NCVA eREPORTER
- August 29, 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
LEGISLATIVE
TIPS/RESOURCES
NEWS
******************
EVENTS
THE
PENINSULA SILICON VALLEY FUNDERS FAIR
Thursday,
September 15, 2005 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City.
For the seventh year, Peninsula Community Foundation and
CompassPoint Nonprofit Services are proud to produce the
Peninsula Silicon Valley Funders Fair.
Featuring 15 sessions, the Funders Fair provides an opportunity
for nonprofits to hear directly from funders, attend
skills-building workshops, and get hands-on assistance in
addressing their organization’s fundraising challenges.
Location: Crowne Plaza Foster City
Reality Grantmaking Session: $1000 will be Awarded to One
Organization. You’ve experienced reality TV, now get ready for
Reality Grantmaking. In this workshop, participants will witness
proposal review and decision-making as a panel of real
grantmakers review proposals. The agency with the highest scores
will receive a cash grant at the end of the workshop. If you
would like to submit a proposal for consideration at this
session, see the RFP at:
www.compasspoint.org
All finalists must be present for the Reality Grantmaking
workshop session. Submit your proposal before September 1st!
Click here for more information: (http://www4.compasspoint.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=443&Profile_ID=219157)
******************
BEYOND REFUGEES: FROM FLIGHT TO SETTING ROOTS
September 17, 2005
In 2004, SEARAC celebrated its 25th year advancing the issues of
Americans with heritage in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. This
year marks the 30th year of Southeast Asian refugee
resettlement to the US and the 25th Anniversary of
the Refugee Act. In this time, SEARAC has come a long way,
hitting many milestones. On Saturday, September 17, 2005,
SEARAC will stage a benefit dinner in Washington, DC - Beyond
Refugees: From Flight to Setting Roots - to commemorate these
milestones.
Across the country, Southeast Asian Americans now number over
two million. They are artists, professors, meat-packers, shrimp
farmers, state senators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
While the community still faces many challenges, they face them
with the knowledge that SEARAC is there to develop emerging
leaders, advocate for important issues on the Hill, and lead the
way in groundbreaking academic and community-based research -
ensuring that Southeast Asian American voices are heard loud and
clear. After thirty years of resettling to the US, they are
taking the refugee experience beyond the legacy of war,
genocide, and instability. They are setting roots in the US -
their new homeland.
Join SEARAC as we honor individuals and organizations that have
supported the Southeast Asian American communities and SEARAC
over the years. Plus, enjoy a night of entertainment by
Southeast Asian American performers.
September 17, 2005 from 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Tony Cheng's Restaurant, 619 H Street, NW, Washington, DC
To receive more information regarding sponsorship, placing an
advertisement in the gala program, or purchasing a ticket,
please contact Tong Lee at (202)
667-4690
or
tong@searac.org
(http://www.searac.org)
******************
CAREER OPPORTUNITY
SEMINAR
New York Life Insurance Company In Cooperation With
National Congress of Vietnamese Americans
Attend The CAREER OPPORTUNITY SEMINAR and Make An Informed
Decision
The New York Life Insurance Company Training
Allowance Subsidy Plan can add up to $50,820 (maximum for 3
contract years) which will help you start your career with
confidence.
New York Life cordially invites you to a Career Opportunity
Seminar to help you find out more information about the above
opportunity. The seminar will be held on:
Friday, September 30, 2005
6:00pm -
8:30pm
at: Democracy Center
6901 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800
Bethesda, MD 20817
301-214-6600
Seats are limited. Please call 1-877-NYL-VIET (1-877-695-8438)
to reserve your seat.
Your guests are also welcomed.
(http://www.ncvaonline.org/archive/NYLIC_RecruitingSeminar_DC_093005.pdf)
******************
NAPALC
COMMUNITY PARTNERS CONFERENCE 2005
"Building Bridges"
October 14-15, 2005
Phoenix Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Save the Date!
What: NAPALC Community Partners Conference
When: October 14-15, 2005
Where: Washington, D.C., Phoenix Park Hotel
Why: To learn about policies affecting Asian Americans,
including immigration, language rights, voting rights,
anti-Asian hate crimes; to network with national groups and
local groups from across the country. To learn skills for
increasing and sustaining capacity in your organizations.
Who Should Attend: Staff of community-based organizations,
social service organizations and legal organizations that serve
Asian Americans.
Agenda and registration materials available at
www.napalc.org/conference
***Register by Sept. 9 to be eligible for travel/lodging
scholarships***
For more information, contact Pang Houa Moua at
pmoua@napalc.org or 202-296-2300, ext. 122.
(www.napalc.org/conference)
******************
OPENING DOORS TO
NEW
IMMIGRANTS IN NYC: COMBATING PREDATORY LENDING
AND
PROMOTING CONSUMER RIGHTS IN NYC’S IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES
October 19, 2005
9:00 AM –
11:30 AM
at Deutsche Bank
Please join us for a Panel Discussion with leading New York City
fair housing community activists to discuss strategies for
fighting predatory lending and promoting consumer rights in
immigrant communities. The panel discussion will be hosted by
Chhaya Community Development Corporation (Chhaya CDC) on
October 19, 2005 in New York City.
“Predatory lending and consumer law abuses are rampant in
immigrant communities, and we hope to raise awareness of the
rights of immigrants and to discuss collaborative strategies for
fighting these abuses,” said Manab Chakraborty, Director, Chhaya
CDC.
Panelists include:
* Diane L. Houk, Executive Director, Fair Housing Justice
Center
* Sarah Ludwig, Executive Director, Neighborhood Economic
Development Advocacy Project
* Deyanira Del Río, Director of Programs, Neighborhood Economic
Development Advocacy Project
* Josh Zinner, Director, SBLS Foreclosure Prevention Project
* Kevin Squires, Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City
Moderator: Charu A. Chandrasekhar, Board of Directors, Chhaya
CDC & author of, “Can New Americans Achieve the American Dream?
Promoting Homeownership in Immigrant Communities,” Harvard Civil
Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Winter 2004.
The panel will take place on Tuesday, October 19th, from 9:00 to
11:30 at Deutsche Bank,
60 Wall Street.
Breakfast will be served.
Chhaya CDC is a community-based organization committed to
addressing community development needs and encouraging civic
participation among South Asian Americans. Chhaya CDC focuses on
tenant rights, eviction prevention, and referral services.
Chhaya CDC seeks to accomplish these goals through education and
outreach, one-on-one counseling, organizing, research, advocacy,
and strategic partnerships with other organizations and other
ethnic and minority populations. Chhaya CDC works with South
Asian Americans citywide and provides services in Bengali,
English, Hindi, and Urdu.
Opening Doors to New Immigrants in NYC:
Combating Predatory Lending and Promoting Consumer Rights
In NYC’s Immigrant Communities
October 19, 2005
9:00 to 11:30 at Deutsche Bank, 60 Wall Street
RSVP
By email:
manab@chhayacdc.org
By fax: 347-438-0061
Name:
Organization/Affiliation:
Address:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Others attending from your organization:
******************
AN EVENING IN SAIGON
Immerse yourself in the deep mysteries of the Vietnamese aura.
Let your skin be imbued by the soft glow of silk lanterns.
Let your eyes be dazzled by sensuous colors.
Let your palate indulge in exotic flavors.
“An Evening in Saigon”
Join Viet Heritage Society for its leading fundraising event to
an unforgettable cultural experience.
Saturday October 22, 2005
Westin Hotel Santa Clara
6:00 PM -
12:00AM
* Vietnamese jazz band
* Ensemble of traditional Vietnamese musical instruments
* A historical fashion show of original designs by QC
Designs
* Auctions
* Dancing
* Casino and prizes
* Tantalizing fare from acclaimed restaurants: Ana
Mandara, Tamarine, Straits Caf?, Three Seasons, Sino, Lavanda,
and 19th Market.
Don your fineries and kick up your heels at one of this year’s
premier events.
Contact:
Helen Duong
helenduong2002@yahoo.com; 415-740-4009
Tiffany Tran
tiffany.linh.tran@gmail.com; 408-489-4801
www.vietheritagesociety.com
******************
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL
AND
COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCES $4 MILLION IN CHALLENGE GRANT FUNDS
AVAILABLE FOR NONPROFITS TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF BABY BOOMER
VOLUNTEERS
Summary: The Corporation for National and Community Service has
announced the availability of approximately $4 million in
Challenge Grants for a small number of nonprofit organizations
to expand or launch new programs that encourage the baby boomer
generation [born between 1946 and 1964] to become volunteers to
help meet important community needs.
Challenge Grants is a matching grant program in which applicants
are required to provide at least $2 in private funds to match
every federal dollar awarded. The Corporation anticipates making
up to eight Challenge Grants this year, with a minimum grant of
$500,000 and a maximum of $1 million.
Organizations receiving funds through these grants must focus on
engaging baby boomers in full-time, part-time, or episodic
community service. Applicants must propose programs that will
operate in three or more states.
Nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and
community-based organizations that have not applied for federal
assistance from the Corporation in the past, are encouraged to
apply. Since 2003, the Corporation has awarded a total of $8.5
million in grants to fourteen nonprofit organizations to recruit
and train new volunteers to handle tasks ranging from tutoring
children to serving in health care centers.
The Corporation expects to announce its selections by early
December. For further information, contact Marci Hunn at
(202)
606-5000, ext. 420, or
ChallengeGrants@cns.gov. The TTY number is (202) 565-2799.
Upon request, this information will be made available in
alternate formats for people with disabilities. A more detailed
description of the funding opportunity is available at
http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp.
The Corporation for National and Community Service provides
opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve
their communities and country through three programs: Senior
Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Together with
the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a
culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America.
For more information, visit
www.nationalservice.gov.
*Application Deadline:* September 27, 2005, 5:00 p.m. EST
******************
ALSTON/BANNERMAN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM – SABBATICALS FOR MINORITY
ACTIVISTS
The Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program is committed to
advancing progressive social change by helping to sustain
long-time activists of color. The program honors those who have
devoted their lives to helping their communities organize for
racial, social, economic and environmental justice. Each year,
ten Fellows receive an award of $15,000 to take sabbaticals of
three months or more for reflection and renewal. The sabbaticals
may be used to explore new interests, travel, relax, visit with
other activists, or do whatever the Fellows think is necessary
to prepare for their future work. The application deadline is
December 1, annually.
(http://www.alstonbannerman.org)
******************
AVON FOUNDATION BREAST
CARE
FUND SUPPORTS HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS
The Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund provides support to
community-based programs that conduct outreach, provide breast
cancer education and link medically underserved women, including
low-income, older, and minority women, to clinical screening
services. Successful programs should have culturally-competent
educational strategies; dedicated staff with specialized
communications skills; and participation from members of the
targeted community. Approximately $2.18 million in grant funds
will be awarded to 50 community-based programs and/or
health-care agencies. To ensure that smaller community-based
organizations receive support, the Fund will award at least 50%
of the grants to organizations with operating budgets under
$2,000,000. The application deadline is September 16, 2005.
(http://www.avonbreastcare.org/)
******************
NATIONAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION: YOUTH GARDEN GRANTS
The National Gardening Association supports programs across the
U.S. that actively engage kids in the garden. Through the 2006
Youth Garden Grants program, 150 schools and community
organizations with child-centered outdoor garden programs will
receive Home Depot gift cards of $250-$500 for the purchase of
gardening supplies particular to the needs of their program.
Priority is given to proposals emphasizing an educational focus
and/or curricular ties; nutrition or plant-to-food connections;
environmental awareness/education; entrepreneurship; or social
aspects of gardening such as leadership development or
service-learning. The application deadline for the 2006 grant
program is November 30, 2005.
(http://www.kidsgardening.com/grants.asp)
******************
FUNDING FOR
SPACE SCIENCE EDUCATION
The Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy and Space
Science (IDEAS), administered by the Space Telescope Science
Institute and coordinated by the Office of Public Outreach on
behalf of NASA, is a grant program that that strives to enhance
science, mathematics and technology education in the U.S. The
program provides start-up funding to explore new ways to
translate astronomy and space science into contexts that will
educate K-14 students, teachers and the general public through
partnerships between the astronomers/space scientists and
education professionals. The application deadline is October 21,
2005.
(http://ideas.stsci.edu/)
******************
NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR DISNEY TEACHER AWARDS
Deadline: October 15, 2005
Since 1989, Disney Teacher Awards have been presented to
teachers in the United States who construct learning
environments where students and teachers alike explore, imagine,
and engage in a variety of stimulating ideas and experiences.
Specifically, the program honors those teachers whose approaches
exemplify creativity in teaching and who inspire a joy of
learning in their students. The Disney Teacher Awards program is
part of DisneyHand (http://www.disneyhand.com),
worldwide outreach for the Walt Disney Company (http://www.disney.com).
Only nominated teachers who complete the application are
eligible for selection as a DisneyHand Teacher Awards Honoree.
The national selection committee chooses three applicants in
each of ten categories to be honorees. The honorees will be
celebrated at an awards gala in July. During the gala, four
honorees will be selected as Outstanding Teachers and one will
be named the 2006 Disney Teacher of the Year. In addition, the
honorees each receive $10,000, a $5,000 grant for their school,
and a six-day professional development institute with their
principal at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Only full-time teachers are eligible for the awards program.
Applicants must be available for all events and activities.
(http://www.disneyhand.com)
******************
NEW
YORK WOMEN’S FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2006-2007 GRANT CYCLE
Deadline: October 14, 2005
The New York Women's Foundation (http://www.nywf.org/)
funds organizations and programs within the five boroughs of New
York City that have developed strategies to move low-income
women and girls toward long-term economic security.
The foundation's specific program areas of interest are
community organizing and advocacy, economic security, girls'
positive development, violence against women and girls, and
women's health and reproductive rights.
Grants usually range from $10,000 to $40,000.
Beginning September 1, 2005, projects meetings the foundation's
criteria are welcome to apply by submitting a proposal. Funding
area definitions, grant criteria, application instructions, and
lists of current and past grantees are available on the
foundation's Web site.
(http://www.nywf.org/grant.html)
******************
GLEITSMAN FOUNDATION INVITES NOMINATIONS FOR U.S. CITIZEN
ACTIVIST AWARD
The Gleitsman Foundation works to encourage individual
commitment and leadership by recognizing the exceptional
achievement of those who have initiated positive social change.
The foundation seeks nominees for the 2006 Citizen Activist
Award.
The 2006 Citizen Activist Award will honor individuals who have
struggled to correct social injustice in the United States
(international activists are the focus of the foundation's award
program in alternate years). The honorees will share $100,000
and each will receive a specially commissioned sculpture
designed by Maya Lin, creator of the Vietnam War Memorial in
Washington, D.C. The award is not presented posthumously, nor is
it granted to groups or organizations.
The nomination process is open to any and all activism in the
United States. The Board of Judges will assess the merits of a
nominee based on the materials provided and responses to the
questions in the application. Self-nominations cannot be
considered.
(http://www.gleitsman.org/)
******************
SAMHSA PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS FOR NONPROFITS
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
is offering $1.9 million in grants to develop research capacity
in community-based organizations that treat alcohol and other
drug abuse and/or co-occurring mental-health disorders.
The grant program is aimed specifically at practice-improvement
research for scientific and business operations, especially
among organizations that have typically been the object rather
than initiator of research-to-practice inquiries.
Approximately eight to 12 grants of $150,000 or more will be
awarded. Eligibility is limited to public and private
community-based providers of alcohol and other drug abuse and
co-occurring mental-health services in a nonacademic
environment.
Deadline for application is Dec. 19; for more information on
application and eligibility, read the full announcement online.
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-06-001.html)
******************
KCCD ANNOUNCES
SUB-AWARD
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY COMPETITION
RFP Announcement Date: September 6, 2005
Bidder’s Conference Date: September 9, 2005
Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD) invites you and
your organization to apply for KCCD’s Department of Labor (DOL)
Youth Workforce Program Grants. It is expected that six
organizations will be awarded an average of $65,000 grants per
organization for serving at-risk and adjudicated youth. Please
see below for detailed information. The Request for Proposals
(RFP) will be available to download on KCCD’s website (www.KCCD3300.org)
on September 6, 2005. KCCD will host a Bidder’s Conference on
September 9, 2005
from 9-11:30 am, 1-5 pm. All organizations interested in
applying for the grants are highly encouraged to attend. KCCD
will provide detail guidelines and orientation.
The RFP will be available on our website on September 6th and is
due by
4pm on October 5th.
Qualified participants are those organizations who provide a
minimum of three the following services to at-risk and
adjudicated Asian youth (ages 14-34):
* Adult or peer mentoring;
* Alternative secondary school offerings (GED
preparation);
* Comprehensive guidance and counseling, including drug
and alcohol abuse counseling, as well as referral to counseling,
as appropriate to the needs of the individual youth;
* Life skill development and conflict management (i.e.
interpersonal communication, financial literacy, hygiene, sex
education, violence reduction, and stress coping techniques)
* Leadership development opportunities;
* Occupational skills training or referrals to on-the-job
training with
CVS/pharmacy or another career ladder employer;
* Entrepreneurial skill development for starting up
businesses;
* Paid and unpaid work experiences, including internships
and job shadowing;
* Summer Employment Opportunities linked with strategic
learning goals;
* Supportive services (i.e. bus passes, interview
clothing, fees for GED testing, etc.);
* Tutoring, study skills training, and instruction leading
to secondary or vocational school completion, including dropout
prevention strategies; and
* Recreational and cultural enrichment activities with
adult participation.
Background Information on KCCD Youth Workforce Program
The definition of at-risk: Korean, or other Asian, at-risk youth
are defined as youth who fall within one or more of the
following categories:
* Deficient in basic literacy skills (below grade level
8.9);
* Lack of basic job readiness skills;
* Homeless, runaway, foster child, or high school drop
out;
* Pregnant or parenting;
* Live in a home where neglect, abuse, drug addiction or
gang violence is prevalent;
* Sibling of an adjudicated youth;
* Child of an offender or ex-offender; and
* Other locally defined barriers.
Today, there are more than 1.3 million Korean Americans living
in the United States. Despite the prevailing notion of
Asian-Americans in general as a model minority community group,
Korean Americans in particular are the fourth poorest ethnic
group in the United States (after African-Americans, Hispanics,
and Native Americans). An estimated 75 percent of Koreans are
believed to have arrived after the 1970s, and both these
first-generation adults and their children face significant
language and cultural barriers.
Eighty-five percent of US born Korean Americans are under the
age of 19, and also experience cultural barriers in relation to
their own parents due to limited fluency in Korean. As a result
of this dual dis-enfranchisement from both American and Korean
culture, Korean and other Asian youth have become an emerging
at-risk population for delinquency. Although national trends
show that juvenile arrests have decreased in the last 20 years,
when examined by ethnicity, Asian youth are the only group to
show an increase in arrests (11.4 percent). Asian youth also
have the highest adjudication (conviction) rate (34.2 percent)
among all races.
The KCCD Youth Workforce Program seeks to address these and
other barriers faced by Korean and other Asian-American youth by
serving as an intermediary for strategically supporting and
strengthening local Korean churches and Faith-Based Community
Organizations (FBCOs) serving Korean and other Asian-American
communities in their efforts to reach this at-risk population.
As a non-profit faith-based organization, KCCD serves as a
bridge between the Asian-American community and the greater
community-at-large through private and public collaborations. In
addition to their track record for implementing initiatives in
the areas of financial literacy, homeownership and the promotion
of healthy marriages, KCCD is already partnering with the local
workforce development agencies. KCCD has its office co-located
with Work Source, the One-Stop Career Center located in
Koreatown in Los Angeles, CA.
The purpose of this task order is for KCCD to partner with the
US Department of Labor’s Center for Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives (USDOL/CFBCI) to launch an innovative workforce
development program to improve the employment outcomes for
Korean and other Asian-American at-risk youth. Specifically,
KCCD will:
* Conduct educational campaigns for Korean and other
Asian-American parents and families, targeting Los Angeles and
two other project sites (to be determined), to help them serve
as effective advocates and support for their at-risk, adolescent
youths;
* Develop collaborations with employers, including
CVS/pharmacy,
to provide clear career pathways and on-the-job training
opportunities;
* Competitively sub-grant Korean and other Asia-American
FBCOs at the three sites to help them foster partnerships with
local workforce system and criminal justice agencies;
* Work with selected sub-grantees to provide counseling,
peer support and other life skills services necessary to support
long-term employment retention; and
* Also work with selected sub-grantees to offer or
coordinate educational and vocational training, as well as work
experience opportunities (e.g., internships) to assist youth in
acquiring skills leading to successful careers.
Don’t miss this great opportunity. We hope to see you there!
KCCD is a non-profit faith-based organization, which serves as a
bridge between the Asian American community and the greater
community at large in connecting and creating private and public
collaborations. Our mission is to maximize the capacity of Asian
American faith-based organizations and other community
non-profits to remove the cultural, language and economic
barriers by increasing their access to resources and funds in
order to assist low income individuals and revitalize
neighborhoods.
(www.KCCD3300.org)
******************
LEGISLATIVE
URGENT ACTION ALERT: VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT (VOCA) Funds at risk
now!
Dear Friends:
Your help is needed today. We need lots of calls!
The next few days are crucial ones for the Victims of Crime Act
(VOCA) Fund. The Senate Judiciary Committee is about to consider
a proposal to rescind the VOCA Fund as part of the budget
reconciliation process. This poses the most serious threat to
VOCA in its history and would be disastrous for the millions of
crime victims who receive VOCA-funded compensation and services.
It is critical that your voice be heard.
If your Senator is one of those listed below, please call
immediately and ask him or her to oppose any attempt to take
away any VOCA funds (Crime Victims Fund) as part of the pending
budget reconciliation. The staff person to talk is included
below.
Additional background information about the VOCA Fund, if you
need it, is available on the public policy section of our Web
site,
www.ncvc.org/policy. If you have any questions, please
contact Susan Howley, Director of Public Policy, at
showley@ncvc.org or
(202)
467-8700,
or Ilse Knecht, Deputy Director of Public Policy, at
iknecht@ncvc.org or (202)
467-8723.
Thank you for your action on such short notice.
Sen. Charles Grassley (Iowa) * Rita Lari *
202-224-3744
Sen. Jeff Sessions (Alabama) * William Smith *
202-224-7572
Sen. Mike DeWine (Ohio) * Pete Levitas *
202-224-9494
Sen. Sam Brownback (Kansas) * Ajit Pai *
202-224-5225
Sen. Tom Coburn (Oklahoma) * Mary Chesser *
202-224-5754
Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC) * James Galyean *
202-224-5972
Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) * Reed O'Connor *
202-224-7840
Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah) * Bruce Artim * 202-224-5251
Sen. Arlen Specter (Penn) * Joe Jacquot *
202-224-5225
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA) -- Steve Cash --
202-224-3918
Ilse Knecht
Deputy Director, Public Policy
National Center for Victims of Crime
2000 M Street, NW, Suite 480
Washington, D.C.
Cell: 703-732-2446
202-467-8700
202-467-8701
www.ncvc.org
(www.ncvc.org/policy)
******************
Date: August 23, 2005
To: Interested Immigration Advocates
From: Vanessa Cárdenas
Re:
NAKASEC Ad Campaign- Call to Sponsor
The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
is spearheading a campaign to post ads calling for immigration
reform in the Washington Post this fall.
The following announcement calling for organizations to sponsor
the campaign is being sent at their request. Please note the
deadline for singing on to this campaign is
September 16, 2005.
For more information see below or visit their website at
www.nakasecactionfund.org
Dear Friends,
Please consider joining the "Dollar-A-Person" National
Immigration Reform AD Campaign, a national grassroots
mobilization campaign to realize comprehensive immigration
reform. National and local organizations across the country
have come together to launch this ambitious and important
campaign to raise funds and collect endorsements to
strategically place a prominent ad in the Washington Post in
late September 2005. The AD will clearly communicate to our
elected officials the public's support for comprehensive
immigration reform and state that the recently introduced
McCain-Kennedy bipartisan bill, the Secure America and Orderly
Immigration Act of 2005, is an important first step towards
achieving much-needed immigration reform.
Our efforts will send a clear message to lawmakers that
comprehensive immigration reform must include:
** A path to legal permanent residency for hard-working
immigrants who are now forced to live and work in the shadows;
** Reform that reunites families by reducing the immigration
backlogs;
** A plan that manages the future flow of migrant workers,
prevents abuse and exploitation of workers, and allows those who
grow roots here to apply for permanent residency;
** Features that strengthens and protects worker rights so
that our immigration laws can no longer be used as a tool to
reduce wages and working standards;
** Provisions to defend and protect immigrants' civil
liberties and civil rights; and
** Immigration relief for undocumented students who have grown
up in this country and for farmworkers whose work feed our
nation.
The time is now and the need is urgent! If an immigration
reform bill passes, this new law will have a fundamental impact
on all Americans - not just the more than 35 million immigrants
living in the U.S. today.
In cities across the country, diverse communities in numerous
cities are holding "Dollar-A-Person" drives collecting
contributions from tens-of-thousands of community members to
support the National Immigration Reform AD Campaign. We are
inviting all stakeholders, including community based
organizations, social service agencies, hometown associations,
all forms of organized religion, sports associations, alumni
associations, labor unions, and professional groups to support
comprehensive immigration reform and endorse the campaign by
contributing $50, $100, or more. All endorsing organizations
will be listed in the final AD in The Washington Post.
*To Become an Endorsing Organization:
1. Visit
www.nakasecactionfund.org and click on Support the National
Immigration Reform AD Campaign or Pledge Now;
2. Complete the attached endorsement form (PDF file) and
fax it to NAKASEC at 323-917-3526; OR
3. Provide the information below and email it to
campaign@nakasec.org.
***Endorsements Must be Received by Friday,
September 16, 2005***
For more information, visit
www.nakasecactionfund.org or contact the NAKASEC Action Fund
at
campaign@nakasecactionfund.org or 323.937.3703.
Campaign Initiating Organizations [List in formation]: American
Immigration Lawyers Association Center for Community Change **
Coalition for the Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles **
llinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights ** Laborers
International Union of North America ** Massachusetts Immigrant
and Refugee Advocacy Coalition ** National Alliance of Latin
aerican & Caribbean Communities National Asian Pacific American
Legal Consortium ** ational Council of La Raza ** National
Immigration Forum National Immigration Law Center ** National
Korean American Service & Education Consortium ** New York
Immigration Coalition ** Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos Del
Noroeste ** Service Employees International Union ** UNITE -
HERE.
(http://www.nakasecactionfund.org)
******************
TIPS/RESOURCES
LEGAL –
CHARITABLE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS
One of the major trends affecting development of the law of
tax-exempt organizations is the expansion of disclosure
requirements. In his The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations
Planning Guide, Bruce R. Hopkins attributes this expansion to
two reasons: abuses that have been reported in the nonprofit
world and transparency, the view that intense disclosure of
exempt organizations' operations is necessary. The view is
especially prevalent in government circles.
The regulations that cover tax-exempt organizations in this
country are many and complicated, and they require a great deal
of study for anyone intending to file for tax-exempt status as
well as for organizations that already have it.
Hopkins offers a quick summary of some of those rules in an
attempt to illuminate some of the more pertinent features of the
regulations.
Some of the elements of these rules that an organization might
be required to consider are:
* Whether the organization has principal, regional or district
offices.
* Whether the organization has copies of its application for
recognition of exemption ready to respond to in-person requests
to see it.
* Whether the organization is able (if necessary) to avail
itself of the unusual circumstances exception.
* Whether the organization will charge a fee for providing
copies of the document.
* Whether the organization is able (if necessary) to avail
itself of the harassment campaign exception.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/irs.html)
******************
HUMAN RESOURCES – ELEMENTS OF A DIVERSITY
PLAN
Although most people have heard of diversity and make a
commitment to putting it into practice, many managers are unsure
that they are putting the best diversity practices into
operation.
Diversity Officer, a Special Report from Diversity Best
Practices, offers the 14 elements that are necessary for a "Best
in Class" diversity report.
* A strong senior diversity officer with key staff support.
* Commitment from CEOs, boards of directors and top management.
There must be commitment and an understanding of the effect
diversity has on the bottom line.
* Drive for the Business Case and engagement of the "C Suite"
and business units. The diversity officer is not relegated to a
broom closet in the basement but has access to top-level
decision makers.
* A executive diversity council that reviews broader diversity
goals and measures progress regularly.
* Integrated organization operating under a cross-functional
model. Diversity is applied throughout the organization in
processes as well as appointments.
* A strategic program with measurable, quantifiable goals.
* Measurement and benchmarking systems.
* Innovation.
* Innovative training and education.
* Communications initiatives.
* Multicultural marketing for those with customer base and all
those with suppliers.
* Community and philanthropy ties.
* Supplier diversity.
* Globalization.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/humanres.html)
******************
ONLINE – A DOZEN
WEB
SITE
IDEAS
Careful design of an organization's Web site is an important
consideration.
In his chapter "Inspiring Donors Online" in the book Nonprofit
Internet Strategies, Todd Baker offers his Baker's Dozen of
ideas:
* Establish an overarching goal for your organization's Web
site. Usually it's raising money.
* Make an impression. People will remember how you made them
feel.
* Write to connect on an emotional level. Embrace clarity,
engage the reader and encounter the heart.
* Select the most interesting perspective from which to tell
your story.
* Find your organization's voice: a unique blend of charisma,
courage, and concern.
* Be persuasive by first making clear the specific action you
want the reader to take.
* Be human; don't be an organization. Show the donor that you're
people who support a worthy cause and you're looking for folks
just like you.
* Illustrate your mission through images and pictures.
* Present a virtual tour of your mission.
* Write in an active and conversational style.
* Stop spending 90 percent of your organization's resources on
technology and only 10 percent on the message.
* Give your headlines soul. Headlines that work seize the
reader's attention, affect the reader on an emotional level and
spark curiosity.
* Understand online human behavior. People who are online read
differently than they would with a printed text. Make a good
first impression, do not think of a book-reading atmosphere and
make each page of the site have an objective with the reader in
mind.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/ontheweb.html)
******************
August 29, 2005
HOW
ORGANIZATIONS CAN CREATE SOCIAL VALUE
by Manda Salls
A recent study on the factors that contribute to successful
high-performance social enterprises finds a connection between
enterprises that link economic value with social value.
This was the focus of a study presented at the colloquium, "The
Social Enterprise Knowledge Network: Seeking Success in Social
Enterprise," ending August 1. This two-year study was the second
carried out by SEKN since it was founded in 2001 as a research
partnership between HBS and leading business schools in Latin
America and Spain. SEKN's research centered on smart practices
by social and business organizations in Latin America and Spain.
This research will be published in Harvard's David Rockefeller
Center for Latin American Studies book series through Harvard
University Press.
The goal of the colloquium is to help leaders in businesses and
society create social value for their communities, while in
parallel strengthening their organizations.
The study centered on forty organizations—twenty NGOs
(non-governmental organizations) and twenty corporations—deemed
to be high performers in social enterprise (SE). Through
interviews, field research, and comparative analysis, HBS
professor James Austin, HBS senior researcher Ezequiel A.
Reficco, UNIANDES professor Roberto Gutiérrez, and INCAE
professor Enrique Ogliastri presented what the SEKN researchers
found to be smart practices for organizations wanting to create
social value.
The researchers stressed the importance of synergies between
Economic Value (EV) and Social Value (SV), calling them "two
sides of the same coin." By aligning EV and SV, both nonprofits
and corporations can:
1. Improve operations.
* Nonprofits can better focus on creating economic value by
minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency.
* Companies can bring social value into alignment with their
core competencies, improving motivation, loyalty, skill
development, and even product differentiation.
2. Consolidate relations with stakeholders.
* For both nonprofits and corporations, a focus on EV and SV can
enhance their reputation with consumers, government, and
community. Corporations are seen as caring, and nonprofits are
seen as efficient.
Comparing Nonprofits and Corporations
When comparing the social enterprise activities of nonprofits
and companies, the researchers found that rich opportunities for
mutual learning exist between the business world and nonprofits.
They found that no matter what type of organization they were
looking at, strategy and leadership were the two drivers that
permeated smart practices across all organizations. Researchers
then compared how they were handled in the nonprofit and
corporate sectors.
Key elements of strategy were:
Initial Impetus. A nonprofit is founded in response to a
problem; in the corporate world, social initiatives are often
started because something has interfered with the business.
Focus. Nonprofits start with a sharp focus on a problem—a
focus that over time broadens as related issues are addressed.
(Sometimes a nonprofit's cause is broadened to appeal to a
larger donor base.) By contrast, the focus of businesses
involved in SE tend to sharpen over time as they home in on what
they do best and become increasingly engaged in a specific
issue.
Alignment. The nonprofit's challenge is to strengthen its
economic value to match the efficacy of its social value.
Corporations need to bring social value in line with their
economic successes.
Planning. Researchers found a paradox here. Although
planning is considered a core competency of corporations,
nonprofits were often more effective in planning their social
actions. This is a difference in degree rather than kind.
Corporations are relatively recent entrants into the social
arena and are still learning how to integrate it into their
mainstream management practices.
Adaptation. This can be an important issue for
businesses. Corporations need to decide whether their social
enterprise efforts are driven out of the existing corporate
structure or if they need to add a department or group dedicated
to SE initiatives. Another option: Spin off a separate
structure, such as a corporate foundation.
Key elements in leadership were:
Founders. Attendees expressed frustration over leadership
and governance issues that stemmed from the fact that many
nonprofits are started by a single person. Founders usually have
their own ideas about what is important, and if your ideas
deviate from theirs, you risk being ignored or even ostracized.
The researchers pointed out that nonprofit organizations often
become more agile and effective once the founder is succeeded.
Problem diagnosis. Corporations generally have less
knowledge than do nonprofit groups about the social problem, so
they experience more ramp-up time. In nonprofits, the founders
often have technical expertise in the problem area and are able
to do a more in-depth analysis.
Resource mobilization and institutionalization. When it
comes to creating social value, businesses are able to mobilize
internal resources more readily than are NGOs, but often have
greater problems institutionalizing the social activities
because they are adding a new dimension to something that
already exists. Nonprofits, in contrast, start as social
enterprises, with the explicit goal of creating social value,
but they have to mobilize resources from external sources.
Leadership style. "For good governance you need
continuity," said Reficco. "You need some degree of overlap
between governance and management."
Smart operating practices
The research identified opportunities for mutual learning in
areas such as value generation, problem diagnosis, motivation,
and performance measurement. The SEKN group identified smart
operating practices that help organizations implement successful
strategies. Two important elements to get right are performance
management and personnel, they said.
What creates superior performance management?
1. Attention to outcomes.
2. Focus on stakeholders. (Surveys, satisfaction. How do funders
and community perceive what we do?)
3. Reversing a weak culture of outcome.
4. Wisdom comes with age; capitalize on experience.
5. Get the board on board.
6. Close alignment between strategy and mission.
How can organizations get the right people with the right
skills to develop social value?
1. The recruiting processes should be centered on personal
values. Then, hold on to the good people. Corporations should
integrate a social dimension in evaluations.
2. Organizational learning must be promoted. Create bridges
between individual and organizational learning. Many successful
organizations use advisory boards as sources of critical skills.
3. Excellence in management should be integrated with social
sensitivity.
The future
A large percentage of people in Iberoamerica live in poverty.
They have tried to improve their situation through government,
civic society, and business philanthropy. But what if business
could take this one step further? Companies could develop
products for people that would also encourage development and
bring more people into the market.
Through in-depth research, leadership colloquiums, and teaching
initiatives, the Social Enterprise Knowledge Network generates
and disseminates knowledge that will improve the ability of
business leaders to engage successfully in the social sector.
For more information, see
sekn.org/.
Manda Salls is a content developer for Baker Library.
(http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=4969&t=nonprofit&iss=y)
******************
NEWS
FROM REFUGEES TO AMERICANS: THIRTY YEARS OF VIETNAMESE
IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES
June 2005
Thirty years after the fall of the Saigon government, Vietnamese
Americans celebrate the fact that they have moved far beyond
their refugee origins and become successful economic and
political players in U.S. society.
by Alicia Campi, Ph.D.*
The 20th century is often called the “Age of the Uprooted.” A
prime example of this “uprooting” is the Vietnamese refugee
crisis which unfolded in the mid-1970s after the end of the
Vietnam War. The crisis resulted in both the creation of the
modern Vietnamese American community and a fundamental
reformulation of U.S. refugee policy. The 1.2 million-strong
Vietnamese American community reflects upon this dramatic
historical journey in 2005, which marks ten years since the
re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the United
States and Vietnam, and 30 years since the fall of the Saigon
government, which initiated the ‘first wave’ of Vietnamese
refugees. Moreover, Vietnamese Americans celebrate the fact that
they have moved far beyond their refugee origins and become
successful economic and political players in U.S. society.
(http://www.ailf.org/ipc/refugeestoamericansprint.asp)
******************
August 18, 2005
TWO GENERATIONS
UNDER
ONE ROOF
By Truong Phuoc Khánh
Mercury News
Like generations before them in Vietnam, the Truong clan --
grandparents, parents and children -- lived under one roof in
America, carrying forth a cherished custom borne from the twin
bonds of duty and love.
So when Truong Dinh Tai married about five years ago, he brought
his young bride, Duong My-Loan, to live in that same home. His
mother cooked for the family and mixed herbal remedies; his
father dispensed wisdom and tended the garden. Soon, there were
babies, and the extended family grew to six in the five-bedroom
South San Jose compound.
At 80, Truong Dinh Suu's role as patriarch, head of family, has
never changed.
``Technically, legally, I would be head of household,'' said
Tai, an electronics technician. ``But by culture and tradition,
parents are first. They are above me.''
Tai, 37, is among the oldest of the first batch of
Vietnamese-Americans born or raised in the United States in the
three decades since the fall of Saigon. For him, the extended
family is both natural and beautiful. But for the newly maturing
generation in line behind him, one foot steeped in tradition and
the other breaking free, filial obligation is no longer an
expectation but a question mark. The choices 1.2 million
Vietnamese-Americans make will determine whether the custom of
living together as an extended family survives.
In the four Bay Area counties with the largest Asian population,
Vietnamese-Americans are three times as likely to live with
parents, compared with the general population, according to 2000
census figures. Asians are twice as likely to live with parents.
Asian traditions
The Western practice of young people leaving the core family is
``almost the antithesis of the Asian'' cultures, said social
psychologist Susan Newman. ``The expectation'' of Asian parents,
Newman said, ``is you will come home, live with us and raise
your children here.''
But the high rate of co-habitation among Vietnamese,
sociologists say, will fall over time just as it did for
immigrant Italians, Irish and Jews. As those cultures spent more
time in America, they embraced the Western notions of adulthood
and independence: What about my place, my space, my time?
Americanized children of Vietnamese immigrants ``still have some
ideas of themselves as Vietnamese,'' said Carl Bankston,
co-author of ``Growing Up American: How Vietnamese Children
Adapt to Life in the United States.'' ``But more and more, the
connection seems tenuous.''
Huong Nguyen, 22, born in Denver and raised in the Bay Area, may
be an example of the opposite end of the spectrum. ``I've been
told I'm pretty white-washed as a Vietnamese,'' she said.
Raised to be an independent thinker, Nguyen feels free to find a
good job, find a good mate and to savor life as a fully
independent adult without parental encumbrance.
``It's my time to have my own family,'' said Nguyen, who still
lives at home with her parents in San Jose but is plotting an
exit soon. ``It's my next step in life, and I'd want to
experience that for myself. It's my chance.''
Balancing cultures
Nguyen's friend, Phi Tran, 23, is looking for a middle ground.
In a couple of months, Tran hopes to accept a job offer to serve
in the U.S. Air Force as a nurse for three years. She has not
yet informed her parents.
``That's what I'm struggling with right now,'' she said. ``I
know what they expect, but I also know what I want to do. I have
always wanted to travel and do my own thing.''
The last time she was home, during spring break, Tran gingerly
broached joining the military.
``They weren't happy at all,'' Tran said.
Tran, who graduated from San Jose State University this year,
plans to take a test later this month for her nursing license.
She has lived in the United States for half of her life. Social
and outgoing, Tran sports a tattoo and occasionally red hair.
``I'm not the traditional Vietnamese girl,'' she said. ``I do my
own crazy things.''
Yet, in the same conversation, Tran stated matter-of-factly:
``My parents are planning to live with me. They told me they get
along with me.''
Torn between her plans to travel and her desire to please, Tran
has been preparing for ``the conversation'' with her parents,
who live in Southern California.
``It was always assumed I'd be around,'' Tran said. ``It's going
to be a big change. They're going to be upset.''
Protective daughter
Every weekend, Tran calls her parents. During her first couple
of years in college, since her parents are not fluent in
English, they would send documents to Tran so she could
translate or complete them.
``I always feel a need to help them, watch over them or just be
there,'' said Tran, the middle child. ``I partly feel like I'm
abandoning them. They always say it's one of their biggest
regrets, to let me move away to go to college.''
The talk with Tran's parents could be excruciating, said Newman,
who wrote ``Nobody's Baby Now: Reinventing Your Adult
Relationship with Your Mother and Father.''
``Those conversations are quite difficult, because you know this
is not something your parents want,'' Newman said, ``and all
children, I don't care from what culture they are, grow up
wanting to please their parents.''
Like any other fresh-out-of-college twentysomething, Tran says,
``I don't know what I'm looking for.'' But like an increasing
number of young Asians, she is determined to take her turn and
make the personal journey.
Living together
The compromise that many seem to be making is either moving in
with or bringing their parents to live with them in their later,
more frail years.
Tran's version of ``living together,'' however, is notably
different from the version practiced by her parents with their
parents.
``I think they have to understand,'' Tran said, ``they live in
my house.''
Ideally, Tran would prefer that her parents live ``like, walking
distance'' from her.
But the reality?
``What I'm seeing,'' she said, ``is they'll probably live with
me once I settle down.''
She's been perusing real estate listings for homes that come
with an attachment option, such as a so-called ``granny unit.''
``We're still together,'' Tran said, ``but I have my own
entrance.''
Mercury News Database Editor Griff Palmer contributed to this
report. Contact Truong Phuoc Khánh at
tkhanh@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-2729.
(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/12412867.htm)
******************
For Immediate Release
August 25, 2005
Contact: Douglas Lee - Program Manager
dlee@ocanatl.org
202-223-5500
OCA ANNOUNCES 2005 OCA-AXA ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Washington, DC - OCA, a national Asian Pacific American (APA)
civil rights advocacy and educational organization with over 80
chapters and affiliates nationwide, is pleased to announce the 8
winners of the 2005 OCA-AXA Achievement Scholarship. The OCA-AXA
Achievement Scholarship awards $2000 each to APA high school
students demonstrating academic achievement, leadership ability
and community service, and who will attend a higher education
institution this fall.
“It is wonderful to be collaborating with AXA once again in 2005
in rewarding students based on achievement,” stated Ginny Gong,
OCA National President. “The scholarship will provide these
students the necessary access to college and beyond.”
"OCA-AXA "AXA Achievement" Scholarship winners exemplify the
kind of student we look for," said Pamela Gee, Program Director
for the AXA Foundation, which underwrites AXA Achievement
scholarships. "Our scholarship winners are young people who have
accomplished something special, who show the determination to
set and reach goals." “OCA is very proud of the achievements of
the OCA-AXA "AXA Achievement" Scholarship winners. They were
selected on the basis of academic achievement, leadership and
community service,” said Sharon Wong, VP of Education and
Culture for OCA. “We wish them success in their college studies
and their future careers.”
The 8 winners of the OCA-AXA AXA Achievement Scholarship are:
Agnes Hiu Yee Yuen - Agnes was born in Hong Kong and came to the
United States when she was twelve. Agnes now resides in
Troutdale, Oregon. She will be attending the University of
Oregon and majoring in psychology. Throughout high school Agnes
was deeply involved with the Japanese club and the Japanese
honor society. She participates in many activities that showcase
her commitment to her community as well as her education.
Alexander Nguyen - Alexander hopes to one day help find cures
for diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. While in
high school he was able to create an American Cancer Society
club. Alexander also led a summit for youth to teach them about
youth recruitment for Relay for Life. As well as contributing to
the community, Alexander also participated in many school
activities such as French Blub, Student Council, Key Club, and
National Honor Society. Alexander will be attending the
University of Southern California.
Amanda Lee Parkman - Amanda was born in Seoul, Korea and was
adopted when she was six months old. Despite battling
Oesteogenisis Imperfecta she has been active within the
community with her work with the Casa de los Ninos as well as
other volunteer organizations. Amanda is a natural and gifted
leader thereby earning her the award for the YWCA Bright Future
Award in Leadership. Amanda will be attending the University of
Arizona and hopes to be a pediatrician.
Annie Liang - Annie is from San Francisco, CA. Annie has been
very active within her community volunteering much of her time
and resources to the Salvation Army. She worked as a program
assistant as well as administrative assistant for more than
three years with the Salvation Army. Annie is also heavily
involved with the Rotary International and her Student Council.
Annie will be attending Whitman College.
Jennifer Chiu - Jennifer is from Sugar Land Texas. She will be
attending Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. While in
school Jennifer has committed herself to mentorship program
where she mentored girls in science, as well as the Boys and
Girls club in her community. Although Jennifer committed a lot
of her time to the community she was also heavily involved with
school activities participating in her high schools orchestra,
tennis team, National Honor Society and Student Council.
Nadia Bulkin - Nadia is from Lincoln Nebraska. While retaining a
rigorous academic schedule Nadia has also upheld an impressive
extracurricular resume including the Speech and Debate club,
School Newspaper, Science club, National Honor Society and
participating in the school choir. Nadia will be attending the
Barnard College where she hopes to work for the United Nations
after she graduates doing humanitarian work.
Pei Zhang - is from Petaluma California. She will be attending
Stanford. Pei has been actively involved within her school and
community. She was the founder, coordinator and teacher for
Music for Youth, a community program that teaches violin to
underprivileged kids. Pei also was a cartoonist and
Chinese-English translator for the magazine Chinese Today. Pei
was also an active participant in many school related activities
such as Interact club, Symphony, Astrophilosophy Club, German
Club, the school newspaper, and Varsity Tennis team.
Troy Hashimoto - Troy is from Kula Hawaii. Troy plans on
returning to Hawaii after college to give back to his local
community where he has been very active all throughout his life.
Troy was a member of the Hawaii State Board of Education, the
National Association of Student Councils, Hawaii State Student
Leadership Workshop Delegate, American Lung Association Advisory
council, and a Delegate of the Department of Education
Reinventing Education Summit. Troy is deeply committed to his
Hawaiian community and hopes to be able to bring back the values
and the education he receives at the University of Denver in
Colorado back to benefit his community.
The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial,
directing the company's philanthropic and volunteer activities
and working to improve the quality of life in communities across
the country where AXA has a presence. AXA "AXA Achievementsm" is
the AXA Foundation's innovative, long-term strategy to provide
America's youth with the advice and access necessary to succeed
in college and beyond. For more information, please go to
www.AXAonline.com/axafoundation.
# # # #
“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.”
******************
August 26, 2005
GEORGIA’S VOTER ID
LAW APPROVED
Only state to require photo ID at polls; other ID's not
enough
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Justice Department on Friday approved a
controversial Georgia law requiring voters to show photo
identification at the polls, and opponents immediately vowed to
challenge the measure in federal court.
The decision, written by John Tanner, chief of the department's
voting section, says that while Attorney General Alberto
Gonzales doesn't object to the law, approval doesn't preclude
lawsuits against it.
"It's not over yet. We will pursue litigation in federal court,"
said state Rep. Tyrone Brooks, chairman of the Georgia
Association of Black Elected Officials, which earlier had filed
an objection to the law with the Justice Department.
The Republican-backed measure sparked racial tension during the
state's legislative session last spring. Most of Georgia's black
lawmakers walked out at the state Capitol when it was approved.
Democrats had argued the idea was a political move by the GOP to
depress voting among minorities, the elderly and the poor -- all
traditional bases for Democrats.
The measure would eliminate the use of several currently
accepted forms of voter identification, such as Social Security
cards, birth certificates or utility bills.
"Requiring valid, photographic identification is a common sense
step to ensure voter integrity and sound elections," Gov. Sonny
Perdue said Friday in a written statement.
Perdue signed the measure in April, and it needed the Justice
Department's approval before taking effect. Under the Voting
Rights Act, Georgia and other states with a history of
suppressing minority voting must get federal permission to
change their voting laws.
Nineteen states require voters to show identification, but only
five request photo ID's, according to the National Conference of
State Legislatures. Those states -- Arizona, Florida, Louisiana,
South Carolina and South Dakota -- allow voters without a photo
ID to use other forms of identification or sign an affidavit of
identity.
"The decision to clear the measure now gives Georgia the most
draconian voter identification requirement in the nation," said
Daniel Levitas of the American Civil Liberties Union's Voting
Rights Project in Atlanta.
Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, a veteran of the civil rights
movement, said, "It is unbelievable, it is unreal the Department
of Justice -- an agency who is supposed to protect the American
public by enforcing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 -- is now
involved in attempts to weaken the act.
"This decision takes us back to the dark past of literacy tests
and other insidious devices that were carefully devised to
hamper the participation of all of our citizens in the political
process," Lewis said.
Perdue, like other Republicans, has said the measure is aimed at
preventing voter fraud. "It will not be a hardship on any
voter," Perdue said when he signed the bill.
The new Georgia law also allows people to vote absentee without
an excuse, and for a longer period. Those votes by mail would
not require a picture ID. Political observers say Republicans
tend to benefit the most from absentee balloting.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, head of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said
he was disturbed by the federal decision.
"My fear is that this will spread across the country like a
virus," he said. "This just shows how the anti-civil rights'
machinery is in motion."
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
redistributed.
(http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/08/26/georgia.voters.ap/)
******************
For Immediate Release
August 26, 2005
Contact: Douglas Lee - Program Manager
dlee@ocanatl.org202-223-5500
OCA ANNOUNCES 2005 AVON SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Washington, DC - OCA, a national organization dedicated to
advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian
Pacific Americans in the United States with over 80 chapters and
affiliates nationwide, has selected nine winners to receive the
OCA-AVON Scholarship this year. The OCA-AVON Scholarship awards
$2000 each to Asian Pacific American female high school students
with financial need, who will attend a higher education
institution this fall. In addition, some winners received an
all-expenses paid trip to the OCA National Convention in Las
Vegas, Nevada from July 28-31.
“OCA is pleased to work with AVON to recognize these bright
young women who have taken such a large step advancing their
education,” stated Ginny Gong, OCA National President. “We hope
this scholarship will help these students continue along the
path of quality and distinction.”
“The OCA-Avon Scholarship for Asian Pacific American Women is a
special milestone for Avon,” said Shirley Dong, Marketing
Manager of AVON Products. “Avon feels proud that we continue to
provide economic and educational opportunities for young women
through this partnership with OCA.”
“The scholarship recipients and their families should be proud
of their achievements,” stated Sharon Wong, OCA Vice President
for Education and Culture. “Out of over nine hundred qualified
applicants, these students demonstrated the highest level of
academic and community excellence.”
OCA is pleased to announce the 9 winners of the OCA-AVON
Scholarship:
Saliha Akhtar is from Budd Lake, New Jersey. Saliha has
dedicated her high school career to an extensive list of
extracurricular activities, such as Amnesty International,
International Student Organization, Best Buddies, National Honor
Society, Student Council among others. She was on the executive
board on many of these organizations. She also volunteers her
time at the Mount Olive Public Library as well as Relay for
Life. She is extremely diligent and has been admitted to
Montclair State University where she will major in Biochemistry.
Carol Conlin is from Piedmont, South Carolina. Her awards
include the Blue and Gold Cards, has been on the honor roll and
was a Hurricane Scholar. Not only did her academic achievements
surpass many, but her credentials in the community shine as
well. She volunteers at the Shriner’s Hospital for Children and
has been elected on the executive board for organizations
including Key Club, Beta Club, National Honor Society and the
French National Honors Society. She has been recently accepted
to Furman University this fall to pursue her dreams of becoming
a physician.
Christine Yun Lee lives in Los Angeles, California, where she
attended Beverly Hills High School. Although she just graduated
from high school, Christine has already accumulated a formidable
list of accomplishments, including research on robot clustering
systems through swarm engineering research, and an internship
with the Korean American Graduate Medical Association. Christine
was also involved with the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic
Orchestra, Science Team, and Students for Peace. This fall, she
will be studying biomedical engineering and neuroscience at the
Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science in
Northwestern University.
Rica Ocampo is from Las Vegas, Nevada. Rica volunteers with
organizations that help out humans and animals alike. She has
helped the Humane Society’s Wag-A-Tail Walk-a-thon in which she
helped set up and clean up the event. She volunteered at the
YMCA and Boys and Girls Club and served as a camp counselor and
supervisor/tutor respectively. She also aided the homeless and
disabled at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission and the Opportunity
Village Magical Forest. She holds an orange belt in Karate and
is a varsity tennis player. She will be attending University of
California, San Diego.
Victoria So is from Glen Carbon, Illinois. She has interned at
the Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of Natural History,
and completed college courses at George Washington University,
and held a part time job. She also traveled abroad to volunteer
in New Zealand in order to assist the underprivileged Maori
natives. Victoria served as Class President and Historian for
four years. Throughout her years, she has participated in the
International Career Academy Delegate at the Illinois Math and
Science Academy. She plays as co-captain of her Varsity Field
Hockey team and the violin. She will be attending Georgetown
with a concentration in Anthropology and international
relations.
Sandy Tang is from Malden, Massachusetts. She has received
honorable mentions as she has exhibited her artwork at the Art
Institute of Boston at Lesley University and participated in the
MIT High School Studies Program. Some of her activities include
the Asian American Student Association, National Honor Society,
Operation Information in which she developed workshops
pertaining to political issues to provide awareness, and Kiwanis
Key Club which she presided as President during her junior and
senior year. Some other activities she volunteered for were the
Annual Crafts Fair, Junior Varieties Annual Talent show in which
she help write the script, designed the stage, and hosted. She
also coordinated Spirit Week and was the Mistress of Ceremonies.
She has been accepted to the University of California, Los
Angeles.
Rachelle Uy is from San Jose, California. During high school,
she was part of the JROTC, Dance group and was a color guard.
She also volunteered for the American Cancer Society, donated
blood and volunteered for the Oak Grove American Red Cross blood
drive. She coordinated bingo nights for senior citizens every
Wednesday. She also scored well with her own regime with the
Kitty Hawk Air Society and received the Leadership Certificate
Award. Rachelle has aspirations of becoming a medical surgeon
and will fulfill her duties at the University of California,
Berkeley.
Alecia Wong is from Great Falls, Montana. She found her passion
while at Montana State University’s physics lab and decided that
she wanted to study science. Some of her activities include
intramural badminton and volleyball. She was on the executive
board for Key Club. She is an avid musician, which lead her to
participate in the Chamber Orchestra, the AA Music Festival and
the District Music Festival. She has received numerous awards,
the most recent being known in “Who’s Who in American High
Schools” and the Academic Achievement award. She will be
attending the University of Washington, Seattle this fall.
Somy Xiong is from St. Paul Minnesota. Despite her good GPA and
her numerous activities, Somy managed to balance her home life
and her school life. She won first place in the Arlington High
School Science Fair for both Biology and Chemistry, a recipient
of four SOAR Awards, and was the Junior class Snow Daze
Princess. She devotes some of her spare time after school as the
President of the Outdoors Club, the National Honor Society.
During “Admission Possible”, she helped those to seek a college
education by tutoring them for the ACT’s and helped minorities
in the Multicultural Excellence Program. Somy will be attending
the College of St. Benedict, St. John’s University.
# # # #
“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.”
******************
DALLAS COUNTY REQUIRES SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO LEARN SPANISH
– OR
ELSE; TEXAS PLAN GIVES PRINCIPALS THREE YEARS, MAKES NO
REQUEST OF PARENTS
8/26/2005 1:32:00 PM
To: National Desk
Contact: Rob Toonkel of U.S. English, 202-833-0100
WASHINGTON, August 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Late Thursday night, a
5-4 vote of the Dallas school board made this Texas county the
first in the nation to require administrators to learn Spanish
or lose their jobs. The controversial measure, proposed in order
to help principals better communicate with immigrant parents, is
the latest episode in a growing movement of misguided language
outreach.
"The Dallas school board's extreme approach sends the
unmistakable message that English is optional in the area,"
explained Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of the Board of U.S.
English, Inc. "This is part of a frightening trend where
English-speaking Americans are being asked to learn a foreign
language, while nothing is expected out of non-English speaking
immigrants to America. Instead of forcing their administrators
to learn the language of immigrants, the district should open
its facilities to programs that teach immigrant parents
English."
Dallas' proposal is noteworthy for who it excludes. While Dallas
County ranks 138th in the nation in the percentage of residents
who speak Spanish at home, it is ninth in the concentration of
Vietnamese speakers, eighth in the concentration of Urdu
speakers, and 14th in the concentration of Korean speakers. In
all, 123,000, or six percent of Dallas County residents, speak a
language other than English or Spanish at home. The "outreach"
program makes no attempt to reach other immigrant families.
"Critics of official language policies continually point out
that it takes adults extra time to learn a foreign language,"
continued Mujica. "In this case, the school district is forcing
full-time working adults to become proficient in Spanish in
three years or lose their jobs. But the policy makes not even
the gentlest demands that immigrant parents learn the language
of this country."
------
U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-
partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the
unifying role of the English language in the United States.
Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California,
U.S. English, Inc. (http://www.usenglish.org)
now has more than 1.8 million members nationwide.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
(http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=52166)
******************
August 27, 2005
MORMON MISSIONARIES LEARN VIETNAMESE IN LITTLE SAIGON
Anh Do
Nguoi Viet Daily
WESTMINSTER, Calif. — Most everyone agrees that those coming to
this country should learn English. When asked, many immigrants
say they see the urgency, too.
The question is: Where can they find a class in which they feel
comfortable?
Enter “Phát,” “Phú,” “Khai” and “Trí.”
They’re missionaries — and Mormons — who, in turn, are picking
up another language as they teach the folks in Little Saigon
another language as well.
These 20-somethings gather, one evening, at the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were surrounded by people
trying to pronounce J-words. “Juh, juh, juh,” the students
repeat. Jail. Jump. Jaw. Jealous.
Jealous? What does that mean, a man in a sweatshirt asks “Trí,”
usually known as Robert Skanchy.
“Ghen ghét,” he replies in Vietnamese, having been trained in it
for two months before moving here from Washington state. “I am
jealous of Khai over there,” he points to the other side of the
blackboard, “because he is thinner than me.”
Everyone laughs, and forming sentences continues.
Job. Journal. Judge. Jet. Joy. Jelly fish. They pause again, as
“Khai,” aka Peter Watson, directs his partner to draw to better
introduce the sea creature. Anything that someone doesn’t
understand gets an illustration. The vocabulary list stretches.
This is the beginner’s group.
In the intermediate section, “Phú,” actually Bridger Larson, is
taking his charges through their paces, letting them know what
to do in emergency situations. “Hurry, there is a car crash!” he
intones. “My friend is unconscious, help him!
“And — say it loud,” he reminds the crowd. The men and women are
from a culture where it’s not polite to call attention to
yourself. “People need to hear you.”
Earlier, they had read different real-life scenarios, tucking
away new verbs and nouns: Fainted. Choking. Bleeding. Drowning.
Falling.
Next they switch to disasters: Hurricane. Earthquake. Tornado.
Flood.
They break into pairs, rehearsing some complex situations. They
repeat dialogues, over and over. They role play, trying to get
an ambulance to the rescue.
For days outside the complex, the rain pounded. Inside, nearly
300 parents, grandparents, assembly workers, tailors and waiters
came week after week. Some are practicing English to advance
themselves. Others prep for citizenship.
Dung Tran, from the California suburb of Santa Ana, is among
them. “This is a really good program,” he says. “I’m going to
take all the levels so I can interact with everybody in society.
If we live here, we need to know the basics. But if we want to
get around, we need to know more.”
For months, his teachers, who came to California last year, got
to know the refugees, bicycling around the area.
These young men had never met Vietnamese people, never eaten
Vietnamese food, never heard Vietnamese music, “never, never,”
they emphasize.
“When I got the letter letting me know that, ‘You’re going to
Anaheim, California, and that you’re assigned to the
Vietnamese,’ I was like, huh? What in the world’s Viet Nam?” Phú
recalled. “I had no clue.” “We only knew Asians, we didn’t know
much of a difference,” “Phát,” born Cody Flexhaug, adds. Still,
many of them nurtured, from their childhood, the belief that
spreading the Gospel is what they want to do.
In their faith community, they are pushed to immerse themselves
in a two-year missionary tour after high school. For girls, it’s
often a year and a half. And it begins with lessons at the
Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, near the campus of
Brigham Young University. Before the troops leave for their
locales — they study whatever they need to communicate — from
Spanish to Korean to Portuguese to Vietnamese.
“It’s awesome, it’s cool, to have this chance and to interact
like this,” Trí says.
The guys now bonding — initially strangers to each other — are
pulling this off with little money, and little initial
knowledge, at least when it comes to Viet Nam and its long
history.
So they have soaked up local slang as well as local dishes —
from hot vit lon, fertilized duck eggs, boiled, and slurped from
the shell, to all types of noodles — while sharing their
religion and English. When speaking to a person from Viet Nam,
they can pinpoint whether his accent is from the North, the
South or the central region of the tropical country.
“I think the Vietnamese are amazing,” Khai adds. “Their stories
of coming to America, their bravery, also the fact that they
started here without nothing, are inspiring.”
“Often, when Americans use something, they throw it away,” Trí
points out. “The Vietnamese use it, they reuse it and find more
uses for it. It’s ingenious.”
The bicultural setup, of course, works both ways — helping out
the missionaries as well.
Phát, who grew up in Edmonton, Canada, smiles widely as he says
his students tell him they understand him better since the
program started.
Pupils invite the instructors home for home cooking, and the
visitors share their backgrounds. They even show one another
dance steps, as the quartet — after viewing videos and attending
Tet celebrations — put their hands together to create a 16-pound
papier-mache lion for the traditional Lunar New Year
performance.
“Gosh, it was fun. But it was heavy,” Khai says.
The memories — and the ties — can be lasting.
“I really found I clicked with the community,” says Ben Hamatake,
dubbed “Phuong,” who moved from Utah to California after
finishing his stint. He now lives with a Vietnamese family and
works as a liaison between the Vietnamese and Willmore
Elementary in Westminster.
He is struck by the generosity of the immigrants.
“Many, many times, my companions and I were hungry, we were
thirsty, and people came out of nowhere on a hot, summer day and
invited us for dinner or gave us a drink. That’s part of the
satisfaction of service."
(http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=e1b679204f0d4ddf4f851a8e8f9048f9)
******************
August 28, 2005
MINORITY
BUSINESSES GROWING
FAST
Black-owned firms created faster than firms statewide
By RICK ROMELL (rromell@journalsentinel.com)
Though they remain a sliver of the economy, businesses owned by
members of Wisconsin's largest minority groups are multiplying
at a much faster rate than state businesses as a whole, new
federal data show.
Leading the way has been the growth of businesses owned by
blacks, a group particularly important to the Milwaukee area.
From 1997 to 2002, the number of black-owned businesses in
Wisconsin grew by 38% - more than five times the growth rate for
all businesses in the state.
The raw number of businesses owned by African-Americans in
Wisconsin is tiny, just 6,687 by the most recent federal count.
That represented less than 2% of the 393,303 businesses
statewide.
But the growth, along with the growth in Asian- and
Hispanic-owned businesses, looks good, said Sammis B. White, a
professor of urban planning at the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee and director of its Center for Workforce
Development.
"I would say (that's) a very positive sign," White said.
Among the new entrepreneurs are people such as Carl Brown and
Marvile Martin.
Brown, principal owner of the Red Brown Klé advertising and
public relations agency downtown, fits squarely into the
emerging "knowledge economy." Martin's business is less
glamorous; he's a barber.
But the men have much in common. Brown is 40, Martin 39. Both
are African-American. Both own shops that employ others - seven
for Brown, four for Martin. And both laid the groundwork for the
plunge into business by honing their respective crafts while
working for someone else.
That, said Brown, is one key to the growth in minority-owned
businesses. As more workplace opportunities have opened for
blacks, Hispanics and others, the pool of people equipped for
entrepreneurship has deepened, he said.
In Brown's case, the opportunities included jobs at large
advertising agencies such as Leo Burnett in Chicago.
"Having that background was critically helpful in knowing what
to do when I started a business," he said.
Martin cut his teeth at the Ebony Man's World barber shop on the
north side, where he worked for 12 years.
The work won him customers who followed him to Marv's Barber
Salon, which he opened last year at 1733 W. Hampton Ave., and
the money he earned helped him establish a solid credit rating
that easily secured the $16,400 loan he used to start his shop.
"I'll have that paid off next week," Martin said. "I'll have it
all paid off."
Exceeding statewide growth
The 1997-2002 growth rates for the number of Asian- and
Hispanic-owned business were 32% and 24% respectively - also
well above the statewide growth.
And that pace may have accelerated in the last three years. The
U.S. Census Bureau, for example, tallied 3,750 Hispanic-owned
businesses in Wisconsin in 2002. But Maria Monreal-Cameron,
president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce - Wisconsin, currently counts just over 5,000 such
businesses in the state.
"To me that's a significant amount," she said. "It surely is a
dramatic increase from 10 years ago."
The picture, however, isn't entirely bright.
The growth rates for black and Hispanic businesses trailed the
national rates. And the numbers of businesses owned by all three
groups as a percentage of their adult populations fell short of
the comparable numbers nationally. The gap for Hispanics was the
largest.
"I think the message is we have more work to do," said Timothy
Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of
Commerce. "We still lag the average. And I think the other
message for Milwaukee, as we fast become a majority minority
community, (is) that the number of minorities starting
businesses will be a critical part of our future economic
development."
Census Bureau data show that for every thousand adult Hispanics
in the United States, there were 61 Hispanic-owned businesses in
2002. In Wisconsin, there were 28 Hispanic-owned businesses per
thousand adult Hispanic residents.
There were 115 Asian-owned businesses per thousand adults
nationwide, and 69 in Wisconsin.
The differences, however, appear to be rooted in demographic
factors.
For Asians, the key may be Wisconsin's disproportionately large
Hmong population. In the 2000 census, Hmong represented 37% of
all Asians here, vs. 2% for the country as a whole.
Compared with other Asian-Americans, Hmong nationwide have
significantly less education and much lower incomes, and adults
are much less likely to be fluent in English - all factors that
could limit chances of starting a business.
Population growing fast
Wisconsin's Hispanic population, meanwhile, grew about twice as
rapidly as the national Hispanic population from 1997 to 2002.
Observers such as White and Enrique Figueroa, director of UWM's
Roberto Hernández Center and assistant to the provost for Latino
affairs, agreed that a fast-growing population with many new
residents was less likely to create as many businesses as a
well-established group.
In fact, all the states with the lowest rates of Hispanic
business ownership had population growth well above the average,
while most of the states with the highest rates of business
ownership had low population growth.
"You're much more likely to succeed if you have established a
network of family and friends," White said. "Very few entrants
move into an area and start a business."
The rate of business ownership among African-Americans in
Wisconsin trailed the national rate, with the difference smaller
than the Hispanic and Asian gaps. Wisconsin in 2002 had 32
black-owned businesses per thousand adult African-American
residents, compared with 46 per thousand nationally.
While their numbers have been growing faster than those of state
businesses as a whole, enterprises owned by Wisconsin blacks,
Hispanics and Asians are, on average, much smaller.
According to the Census Bureau, Wisconsin businesses as a group
averaged $1.1 million in sales and receipts in 2002. Black-owned
businesses meanwhile, averaged $104,000, Hispanic-owned
businesses $260,000 and Asian-owned businesses $309,000.
That too is an issue, Sheehy said. It is important, he said, for
minority businesses not just to get started but to grow and
ultimately bring income to the area by developing markets
outside the region.
"A larger percentage of the population is minority," he said.
"The ability of those residents to generate new business starts
is critical, but so is the quality question."
(http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/aug05/MINORITY29G.gif)
(http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/aug05/351684.asp)
******************
August 28, 2005
FOR PIONEER OFFICE HOLDER, A CAMPAIGN IN A CAMPAIGN
By Rodney Foo
Mercury News
It seems incongruous that San Jose City Council candidate
Madison Nguyen, the first Vietnamese woman to hold a public
office in California, would have grappled with a language
barrier when she campaigned in Vietnamese neighborhoods three
years ago.
``I spoke like a first-grader,'' said Nguyen, recalling her
fumbling Vietnamese-language skills during her successful
Franklin-McKinley school board race.
Now her command of Vietnamese is second nature and it comes at a
propitious time as she campaigns for the open District 7 council
seat.
``The Vietnamese community holds the key to this election,''
said Nguyen, 30. Two months ago, that voting bloc propelled her
and her rival, Linda Nguyen, past eight other candidates into
the Sept. 13 runoff.
Madison Nguyen's stature as a local Vietnamese political pioneer
stems partly from her dramatic challenge of police two years ago
after an officer was involved in the shooting of a Vietnamese
mother. But that respect has not translated into the type of
goodwill from the community that one would expect. Then again,
nothing is automatic with Vietnamese voters, said Ryan Hubris, a
Vietnamese-American businessman who almost entered the race but
now endorses Madison Nguyen.
``Being the first doesn't mean being the best at what you do in
public service,'' Hubris said.
Beyond Vietnamese
And so for Madison Nguyen, a Democrat, this race has become a
campaign within a campaign. One part is aimed at Latinos, whites
and African-Americans to dispel perceptions that she does not
reach beyond the Vietnamese community, and another part is aimed
at winning the trust of the Vietnamese community.
An example of these twin realities occurred in May when a
misunderstanding over a city council resolution to recognize the
former South Vietnam's flag as the official symbol of
Vietnamese-Americans blossomed into a headache for Nguyen with
the vehemently anti-communist Vietnamese community. Meanwhile,
the incident didn't register a blip in the rest of District 7.
Nguyen, a supporter of the flag's recognition, was concerned
that a proposed resolution that she saw on the council's agenda
wasn't comprehensive. As a result, she phoned Councilman David
Cortese to ask that the vote on that resolution be delayed so
the community could register its concerns. Unknown to her, a
substitute resolution -- one that had already been passed by
other cities and supported by local Vietnamese leaders,
including her -- was being placed on the council agenda and the
weaker resolution withdrawn.
Nguyen's phone call was initially interpreted by the Vietnamese
media as waffling on the issue, and her appearance at the
council meeting to endorse the new resolution was decried as a
flip-flop. Soon, she was receiving irate calls and was forced to
put out a major campaign fire. ``I did not flip-flop,'' Nguyen
said firmly. ``I received about 100 phone calls.''
Mending fences
As if that weren't enough, she said she's been spending the past
four months mending fences with local Vietnamese leaders who had
supported her election to the school board but had grown angry
and frustrated by her lack of visibility in the community. The
leaders who had been part of her network vented their
disappointment to her face-to-face.
``I felt I was being educated,'' said Nguyen, who was stunned by
how others saw her.
Nguyen said she'd been overwhelmed by the school board demands;
dealing with the fatal shooting of Bich Cau Thi Tran; and
recovering from a 2001 auto accident in which she lost a finger
on her right hand. She simply could not afford the high price of
tickets to some of the community's cultural functions. And, she
was coping with the end of a four-year relationship with her
boyfriend.
While Nguyen describes the current campaign as the most exciting
time of her life, a period bursting with opportunity to help
District 7, she readily admits the campaign has taken a toll on
her personal life.
``It's a very, extremely lonely lifestyle,'' she said. ``You are
everything everybody wants to be -- or at least for people my
age. But when you get home or when you're in your own private
space you really don't have anyone to share,'' she added,
``nobody to really listen with that sort of honest and
thoughtful ear.''
Path to office
Nguyen is the daughter of parents who immigrated from Nha Trang,
a Vietnam resort city, and eventually settled in Modesto, where
they became produce farmers. Her mother drilled into her the
importance of education. Nguyen earned degrees in U.S. history
from the University of California-Santa Cruz and social science
from the University of Chicago.
But while pursing a doctorate in sociology at UC-Santa Cruz,
Nguyen's academic career was sidetracked when she took a job in
San Jose as the operations director with the Crosscultural
Community Center, which assists immigrants and at-risk youth.
She worked with truant Franklin-McKinley students and their
families, some of them Vietnamese-American. She noticed how
little representation those families had on the school board,
providing the motivation for a voter registration project and
her 2002 board candidacy.
On the campaign trail, her themes are improving education,
attracting business, combating gangs and getting juvenile
delinquents to do community work.
When Nguyen discusses transforming District 7, one of San Jose's
poorest areas, her idealism seems incandescent.
She had just completed reading a book about Mahatma Gandhi's
life and lately, she said, one of the Indian leader's quotations
had been coming back to her again and again: ``You must be the
change you wish to see in the world.''
Contact Rodney Foo at
rfoo@mercurynews.com or (408) 975-9346.
(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/12498505.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
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