NCVA eREPORTER - May 2, 2006

The National Congress of Vietnamese Americans' NCVA eReporter is a regular email newsletter containing information on grant/funding opportunities, events/forums/conferences, available internships and news items pertinent to the Vietnamese American and Asian Pacific American communities.

In this NCVA eReporter:

EVENTS

• New Report Profiles Growing Asian American and Pacific Islander Community in St. Paul, MN – May 8, 2006
• Conferences Getting Your Grant Written: Line-by-Line – May, 9, 15, 25, 2006

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

• The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation Support for Invigorating Citizenship
• The Milagro Foundation Grants for Children and Youth Programs
• United Methodist Church Support for Children’s Programs
• Education and Violence Prevention Community Grants
• NEA’s 2007 Summer School in the Arts
• RWJF 2007 Local Initiative Funding Partners Program
• Grantmakers In Aging Accepting Proposals for Hurricane Fund for the Elderly
• History Organizations Invited to Apply for Save Our History Grant Program
• Balance Bar Invites Applications for Community Grants
• Youth Service America Announces Literacy Grant Opportunity for Young People
• Avon Foundation Offers Breast Cancer Safety Net Grants
• Dannon Company Offers Grants for Children's Nutrition Education Programs
• World Hunger Year Invites Applications for Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Awards
• Journalists Invited to Apply for Lilly Scholarships in Religion
• Disney Minnie Grants

JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

• White House Internship Program
• Families USA – Field Director
• Contract Administrator – UFW, Delano, CA

TIPS/RESOURCES

• Coaching Helps Executives
• Your Web Site’s Value

NEWS

• Proclamation – CA APA Heritage Month (Proclamation)
• Coalition Calls for Predatory Lending Legislation to Protect Minority Homebuyers (Press Release)
• America's Best and Brightest Honored at the Vietnamese American National Gala (Press Release)
• Many Support Favorable Treatment of Family Members, Asylum Seekers, Skilled Workers and Professionals Who Want to Immigrate into the United States (Press Release)
• Activists Urge API Participation in Immigration Debate (Nichi Bei Times)
• Five House Members Arrested in Darfur Protest (Congressional Quarterly)
• Proclamation by the President - Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (Press Release)
• Flag display touches off emotions (Dallas Morning News)
• Recalling Fall of Saigon (The Post Standard)
• Struggles of Asian Pacific Americans described in report (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
• Communist flag at UTA ignites protests (Star-Telegram)
• Pelosi Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (Press Release)
• DNC Chairman Howard Dean and Vice Chair Mike Honda Commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (Press Release)
• Event marks fall of Saigon (Atlanta Star-Constitution)

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April 25, 2006

COALITION CALLS FOR PREDATORY LENDING LEGISLATION TO PROTECT MINORITY HOMEBUYERS

By Tyler Lewis 

An elderly homeowner, sick in the hospital, signs for a consolidation loan to pay her mounting medical bills. Too late she discovers she's fallen victim to a predatory lender who preys on minorities, women and the elderly desperate to find a way out of rising debt. She loses her home. 

Each year, according to experts, homeowners lose an estimated $9.1 billion each year as a result of predatory mortgage lending practices. 

Because of the rise in such lending practices, civil rights organizations have called on Congress to enact legislation to provide stronger protection for underserved populations when they apply for mortgage loans. 

In a letter sent to the House Committee on Financial Services on April 24 by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and 43 other organizations, including the National Fair Housing Alliance and the National Council of La Raza, the groups urged Congress to enact legislation that will "address the needs of our communities." 

Homeownership is the predominant avenue for accumulating wealth and the letter states that predatory lending "threatens decades of work by the civil rights community to increase minority homeownership." 

Many minorities, immigrants, women, and elderly tend to have less experience with the mortgage market and are more vulnerable to exploitation. For this reason, such legislation would improve protections for families looking to buy homes, ensure access to courts for victims, and guarantee access to fairly-priced credit. 

Predatory lending practices usually take the form of refinanced loans with excessive fees, but can also include penalties for paying off the loan early, kickbacks to brokers, loan flipping, steering borrowers into unnecessary subprime loans, and targeting of vulnerable borrowers, particularly African Americans. 

Most of these predatory lenders target people in the subprime market - people with bad or limited credit. Minorities, immigrants, women, elderly, and individuals who live in poverty are disproportionately represented. 

In the last 10 years, the subprime market has grown 1000 percent, according to the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). CRL estimates that subprime lending increased 50% between 2002 and 2003 alone. 

Some housing experts point out that lending to the subprime market is essential to providing homeownership opportunities to those least likely to have them. But there is too often a downside. Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, said, "While increased access to credit for families with impaired credit histories is to be applauded, the prevalence of subprime loans with abusive characteristics has been devastating to minority and disadvantaged communities."

Letter: (http://www.civilrights.org/issues/housing/details.cfm?id=42540)

(http://www.civilrights.org/issues/housing/details.cfm?id=42577)

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April 25, 2006

AMERICA’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST HONORED AT THE VIETNAMESE AMERICAN NATIONAL GALA
The 3rd Annual Golden Torch Awards - 'Bridging Endless Possibilities'

SAN FRANCISCO -- National institution and non-profit agency and community leaders will be honored at the Vietnamese American National Gala (VANG) on Saturday, May 6, 2006 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, California. 

VANG will present an Honorary Vietnamese American Award to: 

* The Honorable, Richard L. Armitage, Honorary Vietnamese American: 
The Honorary Richard L. Armitage is the President of Armitage International, L.C., providing multinational clients with insights in international business development, strategic planning, and problem solving. Prior to this position, Mr. Armitage served as the Deputy Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He served on a destroyer stationed near Vietnam and completed three combat tours with the riverine/advisory forces in Vietnam. He is fluent in Vietnamese and his family has sponsored six separate families to the U.S. 

VANG will present the National Leadership Award to: 

* Boat People SOS, National Leadership Award: 
Boat People SOS (BPSOS) is a national Vietnamese American community-based organization with 17 branches across the U.S. serving some 10,000 individuals per year.  It was founded in 1980. BPSOS has conducted many at-sea rescue missions in a joint effort with other international organizations, resulting in over 3,000 rescued Vietnamese boat people in the South China Sea. 

* Smithsonian Asian Pacific American (APA) Program, National Leadership Award: 
The Smithsonian Institution established in 1846 by an act of Congress, is the most trusted name in the world and recognized by nearly all Americans. It consists of 19 museums and numerous research and educational units. The Smithsonian APA Program seeks to improve the public's appreciation of the crucial roles that Asian Pacific Americans have formed in American history, and ultimately empowers these communities in their sense of inclusion within their national culture. The Vietnamese American Heritage project was initiated under the program to explore the rich culture of Vietnamese Americans over the past three decades. 

VANG will present the Golden Torch Award to: 

* The Honorable Viet D. Dinh, Golden Torch Award: 
Mr. Viet D. Dinh is a Law Professor and Co-Director of Asian Law and Policy Studies Program at the Georgetown University Law Center. He previously served as U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy, and following 9/11, he played a key role in developing the USA Patriot Act and revising the Attorney General's Guidelines, which govern federal law enforcement activities and national security investigations. Mr. Dinh is the highest ranking Vietnamese American official ever to serve in the federal government. 

* Ms. Duy-Loan Le, Golden Torch Award: 
Ms. Duy-Loan is currently the Senior Fellow for Texas Instruments and the Director for National Instruments. In 2002, she became the first Asian-American and the first woman to get elected TI Senior Fellow in Texas Instruments' 75 years of history, joining 4 other men who hold this prestigious title worldwide, and today she remains the only woman with this title. Ms. Duy-Loan holds 21 patents with 8 pending applications. She helped establish the Sunflower Mission, a non-profit organization that provides education and scholarships to children in the poorest areas of Vietnam. 

VANG will present the Student of the Year Award to: 

*- Ms. Bao Ngoc To, Student of the Year Award: 
Ms. Bao Ngoc To is currently a Biomedical Engineering student at Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) where she also serves as the first female President of the Vietnamese Student Association. She was recently selected from a pool of 20 distinguished young women and crowned Ms. Asian Atlanta Scholar 2006, for her scholastic excellence, leadership, poise, and talent. She is one of only 17 students that are chosen to be in the highly competitive Undergraduate and Presidential Research Scholar program at GIT. 

The 3rd Annual Gold Torch Award Gala dinner is part of a four-day celebration which includes the VANG Celebrity Golf Classic and the San Francisco City Hall Reception on Thursday, May 4, 2006; VANG Leadership Conference, the Napa Valley Wine Tasting & Tour, and VANG Welcome Reception on Friday, May 5, 2006; San Francisco City Tour and Gala dinner on Saturday, May 6, 2006; and a Sunday Farewell Brunch. 

Ms. Betty Nguyen, Anchor for CNN, will deliver the keynote address at the gala dinner on Saturday, May 6, 2006, and the celebration will be emceed by Ms. Thuy Vu, a reporter for CBS5 in San Francisco, CA. 

Wells Fargo is the proud Title Sponsor of this year's celebration, along with the Viet Heritage Society (VHS), which is the host of VANG. VHS is a non- profit 501(c) (3) organization based in San Jose, CA. Its mission is to preserve and promote Vietnamese culture and history through the establishment of cultural venues and educational programs that foster community understanding and appreciation. VHS is currently developing the first Vietnamese Heritage Garden in the nation. The ground-breaking ceremony is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 27, 2006 at Kelley Park in San Jose, CA. 

For additional information on VANG, please visit http://www.vangusa.com/ or contact Ryan Nguyen Hubris or Angie Pawlicki at 408-270-8000, or e-mail info@vangUSA.com. 

Website: http://www.vangusa.com/ 
Website: http://www.vietheritagesociety.org/

(http://sev.prnewswire.com/publishing-information-services/20060426/SFTU13425042006-1.html)

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April 27, 2006

MANY SUPPORT FAVORABLE TREATMENT OF FAMILY MEMBERS, ASYLUM SEEKERS, SKILLED WORKERS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO WANT TO IMMIGRATE INTO THE UNITED STATES

Only one in five U.S. adults favor immigration policy giving preference to people from specific countries

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- While the U.S. public debates immigration policies and how to treat illegal aliens, a new Harris Poll examines other aspects of public attitudes toward immigrants and immigration. This survey finds that large numbers of adults say favorable treatment should be given to some categories of immigrants to make their immigration into the United States easier. It also finds that a three-to-one majority opposes giving preferential treatment to people based on their country of origin. 

These are some of the results of a Harris Poll of 2,377 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive(R) between April 11 and 17, 2006. 

A majority of all adults favor immigration policy that gives favorable treatment to relatives of U.S. citizens, such as children (73%) and spouses (67%). Half of adults (50%) also say that asylum seekers who might be punished, imprisoned or tortured if they were sent home should receive favorable treatment so it is easier for them to immigrate into the United States. Fewer adults think favorable treatment should be given to agricultural workers (22%) and those willing to do unpleasant, low paid jobs Americans don't want to do (20%); two types of work many illegal aliens do. 

Fluency in English (56%) and job skills (51%) also top the list of factors that should be considered when determining an immigrant's entrance into the United States. 

Some of the other key findings are: 

*  Only a third (33%) of all adults think that immigrants from some countries make a bigger contribution than immigrants from other countries. 

*  Only one in five (21%) thinks that immigration policy should give preference to those from some countries over those from others. 

*  While a clear majority (62%) is opposed to any policy that gives preference based on country of origin, immigrants from some countries are seen by minorities of U.S. adults to be more likely to make a better contribution than others. 

*  Immigrants from countries that are perceived to "make a better contribution than the others" are immigrants from Japan (26%), Britain (25%), Canada (24%), Germany (21%) and Australia (21%).

*  Those who think immigrants from Haiti, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria, Jamaica and Egypt, for instance, do not make a better contribution outnumber those who say they make a better contribution to the United States than others.

More information:
(http://sev.prnewswire.com/telecommunications/20060427/NYTH23027042006-1.html)

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April 27, 2006

ACTIVISTS URGE API PARTICIPATION IN IMMIGRATION DEBATE

By Ben Hamamoto
Nichi Bei Times

The issue of immigration, recently, appears to be everywhere — debated on news shows, talk radio and around water-coolers. Protests and counter-protests have filled the streets of almost every major city. Televisions beam images of Latino activists chanting in Spanish and armed militias that hunt people attempting to unlawfully enter the country in segments with titles like “Broken Borders.” 

But there is a population affected by the debate that the media has almost completely ignored. According to the Washington D.C.-based Asian American Justice Center, 35 percent of the Asians in this country are not citizens and a million of them are undocumented. 

Asian Pacific Islander activist groups throughout the Bay Area want to ensure that Asian Americans become aware of how the issues effect them and how they get can involved. 

The immigration debate exploded onto the national scene in December of 2005, when the House of Representatives passed a controversial piece of legislation, H.R. 4437. The bill would authorize the building of a nearly 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, and criminalize undocumented persons living in the U.S. and those who help them. Proponents such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) called the bill “a strong step toward securing our borders” and praised its authorization of state and local police to enforce immigration laws, which the organization calls an “inherent right.” 

The bill was, however, almost universally opposed by civil rights organizations, like the American Civil Liberties Union, and Asian Pacific Islander organizations like the Japanese American Citizens League, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium and the National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies. 

Critics of the bill felt the bill would be unfair to all immigrants, documented or not, and infringe upon the civil rights of all Americans. 

Protestors took to the streets in historic numbers on multiple dates all over the country to stop the bill and to make a more general call for amnesty. 

Currently, the U.S. Senate is stalled on a compromise bill that would allow many undocumented immigrants to work in this country and travel freely, but would also make it a felony to fall out of immigration status. 

Implications for Asian Americans

The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) sees the legislation as having the potential to be very harmful to API communities. 

Provisions of HR 4437 would make felons out of lawful permanent residents if they were to fail to report a change of address within 10 days, the AAJC noted, and exchange students on F-1 visas that drop below a full course load. The AAJC added that the bill would also make criminals out of such persons’ friends, family members, and other people who come into regular contact with them. 

The provisions that worried the AAJC are still alive in the bill proposed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R—Tennessee). 

“When untrained local and state authorities are stirred up to find and punish undocumented immigrants, individuals of Japanese descent, including citizens and documented immigrants, will be subjected to harassment and intimidation,” said Vincent Pan of Chinese for Affirmative Action, in San Francisco. “All too often Asian Americans are viewed as foreigners regardless of how long our families have lived here.” 

Echoes of the Past

While legislation has implications for the Japanese immigrating to America today, the laws, the economics, and the racialized debate also contain echoes of Japanese America’s past. 

“It’s hard to not see the connections,” says Luna Yasui, also of Chinese for Affirmative Action. She cites the 1924 immigration act that barred Japanese from immigrating to America until 1965. 

“It’s exactly what’s gone on before,” said Bill Ong Hing, professor of law at the University of California Davis, recalling legislation that banned Chinese and Japanese from immigrating or owning land. “We’ve seen it more recently with the way South Asians were treated after September 11.” 

“There should not be a serious debate about people who we recruit to work here, whose labor we exploit,” Hing continued. “We should help them out and adjust their status.” 

He feels that Latino immigrants, just as the Japanese were in the past, are wanted by many for labor, not participation in the American society.” 

He feels this is evidenced by the way, according to some, recent protests have backfired. 

“Not because of what they’re saying,” Hing explained, “but because they see people of a different color. It’s all about non-whites not being recognized as part of America.” 

“All the pending bills contain provisions previously applied to Asian immigrants,” said Ling-chi Wang, professor of Asian American studies at UC Berkeley. “From arbitrary arrests to unreasonable search and seizure, indefinite detention and summary deportation, denial of counsel to self-incrimination, trial without jury to cruel and unusual punishment. Denial of citizenship to all Asian immigrants before WWII was a major defining characteristics of Asian immigrants.” 

“We are not merely ‘good immigrants’ waiving American flags,” said Veena Dubal of Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, “we understand and resist the devastating economic and political policies of this administration.” 

Dubal challenges the notion that immigrants are in a position of privilege. 

“The majority of us did not make a decision to migrate from our homes, families, and communities,” she stated. “We were forced here by the violent effects of global economic inequity. The U.S. government… coerces countries in the majority world into Free Trade Agreements and then criminalizes the people displaced by them.”

API Leaders Urge Solidarity

“It’s important that the Asian and Pacific Islander communities stand together,” said Atashi Chakravarty, executive director of Narika, a group that provides support for abused women in the Bay Area. She is among many Asian American activists who hope that the media’s focus on Latinos does not dissuade APIs from becoming involved. 

“It’s another form of divide and conquer,” says Jaspar Pugao, artist, activist, and educator at East Oakland Community High School. “Our conservative news media are making it just a Latino or a flag-raising issue. 

“Focusing on one (ethnic group) in this movement it makes people of other cultures say... ‘Oh that’s not my issue,’” Pugao added. “They’re right, it’s not just your issue, it’s a human rights issue. I would like to see more Asian Americans come out and show support.” 

Though many lamented the lack of an Asian American presence at earlier rallies, APIs made up a significant number of the thousands who turned out for the April 23 march from Dolores Park to the Federal Building in San Francisco. The march was sponsored by a long list of Asian American organizations that included the Chinese Progressive Association, Filipinos for Affirmative Action and the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California. 

Protests against the upcoming legislation are far from over. May 1 will see marches and boycotts through out the country. Organizers urge people not to go work, go to school or even make purchases on the first of the month. 

There will be rallies held in San Francisco, at 8:30 a.m. at the junction of Market and Montgomery streets and at 5 p.m. at the Federal Building. 

Wang urges, “Asian Americans need to be more visible and vocal about these repressive, un-democratic, and inhumane proposals promoted as immigration reform.” 

“We have to stand in solidarity with other communities,” says Pugao. “Immigrant people are the backbone of this country, documented or not... We need to show our leaders that we built this great nation and it is us that they need to listen to.”

(http://www.nichibeitimes.com/issues/articles/042706/immigration.html)

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April 28, 2006

FIVE HOUSE MEMBERS ARRESTED IN DARFUR PROTEST

Police arrested five House members this morning during a protest against the violence in Darfur staged in front of the Sudanese Embassy in northwest Washington. 

California Rep. Tom Lantos, the top Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, was detained at about 10:20 a.m. for trespassing on embassy property, as were fellow Democrats Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, James P. Moran of Virginia, and Jim McGovern and John W. Olver of Massachusetts. 

They were released half an hour later. 

Lantos and the other lawmakers spoke briefly on the sidewalk in front of the embassy. Lantos expressed his “outrage and bewilderment” at the international community’s failure to stop the killings in Darfur, a region of Western Sudan, said his spokeswoman, Lynne Weil. 

The lawmakers and protest leaders then walked up the steps leading toward the embassy, Weil said. After three warnings, police arrested them for trespassing. 

The protesters were released after paying a $50 fine.

(http://www.cq.com)

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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 28, 2006

ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2006

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

During Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, we honor and celebrate the millions of Asian/Pacific Americans whose contributions have helped make America a strong, vibrant, and free society. 

Asian/Pacific Americans represent many nations and ethnicities, each with its own culture, heritage, language, and experience.  Across our country, this diverse group of people has excelled in all walks of life.  Their talent and hard work have added to the success and prosperity of our Nation and helped make America a leader in the world.  They have helped shape America's character and identity through their strong values, love of family, and commitment to community.  America is especially grateful to the many Asian/Pacific Americans who have courageously answered the call to defend freedom as members of our Armed Forces.  The sacrifices of these brave men and women help preserve the ideals of our country's founding and make the world a safer place. 

To honor the achievements and contributions of Asian/Pacific Americans, the Congress, by Public Law 102-450 as amended, has designated the month of May each year as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month." 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 2006 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.  I call upon the people of the United States to learn more about the history of Asian/Pacific Americans and their role in our national story and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty‑eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth. 

GEORGE W. BUSH

# # #

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060428-8.html)

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April 28, 2006

FLAG DISPLAY TOUCHES OFF EMOTIONS
Vietnam's flag symbol of home to some, oppression to others

By Toya Lynn Stewart
The Dallas Morning News 

Amy Le is distressed. 

The Vietnamese-American student says she has had difficulty concentrating ever since the University of Texas at Arlington added a new flag to a display this month. 

A policy that allows flags representing international students on campus has created a firestorm of complaints with the recent addition of the post-war flag representing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. 

"I don't want to see it," said Ms. Le, 24, a senior. "It's so painful. ... It's a sign of promoting communism. ... It's a sign of oppression." 

UTA's Hall of Flags involves a decades-old tradition for international students enrolled in the College of Engineering. The official flag of Vietnam was added during international week and hangs along with the flag of the Republic of South Vietnam, now known as the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag. 

UTA President Jim Spaniolo said the display in Nedderman Hall "is about students, not politics and not about the government of the countries." 

"It's a way to symbolize that we have students from all over the world," Mr. Spaniolo said. "We're embracing diversity." 

Though it's the flag recognized by the United Nations, UTA alum Tom Ha said it symbolizes the atrocities, genocide and crimes against humanity that can never be forgotten by Vietnamese Americans – those on the campus and in the Vietnamese community. 

"We don't wish to look at that flag," said Mr. Ha, who lives in Euless. "We want it to be out of sight. They can put it in an office and return the peace of UTA." 

Students and community members have organized a protest over the flag at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mitchell and Cooper streets. 

The issue is so charged that even state lawmakers have weighed in. On Monday, state Rep. Hubert Vo, D-Houston, sent a letter endorsed by 18 other legislators imploring university officials to remove the flag. 

"I think it is an insult to the Vietnamese Americans who live here," said Mr. Vo, comparing it to the flag the Germans displayed while persecuting Jewish people. 

University policy says that flags are replaced if damaged but cannot be removed. 

Van Nguyen, a 38-year-old post-doctoral international student, said she and others think UTA is being supportive of their culture and protecting the rights of international students. 

"When I got here and saw the Hall of Flags, I saw all of the flags and not mine," Ms. Nguyen said. "I feel like I wasn't accepted here." 

When some Vietnamese students heard their flag was added, they gathered late that night near the symbol of their homeland for a group photo. 

"We're very proud our flag has been raised," she said. 

UTA has "stumbled into a major international dispute," said James Hollifield, a political scientist and director of the Tower Center at Southern Methodist University. 

"The University of Texas at Arlington has gotten into something that's almost like a family dispute," said Dr. Hollifield, who has studied immigrant communities who have settled in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. "We're still too close to that history." 

According to Dr. Hollifield's research, Los Angeles, Houston and the Dallas area have the largest Vietnamese populations in the country. The 2000 U.S. census shows that about 6 percent, or 20,000 residents, in Arlington are Asian – a majority of those are Vietnamese. 

"The community was founded by people whose lives were disrupted by the war," he said. "Many are still fighting this war psychologically in their heads." 

UTA officials estimate that about 2,000 Vietnamese American students are enrolled at the campus. There are about two dozen students from Vietnam. 

"We understand the flag of the Republic of Vietnam represents a terrible time in their lives," said Judy Young, executive director of the office of international education at UTA. "It's important that we recognize their history, both past and present." 

She noted that the display includes a number of countries represented by two different flags because of changing regimes. 

The official flag has a yellow star on a red background while the older Heritage flag has three red stripes on a yellow background. 

Mr. Spaniolo said UTA isn't taking sides in the debate and will remain neutral. 

"The Hall of Flags makes no political statement about Vietnam, South Vietnam, or any other nation or former nation," according to a UTA statement released Thursday. "Flags from 123 countries are displayed there, and none is more prominent than any other." 

UTA officials said they would invite speakers to discuss Vietnam's past, present and future. 

Trinh Nguyen, 22, a senior at UTA, said the presence of the new flag makes her feel as if the university "has turned its back on us." 

Kelly Dinh, 22, treasurer of the campus's Vietnamese Student Association, said she's hurt and disappointed by UTA's stance. 

"The administration is telling us that if the students don't like it to look the other way," Ms. Dinh said. "This was experienced by my father and mother. My family had to go through the hardships, and the pain is still here today." 

But graduate student Giao X. Nguyen, 26, says it makes him sad that the Vietnamese-Americans feel hatred toward their shared homeland. 

"Technically, we're brothers," he said. "To lose friendships over this isn't worth it." 

E-mail tstewart@dallasnews.com

(http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-flag_28wes.ART0.North.Edition2.153f8020.html)

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April 28, 2006

STRUGGLES OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS DESCRIBED IN REPORT
King County among the areas spotlighted

By John Iwasaki
P-I Reporter

When Kum Soung arrived in the United States from Cambodia, he knew only a few expressions: Hello. How are you doing? I'm fine. Thank you. 

He picked up more words, enough to get work as a machine operator in North Carolina, and moved to Seattle in 1999. 

Now he is taking an English-as-a-second-language class designed especially for those seeking citizenship. 

"You improve yourself when you become an American citizen," he said Thursday during a break in class at Asian Counseling and Referral Service. "It's easy for you to get a job. You can vote." 

But many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are struggling with education, employment, income, housing and acquisition of English and citizenship, despite the "model minority" label affixed to some of them, a new national report says. 

Policy-makers and service providers should differentiate among groups, such as those in King County's diverse Asian Pacific American community, so that certain members aren't overlooked, said Karen Narasaki, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center in Washington, D.C., which helped produce the report. 

"You can't lump all the communities together and get an accurate picture of the needs today," Narasaki said Thursday during a briefing on the study in the International District. 

Equally damaging is to view Asian Pacific Americans as "a drain on the economy, forever 'foreign' and never a thriving part of the community," said Diane Narasaki, Karen's sister and executive director of Asian Counseling and Referral Service. "These things need to be challenged." 

The report, called "A Community of Contrasts," examined 2000 Census and other data for more than 20 Asian Pacific American groups in the country, paying particular attention to King County and four other "emerging communities." 

It makes four basic policy recommendations: Provide "culturally competent and linguistically accessible" health and human services, equal access to quality education and equal opportunities for employment, and protect human rights, including immigration rights. 

The report said that 37 percent of Asian Americans in King County have limited proficiency in English, the highest rate of any major racial or ethnic group. Most Vietnamese and Hmong do not speak English well, along with a near majority of Cambodians and Laotians. 

Helping immigrants gain English proficiency is key because it affects a person's ability to get a job, escape poverty, continue an education and become a citizen, said representatives of local social service agencies and other organizations serving Asian Pacific Americans. 

Increasing funding for services such as English-as-a-second-language classes "cost more up front but ultimately is more effective in the long run," Diane Narasaki said. 

Breaking the language barrier is crucial, agreed Tony Lee, a director for the Fremont Public Association and the Statewide Poverty Action Network. 

"Without learning English, we're not going to succeed in the labor market," he said. 

Thirty years ago, refugees would receive three years of resettlement assistance from the government, Lee said, but now it is two or three months, heightening the need for upfront services. 

Because a higher percentage of Asian Pacific American students pass the Washington Assessment of Student Learning test than other students of color, educators might fail to consider multiple learning styles or achievement levels for those who struggle, said Nadine Shiroma, co-founder of Eastside Asian Pacific Islanders, a civic involvement group. 

Among other findings, the report said that in King County: 

* Asian Americans are the second-largest racial or ethnic group, with an estimated 2004 population of 253,253 or 14 percent. Pacific Islanders account for 17,383 residents or 1 percent. 

* A quarter of Asian Americans are Chinese. Rounding out the top six are Filipinos, Japanese, Vietnamese, Koreans and Asian Indians. 

* Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, along with Latinos, are the fastest-growing major racial or ethnic group. Asian Indians tripled in size as a group and Vietnamese doubled. 

* Nearly 20 percent of Pacific Islander and Asian American adults have not graduated from high school, almost double that of county residents overall. Most Hmong and Laotian adults, and more than a third of Vietnamese and Cambodian adults, do not have a diploma. 

* The per-capita income of Asian Americans ($21,178) and Pacific Islanders ($15,246) falls far short of that for the overall county ($29,521). Hmong, Guamanians, Indonesians and Cambodians have the county's highest poverty rates. 

* Sixty percent of Asian Americans and more than 25 percent of Pacific Islanders were born outside the United States. Both groups have above-average rates of becoming naturalized citizens. 

Soung, the Cambodian émigré who is studying to become a citizen, said that learning English has helped him when he sees his physician or visits the local immigration office. 

His classmate, Amy Lee of Burma, makes sushi for Uwajimaya and carries on conversations with the Asian grocer's diverse customers. 

Sambath Seth, another classmate, works on a fishing boat in Alaska, where his co-workers sometime uses hand signals to communicate. 

"If you know English," Seth said, "(life) become better." 

P-I reporter John Iwasaki can be reached at 206-448-8096 or johniwasaki@seattlepi.com.

(http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/268350_asian28.html)

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April 30, 2006

COMMUNIST FLAG AT UTA IGNITES PROTESTS

By Mark Agee
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

ARLINGTON - Bill Laurie thinks the Vietnamese Communist flag hanging at the University of Texas at Arlington is an affront to his fight against that country with the U.S. Army - and he flew in from his home in Mesa, Ariz., to say so. 

“It’s more than a slap in the face,” Laurie, 60, said. “It’s shoving you in the mud and spitting on you. It’s not just a betrayal of us, and of the Vietnamese people, but of American principles.” 

Laurie was one of an estimated 3,000 people who protested Sunday at UT-Arlington. Mostly Vietnamese, they chanted and carried the red-striped flag of the former government of South Vietnam. Part of Cooper Street was closed for the march, which stretched for a half-mile. 

The yellow-star flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was recently hoisted in Nedderman Hall where flags are flown to represent the countries of foreign engineering students who have attended UT-Arlington. 

Last month, members of the Vietnamese-American community were angered when university officials would only fly the official Vietnamese flag - that of the Communist government - during International Week, and not the flag that formerly belonged to South Vietnam. 

Word of the controversy has spread quickly in the Vietnamese-American community. 

Sandra Vule, vice president of the Vietnamese-American Community of Greater Dallas, said organizers were pleased with the protest turnout, and that many were drawn because of the symbolism. 

“People say, ‘It’s just a flag,’ but flags stand for things,” Vule said. “When we look at that Communist flag, our minds think of oppression. We can’t just close our eyes.” 

UT-Arlington spokesman Bob Wright said Sunday that the College of Engineering flies both flags - along with 121 others in the Hall of Flags - and will continue to do so. 

“The flags have nothing to do with the nations or the governments,” Wright said. “They represent the students. We feel that we want to treat both groups equally. We really feel it is the American thing to do.” 

The rally was held on the 31st anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the victory of Communist forces in 1975. 

While protesters picked Sunday because it is a moment of mourning, some of the international students from Vietnam said they planned to have dinner together to celebrate the reunification of the Vietnamese people. 

“We just want to have the flag to represent us and the country,” said Dung Nguyen, 20, a junior majoring in civil engineering, in an interview Friday. “There’s no reason why they need to protest and take the flag down. ... We don’t have to be liberated. Why do the people who live here have to do that for us?” 

Giao Nguyen, 26, a doctoral student in finance, said that Vietnamese who disagree on the flag issue mostly avoid talking about it. 

“They believe we’ve been brainwashed,” he said of the Vietnamese-Americans and students who are speaking out against the Communist flag. “Most of them have been raised here and have only learned about Vietnam through their parents.” 

But some of the protesters have first-hand knowledge. 

Tam Nguyen, 65, of Rowlett, was an artillery captain in the South Vietnamese Army. His unit kept fighting after Saigon fell until they were captured. He then spent 11 years in a prison camp. After being freed, he said he tried to escape the country on a boat and was sent back to prison for three more years. 

Nguyen said he finally arrived in the United States in 1995 after a human rights group arranged for his release from a re-education camp. 

He became angry and animated as he talked about the flag issue. 

“It is a no-good country,” Nguyen said as the crowd chanted “Freedom!” in the background. “The people there have a horrible life. It is no good that they show respect to that flag.” 

Staff writer Patrick McGee contributed to this report. 

Mark Agee, (817) 548-5421
rmagee@star-telegram.com

(http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/14468829.htm)

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April 30, 2006

RECALLING FALL OF SAIGON
Poetry and music mark the 31st anniversary of the day that changed their lives

By Frederic Pierce 
Staff writer 

Black-and-white slides showing the fall of Saigon were projected above six memorial candles Saturday evening, while Vietnamese lyrics from a soulful song of remembrance haunted the room. 

For many of the 40 or so people gathered in the second-floor offices of the Center for New Americans, the memories of that day, 31 years ago today, were painfully real. 

For others - the Syracuse sons and daughters of Vietnamese refugees who escaped to Central New York after surviving harrowing ocean voyages and years in refugee camps - the words and images were a reminder of a past they don't want to forget as they move into the future.

"Each of us has different emotions and perspectives on this day," said Ahn Nguyen, a program coordinator at the center who was a child when Saigon fell to communists two years after the pullout of U.S. troops. "We wanted an event where we could all examine our feelings." 

Nguyen's band, The Home Gardens, provided the music as poetry by survivors of the fall was read and songs remembering hardships after the fall were performed by members of the local Vietnamese community. The gold flag with three red stripes of the former government of South Vietnam served as the musicians' backdrop. 

The day is generally remembered privately by survivors and their families, Ahn said. For decades, it has been a somber time. 

"We didn't want to dwell on just that day," Ahn said. "We wanted to remember what happened after that: the ocean crossings, prison, the re-education camps, refugee camps, coming to America for the first time. And we wanted to look to the future." 

The center is a program of the InterReligious Council of Central New York. 

The fall of Saigon is considered by many to be the official end of the Vietnam War, marking the day when the communist army of North Vietnam overran the capital city of the south, forcibly reuniting the country. 

Frederic Pierce can be reached at fpierce@syracuse.com or 470-6062.

(http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1146387494125171.xml&coll=1)

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News From House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
H-204, The Capitol, Washington D.C. 20515 

May 1, 2006

Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616

PELOSI CELEBRATES ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Washington, D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which begins today, May 1: 

"Every May, during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we have a special opportunity to pay tribute to the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).  This year's theme, 'Dreams and Challenges of Asian Pacific Americans,' illustrates the AAPI experience of overcoming obstacles to reach their goals and aspirations.

"Early Chinese immigrants faced racism in the form of the Chinese Exclusion Act.  During World War II, Japanese Americans, many of them American-born citizens, suffered the indignity and injustice of being herded into U.S. internment camps.  Filipino veterans are still fighting for the recognition and benefits they deserve for their service during World War II.  Refugees from Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and other countries are building new lives for themselves and their families in American society.  

"Despite their hardships, AAPIs have never let go of their dreams, contributing to our nation's culture, history, and development.  With more than 11 different ethnicities, AAPIs make up one of the fastest growing populations in the U.S.  Their diversity is the essence of our country, for the beauty is in the mix.   AAPIs represent all walks of life and are full participants in every facet of American life - we all strive to reach the American dream. 

"Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have drawn on their proud heritage for strength to overcome barriers to success.  At this time, we remember AAPI leaders who broke the mold and laid down the foundation for future achievements.  George Wong was a pioneer in the labor movement and worked until his death to ensure workers' rights were protected.  Tsuyako 'Sox' Kitashima, considered the godmother of San Francisco's Japantown and a leading community activist, was a driving force behind the Japanese American redress movement.  Joe Yuey made a distinctive mark during his 100 years of life, pioneering efforts to make San Francisco's Asian Art Museum world renowned.  Jade Snow Wong was a celebrated author, ceramicist, and businesswoman, whose book, Fifth Chinese Daughter, is included on school reading lists.  Their legacy must be carried on for all Americans to follow. 

"As we celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, we must rededicate our efforts to ensuring equality and opportunities so that all Americans have a chance to reach their full potential.  Together, we can make the American dream a reality for all Americans." 

To see Leader Pelosi's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Web site click here: http://www.democraticleader.house.gov/AAPI/

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(http://www.democraticleader.house.gov/AAPI/)

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For Immediate Release: 
May 1, 2006

Contact: Luis Miranda - 202-863-8148

DNC CHAIRMAN HOWARD DEAN AND VICE-CHAIR MIKE HONDA COMMEMORATE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Washington, D.C. - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and DNC Vice Chair Congressman Mike Honda issued the following joint statement commemorating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which begins today, May 1st: 

"On behalf of the Democratic National Committee, we are honored to join all Americans in paying tribute to the contributions made by the 13 million Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders to our nation's social, economic, and cultural identity. When it comes to public service, Democrats remain committed to working with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community to promote civic engagement and participation at every level of government, and getting more AAPI leaders elected all across the country. 

"Democrats are leading the way in changing the old politics that kept minority elected officials in minority districts. The fact is, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Americans can represent Americans of every background - and in many parts of the country are already doing so. From Satveer Chaudry, who serves as State Senator in Minnesota, to Jennifer Kim who serves as Austin City Council Member in Texas, to 22-year old Nathan Shinagawa who serves as Tompkins County Legislator in New York, and all the way to Madaleine Bordallo and Eni Faleomavaega, our Pacific Islander members of Congress from Guam and America Samoa, respectively, AAPI leaders all across America and its territories are breaking new ground and representing not just the AAPI community, but the full diversity of the cities and districts they represent. 

"As a Party, Democrats want the AAPI community not just at the table, but also on the ticket at every level. The overwhelming majority of AAPI elected officials are Democrats, and we intend to keep it that way. Democrats have long championed the values we share with the AAPI community, including a strong work ethic, a commitment to education, and respect for families. As we commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Democrats renew our commitment to working together as we forge a future that strengthens our country, protects our democracy, and defends our civil rights for all our citizens. Together, America can do better." 

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May 1, 2006

EVENT MARKS FALL OF SAIGON
Vietnamese gather to share memories

By Brian Feagans
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thanh Nga limped to the lectern on a leg crippled by a beating she took as a political prisoner in Vietnam. 

But there were few young people to witness it Sunday as roughly 150 Vietnamese immigrants marked the 31st anniversary of the fall of Saigon at a Doraville hotel. Most of those packed into a room fluttering with the red-striped yellow flags of South Vietnam were older Vietnamese-Americans who needed little reminder of what happened in their native country more than three decades ago.

"[Vietnamese youth] don't want to talk about politics," said Nguyen, who would like to see more young people fighting communism in Vietnam. "They're more interested in movies, music and their careers." 

As incense filled the air, Nguyen and the others bowed in silence, praying for those who died in the Vietnam War or suffered in the political oppression that followed. Many of the ensuing speakers called on the next generation of Vietnamese-Americans to push for freedom of the press, freedom of speech and other human-rights improvements in Vietnam. "The future is in the hands of the young," said Nga, a California writer who spent 10 years in Vietnamese prison camps. 

A slide show made by the event organizers, the Vietnamese Community Association of Georgia, exhorted: "We, the younger generations, must also know the truth."

Down the hallway, within earshot of the presentations, 22-year-old Doan Vo said supporting Vietnamese people doesn't necessarily mean getting involved with the Asian nation's politics or attending "Black April" events. She's always considered April 30 a day for her parents, one in which her father watches old Vietnam War documentaries and laments the past. "They've been through so much I didn't go through, and I appreciate that," she said. "My dad always says 'One door closes; another opens.' "

Vo, a Georgia State microbiology major from Norcross, said she's trying to help by opening doors for victims of the Vietnamese sex trade. Vo was busy selling tickets Sunday for a May 13 music award show in Atlanta to combat human trafficking. Funds raised from the Vietnamese Video Music Awards, which starts at 7 p.m. at the Rialto Theater, will go toward a shelter in Taiwan that houses Vietnamese women sold into the sex trade. Vo is among the students from six Georgia universities who have organized the event as the Vietnamese Students Association of Georgia. 

Nghia Huu Pham, the 33-year-old organizer of Sunday's memorial, said the event allowed those who suffered through Black April to commiserate together. Although he wished more young people had attended, Pham said he was encouraged to see the student group embrace a new cause. Perhaps it will shed light on what Pham called the complicity of the Vietnamese government. And he hopes more young people will take interest in his native country as a result. "That's the only way to change Vietnam."

(http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/0501gwxsaigon.html) 

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