NCVA eREPORTER
- October 26, 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
ISSUES, CHALLENGES,
AND
STRATEGIES FOR PRISONER REENTRY
You are invited to participate in a special briefing that will
highlight the findings of a newly released study, "Asian and
Pacific Islander Prisoner Reentry: Characteristics, Issues and
Programs."* The report includes the most comprehensive
collection of information currently available on Asian American
and Pacific Islander prisoners in the U.S., with a special focus
on Hawaii and California. Recommendations for policy,
programming, and future research will be discussed.
Speakers include:
Bill Lockyer, Attorney General for California
Dr. Karen Umemoto, University of Hawaii
Angela Oh, California Department of Justice
Monday,
October 31, 2005
10:00am - 12:00noon
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
1145 Wilshire Boulevard, Second Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(Parking: street or paid lots)
Join us in a conversation on:
* the Asian American/Pacific Islander prison population
* the issues and challenges related to reintegration upon
release
* reentry programs
* recidivism rates
* strategies and programs to support reentry efforts
Space is limited. You must reserve your seat to attend.
Contact Stefanie Ritoper at AAPIP,
415-273-2760 x 14 or e-mail
stefanie@aapip.org
Event sponsored by Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in
Philanthropy, National Office; Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders
in Philanthropy, Southern California Chapter; Office of the
Attorney General, State of California, Department of Justice.
* Copies of the report will be distributed at the event.
Don T. Nakanishi, Ph.D.
Director and Professor
UCLA Asian American Studies Center
3230 Campbell Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1546
phone: 310.825.2974
fax: 310.206.9844
e-mail:
dtn@ucla.edu
web site for Center:
www.sscnet.ucla.edu/aasc
******************
VIETNAMESE SILICON VALLEY NETWORK ENTREPRENEURS ACADEMY
November 5, 2005 (Saturday)
8:00 am - 7:00 p.m.
Entrepreneurs Academy
VSVN, the Vietnamese Silicon Valley Network, welcomes you to the
Entrepreneurs Academy. Held on a quarterly basis, the
Entrepreneurs Academy aims to provide engineers, scientists and
professionals like you the understanding, and knowledge to turn
your ideas and dreams into reality. This month we welcome Chris
Larsen, former CEO/Chairman of eLoan, flanked by our usual cast
of highly-respected domain experts including Michael Griego of
XML Partners, Yu Hao Lin of Lin Management Group, Susan Cheng of
IDG
Ventures, Paul Rogers of Rogers & Meador/Haas Business School,
and Michael Farn of Fenwick & West.
08:00 - 09:00 Registration and Breakfast
09:00 - 09:45 Initial Study: Concept Validation - Lin
Management, Yu Hao Lin
10:00 - 10:45 Legal Structure - Fenwick & West, Michael Farn
11:00 - 11:45 Positioning & Presentation - Rogers & Meador,
Paul Rogers/IDG Ventures, Susan Cheng
12:00 - 01:30 Lunch & Keynote Speaker - founder and former
CEO of e-loan, Chris Larsen
01:45 - 02:30 Beta Customers & Sales - MXL Partners, Michael
Griego
03:15 - 04:00 Financing - Lin Management, Yu Hao Lin
04:15 - 05:30 VC & CEO Discussion Panel
05:30 - 07:00 Wine and networking
More information:
http://www.vsvn.org/ea/ehtml/factsheet.html
Register:
http://www.vsvn.org/event_registration.htm
******************
2005 GALA FUND-RAISING DINNER - TRAFFICKING OF VIETNAMESE
WOMEN
AND
CHILDREN
Date & Time: Friday,
November 11, 2005 at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Lucky Three Restaurant (Baileys Crossroads)
5900 Leesburg Pike - Falls Church, VA 22041 - (703) 998-8888
Ticket Cost: $30/ticket or Sponsorship
Keynote speaker
Dr. Nguyen Van Hanh, Exec. Dir. ORR (Office of Refugee
Resettlement)
Dateline Video
Trafficking of Vietnamese Children in Cambodia
Presentation of Awards
* International Justice Mission
* Kelly Ryan, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population,
Refugees, and Migration
* Amb. John Miller, Exec. Dir., Trafficking in Persons,
Department of State
Entertainment
* Prof. Kim Oanh & Rommie Behrens
* Snapper Tappers: tap dance by former Ms. Virginia Senior
America queens & contestants
* South-East Asian Troupe: folkloric and traditional Vietnamese
music & dance
* Fashion Show: Vietnamese costumes of three regions of North,
Central & South Vietnam
* Ballroom Dancing with Singers: Phuong Vi, Dinh Hung, Bao Vi,
Kieu Nga, Hoang Anh
Sponsorship
Gold: $2,000+; Silver: $1,000+; Bronze: $500+; Supporter: $300
for a table of 10; Associate Supporter $100 for 3 tickets;
Friend: $60 for 2 tickets; Single Tickets: $30
Funds Awarded to two NGOs in Taiwan & Cambodia providing
shelter, treatment, crisis-counseling, health and legal services
to victims
Checks to: VAVA, Inc., (Vietnamese-American Voters Association)
a tax-exempt organization, that has provided educational, civic,
health and social services to Vietnamese Americans since 1999).
Treasurer and auditor: Xuan Lan & Ngoc Coulter
Mail to: Jackie Bong-Wright
President & CEO, VAVA, Inc.
1308 S. Washington ST
Falls Church, VA 22046
Contact: Phone: (703) 536-3186 Cell: (703) 989-1149
******************
The
CONFERENCE ON ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ANNUAL FALL
BENEFIT
You are cordially invited to attend the CAPAL Fall Benefit, our
annual fundraiser to raise support for and awareness of the
CAPAL scholarship and leadership development programs.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Reception at 6:30pm
Dinner at 7pm
Tony Cheng's Seafood Restaurant
619 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(Gallery Place/Chinatown metro)
Our keynote speaker will be Norman Mineta, Secretary, U.S.
Department of Transportation.
We will also be presenting CAPAL Service Awards to Eddy Badrina,
Executive Director, The White House Initiative Asian American
and Pacific Islanders, and Christine Chen, National Executive
Director of the Organization of Chinese Americans.
Please RSVP to Cindy Han at
info@capal.org by November 4, 2005. See the attached flyer
for more information.
Diamond ($5,000) 10 tickets/full-page program ad
Jade ($2,500) 10 tickets/half-page program ad
Sapphire ($1,000) 10 tickets/quarter-page program ad
Donor ($100) 1 ticket/2006 CAPAL membership
Friend: ($50) 1 ticket/2006 CAPAL membership
CAPAL Members: ($35) 1 ticket
Students: ($25) 1 ticket
About CAPAL's scholarship programs:
CAPAL offers scholarship stipends for one graduate or graduating
senior fellow and three outstanding undergraduate students.
These scholarships are financed by memorial funds established in
honor of APA public servants who have since passed away. The
Asha Jaini Emerging Leader Award, the Senator Paul Simon
Scholarship, the State Farm Scholarship and the Federal Asian
Pacific American Council (FAPAC) Awards were awarded to
outstanding Asian Pacific American undergraduates for public or
non-profit sector internships in Washington DC for the summer of
2005.
The scholarships are intended to enable outstanding college
students with the potential for leadership to work full-time and
learn about ways to effect public policy in order to better
benefit and serve Asian Pacific American communities. Thus far,
CAPAL has awarded $50,000 in scholarships over the past fourteen
years and graduated 1,700 students and young professionals from
the annual Washington Leadership Program, funded by civic-minded
donors, both private and public.
(http://www.capal.org)
******************
CONFERENCE
FOCUSES ON YOUTH
AND FAMILY
Healthy Teen Network Annual Conference The theme of this year's
Healthy Teen Network Annual Conference is "Leading the Charge:
Making a Difference in the Lives of Teens and Young Families."
Advocates for teens and their families will gather for three and
a half days of networking and learning about the latest in
science-based programs, policy and research. The conference will
have four focus areas: research/evaluation, policy/advocacy,
programs, and organizational/capacity building. The conference
will be held November 16-19, 2005 in Chicago, IL.
(http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/Services/Conference/2005%20Conference/2005Conference.htm)
******************
CONFERENCE
FOCUSES ON NONPROFIT RESEARCH
Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and
Voluntary Action Annual Conference Each year the Association for
Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA)
holds an annual conference which brings together researchers,
scholars, and practitioners from around the world to present and
discuss papers related to issues in nonprofit studies, voluntary
action, and philanthropy. The theme of this year's conference is
"Nonprofits, Philanthropy and the Public Agenda: Linking
Research, Practice and Policy." The conference will be held
November 17-19, 2005 in Washington DC.
(http://www.arnova.org/about_conference.php)
******************
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
FREE LOGO DESIGNS FOR
NONPROFITS
North American nonprofits can apply to get a new logo designed
gratis by the Internet logo-design firm LogoBee.com.
Philanthropy News Network reported Oct. 17 that LogoBee will
donate design services worth about $425 each to three
nonprofits. "By donating our services, more money is going to
support individuals and communities in need," said LogoBee's
Natalia Stoenko.
Business-card and stationary design also is included. Groups
don't need a current logo or a design to apply.
Deadline is Nov. 28. See the LogoBee website for more details.
(http://www.logobee.com)
******************
THE U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS
FUND
The U.S. Human Rights Fund (http://www.ushumanrightsfund.org/)
is accepting Letters of Inquiry from domestic social justice
organizations actively engaged in U.S.-based human rights work
with relationships to the U.S. rights community more generally.
The U.S. Human Rights Fund is housed at Public Interest
Projects, a 501(c)(3) public charity that operates grantmaking,
technical assistance, and strategic planning programs for
institutional and individual donors interested in social justice
and human rights issues. The fund, a field-building initiative
dedicated to the full realization of human rights in the United
States, seeks to strengthen the U.S. human rights movement as a
whole by supporting four currently under-funded strategies:
capacity-building, collaboration, communications, and applied
legal and policy research.
In this initial grantmaking cycle, the fund will place
particular emphasis on capacity building and
collaboration/networking. Organizations interested in applying
for funding must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, or have a
tax-exempt fiscal sponsor.
Grants will generally range from $50,000 to $75,000 per year,
for up to three years, although exceptional grants of as much as
$100,000 per year may be awarded. However, total grantmaking
during the first grantmaking cycle will not exceed $1.5 million.
The fund expects to award between ten and fifteen grants, some
of which will be multi-year.
Letters of Inquiry, which must be submitted online at the
program's Web site, will be assessed both on their own merits
and on their potential to contribute to the U.S. human rights
movement overall.
Deadline: November 7, 2005 (Letters of Inquiry)
(http://www.ushumanrightsfund.org/ushrf/index.cfm)
******************
CALIFORNIA
HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
To help develop actionable approaches that improve the
affordability of health care, the California HealthCare
Foundation (http://www.chcf.org/)
will award up to ten grants ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 to
support initiatives that reduce rising costs in the short term.
Instead of merely shifting costs from one part of the healthcare
sector to another, the goal of these projects will be to achieve
net cost savings for the overall system.
Projects funded under this RFP may include efforts to reduce
healthcare costs by streamlining information exchange, improving
efficiency, and decreasing costs; collaborating to reduce
duplication and achieve economies of scale; aligning incentives
among players in the healthcare system; and increasing
transparency and promoting informed decision making. Initial
funding for up to one year will support grantees as they develop
ideas, partnerships, and plans for implementing appropriate
strategies. Based on the success of Phase I, CHCF anticipates a
future funding phase that would support implementation of
selected California-based interventions.
Both not-for-profit and for-profit organizations are encouraged
to apply. All proposals should make the case that proposed
activities will yield sustainable savings to the healthcare
system rather than one-time savings or savings that accrue to
only one organization's bottom line.
Deadline: December 1, 2005
(http://www.chcf.org/grantinfo/rfps/view.cfm?itemid=115045)
******************
TAPROOT FOUNDATION
The Taproot Foundation (http://taprootfoundation.org/),
which connects America's business professionals with nonprofits
who need their talents and experience, has announced a new
Annual Report Service Grant. The program will provide a
nonprofit organization with the processes and tools to produce
an annual report each year, as well an initial version for the
first year.
The grant is designed to serve an organization that needs a
professionally designed and written annual report and is
committed to publishing annual reports regularly. The program is
a good fit for a nonprofit that has a strong name and visual
identity to use as the foundation for the positioning and
design; the existing capacity to produce publish-ready financial
statements; and a need for a finished annual report no sooner
than twelve months after the application deadline for the grant.
The Service Grant will result in a ten- to twelve-page
print-ready and/or pdf electronic copy of an annual report that
provides an annual-report template which remains relevant for at
least five years. The grant will also provide a detailed project
plan for updating the report each year. The estimated value of
the award is $40,000.
To be eligible for the grant, an organization must be tax exempt
under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or operate
under the fiscal sponsorship of a 501(c)(3). Applicant
organizations must also provide direct benefits primarily or
entirely to residents in the foundation's service area: the five
boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Staten
Island, and Brooklyn) and the six counties of the San Francisco
Bay Area (Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin,
and Contra Costa). Organizations must also have their
headquarters within the foundation's service area.
Deadline: December 1, 2005; March 1 and June 1, 2006
(http://www.taprootfoundation.org/grants/annualreport.shtml)
******************
BOX
TOPS SUPPORT FOR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS
Box Tops for Education: Kids' Caucus Essay Contest Box Tops for
Education is offering the Kids' Caucus Essay Contest, which
invites students in grades 5 to 8 to submit an essay describing
what they would do to increase parental involvement in their
school if they were made principal for a day. In February, 52
finalists will be selected, one from each state, Washington, DC
and either a U.S. territory or U.S. military based school
located outside the U.S. Each finalist will receive a $1,000
grant that will be used by their schools to make their ideas a
reality. Ten Grand Prize winners will then be selected to go to
Washington, DC, where each student will have the opportunity to
share their ideas for parental involvement in education programs
with members of Congress. The application deadline is December
1, 2005.
(http://www.boxtops4education.com/news/viewnewsarticle.aspx?ART=222)
******************
CINGULAR WIRELESS SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Cingular Wireless primarily supports community-based programs
and organizations that address educational, cultural, and social
issues that affect the quality of life in the communities where
the company has a presence. Select national organizations are
also supported. The company's areas of focus include assisting
victims of domestic abuse and helping in times of disaster.
Proposals should be project-specific rather than requests to
underwrite operating, capital, or endowment budgets.
Applications are accepted throughout the year.
(http://www.cingular.com/about/community_involvement)
******************
HITACHI FOUNDATION FUNDS FOR BUSINESS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
The Hitachi Foundation aims to enhance opportunity and quality
of life for economically isolated people by investing in path
breaking practices to address community problems. Through the
Business and Communities Grants program, the Foundation will
support business and community partnerships that enable
economically isolated people to retain and advance in their
jobs, earn living wages, and accumulate savings and assets.
Proposals may only be submitted at the Foundation's invitation.
However, the Foundation offers a web-based system for
organizations that may meet the criteria for the Business and
Communities Grants and want to share initial information.
(http://www.hitachifoundation.org)
******************
TOWN CREEK FOUNDATION GRANTS PROMOTE A HEALTHY AND INFORMED
SOCIETY
The Town Creek Foundation seeks a healthy environment, an
informed society, and a peaceful world. The Foundation is
committed to achieving its mission through public education,
citizen action, and advocacy. Grants are provided in the
following areas: protecting the environment; news and
commentary; and promoting peace. Local nonprofit organizations
in Talbot County, MD are also supported. Letters of inquiry are
accepted throughout the year.
(http://www.towncreekfdn.org/)
******************
TIPS/RESOURCES
TECHNOLOGY: WHEN MAKING BOARD PRESENTATIONS, SMALL HARDWARE
PROVIDES BIG PAYBACKS
Leadership can be a critical part of any organization, in either
the philanthropic or for-profit world. Although leadership is
often spoken about, there is not usually much effort to look at
what lies behind leadership.
In their book Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations, Barry Dym
and Harry Hutson take a theoretical look at leadership, offering
what they consider to be the eight major ways of considering the
ways in which leaders lead.
The eight methods are:
* Trait theory. This identifies the characteristics that
distinguish leaders from others.
* Style. This approach shifts the emphasis from character, which
is internal, to behavior, which is external.
* Situational leadership. Its premise is that different
situations require different kinds of leadership.
* Contingency theory. This is based on the belief that
leadership effectiveness depends on the quality of the match
between leadership style and context.
* Path-goal theory. This challenges leaders to adopt styles that
best motivate employees.
* Leader-member exchange theory. This focuses on the interaction
between individual leaders and followers.
* Transformational leadership. This represents a contemporary
version of the great man theory buttressed by a sense of the
intense connection between such leaders and their followers.
* Psychological approach. This application of psychodynamic
psychology suggests that leaders are more effective when they
understand themselves.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/technology.html)
******************
GUIDE
ADDRESSES COLLABORATIVE FUNDING
Community Development: A Guide for Grantmakers on Fostering
Better Outcomes Through Good Process "Community Development: A
Guide for Grantmakers on Fostering Better Outcomes Through Good
Process" is a new report from the William and Flora Hewlett
Foundation that highlights the critical role of collaboration in
community development initiatives. The guide draws from the
lessons learned by the Foundation during twenty years of funding
conflict resolution, collaboration, and civic engagement. It
also draws extensively on other organizations' experiences, the
community development literature, and evaluations of community
development initiatives.
(http://www.hewlett.org/NR/rdonlyres/7DC1D659-2BED-467F-9A13-5F39CFF70AFF/0/CommunityDevelopment.pdf)
******************
NEWS
RESEARCH PROJECT: ADOPTION IN ASIAN/ASIAN AMERICAN FAMILIES
Researchers have considered the experiences of transracial
intercountry adoptees, mostly from Asia, however there is no
research to date that explores the experiences of Asian parents
who adopt Asian children.
Asian parents who have adopted Asian children are invited to
participate in this exciting project. Participants will be asked
to complete a questionnaire that has been developed for the
purposes of this study. The instrument has been translated into
Korean and Chinese for non-English speaking respondents.
However, the study is NOT limited to just Korean and/or Chinese
American parents!!! Participant criteria include: a)prospective
or adoptive parents of Asian or Asian American children and b)at
least one parent is Asian or Asian American. Participants will
also be asked to indicate if they would be willing to
participate in a telephone or in-person interview so that we may
capture the voices of adoptive parents.
As an Asian parent who has adopted a Korean child, I believe
this research to be invaluable in informing future adoption
practice and policy. Thank in advance for your consideration. I
may be reached at
kathleen.bergquist@unlv.edu or (702) 895-2449.
Kathleen Ja Sook Bergquist, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Social Work
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Box 455032
4505 Maryland Parkway Rm CDC 1008
Las Vegas, NV 89154-5032
(702) 895-2449
kathleen.bergquist@unlv.edu
******************
October 19, 2005
WOMAN ‘RE-EDUCATED’ BY RETURN TO VIETNAM AFTER 23 YEARS
Experience highlights differences in lifestyles
By Maria Trombetta, Correspondent
The Daily Review
Last May, Trang Nguyen became a tourist in her own country when
she returned to Vietnam, which she had last seen as a 9-year-old
girl.
“I was very nervous going back for the first time," Nguyen said.
"But getting to see my old house, my old neighborhood was a nice
way to visit the past. Going back home was not a vacation. It
was more like a re-educational experience."
The trip gave Nguyen the chance to explore how America has
changed both her and her home countr, and led to the discovery
of ways in which she might act more conventionally Vietnamese
than her contemporaries who stayed in Vietnam.
Nguyen is a willowy 32-year-old with long black hair She moves
with a quick, sharp confidence.
Nguyen's childhood in Vietnam was "carefree." She roamed the
streets with her brother and his friends "getting lots of
scars," while her mother worked full-time as a nurse.
Her father had been imprisoned after the communists took over,
like many other South Vietnamese soldiers. After he was
released, he left Vietnam and escaped to Thailand with Nguyen's
older sister in 1980.
In 1983 the rest of the family followed. Nguyen became one of
the 400,000 Vietnamese boat people who escaped by sailing into
Pacific.
After spending more than a year in refugee camps in Malaysia and
the Philippines, she arrived in America. The whole family was
reunited and ended up moving to San Jose.
Adjusting to life in the United States was hard. Some Vietnamese
traditions conflicted with the new American ideas.
"You watch all these things on TV that American kids are doing,
like birthday parties, Christmas presents, Boy or Girl Scouts
stuff, things we are not used to. Naturally, I thought my
parents were bad for not providing this for me."
Her family had always focused on saving money, rather than
spending it on gifts. A balance was finally reached, after much
arguing, to keep some old traditions, and to try new things.
Trang Nguyen became a "Viet kieu," one of the thousands of
Vietnamese living abroad.
She has embraced the American lifestyle fully, rebelliously. She
goes out with friends, she doesn't live with her family, she
goes on vacations to Europe as often as she can. She follows her
own dreams and goals she sets for herself, something that would
have been nearly impossible if she had stayed in Vietnam.
But this spring, when Nguyen received word her uncle was very
ill and decided to go visit him, she stepped upon a tight-rope,
balancing between her American upbringing and her family's
expectations of correct behavior.
Relatives in Vietnam "would hug you, but at the same time they
were watching to see if you still know your traditions, or if
you are too 'American-washed,'" Nguyen said. "They watched my
mannerisms, my eating habits, my politeness, my modesty and all
that. When they saw me eating certain traditional foods, they
were impressed."
Even though she was trying to keep her American manner under
wraps, Nguyen still got in trouble for not behaving correctly.
"Americans are smiley," she said apologetically, shrugging her
shoulders. "I smiled at men, and my mom yelled at me, 'You are
giving them an opportunity! They might think you are a call girl
or an easy girl!' So I had that to deal with."
Some customs remain in Vietnam, but for the most part, the
desire to be Western has taken hold. And Nguyen saw the impact
of capitalism on the younger generation.
"They get cable that has MTV," Nguyen said with surprise, waving
her hands in the air.
"Kids now spend their money on designer jeans and cell phones.
Shopping centers are springing up, selling everything from video
games to Italian food. Nguyen was shocked to see people buying
$100 sunglasses.
Nguyen thinks the younger kids see Western stuff as being cool
and very important. Since they didn't experience the war, they
have a different attitude toward money than their parents.
Consumerism is restructuring the way people behave, pushing
culture aside.
"We were taught to worship our ancestors," Nguyen says,
explaining her Buddhist beliefs. "I noticed that the younger
generation, they don't practice as much because everyone is so
busy working now.
"I think that that generation is (losing) the idea of respecting
the family. Not only (does) it get lost in America, it is
getting lost over there too."
Nguyen doesn't know how much of Vietnamese culture will change
with the times. She is sticking to the traditions her parents
instilled in her, while still enjoying American opportunities.
"My trip back to Vietnam gave me a chance to understand my
parents better, understand my whole family," she says, nodding
her head. "It made me proud to be Vietnamese. History does
affect who you are. I think it is good for people to learn about
their history."
(http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_3130558)
******************
AALDEF Media Release
For Immediate Release: October 19, 2005
Contact: Glenn D. Magpantay, 212-966-5932, ext. 206
Lydia Lowe, 617-357-4499, Juan Leyton, 617-524-3541, ext. 307
FIRST-EVER CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE BALLOTS IN BOSTON
Court Approves of Settlement in Voting Rights Lawsuit; Asian
Americans and Latinos hail decision, applaud the City of Boston
and U.S. Department of Justice
Late yesterday afternoon, a panel of judges approved a
settlement that requires the City of Boston to provide Chinese,
Vietnamese, and Spanish language assistance to voters, including
bilingual ballots and voter notices, and interpreters. The
settlement also requires mandatory poll worker and interpreter
trainings, creates mechanisms to complain about poll workers,
establishes an advisory task force, and permits federal
examiners to monitor the elections.
“It’s a case with national impact. This is the first time
fully-translated Chinese language ballots have been mandated by
a court order. It is also only the third case ever filed under
the nondiscrimination provisions of the federal Voting Rights
Act concerning Asian Americans,” according to Glenn D. Magpantay,
a staff attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense and
Education Fund (AALDEF).
Asian American and Latino community-based organizations and
individual voters sought to join the lawsuit as parties.
Although the court denied their motion to intervene, the court
did so “without prejudice” allowing them to return to the court
in case of any backsliding on the agreement contained in the
settlement. The court further explicitly noted that the
settlement allows for the “meaningful consultation from relevant
community groups.” AALDEF, Greater Boston Legal Services, and
Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP represented the Asian American and
Latino organizations and voters.
“We have called for bilingual ballots for years. This is a
tremendous accomplishment which was only possible because of
immigrant voters’ willingness to speak up,” said Lydia Lowe,
director of the Chinese Progressive Association. In addition to
her group, the Chinatown Resident Association, City Life / Vida
Urbana, and individual voters Siu Tsang, Fung Yung, Yan Hui, and
Maria Altreche sought to join the suit. They have all long
worked on voter education and registration, as well as poll
monitoring.
The settlement also requires full implementation of the language
assistance provisions of the Voting Rights Act for
Spanish-speaking voters. “We’re very excited because this will
increase the political voice of our community,” said City
Life/Vida Urbana executive director Juan Leyton. “This is a
victory for the role of communities of color in Boston.”
“Yesterday’s settlement lets the voices of limited English
proficient voters in Boston be better heard,” said Andrew Troop,
a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges. “Our law firm has a strong
commitment to protecting voting rights, promoting community
involvement and to pro bono work generally. We look forward to
working with all parties to implement this settlement.”
The community groups and individual voters applauded the City of
Boston and the U.S. Department of Justice on the historic
settlement.
# # #
******************
October 20, 2005
HARD FLOORS, HARD TRUTHS
By Kaitlin Melanson/
kmelanso@cnc.com
Some people like to live by the belief that what you don't know
can't hurt you. Daphne Verardi couldn't disagree more.
Verardi, whose family runs the hardwood-flooring company Verardi
& Company Inc. of Marblehead, was recently asked to speak at a
State House briefing on the unknown hazards of hardwood-floor
finishing, the most common of which include health hazards, the
flammability of the products and environmental concerns.
"This is not just something that is an occupational hazard,"
Verardi said. "This is something that concerns both the
contractor and the homeowner."
The issue came to the Legislature's attention after fumes from
floor-refinishing chemicals swirled together and detonated
inside a Somerville stairwell last September. The explosion's
fire claimed the lives of floor sanders Toan Bui and Ha Vu, and
left another man seriously injured.
Almost immediately, the incident spurred calls for increased
state regulation over an industry that has virtually none. A
Floor Finishing Safety Task Force conducted a yearlong study,
the results of which were released at the State House last
month.
The report attributed 25 fires in the city of Boston to
hardwood-floor projects, with a total property loss of more than
$1.5 million. Aside from the dramatic deaths, the chemicals
contained in oil- and lacquer-based finishing products can lead
to long-term respiratory problems, according to the study.
Of the 144 registered flooring companies in Boston, 127 are
owned by Vietnamese-Americans, said Nhan Paul TonThat, executive
director of the Vietnamese American Initiative for Development,
a non-profit in Dorchester, where both Bui and Vu lived. Many of
the workers don't receive proper training in the heavy machinery
and hazardous chemicals, claimed the report, which is available
at www.masscosh.org.
"A great problem is many people come over from Asia and work
underneath [contractors] who are not educated in the business
and throw these poor Asian workers into this dangerous
situation," Verardi said. "We are trying to oversee that all
those in the industry now must be licensed workers."
The report pushes the state to set up licensing requirements
contingent on safety and training standards, establish an
oversight committee, and limit the "use and sales of
non-flammable floor finishing products with flash points at or
above 100 degrees Fahrenheit."
Verardi agreed that many contractors currently in the field lack
licenses as well as the specialized education they could receive
at schools devoted to hardwood flooring. It is this lack of
education in the field that in turn puts not only the workers at
risk, but also unknowing customers who are trusting these
contractors in their home, according to Verardi.
The most hazardous materials used in the hardwood-flooring
business right now are oil-based finishes that contain high
levels of volatile organic compounds, which when emitted into
the air can cause health problems ranging from cancer and
auto-immune diseases to asthma and allergies, according to
Verardi. Companies are reluctant to switch over to safer
water-based finishes due to both the higher cost and training
needed to learn how to use the product.
"Many contractors don't want to make the switch because it cost
about nine times more and it is more difficult to use if the
worker is not trained," Verardi said.
Verardi feels that too many contractors are allowing the cost
factor to override the serious health concerns. But she notes
that, despite the cost, a switch to water-based products would
result in happier customers, at least in one sense. Because the
water-based products are nearly odorless, the homeowner does not
have to leave his home to avoid the fumes.
Many have fought against this switch by not only stockpiling
their warehouses with the oil-based products, but also
convincing homeowners that they can't get the same great look
from water-based finishes.
"Some contractors will tell their customers that the water-born
finish isn't as nice as the oil in order to persuade their
choice," Verardi said. "The truth is that water-based coating
can be made to look just like an oil finish if that is what the
owner is looking for."
UMass-Lowell testing concluded that the water-based finishing
materials generally perform similarly to the more expensive and
more flammable alternatives.
Verardi added, "Many people don't know that even after an
oil-based product is dry it can take as few as 30 to as much as
90 days for it to stop admitting harmful toxins in the air of
their home."
Aside from the toxins in chemicals used in hardwood flooring,
the dust emitted from the process can also be harmful, she
added.
"Wood dust is one of the largest known carcinogens, and we want
to see that companies are responsible for containing it,"
Verardi said. "Our most preferred dust-containment system is a
mobile unit, which is this vacuum workers carry along with their
person and automatically gets rid of the dust so none ends up in
the air."
Verardi admits this is a topic she is very passionate about, and
her passion became even greater when a personal mentor of hers
was diagnosed with nasal cancer due to the inhalation of these
products.
Verardi noted, "Our company goes to prove that companies can
take all these precautions to be safe and still run a
[successful] business. Currently, people look at it as a case of
'if it doesn't happen to me, it must not happen at all.' But
these hazards are out there, and people must know that they can
be avoided."
Material from the State House News Service was used in this
report.
(http://www2.townonline.com/marblehead/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=350981)
******************
October 20, 2005
SUSTAINED BY CLOSE TIES, VIETNAMESE TOIL TO REBUILD
By CHRISTINE HAUSER
NEW ORLEANS - The Mary Queen of Vietnam Roman Catholic Church,
abandoned just a few weeks ago in the deluge, is now bustling
with neighborhood groups planning home repairs and giving out
tetanus shots. The stage where the Vietnamese residents of this
city celebrated Chinese New Year has been transformed, now
covered with tables laden with free hot lunches and emergency
housing applications.
The hurricane and flood destroyed much more than houses and
businesses in the Vietnamese enclave in New Orleans East. It
also frayed the social fabric of a community of about 10,000,
established by refugees who escaped communism and settled here
in the 1970's and 1980's.
But in recent days, in what could serve as a model for other
areas trying to reconstitute themselves after Hurricane Katrina,
the Vietnamese residents have slowly started to reknit their
neighborhood. They say the preservation of their traditions
explains why their ties, stretched during the upheaval of the
hurricane, did not break.
"We are trying to push our people to come back," Tam Tran, a
38-year-old mother, said. "We are trying to tell our children to
be proud of who they are. Even if they speak a lot of English,
speak Vietnamese also. And if they are in a car and see a
Vietnamese elder, say, Mom, you're not stopping for them?"
The Vietnamese have formed neighborhood groups to rebuild, using
the church as headquarters. One team repairs and decontaminates
the houses. Others arrange tetanus shots to prevent illness, and
acupuncture sessions to ease stress.
Another team buys food to make spicy stews and rice for the
families who visit for the day to check on property. Friends and
family members drive one another to work, church or even back
and forth to cities in Texas where they have temporarily
settled.
Now they are working on a plan with the Federal Emergency
Management Agency to place a core group of Vietnamese into
trailers in the neighborhood, planting the seeds of
resettlement. But, just as when they initially settled in New
Orleans, they first have to overcome cultural hurdles.
FEMA's usual policy is to provide trailers for people living in
shelters. But many of the Vietnamese dispersed by the hurricane
have been taken in by their own people.
"The view of FEMA was that since these people are not in
shelters, they could not have priority," said the Rev. Vien
Nguyen, the priest at the church, which offered a 28-acre lot
for the trailers.
Stephen DeBlasio, the chief of FEMA's disaster housing
operations in Louisiana, said he was aware of the deep cultural
loyalties among the Vietnamese. "They were traumatized when they
were mixed with other groups," Mr. DeBlasio said. "They want to
remain together."
A compromise appears to be in the works. Mr. DeBlasio said he
could install travel trailers with water tanks and generators,
though unlike the more permanent trailers, they cannot tap into
sewage, electricity and water lines. But there will be no
medical care or transportation.
"It is still a ghost town," Mr. DeBlasio said, referring to that
section of New Orleans East.
Father Vien said the Vietnamese could live with that for now, as
long as they got priority for the trailers. They will put
Vietnamese doctors on call, he said, and pitch in with
transportation needs.
"We're talking about 60-year-olds knowing each other since 1975,
from the same villages in Vietnam," Father Vien said. "The core
around which their lives evolve is gone now. If our people can
gather together, it will first help the rebuilding and then ease
their need for familiar surroundings in their community and
church."
Before the storm, there were more than 20,000 Vietnamese in New
Orleans, the majority of them Catholic, but also Buddhists and
ancestral worshipers. Afterward, most of the Vietnamese in New
Orleans East fled across the Mississippi River, where the
Vietnamese on the less-damaged West Bank took them in. Others
went to Vietnamese areas in Houston and elsewhere in Louisiana.
About 230 remain in a shelter in a Vietnamese church in Baton
Rouge.
Their homes in New Orleans East are mostly uninhabitable. Tarps
flap from houses, revealing ripped rooftops. Waterlogged
mattresses have been hauled to the curb to be taken away. Mold
creeps along walls and bubbles up on furniture. There is no
electricity or water.
But life is being restored. On a recent weekend, several hundred
families gathered in the church for Mass. Generators powered the
microphone Father Vien used to deliver a sermon in Vietnamese,
interspersing his message several times with the word "FEMA."
Parishioners who dipped their fingers in a basin for holy water
at one entrance found only plaster that had apparently fallen
from the ceiling.
After the Mass, neighbors reunited. "I heard you were under
water," one woman said. "Yes," another answered. "Where are you
staying?"
Old mixed with the new. An elderly woman wearing a traditional
long, silky tunic over trousers spoke in Vietnamese, mingling
with the crowd that included teenagers in short skirts and high
heels, who were chatting in English.
On the stage behind the church, volunteers translated FEMA forms
for housing aid into Vietnamese. Some people sat quietly in a
room off the sanctuary, acupuncture needles splayed in every
direction from their ears, scalp, wrists or ankles.
"What they are doing can be a model for other communities," said
Cynthia Willard-Lewis, who represents the neighborhood on the
City Council. "They are fighting to stay united and connected."
Several people have come forward with ideas about how to get the
community back on its feet. Duc Dang, a 53-year old building
contractor, suggested that the dozen or so houses not damaged by
water could be inhabited by several families, giving them a base
from which to work.
"People would come back even without electricity," Mr. Dang
said. "All we need is a city water tank."
Another group met with representatives of a decontamination
company to discuss ways of cleaning houses after the Vietnamese
remove water-soaked drywall and insulation.
"It is unusual," said Mark Buren, an agent for the company,
Udecon. "The American community, as it stands, typically does
not have the kind of structure that the Vietnamese can put
together. The whole community seems to be working together
through these issues. They have amazed us."
(http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/national/nationalspecial/20viet.html)
******************
October 21, 2005
VALLEY
FIRMS SIGN ON TO FIGHT COLON CANCER
CHIP-DESIGN
FIRM XILINX SETTING THE PACE
By Michele Chandler
Mercury News
What began a few years ago as a modest workplace effort to
inform employees about the importance of being screened for
colorectal cancer has evolved into a major drive to transform
Silicon Valley companies into ``Colon Cancer Free Zones.''
One of the most active firms is Xilinx of San Jose.
Today, the designer of programmable chips will hold its
first-ever seminar for employees about the disease. A
representative from the American Cancer Society will provide
basic information about colon cancer, which the group projects
will cause 195 deaths in Santa Clara County alone by the end of
this year.
Colorectal cancer kills 56,000 Americans a year, making it the
second-deadliest cancer in the nation after lung cancer.
A few months ago, Steve Haynes, Xilinx senior vice president of
worldwide sales, and other company executives had themselves
tested and made the results public. ``We declared ourselves
`colon cancer free' to lead the way,'' Haynes said.
Becoming a ``Colon Cancer Free Zone'' means that a company
encourages all employees to become aware of the risks, tests and
treatments.
Oncologist and American Cancer Society volunteer Richard Adrouny
helped launch the grass-roots ``Colon Cancer Free Zone'' effort
with the city of Monte Sereno -- where he lives -- in 2003.
After that, other employers -- including every municipality in
Santa Clara County -- also joined the effort. Now, about 33
employers, hospitals, non-profits and other groups are in the
Zone, including 100 Black Men of Silicon Valley and the
Vietnamese REACH Coalition, groups that distribute information
at community events.
The disease has directly touched several of the firms involved
in the Colon Cancer Free Zone effort.
Xilinx worker Deana O'Brien, director of European strategic
accounts and a 17-year employee, died of colon cancer in 2003,
Haynes said. ``She was 50, right in that age group that is
susceptible,'' he said. The company's executives decided making
other employees aware of colorectal cancer and how it could be
prevented was the best way to keep O'Brien's memory alive.
Steve Marsey, manager of human resources for Linear Technology,
said he had dual reasons for wanting his company, which makes
semiconductors, to become a Colon Cancer Free Zone last summer.
``A lot of people I work with here are turning 50,'' the age
where medical professionals recommend people at average risk
start getting screened for colon cancer, Marsey said. Also,
Marsey's uncle had been diagnosed with the disease. Marsey's
uncle, who did not work for Linear, died Tuesday.
As part of belonging to the Colon Cancer Free Zone, Linear
recently changed its health insurance plan to make it simpler
for workers to get colorectal screening tests, Marsey said. The
firm expects more employees to be screened as a result, Marsey
said, and is prepared to pay the extra cost, which he estimated
at about $2,500 for a colonoscopy.
Today, Xilinx launches an internal Web site filled with
information about the disease and links to appropriate health
organizations to further its effort to spread the word about
colorectal cancer prevention to the company's 3,100 workers
worldwide.
Contact Michele Chandler at
mchandler@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5731.
(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/12959457.htm)
******************
October 23, 2005
BILOXI MOXIE:
REBUILDING IT BETTER
By PHILIP LANGDON
In the short span of 13 years, nine casinos came to perch on top
of barges in Biloxi, Miss., transforming an old fishing and
military city of 50,000 into the largest gambling center on the
state's Gulf Coast. Today all of those casinos - which two
months ago employed 14,000 blackjack dealers, slot machine
tenders and other Mississippians - are out of commission, most
of them savagely damaged by the surging waters of Hurricane
Katrina. Biloxi is struggling with how to rebuild.
The casinos will certainly be back. Other parts of the U.S.
economy may wither under the impact of global competition, but
casinos don't go away. And when they reopen in the 3-century-old
city of Biloxi, the casinos will stand on terra firma, thanks to
the state's decision, shortly after Katrina, that gambling
enterprises can now become "land-based," moving as far as 800
feet inland from the waters of the Gulf Coast.
The question is whether the casinos will become good neighbors -
a question that might be asked of many other casinos across the
nation.
I went to Biloxi to observe the Mississippi Renewal Forum, an
extraordinary weeklong planning event organized by Miami
architect-planner Andres Duany on behalf of the Congress for New
Urbanism. Nearly 120 New Urbanist architects, planners,
engineers and others from throughout the United States
collaborated with local professionals and officials on
strategies for rebuilding 11 communities along the coast - from
the severely damaged town of Waveland, on the Louisiana border,
to Pascagoula, on the Alabama line. Stefanos Polyzoides,
principal in the Pasadena, Calif., firm Moule & Polyzoides
Architects and Urbanists, led a team that spent one day touring
Biloxi with Mayor A.J. Holloway and then devoted the next
several days to creating visions of a better city.
When I flew from Hartford to Mississippi two weeks ago, one of
the things that struck me - after I'd gotten over the initial
shock of witnessing such widespread devastation - was the dull
bulkiness of many casino, supposed centers of fun.
A casino enterprise is typically much more than a gambling hall.
It is a hotel (usually high-rise), a series of venues for eating
and drinking, and a large expanse of parking space. On some
stretches of Biloxi's Beach Boulevard, views of the Gulf of
Mexico are blocked by concrete garages up to seven stories tall
- which is a shame. It seems illogical for massive parking
structures and inward-focused entertainment halls to interfere
with the city's greatest natural attraction - the views and
atmosphere afforded by the water and the sandy beaches.
Biloxi, which the French settled in 1699, lost roughly 20
percent of its housing in the wind and flooding from Katrina. On
the inland side of Beach Boulevard, many of the city's finest
old homes, including one that belonged to Confederacy President
Jefferson Davis, stand shorn of classical columns, exterior
walls and other conspicuous pieces. In East Biloxi, home to many
African Americans and Vietnamese Americans, blocks of simple
bungalows and cottages from the early 20th century are in
terrible condition - some of them knocked off of their
foundations, if not reduced to rubble. Lost jobs and tax
revenues rank high among local concerns, so community leaders
are eager to get the casino industry back in operation.
Wherever possible, the New Urbanists proposed building or
rebuilding the coastal communities with networks of
interconnected streets - not cul-de-sacs - so that every
resident who wants to can be within a quarter-mile walk of a
park, a gathering place, shops, services or other amenities.
"Before the hurricane, there was a devastating case of sprawl in
this region," Polyzoides said. "We want to concentrate
activities in downtowns, neighborhood centers, near public
transportation and in other logical locations."
Polyzoides said it's essential to save as many old houses as
possible; the character of the city and region depends on it.
Asked how that's possible when large numbers of houses have been
sorely damaged, Polyzoides said, "Preservation is not a game of
facts. Preservation is a game of will. It does not matter what
shape the building is in."
Daria Pizzetta, a Biloxi native who has practiced architecture
in New York for the past 20 years, spent much of the week
documenting and drawing the characteristics of destroyed
cottages and bungalows: "what types of columns were used, which
ones had the taper, which had front porches."
One goal, she said, should be to make new houses closely match
the ones that were lost. "Our take," Pizzetta said, "is that if
it was a neighborhood, it should remain a neighborhood and
should retain the flavor of Biloxi."
The design team recommended street improvements aimed at
reviving Howard Avenue, an early 20th-century commercial main
street that came through the storm largely intact. The team
called for installing a streetcar loop to connect downtown and
other areas, and urged officials to replace an elevated section
of freeway with an at-grade boulevard. A boulevard, planners
said, would tie neighborhoods together and enhance both
livability and property values along its route.
The design team suggested that Biloxi could eventually
accommodate as many as 20 casinos. To prevent them from
overwhelming their surroundings, the casinos would be built
within a comfortable walk - or streetcar ride - of restaurants,
stores and museums. Much of the parking would be sequestered on
the interior of blocks. Nearby would be townhouses and walk-up
flats - buildings no more than four or five stories, to create a
comfortable human scale. Towers would be allowed only in certain
areas - "not spread all over and not downtown," Polyzoides said.
These and other design ideas could entice visitors to explore
the city, spread their spending around and generate liveliness
in sections of Biloxi that have languished in recent years. The
casino complexes could anchor an urban revival.
How many of those ideas will be acted upon is up to the local
community and the private sector. When the Renewal Forum
concluded on Monday, it was unclear how far Biloxi would go
toward embracing them. But there was no doubt that the emergency
planning conclave had exposed the stricken Gulf Coast to
promising ideas. Katrina, for all its fury, may have helped
Biloxi and its neighbors find a better future.
Philip Langdon is senior editor of New Urban News, a national
newsletter on planning and design. He lives in New Haven and is
a member of the Place Board of Contributors.
(http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-plclangdon1023.artoct23,0,273977.story?coll=hc-headlines-commentary)
******************
October 23, 2005
CITING MEDICAL ERRORS, CALIFORNIA SEEKS TO BAN CHILD
INTERPRETERS
GARANCE BURKE
Associated Press
MERCED, Calif. - Diagnosed with a variety of ailments but unable
to communicate with her doctor, Laotian refugee Ker Moua
enlisted her youngest son as her medical interpreter.
The 12-year-old, Jue, was the liaison between his mother and the
doctor who diagnosed her as having a prolapsed uterus, the
result of bearing 14 children. She began taking her medication
in the doses her son described, but soon felt so dizzy she
couldn't get out of bed for two days.
"She tells me where it hurts and then we go to the doctor
together. But I don't really know what a uterus is," said Jue,
whose English is peppered with words from his sixth-grade
textbooks and terms from the football field. "She tells me
things I don't know how to say. Sometimes I tell the doctor
something else."
Jue's mistranslation of the doctor's orders caused his mother to
take the wrong dose of her medication. While the error did not
cause lasting harm, it's exactly the kind of problem California
medical officials want to correct.
The use of children as medical interpreters is a common practice
in immigrant-rich states such as California, where they often
are the only ones available to speak for their parents. Yet a
growing number of studies has illustrated the potentially lethal
consequences of faulty translations, leading health care
regulators and a state assemblyman to seek an end to the
practice.
In November, the California Department of Managed Health Care
will hold public hearings about draft regulations that would
prevent children from interpreting at private hospitals,
physicians' offices or clinics. The rules would not apply in
emergencies.
California would be the first state to implement such a
wide-ranging prohibition, said Mara Youdelman, staff attorney
with the National Health Law Program in Washington, D.C. Other
states have restrictions, but none goes as far as California's
proposal. Rhode Island, for example, requires that all hospitals
provide interpreters who are over the age of 16, but the rule
does not extend to doctor's offices or clinics.
State Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-Los Angeles, is sponsoring a
bill that would prevent children from translating for their
parents at public hospitals and any clinic that receives public
money.
Experts say children lack the vocabulary and the emotional
maturity to serve as effective interpreters. In a state in which
40 percent of the population speaks a language other than
English at home, policy makers say California's proposed ban
could set a national precedent.
"The federal government has acknowledged its a form of
discrimination not to provide adequate interpretation," said Dr.
Glenn Flores, who directs the Center for the Advancement of
Underserved Children at the Medical College of Wisconsin and has
testified before Congress about immigrants access to health
care. "States around the country will be saying that if
California finally does something about it, we can do it, too."
In the case of Ker Moua, Jue's mistranslation of her dosage did
not cause his mother lasting medical harm. But that's a rarity:
Two of every three mistranslations have clinical consequences,
according to a 2003 study Flores published in the American
Academy of Pediatrics.
Child interpreters also shoulder a heavy emotional
responsibility. They are privy to confidential medical
information about their parents and can be the first family
member to learn of a serious illness. In many cases, they also
are the ones to deliver the bad news.
"If they are the ones telling their mom she has cervical cancer,
that's a problem," said Dr. Alice Chen, the medical director of
the general medicine clinic at San Francisco General Hospital.
"I've seen kids who walk away thinking they caused it."
That role was one of the motivations behind Yee's legislation.
"I was extremely uncomfortable when my parents asked me to
interpret for them," he said. "We have got to understand that it
is not an appropriate role for children."
If the efforts in California are successful, finding substitutes
for child translators won't be easy.
California has more residents classified as limited English
speakers than Texas and New York combined and has a chronic
shortage of medical interpreters. Large public hospitals often
have staff interpreters, while smaller community clinics tend to
rely on their bilingual staff. Private practices might offer no
translation services at all.
For relatively obscure languages such as Hmong, the system
typically relies on children such as Jue.
His mother and father arrived in California in 1989, as part of
a resettlement program of thousands of Hmong, an ethnic minority
in Laos that aided the United States during the Vietnam War. Jue,
the youngest, was born a few years later. The family soon moved
to Winton, a farming town near Merced in California's San
Joaquin Valley, where they make a modest living growing sweet
peas, pumpkins and melon.
"I don't think my son is a good interpreter because he doesn't
even know that I have diabetes," Moua said. "My way of thinking
is why did I give birth to 14 children and none of them can help
me?"
The new rules proposed by the state Department of Managed Care,
if instituted, would require private health plans to provide
patients with trained, adult interpreters. They could take
effect by March.
The California Association of Health Plans, which represents the
state's largest managed care plans, estimates that translating
medical materials and hiring a fleet of professional
interpreters could cost as much as $15 million.
Who will pay for those services is expected to be a key point of
debate in the months ahead.
"This is going to be a battle," said Cindy Ehnes, director of
the Department of Managed Health Care, which regulates the
industry. "There is no question that hospitals are extremely
concerned about additional costs."
Many hospitals already have begun using cheaper alternatives,
such as telephone or video interpretation services. But health
care industry representatives say the new regulations could
boost costs for everyone.
"We discourage the use of children, but in an emergency they may
be the only resource you have," said Leanne Gassaway, the
association's vice president of legal and regulatory affairs.
"You can't just add $15 million to the system and not expect
premiums to go up for everyone."
The proposed rules also concern physicians worried about the
costs of professional interpreters. Some could be forced to end
services to immigrants who don't speak English, said Tom Riley,
director of government relations at the California Academy of
Family Physicians, which represents family doctors.
"You may be the doc in the trenches doing all the right things,
caring for a diverse limited-English-proficient population, but
you could be hit by this bill in a way that you cannot
economically survive," he said.
The estimated $15 million in costs doesn't take into account the
cost of Yee's bill for public clinics and hospitals.
Support for a prohibition against child interpreters is not
universal.
State Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, said there should be a
place in the health care system for children to translate for
their parents, if that's what the family wants.
He opposes Yee's bill, saying he wouldn't want his relatives
forced to rely on strangers to discuss their medical
information. For years, Maldonado interpreted for his father, a
former guest worker who speaks only Spanish.
"To have a bill in place that would keep a person like me away
from their father or mother I just can't agree with," Maldonado
said. "This is abusive legislation."
(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/12978888.htm)
******************
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
|
Back To Top 