NCVA eREPORTER
- January 18, 2005
In this NCVA eReporter:
Events
Funding Opportunities
Jobs/Internships
Tips/Resources
News
******************
EVENTS
NATIONAL COALITION FOR ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT 6TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONVENTION –
MAY
18-20, 2005
The National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community
Development is seeking proposals for workshop presentations for
our 6th Annual National Convention. The
convention will be held on May 18-20, 2005 at the
Edgewater Hotel in Seattle, WA, and will mark our return to
the city in which National CAPACD was founded; we hope that you
will be able to join us in Seattle to celebrate our homecoming
and to commemorate the work of local community based
organizations nationwide.
~~~ CALL FOR WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS ~~~
National CAPACD’s annual convention provides an exciting
opportunity and platform for hundreds of community organizers,
housing and economic development organizations and social
service providers that work with Asian, Pacific Islander, Native
Hawaiian and other minority and immigrant communities to gather
and share ideas for comprehensive solutions to community
empowerment, development and planning.
The convention goals are: 1) Provide opportunities for
networking 2) Develop the capacity of those who serve AAPI
communities, 3) Encourage the active participation of the AAPI
community in advocacy initiatives, 4) Develop collaborations
among diverse people working to improve the lives of AAPIs and
other communities of color.
We welcome presentations from service providers, educators,
researchers, policy makers, youth, business representatives,
government officials, media representatives, technical
assistance providers and others. Conference organizers encourage
workshops that explore actions and projects at different levels
(from local, statewide, regional to national), and workshops
that are innovative in format. Attached please find a
presentation application.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: February 20, 2005
PLEASE FIND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE
~~~~ SCHOLARSHIPS ~~~
In an effort to build leadership, organizational capacity, and
membership support, National CAPACD strives to make our
convention accessible by providing a limited amount of
scholarships for eligible recipients. Students, representatives
from growing and emerging communities, Pacific Islander
organizations and National CAPACD members are encouraged to
apply. DEADLINE: March 11, 2005.
~~~ REGISTRATION FORMS ~~~
Register now with our early bird registration & membership
registration discount!
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE:
April 8, 2005
~~~ SPONSORSHIP, EXHIBITIONS & JOURNALS ADS ~~~~
There will be countless opportunities for exhibiting and
marketing opportunities at this year's gathering. Sponsorship,
Exhibitions & journal ads afford opportunities to promote your
organization to local leaders in the community economic
development organizations & individuals form around the country.
DEADLINE FOR EXHIBITORS:
March 31, 2005
DEADLINE FOR JOURNAL ADS & SPONSORSHIPS:
April 13, 2005
TO DOWNLOAD FORMS & APPLICATIONS, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE!
~~~
Aleyamma Mathew, Director of Programs
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community
Development
aleyamma@nationalcapacd.org
(www.nationalcapacd.org)
******************
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
SUPPORT FOR COMPANY
COMMUNITIES
West Group Community Partnership Program
The West Group Community Partnership Program supports nonprofit
organizations in the communities where West Group offices are
located, including communities in Arizona, California, Florida,
Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Washington, DC. (For
a list of office locations go to
http://west.thomson.com/contacts/locations.asp.) Support is
provided for organizations focused on educating the future
workforce, providing arts and cultural experiences to the
community, and developing and strengthening youth, families and
communities. Deadlines vary according to area of interest. The
next deadline is
March 15, 2005 for programs focused on educating the future
workforce. The deadline for arts and culture programs is
June 15, 2005
and the deadline for programs to strengthen youth, families, and
communities is
September 15, 2005.
(http://west.thomson.com/about/community/grants/)
******************
SUPPORT FOR STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE HEALTHY BEHAVIOR
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Prescription for Health
Prescription for Health, a five-year initiative funded by The
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in collaboration with the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality, provides support to primary
care practice-based research networks (PBRNs) to develop
creative, practical strategies for promoting healthy behaviors
among patients in their practices that can be easily adopted by
other primary care practices. Four health risk behaviors are
targeted: sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, tobacco use, and
risky drinking. During this funding round, the initiative's
second and final funding round, proposals will be accepted for
new innovations to improve health behavior change interventions
in routine practice, as well as studies to further test and
refine innovations funded in the first-round. The application
deadline is
March 7, 2005.
PBRNs throughout the U.S. are eligible to apply.
(http://www.prescriptionforhealth.org)
******************
CPB RELEASES THE 2005 RADIO PROGRAM FUND REQUEST FOR
PROPOSALS
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has just announced the
release of the 2005 Radio Program Fund Request for Proposals
(RFP).
CPB
has available approximately $6.4 million to invest in national
programming projects in radio. This year, this request for
proposals is focused specifically on programming. Information
regarding the RFP and application process can be found on the
website above. The deadline for responding to the RFP is Friday,
March 3, 2005.
(http://www.cpb.org/radio/programfund/)
******************
MATTEL
LAUNCHES
NEW
DOMESTIC GRANTS PROGRAM
Mattel and the Mattel Children's Foundation have launched a new
Domestic Grants Program. For the first time in over 5 years,
unsolicited grants are being accepted for review for funding.
Charitable organizations throughout the U.S. that directly serve
children in need will be eligible for financial grants in
amounts of $5,000 to $25,000, depending on program, organization
and individual community need. Applications for Cycle I are
accepted from January 1, 2005 to April 8, 2005.
(http://www.mattel.com/about_us/Comm_Involvement/ci_mcf_philanthropy_grantmaking.asp)
******************
AMERICAN EXPRESS ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE FUND TO SUPPORT FINANCIAL
EDUCATION PROGRAM
The
American Express Foundation will grant $1 million in 2005 to
fund financial literacy and education projects as part of the
American Express Economic Independence Fund.
The program is designed to support the delivery of financial
literacy education to underserved adult segments of society,
including the newly employed, young workers, individuals moving
from welfare to work, and immigrants. The fund is being
administered jointly with the
National Endowment for Financial Education.
Any U.S. nonprofit organization that is tax exempt under
sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1), (2), or (3) of the Internal
Revenue Code and whose clients are representative of underserved
adult audiences targeted by the fund and who would benefit from
financial literacy education is eligible to apply. The focus is
on organizations operating at the community level that may or
may not have affiliations with state, regional, and national
groups. Multi-organizational partnerships or statewide programs
are acceptable.
Grant amounts will range between $15,000 and $30,000, and
proposals will be considered for projects ranging from twelve to
twenty-four months in duration.
All applicants are required to consult the
Financial Education Clearinghouse to select pre-approved
curricula and educational materials.
(http://home3.americanexpress.com/corp/giving_back.asp)
******************
NEW VOICES SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR CITIZEN MEDIA VENTURES
New Voices, a program to seed innovative citizen media
ventures around the United States, has issued a call for its
first round of grant proposals. New Voices is funded with a $1
million grant from the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and is administered
by
J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism, part of the
Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of
Maryland.
New Voices will help fund the start-up of twenty hyper- local
news ventures over the next two years and will support them with
an educational Web site.
The program is seeking new ideas for distributing news and
information to hyperlocal geographic communities or communities
of interest. In particular, it is looking for news ventures that
offer the promise of being self-sustaining.
Nonprofit and educational institutions are eligible to apply.
Funding is available for start-up news initiatives only. Ongoing
efforts are not eligible to apply unless they are proposing a
new venture. Funding is available for print or electronic news
initiatives, including online, cable, broadcast, narrowcast,
satellite, and mobile efforts.
Each project may receive as much as $17,000 in grants.
Eligibility guidelines and application forms are available at
the New Voices Web site.
(http://www.j-newvoices.org/)
******************
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
January 5, 2004
For Immediate Release, Contact: Joel Szabat
(202) 258-5023
INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2005 SUMMER
PUBLIC AFFAIRS INTERNSHIPS FOR ASIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS
TO GO TO SACRAMENTO, CA
AND
WASHINGTON, DC
For the fifth year, the International Leadership Foundation (ILF)
will award up to 30 internships for Asian American college
students to better understand American government. Each student
awarded a fellowship will spend six weeks during the summer
working for a government agency in either Washington, DC or in
Sacramento, California. The ILF is a non-profit organization
that promotes the civic involvement, and effectiveness, of Asian
Pacific Americans.
“The vision of the International Leadership Foundation to
recognize the importance of offering leadership opportunities to
young Asian Americans is truly laudatory,” said Labor Secretary
Elaine Chao at the ILF’s 2004 Annual Awards Dinner in
Washington, D.C.
Any undergraduate student in good standing at a junior college,
college, or university is eligible to apply. Applicants must be
United States citizens or legal residents. Applications must be
received by
February 25, 2005, and can be submitted by mail or email.
Interested students can get the application form from the ILF’s
website at
www.ILEADER.org, or call
(202)
258-5023.
Each ILF Fellow selected will receive a $1,000 scholarship,
funded by the ILF and the Ronald McDonald House Charities
Foundation’s “RMHC /
ASIA” scholarship program, or other sponsors. The ILF works
with government agencies to place each Fellow in his or her area
of interest. Students must pay for their own travel, housing
and living expenses during their internships.
“The ILF program is non-partisan,” explained C.C. Yin,
President of the ILF. “We make certain that students get exposed
to a wide range of viewpoints.” In addition to their own
internships, the ILF Fellows also attend weekly seminars to
learn about government.
In 2004 Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta accepted the
ILF’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The ILF also recognizes
public service by Asian American community leaders each year at
its annual Awards Dinner.
(www.ileader.org)
******************
TIPS/RESOURCES
ENABLING THE ASIAN AMERICAN ELECTORATE: 2003 VOTER
REGISTRATION IN ELEVEN MASSACHUSETTS CITIES
AND TOWNS
Paul Y. Watanabe, University of Massachusetts Boston
Michael Liu, University of Massachusetts Boston
Introduction
For many in Massachusetts' rapidly growing Asian American
community, political participation is a vehicle to expand
opportunities. Involvement in the selection of public officials
and casting votes on critical issues are important
manifestations of civic engagement. This participation, while it
may offer opportunities for Asian Americans, also poses some
significant challenges. In order to vote, adult residents must
be United States citizens by birth or naturalization, but that
is not enough. Citizens must also be registered to vote. This
report provides the most detailed information on voter
registration and Asian Americans in Massachusetts ever
assembled. It includes analysis by the Institute for Asian
American Studies of recent data from the cities and towns in
Massachusetts with more than 4,000 voting age Asian Americans.
The information on voter registration is organized into three
parts. The first section includes two different measures of
voter registration: 1) the registration rate for Asian Americans
of voting age, and 2) the registration rate for Asian Americans
of voting age who are citizens. The second section examines the
consequences of voter registration rates on actual and potential
Asian American electoral influence by looking at: 1) the Asian
American share of the voting age population, 2) the Asian
American share of voting age citizens, and 3) the Asian American
share of registered voters. The final section provides data on
the party affiliations of Asian Americans who are registered to
vote.
(http://www.iaas.umb.edu/publications/IAAS_Voter_Reg.pdf)
******************
NEWS
January 10, 2005
VOTERS
SUBPOENAED IN VO-HEFLIN FLAP
Democrat will be seated, but panel still has final say
Representatives
By Joe Stinebaker and Kristen Mack
Houston Chronicle
The state House has subpoenaed scores of Houston-area voters who
cast contested ballots in the November election that gave
Democratic newcomer Hubert Vo a narrow victory over veteran
Republican state Rep. Talmadge Heflin.
Vo will be sworn in and seated as the state Legislature convenes
today but still faces Heflin's challenge of the election results
before a special House committee.
The committee ordered the voters to fill out questionnaires or
give depositions to lawyers representing Heflin and Vo.
The subpoenas came as an unwelcome surprise to some of the more
than 100 voters whose ballots are in question.
Aledigna Staats said she and her husband, Michael Staats, moved
from Harris County to Fort Bend County in October 2003 but were
told at the Harris County polling place that they could vote
there as long as they filled out a change of address form for
the future.
"I didn't think twice about it," Aledigna Staats said. "Then we
got subpoenaed and had to give depositions. We were kind of
upset by the whole thing. This is ridiculous."
Heflin, an 11-term legislator from Houston, lost to Vo by 33
votes of the more than 40,000 cast in the November general
election. House Speaker Tom Craddick appointed the special
committee to investigate Heflin's allegations of voting
irregularities.
Staats said she and her husband voted straight Republican
tickets — meaning they voted for Heflin — but now believe that
he should accept the election results.
"If you lose, you lose," she said.
Heflin's contest will be heard Jan. 27 before the nine-member
Select Committee on Election Contest, which includes five
Republicans and four Democrats. State Rep. Will Hartnett,
R-Dallas, who is supervising the committee's investigation, says
he plans to file a report by the first week of February.
After a public hearing at the Capitol, the committee will make
recommendations to the Republican-controlled House. House
members can then uphold Vo's election, seat Heflin or require
Gov. Rick Perry to schedule another election.
Most of the allegations focus on 167 votes identified as
ineligible by Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul
Bettencourt, who also serves as voter registrar. He has
forwarded the list of irregularities to District Attorney Chuck
Rosenthal. Most involve voters who cast ballots in the election
after having moved from the district.
Some of the voters are receiving questionnaires that can be
filled out and returned by mail. Others are receiving full
subpoenas, requiring them to visit with Vo's and Heflin's
attorneys and provide sworn depositions.
Among the questions asked are where the voters live now, where
they voted and for whom they voted.
Hartnett and Larry Veselka, who is Vo's lawyer, said voters
cannot be forced to divulge how they voted unless the
legislative committee determines that their vote was illegal.
After such determination, however, a voter who refuses to
divulge his vote can be held in contempt.
"If a person interferes with an election unjustly, they have no
right of privacy as to who they voted for," Hartnett said.
"Historically, I don't believe they have been forced, but that
doesn't bind me. I have the ability to compel illegal voters to
divulge who they voted for."
One subpoenaed voter, Henry Akuchie, described a day of
confusion when he tried to vote Nov. 2.
Akuchie, a native of Nigeria who has been a U.S. citizen since
1993, had lived in Vo's and Heflin's district until a recent
move to Sugar Land. He said he was sent to three different
polling sites on Election Day.
"I ran around. It took me almost two hours," he said. "I just
hope my vote counts. How could I have done anything wrong? All I
wanted to do was vote somewhere."
He said he voted for Vo.
Not all voters on the list of 167 have received subpoenas or
questionnaires.
One who hasn't is Henning Eilert-Olsen of Katy, who has lived in
the area for nearly 14 years and voted in the November election
even though he is not an American citizen and is therefore not
eligible to vote.
Although Eilert-Olsen, a Norwegian, said he does not recall
registering to vote, an application on file in Bettencourt's
office appears to bear his signature. But the application also
states that Eilert-Olsen is not a U.S. citizen. Nevertheless, he
was issued a voter's card and cast a straight Republican ticket
in November.
Bettencourt acknowledged his office erred in giving Eilert-Olsen
a voter card.
kristen.mack@chron.com;
joe.stinebaker@chron.com
(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/05/legislature/2986820)
******************
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2005
CONTACT: Daphne Kwok 202-296-9200
CHALLENGE
AND PROMISE: THE NATIONAL SUMMIT ON APIA ISSUES IN EDUCATION
Washington, DC – A passionate and dedicated group of over 50
national and local leaders, researchers, and school personnel
convened this past weekend at the National Summit on Asian and
Pacific Islander Issues in Education, co-hosted by the National
Education Association (NEA) and the Asian Pacific American
Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) in Washington D.C.
The summit saw a diverse group of conference participants
grapple with complex questions about Asian Pacific Islander
American (APIA) education issues. The information generated at
the conference will contribute to a report on APIA students to
be released by NEA in May 2005 as part of a series of reports on
the Status of Education on Underserved Groups.
Kicked off by a resounding call to action by Reg Weaver,
President of NEA, the conference was guided by the goal of
improving the educational experiences of APIA students in our
nation’s schools.
"Contrary to stereotypes, not all Asian and Pacific Islander
American students are learning and succeeding in school,"
explained Kevin Kumashiro, Summit Coordinator and Senior Program
Specialist at NEA. "While the Summit raised awareness of the
many challenges we face, it also highlighted innovative
resources and the promise for change."
Morning sessions saw working groups discuss the diverse
composition of APIA populations and the impact of policy issues
on this diversity. “Too few educators are able to recognize and
respond to the diversity of educational strengths and needs of
APIA students,” claimed Peter Kiang, Professor of Education and
Director of Asian American Studies at the University of
Massachusetts at Boston. “The use of aggregate data to describe
APIA educational achievement masks the realities of many
students within various ethnic groups,” he continued.
Bic Ngo, Professor at the University of Minnesota, offered
specific data from the Southeast Asian American student
community to highlight the dramatic disparity in educational and
economic achievement within that community. For example, only
7.4% of Hmong Americans over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s
degree, compared to 19.5% of Vietnamese Americans and 42.7% of
all APIAs over the age of 25.
San Diego State University Professor Valerie Ooka Pang urged
educators to promote caring in the classroom. Pang shared with
the audience her own experience of working with a talented,
tri-lingual Japanese-Colombian student who had been wrongly
placed into special needs classes because of the failure of his
school teachers and administrators to recognize his abilities.
Her story underscored the danger of ignoring the diverse needs
of APIA students and relying instead on stereotypes, such as
that of the model minority.
In the afternoon, the conference agenda shifted to practical
action, with conference participants mapping out concrete next
steps for improving education for APIA students. Garden Grove
Unified School District School Board Member KimOanh Nguyen-Lam
described her community’s success at passing California
legislation aimed at correcting the problematic practice of
teaching students about Vietnam solely in the context of the
Vietnam War. “[California Assembly Bill 78] is not a mandate,
however,” Nguyen-Lam warned. “It’s up to schools to enforce the
recommendations.”
Rahat “Dee” Brastad, an English teacher at Southridge High
School in Washington state, urged non-APIA educators and
students to learn about APIA history. “We need non-APIA teachers
to get involved and teach our history too,” commented Brastad.
Conference participants shared a sense of accomplishment at the
close of the conference. As EunSook Lee, Executive Director of
the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
described, “the summit was informative, interactive &
thought-provoking, and it will contribute significantly to
NAKASEC's ability to identify our education policy priorities
for 2005. Just as important,” Lee added, “I received important
resources, which our affiliates will be able to use for their
local community education programs."
“Education policy is almost a neglected issue area for the APIA
community. Since education is of utmost importance to all APIA
groups, APAICS was honored to be able to help convene a diverse
and dynamic group to start the policy discussions,” commented
Daphne Kwok, Executive Director of APAICS.
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 835
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202/296-9200
Fax: 202/296-9236
Website:
www.apaics.org
******************
January 11, 2005
CANADIAN BUDDHIST TEMPLE SOLD TO BENEFIT TSUNAMI VICTIMS
BURNABY, British Columbia (AP) -- A small Buddhist congregation
has sold one of its temples to raise money for tsunami victims.
Abbot Thick Nguyen handed the Canadian Red Cross a check Monday
for $500,000 (US$405,000), representing the entire proceeds from
the sale of the Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation's temple in the
town east of Vancouver in the Fraser Valley.
The small group still has its main temple in this large
Vancouver suburb.
"This is phenomenal. It's one of the largest, if not the
largest, donations the Canadian Red Cross has received from
anyone in British Columbia," Red Cross spokeswoman Carmen
MacKenzie said Monday.
A Vancouver-area Tibetan Buddhist group agreed to purchase the
temple in Mission after learning of plans for the sale through
news reports.
"The idea of giving $500,000 to help survivors of the tsunami is
not unprecedented, but the idea of giving up a whole temple to
help victims touched a lot of people around the world," said
Phien Nguyen, a director of the Vietnamese Buddhist group.
The subsidiary temple was sold for the top offer after being on
the market for a year to raise funds for building a bigger
temple in Mission. Nguyen told the congregation on New Year's
Day he had decided to accept the offer and donate the proceeds
to tsunami relief.
"When the abbot made his announcement, a lot of people dropped
their jaws, but after a day went by everybody began supporting
him wholeheartedly," said Dr. Vi Liet Nguyen, a family physician
and temple board member, in an earlier Vancouver Sun interview.
The abbot said through an interpreter the tsunami relief is
partly to thank the people of the Philippines, Indonesia and
Malaysia who in the 1970s accepted him and others as refugees
fleeing from the Communist government in Vietnam.
(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/01/11/state1009EST0037.DTL)
******************
January 12, 2005
FRESHMEN
GET A DOSE OF REALITY
3 Houstonians join 15 other first timers
By Kristen Mack
Houston Chronicle
AUSTIN - Houston's freshman legislators got a dose of excitement
and reality as they took office Tuesday.
The excitement: Alma Allen, Hubert Vo and Melissa Noriega joined
15 other newcomers in the House of Representatives, who were
surrounded by family and friends during the ceremonial
swearing-in.
The reality: Vo still faces an election challenge for his seat,
and Noriega learned that she will have to relinquish her job
with the Houston Independent School District while she fills in
for her husband, state Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston.
He is serving with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan —
where he took an oath of office outside wooden barracks in Kabul
at the same time his colleagues were sworn in.
Noriega designated his wife to serve for him while he is on
military duty, as authorized in a state constitutional amendment
passed last year.
Rick Noriega requested an opinion from Texas Attorney General
Greg Abbott on whether his wife could keep her job as special
projects manager for HISD while serving as a lawmaker. Abbott's
office issued an informal opinion that she could not.
"You cannot be a state legislator and have a paying job with the
state, and that encompasses HISD," said Jerry Strickland, a
spokesman for the AG's office.
"All it means is that I need to take a leave," Melissa Noriega
said. "I've had to give some things up for this. But what I've
gotten back is the affection and support of the people."
Rep. John Davis, R-Houston, read a letter from Rick Noriega
before the adoption of a House resolution allowing Melissa
Noriega to serve as acting representative.
"In undertaking this responsibility, Melissa is fulfilling a
duty the same as every other military spouse," Noriega wrote.
"She is a working woman and a loving mother."
Vo, a Democrat, alluded to the election contest in a speech on
the Capitol steps before hundreds of supporters who came to
rally on his behalf.
"This inauguration is not as much a victory as it is a
challenge," Vo said.
Talmadge Heflin, the veteran Republican legislator whom Vo
defeated by 33 votes, is contesting the election. After hearings
later this month, the House can uphold Vo's election, seat
Heflin or require Gov. Rick Perry to schedule another election
in southwest Houston's District 149.
Three busloads of Vo supporters left Houston shortly after 6
a.m. and arrived at the Capitol around 9:30 a.m. to rally for
Vo, sporting buttons that read "Heflin just can't take Vo for an
answer."
"We are not just going to allow anyone to manipulate the process
or take his seat away from him," said Houston City Councilman
Gordon Quan.
Several groups, including the Houston 80-20, an Asian-American
political action committee, have gathered more than 3,000
petition signatures asking the House to uphold the election.
Like Vo, Alma Allen is taking the place of a prominent veteran
lawmaker. She unseated state Rep. Ron Wilson in last spring's
Democratic primary.
"It's a tremendous joy to be here to have this opportunity," she
said.
"I'm excited about the prospects for what we can accomplish this
year."
Allen sent out 1,300 invitations to the inauguration, and
several hundred showed up to share the day with her, including
people from her church, campaign workers, and friends and family
from Chicago, Atlanta and California.
Allen is the only Houston freshman to have held previous public
office. She served 14 years on the state Board of Education,
resigning last year when she was elected to the House. Her son,
Lawrence Allen Jr., principal of Houston's Jones High School,
was elected without opposition to fill out her term.
Though she's no longer on the school board, Allen is still
thinking about education matters. Among the legislation she
plans to introduce is a bill that would abolish corporal
punishment in Texas schools.
Among the other elected Houston officials in town for the first
day of the session were Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia
and City Council members Carol Mims Galloway,
Adrian Garcia and Ronald Green.
kristen.mack@chron.com
(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2988764)
******************
January 14, 2005
This is part of Human Rights Watch's annual WORLD REPORT,
which was released on January 14, 2005 in Washington, D.C.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH’S WORLD REPORT 2005 - VIETNAM
Human Rights Summary
Human rights conditions in Vietnam, already dismal, worsened in
2004. The government tolerates little public criticism of the
Communist Party or statements calling for pluralism, democracy,
or a free press. Dissidents are harassed, isolated, placed under
house arrest, and in many cases, charged with crimes and
imprisoned. Among those singled out are prominent intellectuals,
writers, and former Communist Party stalwarts.
The government continues to brand all unauthorized religious
activities-particularly those that it fears may be able to
attract a large following-as potentially subversive. Targeted in
particular are members of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam
and ethnic minority Protestants in the northern and central
highlands.
Freedom of Expression
Domestic newspapers and television and radio stations remain
under strict government control. Although journalists are
occasionally able to report on corruption by government
officials, direct criticism of the Party is forbidden. Foreign
media representatives are required to obtain authorization from
the Foreign Ministry for all travel outside Hanoi.
Several dissidents and democracy activists have been arrested
and tried during the last several years on criminal
charges-including espionage and other vaguely-worded crimes
against "national security"-for peaceful criticism of the
government or calling for multi-party reforms. Legislation
remains in force authorizing the arbitrary "administrative
detention" of anyone suspected of threatening national security,
with no need for prior judicial approval.
In July 2004 long-time human rights advocate Nguyen Dan Que, 62,
was sentenced to thirty months of imprisonment for "abusing
democratic freedoms," for writing an essay, distributed over the
Internet, about state censorship of information and the media.
Other cyber-dissidents who have been sentenced to prison on
criminal charges include: Pham Hong Son, Le Chi Quang, Nguyen
Khac Toan, Nguyen Vu Binh, Pham Que Duong and Tran Khue.
Internet Controls
The government maintains strict control over access to the
Internet. It blocks websites considered objectionable or
politically sensitive and strictly bans the use of the Internet
to oppose the government, "disturb" national security and social
order, or offend the "traditional national way of life."
Decision 71, issued by the Ministry of Public Security in
January 2004, requires Internet users at public cafés to provide
personal information before logging on and has increased the
pressure on Internet café owners to monitor customers' email
messages and block access to banned websites.
In April 2004 the government closed down Vietnam International
News 24-Hour, an unlicensed website that had reprinted a
BBC article about Easter demonstrations in the Central
Highlands. In August 2004 the Ministry of Public Security
created a new office to monitor the Internet for "criminal"
content, a measure that appears to be aimed in part at
intimidating people from circulating any information that
authorities could deem to be a "state secret" or otherwise
unauthorized.
Freedom of Religion
The government bans independent religious associations and
permits religious activities only insofar as they are conducted
by officially-recognized churches and organizations whose
governing boards are approved and controlled by the government.
A new Ordinance on Beliefs and Religions went into effect in
November 2004. It pays lip service to freedom of religion but
strengthens government controls over religion and bans religious
activities deemed to threaten national security, public order,
and national unity.
Members of the banned Mennonite church have come under
increasing pressure from the government. In June 2004, Pastor
Nguyen Hong Quang, an outspoken Mennonite church leader, was
arrested after publicly criticizing the government for detaining
four Mennonites three months earlier. On two separate occasions
during 2004, officials in Kontum province bulldozed a chapel of
Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh, superintendent of the Mennonite
churches in the Central Highlands. In September, October, and
November, police pressured Mennonites in Kontum and Pleiku
provinces to sign forms renouncing their religion.
In both the central and northern highlands, government officials
continue to ban most Protestant gatherings. Authorities have
forced ethnic minority evangelical Christians to pledge to
abandon their religion and cease all political or religious
activities in public self-criticism sessions or by signing
written pledges.
Crackdown in the Central Highlands
In the Central Highlands some ethnic minority Christians have
rejected the government-controlled Evangelical Church of Vietnam
and have sought to manage their own religious activities.
Increasing numbers of ethnic minorities, collectively known as
Montagnards, appear to be joining Tin Lanh Dega, or Dega
Protestantism, which combines evangelical Christianity with
elements of ethnic pride and aspirations for self-rule. Dega
Protestantism is officially banned by the government.
In April 2004 peaceful demonstrations by Montagnards during
Easter weekend in the Central Highlands turned violent when
security forces and civilians acting on their behalf ambushed
and attacked the demonstrators with clubs, metal bars, and other
crude weapons. At least ten Montagnards were killed and dozens
wounded. Hundreds fled from their villages and went into hiding
or attempted to flee to Cambodia. (see Cambodia) Authorities
dispatched additional police and military forces to the region
and established security checkpoints along the main roads.
Strict restrictions were placed on travel within the highlands,
on meetings of more than two people, and on communication with
the outside world.
Repression of Buddhists
Religious leaders of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of
Vietnam (UBCV), which was the largest Buddhist organization in
the country prior to 1975 and which does not recognize the
authority of the government-controlled Vietnam Buddhist Church,
face ongoing persecution. The government appeared to be easing
up on the group in early 2003, when UBCV leader Thich Quang Do
was released from two years of administrative detention and the
prime minister visited UBCV Supreme Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang.
However, in October 2003 the two UBCV leaders were once again
placed under unofficial house arrest and eleven other UBCV
leaders were taken into administrative detention. Tensions
escalated in November 2004 when authorities prevented Thich
Quang Do from visiting Thich Huyen Quang, 87, who was severely
ill in hospital, and summoned him for questioning on allegations
of "appropriating state secrets".
In March 2004, UBCV dissident Thich Tri Luc (Pham Van Tuong) was
released from prison and resettled in Sweden two months later.
Thich Tri Luc, a UNHCR-recognized refugee, had been abducted by
Cambodian and Vietnamese agents in Cambodia and taken to Vietnam
in 2002.
Members of the Hoa Hao sect of Buddhism are subject to police
surveillance and several were thought to remain in detention at
this writing. The sect was granted official status in May 1999,
although government appointees dominated the Hoa Hao Buddhism
Representative Committee established at that time. In August
2004 Hoa Hao leader Le Quang Liem, 84, was released from
administrative detention after more than two years' under house
arrest.
Religious Prisoners
At this writing, at least ten ethnic Hmong Christians were in
detention in Lai Chau and Ha Giang provinces in the north. At
least 180 Montagnard Christians continued to serve prison
sentences of up to twelve years for their involvement in church
activities or public demonstrations, or for attempting to seek
asylum in Cambodia. Three Mennonites were serving prison terms
ranging from nine months to three years for "resisting officers
on duty," after a half-day trial in November 2004. At least four
Catholics, including Father Nguyen Van Ly and members of the
Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix, remained in prison for
expressing criticism of Vietnam's human rights record or for
distributing religious books and holding training courses.
Torture in Detention
Prison conditions in Vietnam are extremely harsh. Human Rights
Watch has received reports of solitary confinement of detainees
in cramped, dark, unsanitary cells; lack of access to medical
care; and of police beating, kicking, and using electric shock
batons on detainees. Police officers routinely arrest and detain
suspects without written warrants, and authorities regularly
hold suspects in detention for more than a year before they are
formally charged or tried.
Political trials are closed to the international press corps,
the public, and often the families of the detainees themselves.
Defendants do not have access to independent legal counsel. More
than 100 death sentences were issued in 2004, with twenty-nine
crimes considered capital offenses under the penal code,
including murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking, many economic
crimes, and some sex offenses.
International Response
At the December 2003 Consultative Group meeting, Vietnam's
international donors pledged more than U.S.$2.8 billion in aid
for 2004. While donors publicly have focused on economic growth,
"good governance," and poverty reduction programs, they have
increasingly expressed concerns about the government's
imprisonment of dissidents, suppression of freedom of expression
and of religion, and its poor handling of the crisis in the
Central Highlands.
In June 2004 Japan, Vietnam's largest donor, reversed its
traditionally circumspect stance on Vietnam's record on human
rights and announced that its official development assistance to
Vietnam would be linked in part to the government's respect for
human rights and steps toward democracy. In contrast, fellow
members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
made virtually no comment on Vietnam's human rights record.
In 2004, the European Union (EU) criticized Vietnam's decision
to classify information and statistics on executions as a state
secret. More than 100 members of the European Parliament called
on the EU and European Commission to highlight Vietnam's human
rights record during the Asia-Europe Summit Meeting held in
Hanoi in October 2004. During the meetings the Dutch Foreign
Minister, on behalf of the EU, called for the release of
political and religious prisoners. In November, the UK Foreign
Office raised concerns about the plight of non-recognized
Buddhist and Protestant groups in its annual human rights
report.
The U.S. re-established diplomatic relations with Vietnam in
1995 and approved a bilateral trade agreement with Vietnam in
2001. In 2001 and again in 2004, the U.S. House of
Representatives approved the Vietnam Human Rights Act, which
would link future increases in non-humanitarian aid to progress
on human rights. As of this writing the Senate had not approved
the legislation. In 2003 the U.S. State Department cancelled its
annual human rights dialogue with Vietnam because of lack of
concrete results. In September 2004 the State Department
designated Vietnam a "Country of Particular Concern" because of
what it called Vietnam's "particularly severe violations of
religious freedom."
In July 2004 Vietnam became of one fifteen countries, and the
first and only Asian country, to receive financial aid from
President Bush's emergency global plan for HIV/AIDS. In
November, the deputy director of UNAIDS called on Vietnam to
address continuing discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS,
which she said was among the worst in the world.
In November 2004 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
stated that the imprisonment of Nguyen Dan Que was arbitrary and
in violation of international law.
(http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/13/vietna9828.htm)
Full Report (http://www.hrw.org/wr2k5/)
******************
January 16, 2005
SUSTAINING OUR RESOLVE
IN IRAQ
By John E. Carey
Some respected leaders recently advocated an expeditious
American withdrawal from Iraq. Others favored postponing the
Iraqi elections. Many, watching the bloodshed in Iraq, search
for quick and easy ways to halt it and spare lives.
Former senator and presidential candidate George McGovern has
been among those saying Iraq will be around for thousands of
years with or without American help. True enough. But Mr.
McGovern and many others go a step further when they compare
Iraq to Vietnam. Mr. McGovern has even said Vietnam is now an
American trading partner, if not a friend. In
his mind, apparently, America's decision to withdraw from
Vietnam in 1975 resulted in a happy ending.
Comparing Iraq to Vietnam seems problematic. Believing it is OK
to fight a war halfway and then depart precipitously and without
fully understanding all potential outcomes and results is
irresponsible and sadly distorts history's lessons.
Ask the Vietnamese living here in America. They are torn by
their deep loyalty and love for the United States and the belief
they were devaluated in 1975 when America executed the "cut and
run." The Vietnamese here now love the fact Americans helped
them hold off the tide of the communist North for years. They
deeply value their freedom and their lives here in a country
that has largely accepted them.
But the Vietnamese in America are reticent to tell you what they
believe in their hearts and what they discuss in small
gatherings among family and friends: that America ultimately let
them down in 1975, creating chaos and bloodshed in Vietnam and
Southeast Asia for years.
When America left Vietnam in 1975, the communists came south,
sweeping away the former South Vietnam, and imprisoning or
killing untold numbers of freedom-loving Vietnamese. More than
900,000 South Vietnamese were sent to concentration camps.
Millions lost everything: homes, family, jobs and all
possessions. A vast migration called the Vietnam Diaspora
ensued. Something like 3 million people left Vietnam, many in
small, undependable boats.
Many of these "boat people" succumbed to starvation, the ravages
of the sea or murdering pirates. Those that made it safely to
other lands spread to all corners of the Earth. Vietnamese
people now live in France, Norway and nearly every other
European country. They settled in Australia and every other
country that would have them. Almost 2 million people from
Vietnam now live here in the United States, and the majority are
now productive, legal citizens.
But the journey of these refugees was seldom easy. No one should
minimize the agony of the trip to escape the communists. Many
Vietnamese were refugees for years. Many of the "boat people"
made it to the Philippines, only to be interred in an infamous
"camp" on Palawan Island.
These refugees lived a life in limbo. Palawan wasn't quite a
prisoner of war camp but it was a long way from the freedoms of
the former South Vietnam. And Palawan fell well short of the
goal: freedom and a home in America.
During the Diaspora, some Vietnamese refugees among the
survivors spent 10 to 15 years trying to get to other countries.
Many were forcibly returned to Vietnam.
And what was left behind in Southeast Asia? In Vietnam:
communism, repression and a loss of freedom. The economy in
Vietnam is just now recovering from 25-plus years of communist
repression. After 1975, more than 2 million people were killed
by the communists in Cambodia. Southeast Asia was in turmoil for
years after the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam.
If you ask the Vietnamese who fled their homeland after the war
ended in 1975, they'll tell you that the lesson of American
commitment is to stay the course. If that is not possible,
they'll beg American leaders to carefully consider all the
implications of an American commitment gone bad: a withdrawal
with haste and little regard for the plight of the allies.
So, what might the delay in the elections in Iraq mean? Would
the insurgents be emboldened? The answer is undoubtedly: yes.
The insurgents, who are also the terrorists, are looking for any
sign of the erosion of America's will. Any indicator of an early
withdrawal of American forces means the insurgents are on the
right track. The insurgents want America out of Iraq so they can
work their will on Iraqis without American intervention.
And if America leaves Iraq, what happens to the freedom-loving
Iraqis? The Kurds are trapped between Turkey, a nation that has
little use for them, and the Sunnis, including remnants of
Saddam Hussein's former Ba'ath Party, whose members openly
despise the Kurds. Saddam once tried to wipe them out with
chemical weapons, as if the Kurds were so many cockroaches.
The Sunnis, roughly 20 percent of the Iraqi population, held
power in Iraq for decades during Saddam's rule. They controlled
the military, the police and other important social
institutions, to the detriment of all others. They fear their
past sins will be avenged by the majority after the elections.
The Sunnis also fear their power will be totally and forever
lost in the election and therefore want the elections delayed
and America out of Iraq. The Shi'ites want the elections, which
they see as an opportunity to recapture their rightful place as
leaders of their own Iraqi destiny.
So what happens if the elections are delayed or America decides
to leave Iraq before peace and stability are restored? Chaos?
Probably. Civil War? Maybe. A nation partitioned into three or
more parts? Quite possibly. Bloodshed? Definitely.
When America departs a war-torn land, we know bloodshed follows.
American lives are saved while countless others die.
The insurgents in Iraq learned the real lesson of Vietnam: Any
sign of a lack of American resolve or a hasty American
withdrawal can mean short-term chaos but a long-term victory for
those leading the insurgency.
John E. Carey is a retired U.S. Naval officer and president
of International Defense Consultants Inc.
(http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20050115-095708-2766r.htm)
******************
January 16, 2005
BOAT A SYMBOL
OF THE LURE OF FREEDOM
Vietnamese freedom flotilla remembered
By Monica Rodriguez , Staff Writer
POMONA -- A fishing boat that in 1981 carried 15 Vietnamese
citizens away from their country in search of freedom is
embarking on another voyage this week.
This time the boat's mission is to educate, particularly younger
generations of Vietnamese Americans.
"We would like the young generations (to) know how difficult
(it) is to have freedom,' said Pomona resident Madalenna Lai,
president of the Pomona- based Vietnamese Cultural House.
The tour kicks off shortly before the 30th anniversary of the
end of the Vietnam War, which concluded with the surrender of
South Vietnam to the forces of North Vietnam.
Lai said this year also marks 30 years of Vietnamese immigrants
making contributions to the United States and other countries
where they settled.
Lai began the tour in 2001, but it was put on hold when the
Vietnamese Cultural House was invited to enter a float in the
2002 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.
The tour is a means of educating youth on the hundreds of
thousands of Vietnamese who died at sea while fleeing communist
Vietnam, said Lai, who is among those who escaped by boat.
For Lora Pham of Montclair, the 35 1/2-foot-long craft that
carried its passengers to the Philippines stirs up memories of
her own escape from Vietnam on a similar boat 24 years ago.
"It's very emotional. It's still like this thing just happened,'
she said recently.
Although Pham and her family escaped, they didn't do so
together. Her three oldest boys, who at the time ranged in age
from 10 to 13, were sent off first and ended up in Malaysia, she
said. Pham, her husband and her youngest child, an 8- year-old
boy, left months later and wound up in Indonesia.
The family was eventually reunited in the United States, and
settled in Montclair.
When the youth of today see the boat, "they can learn more about
why parents left ... Why relatives in Vietnam are so poor and
miserable,' Pham said.
The tour also serves to bridge the gap between those who took
part in the exodus and those whose knowledge of the experience
is limited, said KimOanh Nguyen-Lam, interim executive director
of the Center for Language Minority Education and Research at
Cal State Long Beach and past president of the National
Association for the Education and Advancement of Cambodian,
Laotian and Vietnamese Americans.
Although figures vary, it's safe to say that about 50 percent of
all who attempted to flee actually made it to freedom, while the
rest died trying, Nguyen- Lam said.
"Every (Vietnamese) family in California has a close family
member who died attempting to escape from Vietnam,' she said.
Efforts are now under way to begin sharing stories of the
exodus, stories that can be difficult to tell, she said.
At the same time, there is the goal of instilling an
appreciation for the opportunities families have found in this
country, Nguyen-Lam said.
The tour also offers those who are not of Vietnamese descent the
opportunity to learn about Vietnamese history and culture, she
said.
Diep Fintland, vice president of the Vietnamese Cultural House,
came to the United States in 1967, but has relatives who fled by
boat years later.
As painful as the stories may be, they cannot be forgotten,
Fintland said.
"If you don't have a past, you don't have a future,' she said.
The boat's tour will begin with a ceremony to bless the vessel
at 10 a.m. Friday at Freedom Park in Westminster.
From there, the boat heads off to Phoenix, Ariz., where it will
be on display Saturday and Sunday with the help of the Hoa Hao
Buddhist Association of Arizona.
Tao Nguyen, chairman of the association, said that for the last
two months he and others in his organization have been
distributing fliers at grocery stores and restaurants and
sending letters to Vietnamese organizations across the state
inviting them to see the boat.
Plans call for the boat to arrive in Washington, D.C., by April
30, in time for ceremonies at the Vietnam Memorial, Lai said.
Monica Rodriguez can be reached at (909) 483-9336 or by e-mail
at
m_rodriguez@dailybulletin.com.
(http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206~22097~2657590,00.html)
******************
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.
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