnicities
must pitch in to help. I am especially concerned about helping
state and local officials house those in need and applaud
Freddie Mac for moving us in the right direction.”
“With the Asian American community’s infrastructure and
resources limited throughout the Katrina storm area, many
victims are relying on APIA community organizations that lack
funding for an extended recovery effort,” said Congressman Mike
Honda, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
“I want to thank Freddie Mac for their leadership in providing
this grant which is the first step in providing an adequate
response.”
“By working with these three widely-respected organizations, we
can provide an essential bridge between displaced Asian families
and the hurricane relief efforts Freddie Mac and other
organizations launched in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita,” said Dwight Robinson, Freddie Mac’s senior vice president
of corporate relations and housing outreach. “Today’s
announcement further underscores Freddie Mac’s mission to foster
financial stability for America’s lenders, borrowers and
communities in all kinds of weather.”
“This timely grant will help us transition from emergency relief
to recovery,” said Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Executive Director of
Boat People SOS. “One of our focuses in the recovery phase is
temporary housing for hurricane victims. Due to language
barrier, hundreds of Vietnamese, Cambodian and Lao families have
not been placed into FEMA-provided trailers or transitional
housing. They continue to live in their damaged residence under
absolutely unhealthy conditions.”
“Freddie Mac has taken great measures within the past months in
responding, initiating and making timely contributions in
efforts to aid the Asian American survivors of Hurricane Katrina
and Rita. I strongly believe that by working together Freddie
Mac, Boat People S.O.S., NCVA and NAVASA will benefit thousands
of displaced survivors,” Huy Vu Bui, Executive Director of
NAVASA stated, “and I hope that this effort will encourage other
corporations with Asian consumers and personnel to give support
to our efforts.”
“Today’s announcement will help make homes possible for
Americans of diverse backgrounds and help ensure Vietnamese
Americans have a role in the rebuilding of their homes and
neighborhoods in an affordable and equitable manner,” said Hung
Nguyen, president and CEO of the National Congress of Vietnamese
Americans. “I applaud Freddie Mac for stepping forward and
making this commitment to provide needed resources to our
vulnerable communities.”
Freddie Mac is a stockholder-owned company established by
Congress in 1970 to support homeownership and rental housing.
Freddie Mac fulfills its mission by purchasing residential
mortgages and mortgage-related securities, which it finances
primarily by issuing mortgage-related securities and debt
instruments in the capital markets. Over the years, Freddie Mac
has made home possible for one in six homebuyers and nearly four
million renters in America. www.freddiemac.com.
# # #
******************
November 4, 2005
SOCIAL JUSTICE 101 TEACHES STUDENTS TO TOUCH THE WORLD
By Rumbidzai Sithole
The Cable, Staff Writer
This semester in the Center for Just Living (CJL), the Social
Justice 101 pilot program will kick off. It is purely a student
initiative.
“Diane Tran originally came up with the idea for the seminar, as
she has known about the program Youth Venture for a while and
has always wanted to organize and implement a unique initiative
like this,” Lauren Satterlee, one of the organizers, said.
The seminar is looking to attract all types of students on
campus, but mainly aims to better student activism by developing
leaders.
“Generally we’re looking for students who are already civically
engaged and want to look at the bigger picture, network or
collaborate with others and are asking deeper questions than can
be answered on their own,” Tran said.
Nine students will be taking part initially and they will be
discussing material that was obtained from faculty, staff and
students with activism experiences.
“It is great to have a small group to get to know each other
more intimately and for relationship-building,” Tran said.
Tran, along with the Satterlee sisters, Lauren and Rachel,
started specifically planning for the Social Justice 101 idea
near the end of this past summer. They had all been involved
with the CJL for a while and were looking for a way to bring
students together to reflect on the different types of
humanitarian work that they do. The seminar will be held every
week, and it will last for 10 weeks. The group focuses on
discussing a different short reading each week, read in-between
each session by all participants. The actual structure of the
seminar is designed to be a round-table learning experience,
where students can all learn things from each other.
“I think our inspiration to create a reflective seminar
partially came from each of our semester experiences off
campus,” Lauren Satterlee said.
Social Justice 101 is not like a class simply because it is
meant to be a completely open discussion, personal reflection
and hopefully a re-centering process. Right now there is no
credit offered for the seminar, but organizers are looking into
the idea of making it an officially student-run course that does
offer credit.
Students will benefit from the intellectual discussions as well
as the reflective mood in the seminar. This will also present an
opportunity for student activists to come together to motivate
each other, as well as analyze the results of their work on and
off campus.
CJL Director Jay Newcomb was thoroughly impressed with the
student initiative in light of all of the troubles in the world
calling for social justice.
“I think that it is very exciting when a group of students takes
the initiative to read more books and discuss significant
issues,” he said. “They are creating their own ‘course’ and
directing their own learning focused on social justice. What
could be a better outcome of our CSS education?”
(http://143.110.4.81/cable/main.php?contentPage=pages&pageNum=3&pageDate=_11_04_2005)
******************
November 5, 2005
RACE RELATIONS: VIEWS MIXED OVER MAYOR’S TRACK RECORD IN THE
ASIAN COMMUNITY
By JESSICA VAN SACK
The Patriot Ledger
Betty Yau is frustrated that the mayor hasn’t hired additional
Asian-speaking workers in city hall. Yet Kent Yee says the
administration has contributed to the recent strides made by his
community, including a rise in Asian-owned businesses.
Chinese and Vietnamese residents interviewed by The Patriot
Ledger had mixed reviews for Mayor William Phelan’s reign over
the state’s most concentrated Asian-speaking community.
Some said Phelan reaches out when it’s important, while others
depicted a hands-off approach.
‘‘Plan more programs; engage Asian participation in the planning
process; invite volunteers from the Asian community to help
ourselves,’’ suggested Yau, host of ‘‘The Cantonese Show’’ on
WJDA-AM (1300).
Yau said she can’t understand why the city has only one worker
in charge of helping non-English speakers navigate through city
hall red tape. Asian Liaison John Chen speaks Vietnamese,
Cantonese and Mandarin and serves as the city’s on-call
translator.
Phelan said plans are in the works to hire more bilingual
staffers and police officers.
‘‘The best change in Quincy over the past 15 years is the
increased diversity of its citizens,’’ Phelan said. ‘‘I honestly
believe that just transforms Quincy into a great community, a
place that when I was younger didn’t really have that
diversity.’’
Yee, a community policing officer and active member of the
Atlantic Neighborhood Association, credited Phelan for targeting
the growth of Asian business via his seat on the coalition
Quincy 2000. He also noted that while previous mayors would send
a liaison to Asian community events, Phelan always makes an
appearance.
But some Asian Americans said that while Phelan has articulated
a vision for downtown development and the schools, they don’t
feel he has offered any comparable initiatives fashioned for the
city’s changing ethnic face.
Phelan said he has directed energy toward bolstering community
groups that, in turn, respond to the ethnic population. The city
aids the neighborhood centers that have Asian outreach programs
as well as the nonprofit Quincy Community Action Programs, which
holds classes for English language learners, he noted.
Paul Watanabe, director of the Institute for Asian American
Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, said
Phelan faces a greater challenge than his predecessors as Quincy
continues to become less white.
According to the U.S. Census, the Asian population more than
doubled from 5,554 in 1990 to 13,546 in 2000. Local census
figures last year showed that there are 14,000 Asians in Quincy
- 16 percent of the city’s 89,500 residents. However, City Clerk
Joseph Shea believes the percentage is now closer to 20 percent.
For an idea of how that figure may change, Asian Americans make
up 27 percent of students in the Quincy public schools.
The Vietnamese and Chinese represent more than two-thirds of the
Asian community. The fastest-growing subset is the Indian
population, which according to the U.S. Census has swelled from
143 in 1990 to 1,127 in 2000, a 688 percent increase.
In 2001, local restaurant owner Jimmy Liang was the first-ever
Asian candidate to run for political office, and none have
followed since he lost his bid for city council.
In Quincy, the political establishment traditionally nurtures
its future leaders. But ‘‘the succession game’’ makes politics
impenetrable for immigrants unless political leaders recruit
them, Watanabe said.
‘‘It would be an important step to have the mayor try to help
promote having candidates from this growing community,’’
Watanabe said.
Jessica Van Sack may be reached at
jvansack@ledger.com.
Copyright 2005 The Patriot Ledger
(http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2005/11/05/news/news03.txt)
******************
For Immediate Release
November 8, 2005
Contact: Anh Phan - Director of Communications
aphan@ocanatl.org, 202-223-5500
OCA ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Washington, DC – OCA is pleased to welcome Dorothy Wong as the
next Executive Director for the organization. Wong comes from
Seattle, Washington, where she was Executive Director of
International Community Health Services (ICHS) for the past 12
years. Under her leadership, ICHS grew from a storefront clinic
on the verge of bankruptcy with 60 staff to one with a $15
million budget and over 200 staff. The agency now has two
12,000-square-foot clinics, each providing a range of medical
and dental services, Chinese traditional medicine and other
health-related care such as health education and preventive care
services.
Wong will be the eighth Executive Director in OCA’s 32-year
history. “We are extremely pleased that Dorothy has accepted the
position as OCA’s Executive Director. We are confident that she
will work well with the National Board and rise to the challenge
of bringing OCA to the next level,” said OCA National President
Ginny Gong. “Her reputation in Seattle as a visionary and
community advocate with strong management skills and business
instincts, combined with extensive collaboration building
experience will be a valuable asset to the organization.”
Wong is credited for not only keeping ICHS focused on providing
affordable, culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate
health care to Seattle’s APIA communities, but also expanding
services to East and West Africans, Russians, Bulgarians and
other immigrant communities.
“Dorothy’s friends and colleagues have all commented on her
ability to personally embody the values and principles of ICHS
as its Executive Director,” commented Sharon Wong, OCA’s
Transition Committee Chair. “We have high expectations of her
ability to convey OCA’s vision and mission. Her experience in
expanding and building two sites for ICHS will be a definite
plus for OCA as we continue our goal of establishing the OCA
National Center for APA Leadership here in Washington, DC.” “I
am excited about joining OCA as it develops its strategic
direction for the next few years,” said Wong. “There are many
issues under review at the federal level that will significantly
impact the future well-being of people in this country. It is
important that the APA communities have a voice—in articulating
their needs and in helping to shape future policies on issues
that affect them. OCA is positioned to play a greater role in
ensuring that the APA communities have ‘a place at the table.’”
# # # #
“Founded in 1973, OCA, a national organization with over 80
chapters and affiliates across the country, is dedicated to
advancing the social, economic, and political well-being of
Asian Pacific Americans in the United States.”
******************
November 9, 2005
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AWARDS NEARLY $20 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR
PRESIDENT’S PRISONER RE-ENTRY INITIATIVE
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded 30
grants totaling $19.8 million to faith-and community-based
organizations to assist non-violent ex-offenders returning to
their local communities. These grants were awarded under the
President's Prisoner Re-entry Initiative grant competition and
are designed to serve urban centers and areas of greatest need.
"Communities benefit when non-violent ex-offenders become
contributing members of society," said Secretary of Labor Elaine
L. Chao. "This $20 million in grants will fund projects in 20
states to provide job training, mentoring and other services to
prepare returning ex-offenders for new lives as productive
workers."
Introduced by President Bush in his 2004 State of the Union
Address, the Prisoner Re-entry Initiative is designed to help
strengthen urban communities and assist ex-prisoners re-entering
the community through an employment-based program that
incorporates housing, mentoring, job training and other
services.
This competition for grants turned out to be the biggest and
most competitive in recent years, with 549 applications
submitted to the Department of Labor.
"Employment can be the most stabilizing factor in an
ex-offender's transition back into the community. Many of the
individuals who will receive services under these grants need
skills training and assistance as they make this transition,"
said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training
Emily Stover DeRocco. "These grants will support faith- and
community-based organizations in providing the help ex-offenders
need as they move to find employment and restart careers, as
well as build safer communities."
The Prisoner Re-entry Initiative is a collaboration of the
Departments of Labor, Justice, Housing and Urban Development and
Health and Human Services. The Department of Justice is holding
a limited grant competition in the 20 states where the Labor
Department grants were awarded to conduct pre-release services
for program participants.
Please visit (http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/reentryfactsheet.htm)
for more information on the Prisoner Re-entry Initiative. For
additional information on the Department of Labor's employment
and training programs, please visit (http://www.doleta.gov/).
View the list of award recipients (http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20052123list.htm).
(http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/reentryfactsheet.htm)
******************
November 8, 2005
STATE
DEPT. CITES SAUDI ARABIA ON RIGHTS
By Barry Schweid
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The State Department cited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday
for denying religious freedom to non-Muslims and found fault to
a lesser degree with other allies including Israel, Belgium,
France, Germany and Pakistan.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who will be going to Saudi
Arabia at the end of the week as part of a trip to the Middle
East, released the report.
"In far too many countries, governments fail to safeguard
religious freedom," Rice said in releasing the survey of 197
countries and territories.
The same eight countries found to be of "particular concern"
last year were cited again on Tuesday. They are Burma, China,
Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Vietnam.
Rice said if Vietnam continues to improve its record it could be
removed from the list next time, however.
"Freedom of religion does not exist" in Saudi Arabia, the report
said. "Islam is the official religion and all citizens must be
Muslims."
In Israel, the report said, some non-Jews, primarily Arab
Muslims and Christians, experience discrimination in education,
housing and employment.
"Tensions between Israeli Jews and Arab Muslims and Christians
remained high due to the institutional, legal and societal
discrimination against the country's Arab citizens," the seventh
annual report to Congress said.
In France, where mayhem is sweeping impoverished neighborhoods
with large African and Arab communities, and in Belgium and
Germany, the State Department mildly criticized the branding of
certain religions as dangerous cults and sects.
Pakistan was faulted for discriminatory legislation and failing
to intervene in cases of violence against minority religious
groups.
The citation of Saudi Arabia for not recognizing religious
freedom and denying it to all but those who adhere to the
state-sanctioned version of Sunni Islam could be an irritant
during Rice's visit to the Arab kingdom.
In September, she postponed punishing the Saudis with trade or
other restrictions by giving the country's rulers 180 days to
show progress in the treatment of religious minorities.
While criticizing the Saudi government at a news conference
Tuesday, John Hanford, who heads the State Department's
religious freedom office, said, "We are pleased that hundreds of
thousands of people are permitted to practice their religion
privately."
Burma was accused of severe violations of religious freedom.
China was faulted for showing insufficient respect for freedom
of religion, Cuba for controlling and monitoring religious
activities, and North Korea for not permitting religious freedom
at all.
Listed as hostile toward minority or nonapproved religions were
Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, as well as
Saudi Arabia.
The State Department said that in Iran, Sunni Muslims, Bahais,
Jews and Christians reported imprisonment, harassment,
intimidation and discrimination based on religious belief.
Religious freedom declined in Uzbekistan while there was some
improvement in respect for religious freedom in Vietnam and
Egypt, the report said.
Hanford said Uzbekistan uses its law on religion against both
Muslims and Christians.
In thousands of cases, he said, the government has accused
people of encouraging terrorism simply because they expressed
their devout Muslim beliefs.
And, Hanford said, the government has made false assertions of
membership in extremist organizations as a pretext for
repressing the innocent expression of religious belief.
Still, in Egypt, discrimination against non-Muslims continued
and in India the government responded slowly to counterattacks
against religious minorities, according to the report.
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said his human rights
subcommittee would hold a hearing on the report next Tuesday.
"By forthrightly naming the countries that systematically and
egregiously violate the right to religious freedom, no matter
friend or foe, we can begin to develop solutions that will
guarantee the right to religious freedom to all people," he
said.
On Vietnam, where the State Department found improvements, Smith
disagreed, particularly on the way the government treated
Montagnard Christians.
The religious situation has deteriorated, he said, and the
arrest and sentencing of Vo Vanh Thanh Liem (Nam Liem), a
leading figure of the independent Hoa Hao Buddhists, was an
outrage.
On the Net:
State Department:
http://www.state.gov
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/08/AR2005110800893.html)
******************
November 9, 2005
U.S. GROUPS ORGANIZING DENTAL, MEDICAL
CARE FOR RURAL VIETNAMESE
Two nonprofit organizations sending health care teams to Da Nang
November 12-23
By Todd Bullock
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Two Vietnamese-American nonprofit organizations
are sending health care professionals to Vietnam November 12-23
to provide dental and medical care for children in rural areas,
including many who have never been to a dentist or doctor.
Vietnamese Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH) and Hope for
Tomorrow (HOPE), two U.S. nonprofit organizations led by
Vietnamese-Americans, are sending seven dentists, two doctors
and two public health workers -- all Vietnamese-Americans and
fluent in Vietnamese -- to the central highlands city of Da Nang
and the surrounding area to give medical care to rural
Vietnamese children and provide public health training.
The VNAH-HOPE medical mission will be providing services to one
of the most underserved populations in Vietnam. The team plans
to visit several rural communities west of Da Nang, a coastal
city with a population of almost 600,000 people, most of whom
lack basic infrastructure such as electricity and running water.
The mission will also be providing basic dental and medical
services to minority populations who live in isolated villages
in the central highlands.
Representatives from both organizations discussed their goals
for the mission with the Washington File.
VNAH
VNAH is a Virginia-based nonprofit organization originally
established to assist war amputees and other disabled people in
Vietnam. Its president, Ca Van Tran, an entrepreneur who
immigrated to the United States from Vietnam, founded VNAH to
help disabled Vietnamese overcome their disabilities and lead
richer, fuller lives.
"VNAH has a 15-year record of successful operations in Vietnam,"
Tran said in an October 17 interview with the Washington File.
"We have provided technical assistance to regional prosthetics
clinics," and we promote "programs and policies with Vietnam's
government to integrate the disabled into all aspects of their
community's social and economic activities."
According to Tran, VNAH works closely with the Vietnamese
government and has received funding and support for its programs
from several U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of
Labor.
HOPE
HOPE, a Maryland-based nonprofit organization, has a core
mission of providing medical relief efforts to communities
throughout the world that are in need of assistance. Its
president Chau Nguyen, an entrepreneur who also emigrated from
Vietnam, is particularly interested in helping improve the lives
of under-served Vietnamese.
In the same interview with the Washington File, Nguyen cited
several successful HOPE medical missions in Southeast Asia,
including one in March during which HOPE members visited six
rural communities around Phnom Penh and provided dental and
medical care to over 2,000 patients.
"Thousands of patients who had never been seen by a doctor
waited in long lines under intense heat to receive treatment.
Our doctors treated a variety of tropical diseases rarely seen
in the United States. As a result of the team's efforts, the
people from those villages now have renewed hope for a better
tomorrow," Nguyen said.
Both Tran and Nguyen said that their success in the United
States has allowed them to give back to those less fortunate in
Vietnam.
Nguyen also noted that the dentists, doctors and health care
workers who participate in the programs demonstrate their
generosity and compassion not only by giving of their time but
by funding their own participation in HOPE's medical missions.
DENTAL CARE
According to Nguyen, the November mission team plans to conduct
oral screenings and provide primary dental care -- including
extractions and restorations when necessary -- and will work
closely with local governments and clinics to provide follow-up
care for cases requiring more definitive care.
Tran said that, for those cases requiring definitive care, VNAH
will provide in-country support for patient follow-up care and
will monitor such cases.
He noted the primary focus group of the November health care
mission would be children between the ages of 5 and 14.
Nguyen predicted the medical mission would treat over 2,500
patients while in Vietnam. The mission team will also provide
dental and medical supplies to local clinics and will travel to
Hue University November 19-20 to conduct workshops for
Vietnamese dentists on oral surgery techniques.
PREVENTIVE CARE
Addressing the need to deliver preventive care, Nguyen said,
"Learning from our past missions, we are incorporating a public
health program in order to enable communities to implement and
sustain proper health care programs."
"We will inform, empower and educate communities about health
issues so that residents' health will improve and their risk of
infections and disease will decrease over time," he said.
Nguyen said public health workers would conduct workshops in
Vietnamese and provide brochures on topics such as women's
health, hygiene and nutrition as well as on prevention of
sexually transmitted diseases and other infectious diseases.
"Our goal is to use treatment to train local health care
providers and authorities in techniques that promote public
health, hygiene and sanitation," he said.
GOVERNMENT-COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
Tran said VNAH's role in the November joint project with HOPE is
"to collaborate with local governments and communities to
provide acute care and preventative treatment services to the
medically under-served areas around Da Nang."
"The Vietnamese government has been helpful and is enthusiastic
about our work," he said.
According to Tran, VNAH will provide logistical support for the
health mission through its office in Vietnam and has arranged
all of the necessary clearances from the government in Hanoi for
the mission to travel the countryside around Da Nang.
"Our existing contacts with government officials and community
partnerships, along with HOPE's team of medicals professionals,
bring together the skill sets necessary for a mission to provide
care for people who subsist on less than two dollars per day,"
Tran said.
See also "Vietnamese Legislators Study U.S. Disabilities
Legislation."
(http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=October&x=20051005155344TJkcolluB0.5491449&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html)
For more information on U.S. policy, see East Asia and the
Pacific (http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/)
and Humanitarian Assistance and Refugees (http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/global_issues/refugees.html).
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
(http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=November&x=20051109093935TJkcolluB5.154055e-02&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html)
******************
November 11, 2005
JUSTICE FOR TRAN
AND HER FAMILY
By Anh le and Richard Konda
Tran Thi Bich Cau, a petite 25-year-old Vietnamese American
woman living in San Jose, Calif., was shot dead by a San Jose
police officer in her apartment on July 13, 2003. Tran lived
with her partner, Dang Bui, and her children, Tommy, 2, and
Tony, 4. She was killed by a bullet through the heart while she
was standing in her kitchen.
Officer Chad Marshall shot her after responding with his partner
to a 911 call from the woman’s neighbor about a child wandering
in the street. Marshall shot Tran at close range when he saw her
holding a “dao bao,” an Asian vegetable peeler. The killing
occurred in front of the woman’s children and partner.
Tran, who arrived in the U.S. at the age of 19, had a job as an
assembly worker, and her dream was to someday own a nail salon.
The killing and the subsequent investigation have infuriated the
Vietnamese American community. The Coalition for Justice and
Accountability, comprising Vietnamese Americans, blacks, Latinos
and others, has raised troubling questions about the Santa Clara
County Coroner’s Office, as well as the grand jury proceedings
by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. The grand
jury exonerated Marshall on October 30, 2003.
The Tran case also raises troubling questions concerning the
issue of the use of deadly force by police when it is summoned
for help. For officials to continue invoking the rationale that
police can freely shoot a citizen in “self-defense” when faced
with alleged “imminent danger” will not help to prevent repeats
of the July 13, 2003, tragedy.
The Tran family filed a civil lawsuit against the city of San
Jose for violation of civil rights and wrongful death.
In the civil case, U.S. District Judge James Ware has stated
that even the testimony of Officer Marshall conflicted with the
testimony of his partner, Officer Mun. Judge Ware pointed out
that “Officer Mun’s statement that he ‘does not recall seeing a
drawer open in the kitchen, or seeing or hearing the woman going
through a drawer [allegedly to look for an item that would later
be mistaken by the shooting officer as a “cleaver”],’”
conflicted with Officer Marshall’s testimony.
The trial date for the Tran case has been stalled by the city of
San Jose, and the Coalition for Justice and Accountability
organized a Justice Rally for the Tran Family at 12 noon on
November 1, at the San Jose City Hall.
The Coalition demands that the city of San Jose negotiate in
good faith with the attorneys for the Tran family, and allow
justice to be heard by stipulating a trial date in December.
How can we, as a caring community, look at now 6-year-old Tony
Bui and 4-year-old Tommy Bui, and tell these orphaned children
that our society condoned the killing of their mother?
Please contact the Hon. Ron Gonzales, Mayor of the City of San
Jose and members of the City Council of San Jose at:
San Jose City Hall
200 E. Santa Clara St.
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 535-4800
Let your voices be heard, “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied. We
Demand Justice for Tran Thi Bich Cau and her Two Orphaned
Children Now!”
Anh Le is a member of the Coalition for Justice and
Accountability. Richard Konda is executive director of The Asian
Law Alliance, and a member of the Coalition for Justice and
Accountability. For more information regarding the Coalition for
Justice and Accountability, please contact: sccala@pacbell.net
or
(408) 287-9710.
(http://news.asianweek.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=0d6640e9c79206b6f3ead1b69e9e57ee&this_category_id=172)
******************
November 14, 2006
GOING BEYOND THE
MASTER NARRATIVE
by Sandy Tang and Polina Zhong
In 1982, Vincent Chin, a 27-year-old Chinese-American, was
beaten to death with a bat following a confrontation in a
Detroit bar. His murderers (Ron Ebens and Michael Nitz) received
a $3,000 fine and never spent a day in jail. How could such an
atrocity have come and gone without drawing the notice of the
masses? We've all heard of Rodney King. But have you ever heard
of Vincent Chin?
If not, you're not alone. Far from it. Few students have ever
heard of the litany of similar hate crimes that have victimized
Asian-Americans. These stories and the accompanying history of
oppression that Asian-Americans, along with other minorities of
color, have faced are not taught to students in the established
formal educational system -- whether they are in kindergarten,
12th grade, or, in most cases, college.
To ignore the suffering of an entire group of people is to erase
them from our collective memory. By not teaching about racism,
we in essence teach future generations that it did not exist. We
also teach that racism today, stripped of its historical
context, does also not actually exist. The ultimate message
conveyed is that nothing needs to be done now to counteract the
harmful effects of racism. Who suffers the brunt of this
illusion, and who decides what is important enough to be taught?
The exclusion of Asian Americans from American history enforces
the conception of Asian-Americans as "foreigners," as not "true
Americans" (to use the terminology of a radio DJ last year who
attacked an Asian American running for political office) despite
the fact that they have been here since the mid-1800s. It also
indirectly lends credence to the "model minority myth" which
depicts all Asian-Americans as upper-middle-class, well-to-do,
hardworking, quiet overachievers. They are a "model minority"
that doesn't get under anyone's feet. There is no education to
provide counterevidence of the Asian Americans that are
struggling, lower-class, oppressed.
This gap-filled education misleads Asian-Americans and
non-Asian-Americans alike. Asian-Americans grow up with this
image, and learn to believe that this is the archetype to which
they are or should aspire. Although the Asian-American
population is diverse and many do not resemble the "model
minority," many come to believe that they cannot claim the
identity of being Asian American if their personalities do not
fit the limited mold. It is the only model they have of an Asian
who is mainstream and assimilated into American culture.
Education is an important way of dispelling these
misconceptions.
Take a look into the typical American curriculum. What do you
see? Chinese laborers building the continental railroad?
Exclusion acts that implied "justice for all" applied to us?
That Chinatowns that weren't born out of choice, but out of
exclusion? Anti-miscegenation laws that strived to keep white
blood pure? Deportation and detention? Vincent Chin gasping his
last breaths in the name of mistaken stereotypes? None of the
above?
At Tufts, Asian Americans hardly see themselves in the
curriculum. The current master narrative in our textbooks fails
to include ethnic minorities. With rising Asian American
enrollment in universities, the model minority myth becomes
perpetuated. How do we break down barriers and shatter glass
ceilings? With a diverse curriculum that includes the histories
of all peoples, goes beyond the black-white paradigm, students
can broaden their comfort zones. Hate crimes stem from
miseducation and ignorance. With hate, comes fear. Race
relations will never ease if we do not attempt to understand one
another.
In an institution that prides itself on diversity and
acceptance, we cannot afford to neglect entire groups of people.
Unlike many leading universities of our country, Tufts has
failed to recognize the need for an Asian American studies
program. And no, it's not the same as Asian studies.
This struggle isn't just about getting another professor or
another class. What we're asking for is the decency of a
university to recognize a marginalized group as worthy of
validated existence. We're not asking the student body to stand
behind us. We're simply asking you all to stand beside us in
this long, overdue battle of false hopes, an uncooperative
administration, and blatant neglect.
Sandy Tang is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
Polina Zhong is a junior majoring in American Studies and
Community Health. They are both members of Asian American
Curriculum Transformation (AACT).
(http://www.tuftsdaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/11/14/43782e0feacca)
******************
GOVERNOR IN CHINA
Selling California to Asia, seeking re-election at home
POLITICS: Trip coverage could help court Asian Americans in 2006
campaign
Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle Political Writer
It is billed as an official mission, but California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's six-day trip to China that starts today also
serves another distinctly political purpose: an unofficial
beginning to Schwarzenegger's 2006 re-election campaign.
The trade mission to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong allows the
battered California governor to set a course for some new, and
potentially valuable, allies, political observers said.
"Arnold won't be just selling California in China,'' predicted
former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, who has made five trips
to China in an official capacity. "He will be selling Arnold --
to Asian American voters.''
Schwarzenegger, by virtue of his movie star status, has "a
chance to have a greater presence in the Asian community than
any other Republican has had in a very long time,'' Brown said.
"The Asian voter is not an identifiable party voter; he's voting
in the interests of what affects his community. And Arnold,
going to China, first and foremost shows great respect for the
Chinese community. And that will have residual benefits.''
Schwarzenegger isn't the only politician looking abroad to help
craft an appeal to an important audience in the nation's most
populous state, where Asian Americans' increasing voter numbers
and influence as political donors make them attractive allies.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne
Feinstein are also planning a high-profile trip to China later
this month that could rival Schwarzenegger's visit for VIP
business clout.
Phil Trounstine, who heads the San Jose State University Survey
and Policy Research Institute, said the trips indicate that a
growing number of state politicians have become increasingly
aware of how to use visits abroad to boost their coverage and
profile at home among ethnic voters.
And the strategy has worked, Trounstine said. He recalls how
then-Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, on an early state
visit to Mexico with Trounstine's former boss, then-Gov. Gray
Davis, captivated the Spanish-language press and effectively
"began running for mayor of Los Angeles" while he was hundreds
of miles from home.
"When a California politician goes to Mexico, it has the effect
of building his base with the Latino community in California;
the same thing is true in Asia,'' Trounstine said. "To the
extent that (Schwarzenegger) is popular in Shanghai and Hong
Kong, it plays well among the Asian community in California."
In this instance, some Democrats say, Schwarzenegger is playing
to an entirely different crowd -- big donors and business
interests.
"I won't be surprised if he tries to reach out to Asian
Americans, but unfortunately, the damage has been done to this
governor -- and he'll be having a tough time with any of the
ethnic voting communities,'' said Democratic strategist Roger
Salazar, referring to last week's devastating defeat of the
governor's special election measures.
Political observers on both sides agree the California
governor's decision to head immediately out of state on the
heels of a tough election allows him to try to erase the image
of the bitter defeat.
There may be no better place than China for that goal:
Schwarzenegger's films have reached millions of eager moviegoers
there, guaranteeing him the media spotlight abroad. And he will
reap a wave of positive, round-the-clock coverage back home in
Chinese-language media.
David Lee, who heads the San Francisco-based Chinese American
Voters Education Project, with an eye on the demographic trends,
said the governor's trip is more evidence that political leaders
in both parties are clearly vying for what he calls the
"untapped market'' of California's Asian voters.
Lee cites the figures: one-third of San Franciscans are of Asian
heritage, as are 20 percent of Bay Area residents and 11 percent
of all Californians, with most located in the voter-rich urban
Bay Area and the Los Angeles region. "We've been doing a voter
registration campaign that has added 100,000 (voters) to the
rolls in the last 15 years in the Bay Area,'' he said.
A Field Poll analysis estimated that Asian Americans made up
about 9 percent of California's vote in the 2004 presidential
election.
Schwarzenegger's trip to China comes as the California
Republican Party, trying to break a Democratic lock on the
state, has tried largely without success to make substantial
inroads with minority populations, Lee said.
Lee said Republican leaders are "looking across the state, and
one of the few (minority) groups that they can find some
commonality with -- whom they haven't burned bridges with -- is
the Asian American community.
"Asian Americans tend to be more pro-business, more fiscally
conservative,'' Lee said, who notes that in San Francisco, one
of California's most liberal cities, upwards of "20 percent of
small businesses are owned by Asians.''
Asian American voters could be a good philosophical match with
the GOP on many issues, Lee said: they are often skeptical on
bond measures, "including education bonds because many feel that
the resources aren't well spent, that the school system is not
managing its resources well. They want to see the fat cut out.''
And on the social front, these voters tend to mirror the same
moderate profile that Schwarzenegger has sought to craft for
himself.
The trip to China also reinforces a view that "international
trade is important; because so many Chinese Americans have
businesses that are transnational; they do business in China,
and they're concerned about all the products to be imported
here.''
That's why the media will focus on the trade aspect of
Schwarzenegger's trip -- particularly in the Chinese community.
And that, pundits say, could be just as important to the
governor as any coverage he gets from the estimated two-dozen
mainstream journalists who will troop along as well.
Tim Lau, publisher of the Burlingame-based Tsing Tao Daily
newspaper -- one of the nation's largest Chinese-language
publications with a circulation of 70,000 -- said his
publication's coverage will be comprehensive because his readers
demand it. "He is playing to the Chinese voters here, because 70
percent of them are immigrants, and they closely follow homeland
news.''
He predicts that trips by Newsom, Feinstein and Schwarzenegger
will be heavily covered daily in the Chinese-language media
because "it's a major event for the fastest growing segment of
voting population in the Bay Area, Asian American voters.''
(http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/14/ASIANVOTE.TMP\
)
******************
November 15, 2005
VIETNAM, U.S. AGREE TO RESUME IMMIGRATION PROGRAM
HANOI (Reuters) - The United States and Vietnam signed an
agreement on Tuesday which allows those Vietnamese to immigrate
who were not able to do so before a humanitarian program ended
in 1994.
A U.S. embassy statement said the agreement permitted
"Vietnamese citizens who might have been eligible for
resettlement in the United States under the former Orderly
Departure Program" (ODP) to apply.
The program enabled nearly 500,000 Vietnamese refugees and
immigrants to resettle in the United States between January 1980
and September 1994, the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City said.
"This new, limited program will apply to those persons who were
unable to apply before the Orderly Departure Program closed on
September 30, 1994 or who were unable to complete the
application process," the statement said.
There are an estimated 1.5 million Vietnamese in the United
States, but those who went under the ODP had to have spent at
least three years in Vietnam's re-education camps or worked for
the U.S. government before the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
The conflict, known as "the American War" to Vietnamese in which
more than 58,000 Americans and three million Vietnamese died,
ended when the communists overthrew the U.S.-backed South
Vietnam government.
Since the two countries restored diplomatic relations in 1995,
two-way trade has rocketed from just $451 million in that year
to $6.4 billion in 2004 as Hanoi said it wanted to close the
door to the past and move on.
(http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-11-15T094307Z_01_RID533911_RTRUKOC_0_US-VIETNAM-USA.xml&archived=False)
******************
About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese
Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy
organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese
Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum –
by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens
engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil
liberties.
Copyright material is distributed without profit or payment for
research and educational purposes only, in accordance with Title
17 U.S.C. section 107
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