NCVA REPORTER
- December 7, 2004
In this NCVA Reporter:
Funding Opportunities
Jobs/Internships
Tips/Resources
News
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
FY 2005 OVW LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS GRANT PROGRAM
Department of Justice, Headquarters, Office on Violence Against
Women
The Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant Program is intended
to increase the availability of legal assistance necessary to
provide effective aid to victims of domestic violence, dating
violence, stalking, or sexual assault who are seeking relief in
legal matters arising as a consequence of that abuse or
violence.
The LAV Program awards grants to law school legal clinics, legal
aid or legal services programs, domestic violence victims’
shelters, bar associations, sexual assault programs, private
nonprofit entities, including faith-based and community-based
organizations, and Indian tribal governments. These grants are
for providing direct legal services to victims of domestic
violence, sexual assault, and stalking in matters arising from
the abuse or violence and for providing enhanced training for
lawyers representing these victims. The goal of the LAV Program
is to develop innovative, collaborative projects that provide
quality representation to victims of domestic violence, sexual
assault, and stalking.
(http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/docs/fy05lavgrant.pdf)
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PUBLIC/PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATIVE FOR HOMELESS LAUNCHED
The nonprofits Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) and the
National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), in cooperation
with seven funding partners, have formed the Partnership to End
Long-Term Homelessness, a $37 million initiative aimed at ending
homelessness in the U.S.
The partnership has implemented a ten-year plan to build 150,000
supportive housing projects nationwide, based in part on the
results of a study by the
Lewin Group, which found the day-to-day costs of supportive
housing much less than the relative costs of a day in a jail,
shelter, or psychiatric ward.
Along with the CSH and NAEH, the members of the partnership are
Deutsche Bank, Fannie Mae, the Melville Charitable Trust, and
the Conrad N. Hilton,
Robert Wood Johnson, Rockefeller, and Fannie Mae
foundations. Each has committed $1 million toward the project,
with the intent to leverage $30 million more from other national
foundations.
(http://www.lewin.com/Spotlights/Features/Spotlight_Feature_HomelessnessNov04.htm)
(http://rwjf.org/news/releaseDetail.jsp?id=1100260286199&contentGroup=rwj&font=11)
(http://www.endhomelessness.org/news/PR112304.pdf)
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SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS SEATTLE SEEKS APPLICANTS FOR OUT OF
SCHOOL TIME PROGRAM
Deadline: February 11, 2005 (Letters of Inquiry)
Social Venture Partners Seattle (
http://svpseattle.org/ ) seeks to develop philanthropy and
volunteerism to achieve positive social change in the Puget
Sound region of Washington State. SVP is committed to giving
time, money, and expertise to create partnerships with
not-for-profit organizations.
Through its Out of School Time program, SVP seeks to partner
with organizations which offer programs that engage youth in
safe and constructive activities during out-of-school time,
including before and after-school hours, evenings, and weekends.
Programs should provide youth between the ages of 5 and 18 with
one or more of the following: quality time with caring adults;
activities designed to develop social, life, and leadership
skills; academic enrichment; and opportunities to contribute to
their communities.
The Out of School Time Grant Committee expects to award two
grants of approximately $40,000 each. SVP will make initial
single-year grants with the intent of establishing longer-term
partnerships with its investees (typically three to five years).
In addition to the cash grants, SVP will provide strategic
consulting assistance (both volunteer and paid) to help build
the organizational, management, and technology infrastructure of
its investees.
To be eligible for the program, applicant organizations must be
located in Washington State's King County and be classified as a
501(c)(3) public charity or as a public school or school
district.
For complete program information and application procedures, see
the SVP Web site.
(http://svpseattle.org/grant_guidelines/out_of_school_time.htm)
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YOUTH SERVICE AMERICA ANNOUNCES GRANT PROGRAMS SUPPORTING
NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY
Deadline: December 31, 2004
Youth Service America (
http://ysa.org/ ) has announced the availability of a
variety of grants to implement community service projects
surrounding National Youth Service Day , April 15-17, 2005.
Since its inception in 1987, NYSD has brought together more than
twenty-eight million people in thousands of communities
nationwide, mobilizing millions of America's youth to identify
and address the needs of their communities through community
service.
Organizations sponsoring grant programs for National Youth
Service Day 2005 include:
* In celebration of NYSD, the Constitutional Rights Foundation
and the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago announce the
availability of 150 grants for middle and high school classes
across the U.S. to participate in peer-to-peer learning on
fundamental ideas of American democracy through the "Second
Annual CRF National Teach-In." Curricular units are devoted to
core American issues such as security, liberty, justice, and
equality.
(http://www.crfc.org/yfjteach-in2005.html)
* Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) "STOP
the Violence" Program will award 125 mini-grants of $200 each to
eligible local chapters to encourage innovative NYSD grassroots
projects that help young people recognize, report, and reduce
the potential for youth violence. Mini-grants are available to
nationally affiliated FCCLA chapters.
(http://www.fcclainc.org/)(under
the "STOP the Violence" resource section).
* The Phi Alpha Delta Public Service Center is offering pre-law
and law school chapters 25 mini-grants for violence
prevention-focused NYSD projects. The grants support the mission
of the P.A.D.P.S.C. by teaching children and youth to resolve
conflict without violence, and to prevent juvenile delinquency
as a whole. Applications and guidelines for eligibility are
available online at:
http://www.pad.org/ (under "Public Service Center").
* The National Youth Court Center at the America Probation and
Parole Association will award up to sixty mini-grants of $250
each for the purpose of providing youth court programs with
funds to conduct a service project in support of NYSD. Fifteen
of the mini-grants have been designated to fund projects that
are related to traffic safety issues (including underage
drinking). The remaining grants will be awarded for any project
that meets a community need.
(http://www.youthcourt.net/NYSD/2005_NYSD_info.htm)
(http://ysa.org/awards/award_grant.cfm)
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DELAWARE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR CAPITAL
GRANTS PROGRAM
Deadline: January 31, 2005
The Delaware Community Foundation (
http://www.delcf.org/ ), a nonprofit, philanthropic
community organization created by and for the people of Delaware
to build community, has announced the availability of
application forms for its 2005 capital grants.
A minimum of $200,000 will be available for qualified 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organizations that serve Delawareans. The grants,
which will be awarded in June 2005, are funded by the State of
Delaware Fund and other charitable funds created by individuals
and businesses to help meet the state's most pressing needs.
The DCF defines capital as "construction, major renovation, or
repair of buildings and/or the purchase of land." Capital grants
typically range from $5,000 to $20,000, with a maximum award of
$25,000. Limited funding is allotted for the purchase of
equipment. Grants generally range from $2,000 to $7,000, with a
maximum award of $10,000.
Projects should have a lasting, positive impact on the
population or region served by the organization. Priority will
be given to organizations that have completed a significant
portion of their fundraising or can demonstrate the ability to
accomplish their project goals successfully. Former capital
grant recipients must wait for the completion of two grant
cycles before applying for another capital grant, and multi-year
capital campaigns can be funded only once by the DCF. Agencies
receiving DCF grants must serve the state of Delaware and its
residents without discrimination based on race, religion,
gender, age, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation.
Each grant request must be submitted on a DCF 2005 Capital Grant
Application Form, which can be printed from the DCF Web site.
See the Web site for complete program information and
application guidelines.
(http://www.delcf.org/Apply_4_1.htm)
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NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR NATIONAL FAMILY VOLUNTEER AWARD
Deadline: March 4, 2005
Family Matters is a national program of the Points of Light
Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network (
http://pointsoflight.org/ ) that promotes family
volunteering across America. The National Family Volunteer
Awards are presented by Family Matters to recognize outstanding
family volunteering activities performed at any time throughout
the past year. These volunteer efforts may include, but are not
limited to, National Family Volunteer Day activities.
Families, business/corporations, nonprofit agencies, and
volunteer centers are all eligible to apply for the awards.
National Family Volunteer Award honorees are selected based on
project or program achievement, innovation, mobilization,
ongoing involvement, and ability to meet community needs.
(http://pointsoflight.org/awards/nfva/nominate.cfm)
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GRANT FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTHCARE SERVICES
As healthcare services continue the out-of-hospital transition
to community-based programs and initiatives, funders are
shifting their dollars and grants priorities to support these
new initiatives.
Charitable foundations, company-sponsored foundations and
government agencies are revising their funding and grants
programs and directing millions of dollars to a range of
community-based healthcare programs and services.
There are numerous funding opportunities available to healthcare
organizations developing programs in their communities. Although
not a comprehensive listing of all such funding programs, "Grant
Funding for Community-Based Healthcare Services" can help your
organization set a plan to attract new grants for your services.
"Grant Funding for Community-Based Healthcare Services" is
organized in five sections:
* What's Being Funded in Community-Based Healthcare?
* Government Funding Targeting Healthcare in the Community
* Foundation Funds for Community Health Services
* Funding for Community-Based Eldercare
* Grants Focused on Community-Based HIV/AIDS Programs
Publication date: 2003
Source:
Health Resources Online
P.O. Box 456, Allenwood, NJ 08720
Phone 800-516-4343
Fax 732-292-1111
(http://www.healthresourcesonline.com/health_grants/gfcbhc.htm)
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AWARDS FOR DISTINGUISHED STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-6
National Association for Gifted Children: Nicholas Green
Distinguished
The Nicholas Green Distinguished Student Award Program,
administered by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC),
honors students between grades 3 and 6 that have distinguished
themselves in academic achievement, leadership, or the visual or
performing arts. One student from each state will be selected to
receive a $500 U.S. Savings Bond, funded by the Nicholas Green
Foundation and NAGC, and a Certificate of Excellence from the
NAGC. Students may nominate themselves or be nominated by
parents, teachers, students, or community/civic groups.
Application deadlines vary by state.
(http://www.nagc.org/Awards/green/greenawd.html)
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GRANTS FOR TOLERANCE AND YOUTH ACTIVISM PROJECTS
Southern Poverty Law Center: Teaching Tolerance Grants
The Teaching Tolerance project of the Southern Poverty Law
Center offers grants of up to $2,000 to K-12 classroom teachers
for implementing tolerance and youth activism projects in their
schools and communities. Grants are awarded for small-scale,
resourceful, student-focused projects that promote acceptance of
diversity, peacemaking, community service or any other aspect of
tolerance education. K-12 classroom teachers throughout the U.S.
are eligible to apply. Applications from other educators, such
as community organizations and churches, will be considered on
the basis of direct student impact. Applications are accepted
throughout the year.
(http://www.tolerance.org/teach/expand/gra/guide.jsp)
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LOWE'S SUPPORTS
LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation
The Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation supports
community-based, grassroots organizations in the local
communities where Lowe's operates stores and distribution
centers, including communities in all states except New
Hampshire, Vermont, and Wisconsin. The Foundation supports K-12
public education including playground enhancements, landscaping
and painting, and outdoor learning environments such as
educational gardening programs; community improvement, including
park and neighborhood beautification and clean-up and
neighborhood revitalization; and vocational trade scholarships.
The next application deadlines are January 15 and April 15,
2005.
(http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=pg&p=AboutLowes/Community#foundation)
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FUNDS FOR LOW- TO MODERATE-INCOME HOMEOWNERSHIP
Wells Fargo Housing Foundation
The mission of the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation is to provide
resources to nonprofit organizations and to Wells Fargo team
members to meet the homeownership needs of low- to
moderate-income people. Through the Homeownership Grant Program,
the Foundation provides support for nonprofit housing
organizations in communities nationwide where Wells Fargo
provides products and services. Funding is provided for
organizations working to increase low- to moderate-income
homeownership through homebuyer education and counseling,
affordable homeownership development, post-purchase counseling,
foreclosure prevention and necessary repairs and upgrades. The
next application deadline is February 1, 2005.
(http://www.wellsfargo.com/about/wfhf_oview.jhtml)
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FUNDS TO
PRESERVE CULTURAL HERITAGE
National Park Service: Save America's Treasures Grants
Save America's Treasures Grants, administered by the National
Park Service, provide support for preservation and conservation
work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural
artifacts and nationally significant historic structures and
sites. Intellectual and cultural artifacts include artifacts,
collections, documents, sculpture, and works of art. Historic
structures and sites include historic districts, sites,
buildings, structures, and objects. Nonprofit organizations,
selected federal agencies, state and local government units, and
federally recognized Indian tribes throughout the U.S. are
eligible to apply. The application deadline is February 1, 2005.
(http://www2.cr.nps.gov/treasures/)
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DEADLINE
FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS
National Center for Outreach: Connector Grants
The goal of the National Center for Outreach (NCO) is to assist
public television stations to provide meaningful outreach to
local communities, helping to foster and deepen existing
community partnerships. NCO offers Connector Grants designed to
help stations build a sustained outreach effort around a
particular issue, theme or audience. The $12,000 grants enable
stations to pursue year-long outreach initiatives that connect
ideas, issues, and broadcasts while bridging multiple seasons.
Projects should use three or more broadcasts, at least two of
which are national. Public television stations across the
country are eligible to apply. The next application deadline is
February 22, 2005.
(http://www.nationaloutreach.org/BuildingOnBroadcast/Grants/Connector/Index.htm)
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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
2005 NATIONAL YOUNG COMMUNITY LEADERS RECOGNITION (NYCLR)
Brief History:
Since 1995, the National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service
Agencies (NAVASA) holds the tradition of being the first
independent and only national consortium of Vietnamese American
service agencies that provides support and technical assistance
to its affiliate members by strengthening its national advocacy
capability and promoting the integration of the younger and
older generations of the Vietnamese-American community into
mainstream American society.
Purpose:
The purpose of this recognition is to nationally recognize young
and upcoming professional Vietnamese leaders who have worked,
and continue to work, endlessly in various sectors on behalf of
the community in which they live.
Through this recognition, NAVASA will create the nation's first
Leadership Institute specifically for young
Vietnamese-Americans, who have strongly demonstrated an
indefinite commitment, passion, and a clear vision toward
building and bridging the Vietnamese-American communities across
the country. NAVASA's Leadership Institute will mentor, network,
and nurture the recipients throughout their public services
careers and to ensure that they continue to contribute to the
community in many different ways.
Recognition:
The Recipient(s) will have his/her travel and accommodation
expenses paid by NAVASA to attend the 2005 National Recognition
Ceremony to be held in Washington, DC. in late July, 2005 .
Recognition will take place at the National Conference
Reception. This includes free leadership training workshops and
opportunities to meet and network with distinguished leaders
from across the country.
ELIGIBILITY
AND
APPLICATION PROCESS
You are eligible to apply to this Recognition if you are:
1. Between the age of 18-35.
2. Attended/Attending (private, public, or
vocational) school. Please indicate highest level of education
completion.
3. Contributing to the community through
various past and present activities.
Application Process:
All applications must be postmarked by May 13, 2005.
NAVASA will notify selected recipients no later than May 31,
2005.
Go here:
http://www.navasa.org/nyclr.htm to download the 2005
application package.
If you have any questions please contact Karen Willard via
email:
karen.willard@navasa.org
Please distribute this announcement through out your
organization and/or to those you know who might be interested in
applying.
(www.navasa.org/nyclr.htm)
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APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH AWARDS
Deadline: February 1, 2005
The Dirksen Congressional Center (
http://dirksencenter.org/ ), a private, non-partisan,
nonprofit research and educational organization devoted to the
study of Congress and its leaders, invites applications for
grants to fund research on congressional leadership and the U.S.
Congress. A total of up to $35,000 will be available through the
program in 2005.
The competition is open to individuals with a serious interest
in studying Congress. Political scientists, historians,
biographers, scholars of public administration or American
studies, and journalists are among those eligible to apply. The
Dirksen Center encourages graduate students who have
successfully defended their dissertation prospectus to apply and
awards a significant portion of the funds for dissertation
research. Research teams of two or more individuals also are
eligible, while Organizations are not. The awards program does
not fund undergraduate or pre-Ph.D. study.
An award can cover almost any aspect of a qualified research
project, such as travel to conduct research, duplication of
research material, purchase of data sets, and costs of clerical,
secretarial, research, or transcription assistance. Awards range
from a few hundred dollars to $3,500. Stipends will be awarded
to individuals (not organizations) on a competitive basis.
Grants normally extend for up to a year.
(http://dirksencenter.org/print_grants_CRAs.htm#Resawards)
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COALITION TO ABOLISH SLAVERY & TRAFFICKING (CAST) – CASE MANAGER
The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) is seeking
a Bachelor-level case manager to provide intensive case
management to survivors of human trafficking and slavery. The
prospective candidate is expected to participate in program and
organizational development at CAST.
CAST is the only organization in the United States dedicated
exclusively to providing services for this vulnerable population
of mostly women and girls. CAST clients face multiple issues
with their legal, health, mental health, housing, language and
cultural needs. Because of the nature of the target population,
the organization must often forge new ground with community
partners and law enforcement agencies in its work to assist its
clients and advance their human rights.
Applicants must be able to work in a multicultural setting and
be linguistically and culturally sensitive. They must have
excellent case management skills, including empathic
communication, service planning, the ability to prioritize needs
and advocacy. Previous experience working in ethnic communities
in Los Angeles, in grassroots or women's organizations, in
immigrant rights or in trafficking would be helpful. Applicants
must be self-directed and detail oriented, be able to multi-task
and prioritize and work well in a team environment. Applicants
must be committed to human rights and to grassroots coalition
building.
Qualifications:
* Bachelors degree, BSW preferred
* 2+ years work experience in social services field
* Bilingual/Bicultural (English/SE Asian, S Asian, or Spanish
language preferred)
* Experience in case management
* Knowledge of immigrants' rights, trafficking issues, and/or
ethnic communities in LA, preferred
* Familiarity with social service delivery system in Los Angeles
* Cultural sensitivity
* CA driver's license with access to insured car
Duties:
* Counsel and aid trafficked individuals requiring social
service assistance
* Assess client needs, implement case management plans
* Assist clients in obtaining social and other services
* Crisis management
* Drive and accompany clients to necessary appointments
* Work closely with other members of the social services team
* Other duties as needed
Position is open until filled. Please email or send resume with
cover letter to:
Bich Ngoc Do, MSW
Social Services Director
Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking
5042 Wilshire Blvd. #586
Los Angeles, CA 90036
bichngoc@castla.org
213.365.1906 x 16
213.365.5257 fax
(www.castla.org)
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REGIONAL DIRECTOR - THE SOUTHEAST REGION BASED IN ATLANTA, GA
The Regional Director has primary responsibility for the
leadership of the Southeast Region, which has program in: North
Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. AFSC is a Quaker based Peace
and Justice Organization that does community organizing, peace
education on international issues (Africa and the Middle East),
immigrant rights, youth leadership development, economic
justice, conflict resolution and material assistant and
outreach. The Director is responsible overall leadership of the
region, facilitation of the work of the Executive Committee,
implementation of their decisions and board policies, staff
supervision, fundraising and interpretation, and budget
management. The successful candidate will have a bachelor's
degree, 4 years of demonstrated experience leading a
multi-racial/ethnic workplace, and in program development,
implementation and oversight. S/he will have familiarity with
Quaker principles and practices or a willingness to learn them.
We seek someone who has a strong commitment to non-violence as a
means of social change.
Qualified persons are encouraged to apply regardless of their
religious affiliation, race, age, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation or disability. To be considered for applications
send resume and cover letter to the name and address below.
For more information visit our Web Page at
www.afsc.org or call (215-241-7032)
Please send letter of interest and resume to:
Madeline Haggans
AFSC
1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Fax (215-241-7248), e-mail:
Jobs@afsc.org
(www.afsc.org)
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GRANTS COORDINATOR – NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
IN THE U.S. (D.C.)
The National Trust for Historic Preservation seeks individual to
coordinate its preservation-related grants-making program.
Process grant payments & disburse funds, monitor monthly budget
reports, prepare annual reports for program, respond to inquires
& oversee production of promotional brochures and materials.
Qualifications:
Junior level position requiring 5 years experience,
including administrative experience and some grants coordination
experience. Accounting & database management skills a must. Some
knowledge of historic preservation a plus. Salary to low 30s.
Send resume w/ cover letter & salary history:
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Office of Human Resources
1785 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
FAX 202-588-6059
Email
jobs@nthp.org (please include job title in subject line)
(www.nthp.org)
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ASIA PROGRAM
ASSOCIATE – GLOBAL RIGHTS
Headquartered in Washington DC, Global Rights (formerly the
International Human Rights Law Group) is a human rights advocacy
group that partners with local activists to challenge injustice
and amplify voices within the global discourse. With offices in
10 countries around the world, we help local activists create
just societies through proven strategies for effecting change.
Our programs also enable local activists to have a voice in
policy discussions and actions of the international human rights
community, particularly at the United Nations.
Job description
Based in the Washington DC Office, the Asia Program Associate
acts as primary contact for Global Rights field-based access to
justice and advocacy projects in Afghanistan., India and
Mongolia. The Asia Program Associate will work closely with our
field staff and the Asia team in DC and support the
implementation of our projects.
In Afghanistan, Global Rights supports a network of partners to
use the law strategically to increase access to justice. We also
work specifically with women's organization to increase
reporting and advocacy skills on key women's rights questions in
Afghanistan.
In India, in order to assist NGO's in developing in-house legal
capacity on gender and law issues, Global Rights developed a
programme for lawyers to work on legal and advocacy strategies
for women's rights.
In Mongolia, we support local lawyers to network, engage the
newly independent press, incorporate international human rights
precedent into legal theories, and create innovative litigation
strategies.
Duties include annual planning and monitoring of projects;
conveying Global Rights' access to justice and advocacy models,
and experiences to GR field staff; supporting field staff with
technical assistance, mentoring, or skills-building for local
partner organizations; preparation of budgets and financial
monitoring; preparing web-based and other promotional materials.
The Asia Program Associate will represent Global Rights within
the broader human rights and policy community focused on
Afghanistan, India and Mongolia, and serve as an institutional
resource on the region; frequent work-related travel to
Afghanistan, India, and Mongolia is required
Additional Qualifications:
Advanced university degree (in law, political sciences,
international relations or other relevant field); fluency in
written and spoken English; knowledge of Dari or Pashtu, Hindi,
Kanada, Mongolian or Russian would be an asset. Demonstrable
interest and commitment to human rights and social justice
issues, preferably in Asia, are required.
How to Apply:
Apply: No calls please. Send cover letter and resume by mail,
fax or email to:
Asia Program Associate Search
Global Rights
1200 18th Street, NW, Suite 602
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 822-4606 - Fax
Jobs@GlobalRights.org
(www.globalrights.org)
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COMMUNITY ADVOCATE – CHINATOWN SERVICE CENTER
Summary Statement: Founded in 1971, Chinatown Service Center is
a non-profit, private, immigrant service organization. The
Center is currently a Los Angeles Region Collaborative partner
in the CA Works for Better Health (CWBH) project – a statewide
project funded by the CA Endowment and the Rockefeller
foundation to produce better employment and health outcomes in
low-income resident neighborhoods through policy, programming,
and community engagement strategies. Under the general
supervision of the Project Coordinator and the technical
assistance of the LA Region Collaborative, the Center seeks an
individual to provide employment and health related advocacy and
outreach to the Chinatown community.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
STAFF THE LA COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE
* Participate in the LA Collaborative in-service trainings on
community engagement, including issue development, campaign
strategy, power analysis, community education, and media
advocacy
* Provide staff support to the Collaborative Community
Engagement Committee
* Integrate the needs of the Chinatown community in the
Collaborative policy issue campaign design and development
* Organize and mobilize residents around Collaborative policy
issue campaigns
ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING CAPACITY IN
CHINATOWN
* Identify community assets/resources, resident leaders,
organizing networks, and opportunities for community involvement
* Engage in local community policy advocacy and issue campaigns
* Develop a strategic plan for resident empowerment and advocacy
in order to meet the community needs
PROMOTE THE CWBH PROGRAM VISIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY
* Conduct outreach to the community on CWBH related activities,
especially the Collaborative Targeted Industry Training, to
recruit participants for the CWBH program
* Coordinate and facilitate the Collaborative outreach meetings
and presentations to the community
* Track program participants and assist in the evaluation of
program outcomes
* Assist in evaluating the community engagement project outcomes
according to CWBH project evaluation guidelines and methods
* Use CWBH tracking methodologies and tools to track program
participants
REQUIREMENTS
* Bachelors degree in public policy, political science, or human
services related field
* Good written, oral English language skills and analytical
skills
* Cultural fluency and language fluency in Chinese or Spanish
* Demonstrated commitment and experience with community
advocacy, empowerment, and education
* Ability to utilize Microsoft Office software and navigate the
Internet
* Ability to work independently, as well as a team player
* Valid CA Driver's License and Proof of Insurance
Applications: Please apply by sending email with your cover
letter and resume to Samanthi Gamage at
sgamage@cscla.org
(www.cscla.org)
******************
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – CHHAYA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Chhaya Community Development Corporation (Chhaya CDC) is a four
year old community-based organization based in Queens, NY
dedicated to meeting the housing and community development needs
of South Asian Americans. Chhaya CDC (http://www.chhayacdc.org/)
was established as an affiliate organization of Asian Americans
for Equality, (http://www.aafe.org/).
Chhaya CDC, specifically, seeks to meet the urgent need for
housing assistance and social services in the New York
metropolitan area by means of strategic partnerships, legal
assistance, tenant advocacy, education and outreach on housing
rights and opportunities. Currently, Chhaya programs are
primarily focused in the areas of predatory lending, and lead
poisoning awareness.
Having established a solid organizational foundation, Chhaya CDC
now plans to separate from our affiliate organization, establish
new offices, refine our programs and add additional staff in the
next year. We are seeking a new Executive Director with strong
program, fundraising and interpersonal skills to grow the
organization. The position is available immediately.
Responsibilities include:
* Work with Board of Directors to raise funds through individual
donors, foundations, public support, and corporate foundations
* Define organizational direction, policy agenda and program
strategies in collaboration with board of directors and staff
* Act as spokesperson for the organization
* Generate community support through the building of
relationships with community and religious leaders.
* Build relationships with community leaders and partner
agencies throughout New York City.
* Raise awareness and support around community issues through
organizing of conferences; bringing together community leaders,
policy makers, elected officials, funding institutions, and
mainstream and ethnic press.
* Develop and implement programs, prepare budget projections and
supervise staff.
Qualifications:
* A minimum of 5 years of experience in community development or
related field; Masters in Public Policy, Public Administration,
or related area a plus
* Familiarity with issues related tenant rights, homeownership,
predatory lending, and immigrant and South Asian Community
* Strong Management Skills
* Strong communication and fundraising skills
* Ability to work with diverse groups
* Ability to speak a South Asian Language a plus
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Please send inquiries, resume and cover letters to
chhaya_edsearch@yahoo.com.
Chhaya CDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer
(http://www.chhayacdc.org/)
******************
TIPS/RESOURCES
DOCUMENTING AND REPORTING IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS
In-kind contributions are donations that do not involve cash.
They are an excellent way for programs to meet their match
requirements. However, program directors need to keep in mind
that even though no money changes hands, the goods and services
in this category must be carefully tracked and monitored.
It is very important to properly document, account for, and
value these items. Keep in mind that donations must be necessary
to accomplish the program’s goals and activities. Examples of
allowable in-kind contributions include:
Physical items
* Books for tutoring programs
* Office supplies, computer discs
* Meeting and training materials
* Tools, paint, materials for projects
* Flyers/marketing materials
Use of equipment or space
* Office and meeting space
* Computers, phones, fax, and copy machine use
* Vehicle usage, construction equipment, scaffolding
An individual’s professional time
* Supervision of members
* Training or member development
* Providing technical assistance on a project
* Evaluation of the project
* Oversight of project quality
Valuation is an important component of in-kind contributions.
Physical items contributed as in-kind are valued at the actual
cost or the fair market value of the item. Space and equipment
contributed as in-kind are valued at the actual rental cost or
fair rental value for the geographic location. An individual’s
time is valued at their actual, regular rate of pay, provided
the work they are contributing is similar to their normal line
of work. Note that members’ and volunteers’ time does not count
as an in-kind contribution.
In-kind donations must be posted to the organization’s General
Ledger to be considered as a match toward a Corporation grant.
As is the case with all entries in the accounting system, proper
documentation for the item must be on file. This includes a
written and signed invoice from the donor stating the value of
the donation. These records are retained with all financial
records for three years from the date of submission of the final
Financial Status Report. For more information on in-kind
donations, please contact Kris Tecce at
ktecce@walkerllp.com.
******************
MAXIMUM YOUTH INVOLVEMENT: THE COMPLETE GAMEPLAN FOR COMMUNITY
CHANGE
This planning manual for youth/adult collaboration on advocacy
projects compares various models to figure out what level of
youth involvement makes sense for you and identifies essential
organizational supports. It also has an extensive appendix of
reproducible handouts and worksheets plus an action handbook.
Publication date: 2003
Source: Youth Activism Project
P.O. Box E, Kensington, MD 20895
Phone 1-800-KID-POWER
(http://www.youthactivism.com/myitoc.htm)
******************
STATE AND
LOCAL DRUG INDICATOR PROFILES
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Clearinghouse
has developed Drug Indicator Profiles as a resource for
State/city policymakers, law enforcement officials, researchers,
and the general public. Profiles have been developed for every
State and more than 80 cities across the United States.
Source: ONDCP Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000
Phone 800-666-3332
Fax 301-519-5212
(http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/statelocal/index.html)
******************
NEWS
November 27, 2004
VIETNAMESE HERE AND ABROAD APPLAUD SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF VIETNAM WAR
Annie Han Nguyen
VietWeekly, Interview
WASHINGTON — Author Larry Berman remembers the first time he
visited Vietnam.
A
street vendor named Hiep approached him with a box filled with
bootlegged books, illegally photocopied and sold for $10. When
he peered down into the box, it wasn't just any other book he
saw. The box was packed with illegal copies of Berman's own
book, "No Peace No Honor: The Betrayal in Vietnam."
“I feel so fortunate to have friends in communities across
borders," said the smiling Berman, a UC Davis political science
professor and director of the University of California
Washington Center in Washington, D.C. Amused by his books'
popularity in Vietnam, Berman said he managed to negotiate $10
for two of his bootlegged books and proudly showed off his
souvenir to a reporter.
"I believe that my scholarship on the war, especially on 'No
Peace No Honor' has found audiences in Vietnam today because I
document what the Vietnamese always said—that Nixon and
Kissinger had no intention of honoring the accords and they
planned to bomb again and encouraged [South Vietnamese]
President Thieu not to release prisoners.”
"No Peace No Honor: The Betrayal in Vietnam," first published by
Simon and Schuster in 2001, is the third book in a trilogy about
the Vietnam War, normalization and bilateral relations between
the U.S. and Vietnam. The first book, "Planning a Tragedy: The
Americanization of the War in Vietnam," was followed by a second
sequel, "Lyndon Johnson's War: The Road to Stalemate in
Vietnam." Berman's third book is now available on paperback and
in Vietnamese with an introduction by scholar Nguyen Manh Hung
and Hoang Duc Nha.
Berman said his new project on 10 years of normalization has
allowed him to meet new friends and colleagues in the Vietnamese
community in the United States and Vietnam.
“It allows me to engage people here and Vietnam on the legacies
of the war and their hopes for the future,” Berman said. “After
all, this generation in Vietnam is the first to be free of war
and can look to the future and here in this country the
challenge, 30 years later, for the overseas community is to come
to grips with their own history and their former country—but as
Americans.”
When asked about a unique perspective he has learned from his
research, Berman said that in the United States, “the war” is
referred to as the Vietnam War. In Vietnam, it is known as the
American War.
While citizens in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and ordinary
Vietnamese Americans may not see eye to eye on political
discourse, Berman said he remains a neutral link between the
Vietnamese living abroad and those in Vietnam.
Berman's latest 273-page book details secret meetings Nixon and
Kissinger had with officials in North Vietnam. It also explains
how the two American political leaders failed to uphold the
accords signed in Paris in exchange for boosting their
popularity in the public eye in the states and internationally.
“It was a sham peace," Berman said. "That said, that is exactly
why the overseas community also likes the book. I document how
Nixon forced Thieu to sign onto a suicide pact and made secret
promises of brutal retaliation once the accord was signed. It
all sounded so noble, but it was a package of lies that resulted
in the end of South Vietnam.”
Berman includes excerpts of these secret meetings and provides
his own analysis of how Nixon and Kissinger ultimately betrayed
the Vietnamese through their diplomatic relations.
Nixon’s plan of “Vietnamization,” which eventually meant the
complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam while the South
Vietnamese administration remained under the impression the U.S.
military forces would continue its support of the South
Vietnamese military to help end and win the war.
Berman's work has helped him earn the respect of many Vietnamese
Americans with many fan letters pouring in about how inspiring
his books are to their lives.
Berman received a letter in May written in Vietnamese from a San
Jose man. The letter reads, “I do not know much about the war in
Vietnam. After reading your book, I was able to understand more
about the role of American in Third World countries. ... This is
a book with an extensive analysis of the war in Vietnam. Those
who want to learn more about the truth must be grateful to you.”
Berman said he understands that his popularity within the
Vietnamese communities in Vietnam and the U.S. is a unique one.
He anticipates that as the younger Vietnamese generations get
older, they will be more outspoken and involved with the
delicate politics of Communism and open democratic discourse
domestically and in their ancestors’ homeland.
“I think that the new generation, the 2.5 and the next will move
towards engagement and cooperation and that much of the
bitterness will dissipate,” Berman said.
After splitting his time between his home in Davis, Calif., and
the nation’s capital, Berman will conclude his directorship at
the UC Washington Center this year and teach at UC Davis full
time.
(http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=735fc7cbf977e74a2f9616e0a7f6797f)
******************
[NOTE: As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, NCVA
does not endorse any political parties domestically in the U.S.
or internationally. However, we do support democratic values
and the right of people to freely determine their government – a
government by the people and for the people.]
November 30, 2004
VIETNAMESE AMERICANS FIND COMMUNITY IN A GROUP FOR DEMOCRACY IN
THE HOMELAND
Tommy Bruin
Viet Weekly, Commentary
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — I've made it my new project to find
meaningful events that will provide history, cause and
engagement to a new generation of young Vietnamese-Americans
still trying to establish a sense of identity.
I attended the official coming out party of Viet Nam Canh Tan
Cach Mang Dang (The Revolutionary Party to Reform Vietnam), or
Viet Tan, for short. The event was held Nov. 21 at the Embassy
Suites to a crowd of about 400 people.
It's the first time the Viet Tan organization has publicly
introduced its mission and members to the overseas Vietnamese
community here in California and abroad. Viet Tan's public
unveiling was well-organized and informative. It included slide
shows, video news clips, commentaries by the Viet Tan staff and
supporters and a public question and answer segment.
Viet Tan was founded in 1982 by a group of Vietnamese
revolutionary freedom fighters whose mission was to overthrow
the Communist government and restore democracy to Vietnam. These
were militia men who sought democracy for Vietnam through means
of political dissidence and military force.
Viet Tan's first elected chairman was former South Vietnam Navy
Adm. Hoang Co Minh, who died in action in 1987 while leading a
militia into Vietnam. Despite his untimely death, Viet Tan has
continued to operate in Vietnam and abroad with members
numbering in the thousands. While Viet Tan has been recognized
as a legitimate organization publicly, their operations remain
in a shroud of absolute secrecy as to protect the mission and
the members of Viet Tan inside and outside of Vietnam.
As I sat listening to the Viet Tan representatives speak about
their party’s mission, beliefs and commitment to build a better
and stronger Vietnam under democracy and freedom, I couldn’t
help notice that in the entire room there were no more than 20
people under the age of 25 in the audience. Half of them were
volunteers.
Once again, as I always do, I wondered how much of an effort was
truly made to draw a stronger participation and attendance of
young Vietnamese-Americans to this important event. After all,
Viet Tan offered an opportunity to learn about the historic
political struggles of the Vietnamese people, and how those
struggles have continued to carry on despite the constant
setbacks by Vietnamese Communists.
Viet Tan provided a cause –– something many young
Vietnamese-Americans do not have or have tried to avoid.
When public clashes, such as that of "VAX" and SBTN, continue to
get pushed to the forefront we are faced with the realization
that our community is slowly deteriorating and we are
dangerously divided. This is an issue that has long been ignored
and not addressed — much like the language barriers and the
generational gap that have reached a breaking point. (VAX is a
trendy, fast-paced TV show for young Vietnamese; SBTN, or Saigon
Broadcasting Television Network, caters to all generations in
attempting to connect Vietnamese-Americans to their Vietnamese
culture and identity.)
It is more imperative than ever for young Vietnamese-Americans
to be more involved in political causes that play a vital role
in establishing our identity. Many young Vietnamese-Americans
tend to steer away from political issues regarding Vietnam,
because we feel removed and detached from causes that are half a
world away.
For many, it could be our American education that enables us to
look down upon the staunch anti-Communist political views of
older generations. We may be quick to discredit the personal
experiences of our parents and grandparents just because it
doesn't correlate with what we were taught in the textbooks by
our teachers and professors.
Whatever the case and wherever the search for our identity leads
us, there remains one simple and obvious fact. We are Vietnamese
and we are human.
If the people of Vietnam suffer, we too share in that suffering.
If the people in Vietnam are hungry, then we should help feed
them. Not only is this the Vietnamese thing to do, but it is the
human thing to do.
Hold up on wasting your time on frivolous things such as which
celebrity has the best fashion sense and who parties the
hardest. Find a cause that you can contribute to, and you can
help make the world a better place.
(http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=7e3d6fa9dcc9a6d4f20546710b63b5ba)
******************
For Immediate Release
November 1, 2004
Contact: Vana Tran 202-223-5500
OCA ANNOUNCES 2004 OCA-SYSCO SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Washington, DC - The Organization of Chinese Americans (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 6 winners for
the 2004 OCA-SYSCO Scholarship. The OCA-SYSCO Scholarship
awards $2000 each to APA high school students who will attend a
higher education institution this fall.
"Education has always been a high priority in the Asian Pacific
American community." noted Christine Chen, OCA Executive
Director. "Although the average level of education for APAs is
high, the statistics are misleading. Although there are many
members of our community who have advanced degrees, there are
countless APAs who are unable to attend college because of
financial difficulties. Through our many scholarships -
including the OCA-SYSCO Scholarship- OCA is committed to
granting deserving APA students a chance they otherwise would
not get."
Richard J. Schnieders, chairman and CEO of SYSCO, said "SYSCO
has always held a strong belief in the value of education. It
is vital to our communities and our country that our future
leaders have every educational advantage available. We are very
pleased to have the opportunity to be involved with the
Organization of Chinese Americans and to support these
outstanding students in reaching their educational objectives."
"College tuition and living expenses are mounting annually and
OCA is very proud to be working with SYSCO to assist first year
students," said Jean Wood Chang, VP of Education and Culture for
OCA. "We wish the OCA-SYSCO Scholars every success in their
college careers and beyond."
SYSCO is the largest foodservice marketing and distribution
organization in North America, providing food and related
products and services to approximately 400,000 restaurants,
healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments
and other foodservice customers. The company generated sales of
$29.3 billion for its fiscal year 2004 ending July 3, 2004.
SYSCO's operations are located throughout the United States and
Canada and include broadline companies, specialty produce and
custom-cut meat operations, Asian foodservice and hotel supply
operations and SYGMA, the company's chain restaurant
distribution subsidiary.
SYSCO has received numerous awards and recognition for donations
to food banks and other programs including the Second Harvest
National Food Bank. In addition, each of SYSCO Corporation's
operating companies serves its community independently,
assisting charities and volunteer organizations, including
homeless shelters, donating products to food banks and providing
meals to volunteers. At the corporate office, the company also
has enjoyed longstanding relationships with organizations such
as the United Way and the March of Dimes. For more information
about SYSCO visit the company's Internet home page at
www.sysco.com.
OCA is pleased to announce the 6 winners of the OCA-SYSCO
Scholarship:
Bopha Chhun (Long Beach, CA)
Bopha Chhun is currently a student at the University of
California in San Diego. She has worked as a cashier at Cold
Stone Creamery and J & B Market, both in her hometown of Long
Beach, CA. In addition she was a Sales Associate at The Icing
and interned at St. Mary Child Care Center. Some of her
extracurricular activities include Red Cross, Vice President of
the Bowling Club, Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Senate,
Heal the Harbor, and National Honor Society. Bopha has
volunteered at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Bixby Knolls Street
Fair and 30 Minutes Beach Clean Up.
Meagan Marie Hastings (Reserve, NM)
For barely having left high school, Meagan Marie Hastings has
quite an impressive resume of work experiences at institutions
such as the Catron County Youth Conservation Corps, Reserve
Elementary School and Jake's General Merchandise. She is also
certified in First Aid, CPR and in Basic Wildland Firefighting
and Fire Behavior. In school, she has been on several honor
rolls including the National Honor Society. Meagan has
participated in the Student Council School Board, Jazz, Marching
and Concert Band, Teen Health Council, Varsity Baskeball, Track
and Volleyball, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future
Farmers of America and Business Professionals of America. Her
awards include: Superior Rating Flute Quartet, Academic Athlete,
Business Professionals National Competition, and District and
State Science Fair Qualifier. This year, Meagan started her
college career at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Connie La (San Jose, CA)
In her high school years, Connie La was Secretary of the Mt.
Pleasant Red Cross Club, Life Member of the California
Scholarship Federation, Member of Interact Club, Link Crew
Leader of the Month, Tutor for the After School Homework Center
and Prose Editor for the Literary Society. She also played for
the school's Badminton Team. In the community, Connie has
involved herself at Emmanuel Convalescent Hospital, Phap Vuong
Temple and the Chinese Mutual Assistance Association. This year,
Connie has started her first year at the University of
California at Berkeley.
Kim-Thoa Thi Nguyen (Houston, TX)
Kim-Thoa Thi Nguyen begins her college career at the University
of St. Thomas in Houston, TX with an astounding list of
achievements. She has volunteered at Harris County Public
Library, Hermann Memorial Hospital, Post and Frazier Elementary
Schools, Key Club International, and Surfside Beach Clean-Up to
name a few. At school, her extracurricular involvements include:
Texas Association of Future Educators; Student Government; Key
Club International; Interact Board of Directors; Junior
Achievement; Spare Square Entertainment Editor; Service First;
Operation Outreach; Every Child Has Opportunities; and Students
Providing Assistance and Recreation to Kids in Special Ed.
Stephanie Malinda Nowak (Willow Creek, MT)
Stephanie Malinda Nowak, who is now attending the Oklahoma
Christian University in Oklahoma City, has spent her high school
years receiving awards and honors - one after another after
another. Some of these include: Honor Roll; Top 10% of
Graduating Class; Top Biology Student; Girls State Delegate;
Student Body President; Superior Rating District & State Music
Festival (Piano Solo, Flute Duet and Vocal Solo);
Speech/Debate Captain; and USAA National Mathematics Award. to
name a few. In any of the spare time she has outside of the
school's extracurricular activities, she still finds time to
participate in the Church Youth Group, the Willow Creek
Fireman's Breakfast as a volunteer, the Willow Creek Art Walk,
the Americanism Program as a speaker, and she plays the
piano. In addition to all this and her studies, she has worked
all four years of her high school career.
Neela Wynn Sandal (Baldwin City, KS)
Neela Wynn Sandal's impressive list of extracurricular
activities and work and volunteer experiences definitely played
a role in boosting her toward a promising future. Some of her
extracurricular activities include: Student Body Vice President;
Scholar's Bowl Co-Captain; an 11-5 winning record on the Debate
Team and the award of Outstanding Novice Debater of the Year; 3rd
place at the Pittsburg Math Day 2004; National Honors Society in
her junior and senior years; Russian Federation representative
for the Model United Nations; and Rocket Club. She has worked as
a Telephone Sales Representative for Global Communications. Her
immense list of volunteer experiences include: Social Service
League, Baldwin Senior Center Landscaping; Thomas the Tank
Engine Festival; Unitarian Fellowship Youth Group; National
Honors Society's Baldwin High School Blood Drive; and Environment Restorations. Neela proudly
attends Cornell University in Ithaca, NY this year.
About OCA
The Organization of Chinese Americans, a national civil rights
organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates across the
country, was founded in 1973 to ensure the civil rights of the
Asian Pacific American community. It maintains its headquarters
in Washington, D.C.
(www.ocanatl.org)
******************
December 1, 2004
COLLINS: VIETNAMESE BROKE PROMISE TO SHARE POW/MIA RECORDS
By Jeffrey McMurray, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Rep. Mac Collins says he feels "betrayed" by
Vietnamese officials who promised to let him browse through what
he believes is a vast vault of records about American prisoners
of war but never followed through.
As Collins prepares to leave Congress next month, it's a
lingering frustration that the country appears to be no closer
to revealing more about the nearly 2,000 American soldiers
missing since the Vietnam War.
At one point a few months ago, it appeared he was on the cusp of
getting some answers, but Collins said the promises proved to be
empty ones.
"That's just Vietnam," said Collins, who was defeated in the
Republican Senate primary against fellow Rep. Johnny Isakson,
who won the election. "We pushed the issue hard."
During Collins' visit to Vietnam more than a year ago, the
country's foreign minister, Nguyen Duc Hung, invited him to
return to Hanoi and personally browse the records of prisoners
to prove the country wasn't hiding anything.
Collins took him up on the offer earlier this year, bringing a
document expert along on a follow-up visit to the country. But
when they got there, he said, the Vietnamese officials told him
that part of the deal was off.
"They were nervous with him going along," Collins said. "They
felt like they could fool me, but they couldn't fool him. I did
feel betrayed that they promised us things and didn't follow
through."
They have also been generally unresponsive to most of the
additional requests he has made since, including a face-to-face
meeting with top Vietnamese officials over the summer in
Washington.
Talks have been more promising, Collins said, about the
possibility of allowing American military ships search for
downed American aircraft off the coast of Vietnam.
Ann Mills Griffiths, executive director for the National League
of POW/MIA Families, said she will miss Collins, who was one of
the most active members of Congress is trying to get the
Vietnamese government to open up its records.
However, she said he shouldn't feel disappointed that he wasn't
able to do more. She said she would have been surprised if the
country did keep its promises.
"Their record is to make promises, make commitments, get praise,
pocket the praise, then go back on their commitment," said
Griffiths, whose brother is among the missing. "I could paper my
walls with commitments from the Vietnamese."
Collins said the United States has essentially given away its
best leverage on the Vietnam records - establishing normal trade
relations with the country, which has already largely been done.
Unless Congress and the Bush administration take a harder line
on the topic, Collins says Vietnam will continue to release
information on a piecemeal basis, motivated only by economics.
"We need to put our foot down that we want this information, and
they do have it," he said. "They have these remains stored, and
they dribble them out when someone raises an issue about it."
Although Collins said he doubts he'll have much leverage to
pursue the issue when he leaves Congress, he doesn't intend to
disappear permanently from the political scene.
He said he could try to return to Congress in two years if
Republicans in the Georgia Legislature redraw the state's
congressional map. In the meantime, he said he'd like to stay
involved in government - possibly even pursuing a job in the
administration, such as undersecretary of Transportation or
Homeland Security.
On the Net:
Rep. Collins:
http://www.house.gov/maccollins/
National League of POW-MIA Families:
http://www.pow-miafamilies.org/
******************
December 1, 2004
CNN'S FIRST VIETNAMESE VOICE ATTRACTS ASIAN AUDIENCE
Anh Do
Nguoi-viet Online, Interview
It’s been an intense year for news, and Betty Nguyen, CNN’s
first Vietnamese American anchor, has been intensely working to
deliver that news.
Tune in, and you’ll see the woman who began appearing on the
network in the spring, who seems to look directly at the
viewers, her voice crisp, touched with warmth. She doesn’t
stumble. She reaches out, sharing.
Immediately, audiences started to notice.
“I saw that there was this person who was very straightforward,
with a lot of necessary information about things that I care
about,” said Mark Hoang, a business analyst and a fan from Los
Angeles. “She has chemistry.”
He and his buddies now follow Nguyen’s broadcast, as early as 5
a.m. Pacific time.
“I like the fact that there’s a familiar face, a Vietnamese
face,” says Karen Lai, a college student from Denver. “I get up,
I see her, finishing my homework, then continue with my classes,
knowing a bit about what’s happening in the world.”
In 2004, viewers from across the United States watched as Nguyen
anchored portions of CNN’s coverage of the handover of
sovereignty to Iraq in June. Through the summer months, she
continued monitoring events and issues, contributing to
extensive footage of Florida hurricanes Charley, Frances and
Ivan.
Nguyen is based in Atlanta, but before moving to Georgia, she
worked at numerous television stations in Texas, including KTVT
in Dallas, a six-year tenure that found her tracking breaking
news from the Columbia space shuttle disaster to the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks.
She started her career as a morning anchor and reporter at KWTX
in Waco, a CBS affiliate, where she received many awards, among
them a regional Emmy for “Outstanding Noon Newscast.”
Nguyen, raised in the Lone Star State, was on the trail during
California’s 2003 madcap gubernatorial race — which got all of
the Golden State talking — serving as a freelance correspondent
for E! Entertainment Television.
Through her travels, she has not forgotten her roots,
co-founding with her mother a nonprofit called Help the Hungry,
which aids global hunger while providing humanitarian relief to
the needy. Supporters return to Vietnam each year to bring
medicine and supplies, visiting villages, learning and
researching. Nguyen’s volunteer work earned her a spot in the
Philanthropy in Texas Hall of Fame.
What keeps her going? What motivates her?
Nguoi Viet 2 caught up with the journalist during a rare break:
NV2: When did you first appear on air on CNN? Nguyen: It was a
weekend program. May 1, 2004. It was one of those moments I’ll
always have on tape and I’ll always remember.
NV2: Had you aspired to get there? Nguyen: You always want to be
a network anchor because that’s the top tier. Did I specifically
set out to be a CNN anchor? No, not necessarily. I wanted to be
a good journalist, to tell stories. I know a lot of people say
that, but I really mean it. I wanted to make a difference.
NV2: What exactly led you to journalism? Nguyen: I always
thought I would be a lawyer. Being Asian American, you drift to
that — something that is a wonderful career and something of
prestige. I tried working in an attorney’s office in Arlington
and I did not have a passion for it. I thought back and
remembered that I really loved debate in high school, loved to
write. And you know what, I went to the University of Texas and
never looked back.
NV2: What about your parents’ reaction to your career choice?
Nguyen: My family was so excited that I was going to become an
attorney. I remember going to them and telling them that ‘I’m
going to become a journalist,’ and they said, ‘You’re going to
be what?’ They were skeptical... You don’t make much money at
all, they thought, but I said: ‘I’ve got to give it a go.
Hopefully, it will work out.’
NV2: And how have you changed as a journalist with each stint?
Nguyen: I think in every new stage of your life, no matter how
large or small that step may be, you grow with experience, and
the people around you.
NV2: What’s been your favorite story, out of all the stories
you’ve covered? Nguyen: One of my favorites was about a little
boy who needed cornea implants. He was going blind. And because
of that story, a doctor in Dallas did the procedure. For free. I
was just very proud of that.
NV2: How about your stories from Vietnam? Nguyen: Well, the
first time I went back, it had nothing to do with being a
journalist. I left in 1975, I was just a child... I got to see
where I was born. In succeeding times, (reporting on the deadly
flooding along the Mekong Delta), what touched me was the fact
that entire families were literally trapped inside their huts in
waist-deep waters. Here in the U.S. there are organizations that
can come and take you out by boat. In Vietnam because of the
poverty, because of the lack of help, it’s helpless. And these
are human beings. These are people who have dreams and hopes and
children who they want a better life for. When I looked in the
faces of people struggling, I thought that could have been me,
had I not been able to come to America.
NV2: How do you get sources to open up who don’t like to talk to
reporters? Nguyen: Having to talk to a family who has just lost
someone, for example, I think that this was a person with a
life, and all I want to do is try to honor that as best as
possible. Get a real face behind the name.
NV2: Do you have a strategy for being in front of the camera?
Nguyen: I would like to think that I’m a good storyteller,
getting information from people who have wonderful stories to
tell.
NV2: How does being Vietnamese add to the dimension of your
stories? Nguyen: I like to think that while I’m a journalist,
I’m a human, too. And I feel that with the loss of lives — with
the tornadoes that hit the DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex),
with the shuttle disaster, with a church shooting — there was
one that was the worst in Texas history. I was one of the first
reporters on the scene, and seeing the mass chaos, families
scrambling to find their relatives. You don’t forget that. I
have faith in God, and that helps me a lot. That gives me the
‘get up and go’ despite the tragedy. There are stories that have
a good ending, that make you smile. They can (also) make you cry
a little, but it’s not all bad news.
NV2: Getting back to Vietnam, tell us about your charity.
Nguyen: Help the Hungry is really a labor of love. My mother has
always reminded me of where we come from, and we have a personal
connection. We have family there. I can’t really take full
credit for it. This is something that my mom really wanted. With
the blessing that we have in our lives, this is our way of
sharing it. I know that Vietnamese, when they go back to
Vietnam, they personally pack items to bring. Instead of doing
it on a personal level, we figured if we have more people
joining us, we could do better. It’s essential.
(http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=922ada5cd5ff0af94be7cc53299fee70)
******************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 1, 2004
For More Information: Daphne Kwok 202-296-9200
THIRD NATIONAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN SCHOOL BOARD CONFERENCE
FOCUSES ON CURRICULUM
Washington, DC - The Asian Pacific American Institute for
Congressional Studies (APAICS) in partnership with the
California School Boards Association (CSBA) and the Asian
Pacific Islander School Board Members Association (APISBMA) will
host the third National Asian Pacific American School Board
Conference in San Francisco December 2-4. The conference is
supported by State Farm ®.
The conference sessions will be focusing on how to get more
Asian/Asian Pacific American content into school curriculum.
Sessions will include:
* "How Can School Board Members Affect Curriculum?"
* "Putting the World into World Class Education"
* "Highlighting Content Resources"
* "How to Get the Content You Want into the Classroom"
* "California State Curriculum Update"
* "Networking with APIA Higher Education Leaders"
* Asian Pacific Islander School Board Members Association
Business Meeting
APAICS Executive Director Daphne Kwok stated, "Connecting APA
school board members from California, Oregon, Iowa, Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Michigan is a service that we are
pleased to be able to provide thanks to the generous support and
commitment that
State Farm ® makes to education. Introducing school board
members with APA curriculum content and resources is another
service that we are pleased to be able to provide. School Board
Members from Oregon, Iowa, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan
and Connecticut."
T. Anthony Waller, Assistant Director, Corporate Communications
and External Relations, at State Farm ® commented," State Farm R
believes in supporting efforts that help assure that all
children have access to an education that will allow them to
achieve their greatest potential and prepare them to be active
participants in a nation and economy that continues to be a
global leader. We are proud to support this conference because
we believe that school board members play a key role in the
education of our children."
Cynthia Chang, President of the Asian/Pacific Islander School
Board Members Association (APISBMA) and a member of the Los
Gatos-Saratoga High School Board, commented, "APISBMA has
identified CURRICULUM and NETWORKING as our main goals for this
year. We have developed the conference program accordingly with
excellent speakers and hands-on information. Working together,
we hope to provide a broader perspective to all the students"
The conference is bringing together APA leaders in higher
education for a dialogue conversation with APA school board
members. Addressing the group will be Michael Chang, former
Mayor of Cupertino and current Executive Director of De Anza
College's Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute of Silicon
Valley, who commented, "APAs in higher education and school
board members have much to offer each other through
networking--in terms of research findings, best practices, and
policy discussions."
(www.apaics.org)
******************
December 2, 2004
Their turn to learn
ASIAN IMMIGRANTS LINING UP FOR LOW-COST ENGLISH CLASSES, EVEN AS
CUTBACKS LIMIT NUMBERS
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff
In a back room on the top floor at
1509 Hancock St. in Quincy, Lin Dong hovered over a wooden table
and thumbed through his Webster's dictionary.
The
52-year-old immigrant from China had waited more than six months
for this chance to sit with classmates and learn English. So he
was not about to let some pesky adverbs and adjectives get him
down. "I need to learn this for my business and for my life," he
said.
Like Dong, several of his classmates had lengthy waits to enroll
in the English as a second language program offered for free by
Quincy Community Action Programs. The local nonprofit agency's
wait list totals more than 200, and people who register today
probably will not get into an English class for at least a year.
The agency's four ongoing classes are kept small, with no more
than 12 students in each.
Some say that Quincy, with its burgeoning Asian population, is
facing a crisis: The demand for English language courses far
outstrips the supply, while cuts in state funding have made it
nearly impossible to expand the free classes.
In many cases, the lack of free or low-cost programs has
thwarted new immigrants as they try to pick up basic English,
and stalled the progress for others who are working but have
limited English skills, said John Brothers, executive director
of Quincy Asian Resources Inc.
This month, Quincy Asian Resources is teaming up with Quincy
Community Action Programs to offer a low-cost English language
class for advanced beginners and a computer literacy course. The
English class has space for 15 students, and the computer course
has room for 10. The resources center is hoping the pilot
program will turn into a permanent service that will help new
Asian-Americans gain a better grasp of the language and improve
their job skills.
"The overwhelming need for English skills has been apparent for
years," Brothers said.
Statewide, there are an estimated 29,000 people on formal wait
lists for English as a second language courses. Asians make up a
large percentage of these lists in Quincy, Boston, and other
cities where significant populations of Chinese and Vietnamese
immigrants have settled.
In Quincy, the Asian-American population jumped 144 percent
between 1990 and 2000, from 5,554 to 13,546 residents.
Asian-Americans now constitute 15.7 percent of the city's total
population of 88,025.
According to a profile of Quincy released by the Institute for
Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts at
Boston, 7 in 10 of its Asian-American residents over the age of
65 and 1 in 3 Asian-Americans between 18 and 64 are not
proficient in English. Nearly three-quarters of the Chinese and
half of the Vietnamese ages 65 and older in the city reported
speaking English "not well or not at all."
"There is a crying need for English classes," said Paul
Watanabe, director of the Institute for Asian American Studies.
"There are long, long waiting lists, and there is a great deal
of anxiety about getting into these programs."
Watanabe said Asians in general often do not take advantage of
social services available to them, such as health care or food
stamps, but would jump at education opportunities -- especially
English training.
"The desire and indeed the perception of the need to learn
English is amongst their highest priorities," Watanabe said.
For that reason, Asians have flooded waiting lists for English
classes in Quincy and other communities. In some cases, people
try "every trick in the book to get into these courses" -- even
dumbing down their language skills to get into a beginner
English course if that is the only one available, Watanabe said.
There are alternatives to waiting for the classes offered by
Quincy Community Action, including courses at Quincy College,
the South Shore YMCA, the Asian-American Civic Association in
Boston, and local churches. However, many of these programs
involve tuition fees, have limited capacity, or do not have
formal programs run by instructors with an expertise in teaching
English as a second language.
Dong, who grew up in Shenyang in China, says he is thrilled to
be learning English after getting by on Mandarin for years in
San Francisco's Chinatown. But Dong, who is starting a cleaning
business, is even happier he does not have to pay.
His high praise for the course recently prompted his wife, Ying
Li, to call and register for an English class. She was told it
would probably be about seven to eight months.
So she will wait, too.
Jenn Abelson can be reached at
abelson@globe.com.
(http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/12/02/their_turn_to_learn/)
******************
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
December 2, 2004
STATEMENT ON AUNG SAN
SUU KYI
The United States continues strongly to support Nobel Peace
Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese people in their
struggle for freedom in Burma. As the President has said, "Aung
San Suu Kyi is a courageous reformer and a remarkable woman who
remains under house arrest for her efforts to bring democracy to
her nation." Thus we note with deep concern reports that the
Burmese regime has extended her detention for an additional
year. If true, this represents a return to a pattern of
unacceptable backtracking on commitments the regime itself has
made to move toward democracy and national reconciliation. We
had hoped that some recent prisoner releases were a sign that
the regime was beginning to move in the right direction, but the
continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi seems to indicate that
this is not the case.
Some of Burma's neighbors have engaged the regime in an effort
to encourage positive change, but these overtures have been
consistently rebuffed. The generals in Rangoon must come to
understand that they cannot indefinitely suppress the legitimate
aspirations of the Burmese people and resist the worldwide march
to freedom and democracy. Once again, the United States calls
on the regime to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all other
political prisoners immediately and unconditionally, and to
begin taking other meaningful steps toward national
reconciliation, democracy, and improved human rights. Only then
will Burma be able to rejoin the community of nations and ensure
security and prosperity for its people.
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/12/20041202-14.html)
******************
December 3, 2004
FEDERAL, STATE LEGISLATURES PUSH NONPROFIT REGULATION REFORM
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Senate Finance
Committee are seeking reforms of existing nonprofit regulations,
pending the findings of an
Independent Sector panel, the
New York Times reported Nov. 15.
The Finance Committee is considering a number of possible
reforms, including the revision of IRS Form 990, independent
audits of financial statements for organizations with more than
$250,000 in annual receipts, reviews of nonprofits' tax-exempt
status, and the ability to "impose specific fiduciary duties on
board members and give the IRS authority to seek the removal of
board members or officers who violate the rules."
These considerations come on the heels of state legislation such
as the Nonprofit Integrity Act, a Calif. bill that reforms the
auditing and funding accountability of Calif. nonprofits, was
signed into law in September.
Meanwhile, the IRS is focused on enforcing existing regulations,
including new corporate legislation limiting deductions from the
donation of intellectual property and vehicles.
The Independent Sector report will be submitted to the IRS early
next year.
(http://www.independentsector.org/panel/main.htm)
(http://fdncenter.org/pnd/news/story_print.jhtml?id=88400019)
(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/giving/15roundtable.html?ex=1102568400&en=9a19204ccd969d4d&ei=5070)
******************
December 3, 2004
CONGRESSWOMAN DENIED VISA
Associated Press
HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnam has prohibited an outspoken Southern
California congresswoman from visiting the communist country,
saying a trip "would not serve Vietnam-U.S. relations,"
officials said Friday.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, was told in a letter sent via
the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi that her visa application was rejected
because she "altogether lacks objectivity and goodwill toward
Vietnam," according to a statement from her office.
"The Vietnamese National Assembly and Vietnamese public opinion
share the view that a visit to Vietnam by Ms. Loretta Sanchez
would not serve Vietnam-U.S. relations," according to a
reprinted version of the letter accompanying the statement.
Sanchez, who represents the largest Vietnamese community in the
United States, has been a vocal critic of Vietnam's human rights
record and has backed House legislation calling on Vietnam to
grant more political and religious freedom.
"I'm very saddened that they feel threatened by my desire to go
to Vietnam," Sanchez told The Associated Press in an interview
from Thailand. "My intent was once again to work on human rights
issues within Vietnam and I'm sure that my constituents in the
Vietnamese-American community would be somewhat annoyed that
their congresswoman wasn't allowed to go to Vietnam to discuss
the human rights violations that are ongoing within that
country."
Vietnamese officials in Hanoi did not immediately comment.
The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi did not release any details but said
it was the first time they were aware a member of U.S. Congress
had been denied an entry visa to Vietnam.
This marks the second time Sanchez has been prohibited from
visiting, the statement said. She has traveled to Vietnam
before, however, and met with dissidents, including Thich Quang
Do, deputy leader of a Buddhist church outlawed by the
Vietnamese government.
International human rights groups and several countries have
criticized Vietnam's human rights record. In September, the U.S.
State Department listed Vietnam among the world's worst
offenders of religious freedom, a designation that could result
in economic sanctions.
Hanoi maintains that no one is persecuted for their religion and
only lawbreakers are punished.
Sanchez said that dissidents who she visited before have been
imprisoned.
"My request was put to the government to visit these prisoners
at their prison sites. I basically wanted to talk with the
dissidents to see what was going on," Sanchez said.
She said that she would host a human rights hearing in Congress
most likely in February
and will continue to make requests to go to Vietnam.
(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/10330781.htm)
******************
December 5, 2004
IT'S TIME TO PUT A FACE ON POVERTY – WITHOUT COLOR
Jerry Large / Times staff columnist
For most of my life, the poverty rate in the United States has
been going down, but in the past few years it has nudged up.
Some of that has to do with immigration or general economic
funk, but part of it may be less commitment to aggressively
addressing poverty.
We aren't feeling much kinship with poor people, probably
because the face we put on poverty helps determine whether and
how we want to help people affected by it. A lot of people don't
see faces like theirs.
There are 36 million poor people in the United States, and the
largest group of them, nearly 16 million people, are
non-Hispanic whites. It's a good bet though, that when most
people think of poverty, the faces they imagine are of darker
shades.
Indians, Hispanics and black people do have more than their
share of poverty. The poverty rate for black people is 24.4
percent, for Hispanics, 22.5 and for Native Americans, 23.2.
Poverty rates for Cambodian, Vietnamese and Hmong Americans tend
to be as high or higher than for black Americans. The white
poverty rate is lower (8.2 percent), but because this country is
about 70 percent non-Hispanic white and about 81 percent white
if Hispanics are included, there are far more white poor people
than any other kind.
(Japanese, East Indian and Filipino Americans have the lowest
poverty rates among all groups of Americans, but there aren't so
many of them.)
Maybe you are thinking race shouldn't make a difference. Well,
it shouldn't, but it does.
I came across a policy brief from the Joint Center for Poverty
Research, a collaboration between Northwestern University and
the University of Chicago. Using survey data and voting results,
the study found that "support for welfare spending increases in
step with the percentage of local welfare recipients belonging
to one's own racial group."
There is a direct link between race and support for programs
that address poverty.
"An additional African-American welfare recipient in an
individual's census tract reduces support for welfare by
non-African-American respondents, while having little effect on
African-American respondents."
That is, the more people of a different race you see benefiting
from welfare, the less likely you are to support it. Welfare is
just one issue, of course. Yet feelings about it are an
indicator of how people view helping the poor. This time of the
year, we see lots of attention paid to poverty. And many of the
people whose stories will be told will be from minority groups
disproportionately affected by poverty.
It's done with good intentions, but that picture of poverty is a
distortion. Media stories about poverty were mostly about white
people until the '70s, when news organizations, in the wake of
the '60s social turmoil, began to pay more attention to people
who were not white and to highlight the greater impact poverty
has on communities of color.
Again, that attention comes from good intentions, but it carries
some bad side effects. Having the majority of the population
turn away doesn't help poor people of any color. Even poor
people themselves judge one another, but whether they are rural
or urban, white or black, poor people have a lot in common,
particularly root causes of their poverty.
Poor education, the absence of well-paying jobs or work of any
kind plague people in isolated rural and city communities. The
poverty rate in city centers is about 17.5 percent. In the
suburbs it is 9.1 percent. Outside metropolitan areas in small
towns and rural areas, the poverty rate last year was 14.2
percent.
Last year, according to the Census Bureau, 12.5 percent of
Americans were poor.
Forty-five million Americans lack health coverage.
We need to see ourselves in the faces of poor people and make
their poverty our issue. Empty stomachs and stolen dreams don't
have a color.
Jerry Large: 206-464-3346 or
jlarge@seattletimes.com. His column runs Thursdays and
Sundays and is found at
www.seattletimes.com/columnists.
(http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2002108404_jdl05.html)
******************
December 7, 2004
PANEL TO PROBE
CONTESTED RACES
Challenge by Heflin is one of three statewide before
committee
By Clay Robison
Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
AUSTIN - State Rep. Terry Keel, R-Austin, a former prosecutor
and Travis County sheriff, will chair a nine-member committee
charged with investigating three contested elections for the
Texas House, including one from Harris County.
Speaker Tom Craddick appointed the panel of five Republicans and
four Democrats on Monday and named state Rep. Will Hartnett,
R-Dallas, a lawyer, as the "master of discovery," who will
gather evidence in the proceedings.
The Select Committee on Election Contests will hear challenges
filed by state Rep. Talmadge Heflin, R-Houston, and two other
Republicans who lost to Democratic opponents on Nov. 2.
The committee will make recommendations to the full House, which
will decide the contests sometime after the Legislature convenes
Jan. 11.
Heflin, a veteran lawmaker and chairman of the House
Appropriations Committee, lost to Houston businessman Hubert Vo
by 33 votes in House District 149, according to a recount
completed in Houston.
Heflin contends illegal votes were cast in the election,
including by people living outside Harris County. Vo denies the
allegations.
The Republican-dominated House could uphold Vo's election, seat
Heflin or require Gov. Rick Perry to order a special election in
the disputed district.
State Rep. Jack Stick, R-Austin, also has filed an election
contest against Democrat Mark Strama, who defeated Stick by 569
votes. And Republican Eric Opiela is contesting the election of
Democrat Yvonne Gonzalez, who won an open House seat in South
Texas by 835 votes.
State Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, will be vice chairman of
the panel.
Other members are Republican Reps. Mary Denny of Aubrey, Suzanna
Gratia Hupp of Lampasas, Phil King of Weatherford and Larry
Phillips of Sherman and Democrats Helen Giddings of Dallas, Ryan
Guillen of Rio Grande City and Allan Ritter of Nederland.
clay.robison@chron.com
(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2934965)
******************
December 7, 2004
SADLY FULFILLING
MARINE’S DREAM
Funeral to Bring Parents to U.S.
By Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 7, 2004; Page B03
Binh N. Le had not been back to the land of his birth since he
came to the United States with an aunt and uncle at age 4,
leaving his parents behind.
So, after he graduated from Edison High School in Fairfax County
in 2002 and before he joined the Marine Corps later that year,
Le made a joyous pilgrimage to Vietnam to visit his mother and
father. Recently, he told one of his aunts in the United States
that when he returned from his second tour in Iraq in April,
they would make the trip together.
But Le, a 20-year-old corporal from Alexandria, was killed last
week in Iraq. The Pentagon said he died of injuries suffered in
enemy action in Anbar province; the Associated Press said a car
bomb killed him and a fellow Marine, Cpl. Matthew A. Wyatt, 21,
of Millstadt, Ill., as they patrolled near the Jordanian border.
Now, instead of awaiting his return visit, Le's parents will be
making their way to this country to attend his funeral when it
is scheduled at Arlington National Cemetery.
Le was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd
Marine Division of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. He was
trained as a field artillery cannoneer and belonged to the
unit's Sierra battery. He was proud to be a Marine, said an
uncle, Luong La of Dale City.
La said the military was a natural choice for his nephew, a
member of his high school's Junior ROTC program. His father had
served in the Vietnamese army, and Le had "that kind of blood."
Le was proud, too, of his adopted country, his uncle said. He
became a U.S. citizen while serving his first tour in Iraq, and
he hoped to sponsor his parents to join him in this country.
"That was his dream," La said.
In the meantime, he wanted to make a career of the Marine Corps.
When Le told relatives that he would be returning to Iraq, La
remembers saying he was a "little bit scared for him." But Le
responded that he had a duty.
"He said if he don't do it, no one do it. He do whatever his
job," La said. "That was his attitude in being a Marine."
Le was small and slender, quick and energetic, recalled Lynn
Hall, his pastor at Lorton's Gunston Bible Church. Le and Hall's
son Joe had been close friends since Le joined the church as a
boy, Hall said. He said Le was the kind of kid who never stopped
moving and always liked to be at the center of things, the kind
who would declare that he planned to throw a birthday party --
for himself.
When he visited on leave, Le sometimes stayed at Hall's house.
The pastor fondly recalled waking up in the morning to find the
young man asleep on the sofa after staying out until 3 a.m. to
cram in visits with friends.
Hall said Le told him he joined the Marine Corps because it was
the "best fighting force in the world."
"I would sometimes use the term 'soldier' with him, and he hated
to be called 'soldier' because he was a Marine, not a soldier,"
Hall said.
Le told church members that he helped secure a bridge south of
Baghdad during the initial invasion of the country in 2003 and
was greeted kindly by the people there. "He said the Iraqi
people were so glad they were there it just about put him in
tears," Hall recalled.
Le was known as a talented musician. He played drums, and in
junior high school he formed a band with a cousin and Joe Hall.
After the band broke up, he picked up keyboards and played both
instruments for the church, Lynn Hall said.
"He was an excellent drummer, but his music teachers would
always get mad at him 'cause he'd play them loud," he said.
"He'd really bang them."
Le called home often to speak with his American family -- Thanh
Le and Hau Luu, the aunt and uncle who brought him to this
country and legally adopted him, and La and his wife, Tuc-cuc
Thi Tran, with whom he often stayed while on leave.
In one recent conversation, he told La that he was tiring of
military food and wanted to try to make Vietnamese-style
meatballs. La promised to ship the seasonings overseas soon.
The last time they spoke, just two weeks ago, La said he advised
his nephew to "keep his head down."
"Yeah," the young man responded. "We'll do that."
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41576-2004Dec6.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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