NCVA eREPORTER
- February 7, 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
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
TIPS/RESOURCES
NEWS
******************
EVENTS
UT AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL CONFERENCE FOR ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENTS
Dear friends,
UT Austin is hosting a high school conference for Asian American
students. The conference, "Building a Better FoundASIAN (b.a.b.f.a),"
will be held on Saturday, February 18th, 2006. It is a great
opportunity for our younger students to get involved in Asian
American leadership initiatives at a young age.
When: Saturday,
February 18, 2006
Where: University of Texas, Student Services Building
Who: High School Students - Grades 9-12
Cost: $5
Goals
-Awareness about pros and cons about Asian Pacific Americans
-Networking with students from across Texas and in college
-Preservation of your cultural heritage
-Identity of what it means to be Asian Pacific American
-Discovery of Asian Pacific American role models and icons
-Issues that Asian Pacific Americans face
-Empowerment and pride for the Asian Pacific American community
For more information, please click here to link to the website:
(http://www.utasiansonline.com/babfa)
******************
SEARAC ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 9TH ANNUAL
SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL LEADERSHIP-ADVOCACY TRAINING
SEARAC is pleased to announce its Ninth Annual Southeast Asian
American National Leadership-Advocacy Training to be held in
Washington, DC on July 23 to 26, 2006. The training provides a
forum where Southeast Asian American community leaders from
across the nation have the opportunity to discuss, interact, and
network with their peers. Leaders will participate in four days
of advocacy education, leadership strategizing, collaborative
networking, and communication with lawmakers.
Past participants have found the training to be rewarding and a
life changing experience. Chivy Sok, former Deputy Director of
University of Iowa Center for Human Rights said, "The training I
participated in provided one of the most valuable opportunities
for young leaders to come together to not only learn about
advocacy skills and strategies, but to apply it in the nation's
capital. To be an effective leader within our communities, we
have to know how to access those in power. SEARAC's training is
extremely valuable for facilitating such knowledge and coalition
building. It was also a treasured opportunity to meet others
working on similar issues across the nation."
The application process is open to all members of and
individuals currently involved with the Southeast Asian
community. Participants residing outside of the DC Metropolitan
area will receive financial support, which covers travel and
lodging. Due to the overwhelming interest of Southeast Asian
community leaders and professionals from previous trainings,
this year SEARAC will accept a limited number of applicants who
are able to pay for their own travel and lodging accommodations
in addition to paying the registration fee.
The deadline date for receipt of applications is
March 6, 2006. For a hard copy of the application and more
information about SEARAC’s Ninth Annual Southeast Asian American
National Leadership-Advocacy Training for 2006, please go to
http://www.searac.org or contact:
Ms. Bach Pham
Leadership and Advocacy Initiative Project Manager
Email: bach@searac.org
Phone: (202) 667-4690
Fax:
(202)
667-6449
(http://www.searac.org)
******************
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
NATIONAL TRAINING
AND
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS
WHAT: This funding opportunity is for organizations with
a national scope to provide training and technical assistance to
potential and existing health centers and social services
organizations to strengthen the consolidated health center
program.
WHO: Eligible applicants are public, non-profit, and
for-profit entities that can provide training and technical
assistance on a national basis to community-based organizations,
including faith-based and community-based organizations.
Interested applicants must currently work with health centers or
other community-based providers with missions and governance
structures similar to that of health centers. Additional
eligibility requirements will be included in the application
materials.
WHEN: Applications are due by
March 31, 2006.
AWARD AMOUNT: Up to 12 awards totaling approximately
$5,100,000.
CONTACT: Cicely Nelson at
(301)
594-4496 or
cnelson@hrsa.gov.
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT:
(http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=7788)
******************
COMMUNITY-BASED ABSTINENCE EDUCATION
WHAT: The purpose of this program is to provide support
to public and private entities for the development and
implementation of programs to educate young people and create an
environment within communities that supports teen decisions to
postpone sexual activity until marriage.
WHO: Faith-based and community organizations are eligible
to apply.
WHEN: Letters of intent are due
February 10, 2006;
applications are due
March 27, 2006.
AWARD AMOUNT: 44 to 55 awards totaling $24,000,000.
CONTACT: Jeffrey Trimbath at
1-866-796-1591
or
fysb@dixongroup.com.
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT:
(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2006-ACF-ACYF-AE-0099.html#part_7_1)
******************
JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS (JOLI)
WHAT: The purpose of the JOLI program is to provide technical
and financial assistance to private employers in the community
to assist them in creating employment and business opportunities
for low-income individuals. Projects focus on one of three
program strategies: (1) new business ventures, (2) business
expansion, and (3) self-employment/micro-enterprise.
WHO: Faith-based and community organizations are eligible
to apply.
WHEN: Applications are due by March 21, 2006.
AWARD AMOUNT: 10 to 12 awards totaling $5,000,000.
CONTACT: Thom Campbell at 800-281-9519 or
ocsgrants@acf.hhs.gov.
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT:
(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2006-ACF-OCS-EO-0054.html#part_7_1)
******************
BANK OF AMERICA FOUNDATION SUPPORTS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
The Bank of America Foundation focuses resources on helping
children and families succeed in life and helping neighborhoods
flourish in the communities where the bank does business. In
general, the Foundation’s funding priorities include education,
financial literacy, youth development, and community
revitalization. However, the Foundation's funding focus is
defined market by market to ensure key community priorities
specific to each market are addressed.
(http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation)
******************
THE ANNENBERG FOUNDATION PROMOTES SHARING KNOWLEDGE GRANTS
The Annenberg Foundation exists to advance the public well-being
through improved communication. As the principal means of
achieving its goal, the Foundation encourages the development of
more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge. The Foundation
provides support for projects within its grantmaking interest
areas of: education and youth, arts and culture, civic and
community, and health. Interested applicants are advised to
review the sample grants listed on the Foundation's website to
gain familiarity with the types of programs that have received
funding. The Foundation accepts letters of inquiry throughout
the year.
(http://www.annenbergfoundation.org)
******************
BARNES
AND NOBLE SUPPORTS LOCAL ARTS AND LITERACY PROGRAMS
Barnes & Noble, a bookstore chain that has stores nationwide,
supports nonprofit organizations that focus on literacy, the
arts, and education (K-12) in the communities where company
stores are located. Funded organizations must be willing to work
with the local stores on in-store programming. Limited support
is also provided for national nonprofit organizations that focus
on literacy, the arts or K-12 education. Requests are accepted
throughout the year. Local and regional organizations should
submit proposals to the community relations manager or store
manager at the local Barnes & Noble store.
(http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our_company/sponsorship/Sponsorship_main.html)
******************
KATRINA’S
KIDS COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS
Deadline: March 3, 2006
America's Promise (http://www.americaspromise.org)
and Youth Service America (http://www.ysa.org)
have announced the Katrina's Kids Community Service Grants for
hurricane relief.
The program will offer seventeen grants of $1,000 to young
people who wish to implement hurricane-relief projects.
The Katrina's Kids Community Service Grant is open to all U.S.
citizens between the ages of 5 and 25.
Applicants will be expected to develop and implement a
sustainable relief project that supports hurricane-relief
efforts in the Gulf Coast region. The program welcomes projects
in which children and youth work in partnership with adults
(parents, coaches, teachers, youth leaders, etc.); however,
projects should be youth-led and created, and must take place
on National and Global Youth Service Day (April 21-23, 2006) (
http://www.ysa.org/nysd/ ).
(http://www.ysa.org/awards/)
******************
FUND SEEKS
TALENTED MINORITY PRODUCERS
The Independent Television Service Diversity Development Fund
seeks talented minority producers to develop projects for public
television. The Fund provides support to minority artists to
tell their stories and reach audiences often overlooked by
conventional programming. Projects must be in the research or
development phase, and cannot have begun production. The
application deadline is March 31, 2006.
(http://www.itvs.org/producers/funding.html)
******************
ASIA SOCIETY SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR OSBORN ELLIOTT PRIZE FOR
EXCELLENCE IN ASIAN JOURNALISM
Deadline: March 1, 2006
The Asia Society (http://www.asiasociety.org),
the leading global organization working to strengthen
relationships and promote understanding among the people,
leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States, has
announced that it is now seeking nominations for the fourth
annual Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Asian Journalism.
The Osborn Elliott Prize honors legendary journalist and author
Osborn Elliott, former editor-in-chief of Newsweek, who set new
standards for reporting and editing and became one of the
earliest practitioners of "civic journalism" -- the deliberate
focusing of the journalistic enterprise on urgent issues of
public policy.
The $10,000 prize is awarded annually to a writer who has
produced the best example of journalism about Asia in print or
online during the calendar year. Criteria for the prize include
consideration for the impact of the work, its originality,
creativity, depth of research, and educational value in
informing the public about Asia. The next winner of the "Oz
Prize," for work produced in English during the 2005 calendar
year, will be announced at a special program at the Asia Society
in New York City this spring.
An independent jury of distinguished writers, award-winning
journalists, and Asia-hands will review nominations for the
prize from both media organizations and journalists. All
nominations or direct applications are limited to one per
organization or journalist.
For the purposes of this award, "Asia" is termed as defined by
the Asia Society, comprising countries from Iran eastward to and
including Australia and New Zealand. It does not include the
Arab Middle East.
(http://www.asiasociety.org/)
******************
ENTRIES INVITED FOR CASEY MEDALS FOR MERITORIOUS JOURNALISM
Deadline: March 1, 2006
The Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism are designed to
inspire and recognize exemplary reporting on children and
families. The Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families (http://www.casey.umd.edu),
which presents the awards, is devoted to deepening the media
coverage of social issues that affect children and families,
particularly the disadvantaged. The awards are funded by the
Annie E. Casey Foundation (http://www.aecf.org).
Winning stories will be well-crafted, illuminate complex issues,
and contribute to public awareness. Judging is conducted by a
panel of prominent journalists and journalism educators.
First-place winners in fourteen categories will receive $1,000
and will be honored at a luncheon in Washington, D.C.;
runners-up and honorable mentions will be recognized with
certificates of merit.
All work must be published or aired in the United States between
January 1, and December 31, 2005. Work must focus on children
and families in the United States. A contestant or team of
contestants may submit only one entry per category per contest
period. Entries in languages other than English require complete
translations. If a team wins a first-place award, authors share
the $1,000 equally.
(http://www.casey.umd.edu/awards/)
******************
OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES KATRINA MEDIA FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: March 31, 2006
The Open Society Institute (http://www.soros.org)
has announced a fellowship competition in response to critical
issues exposed by Hurricane Katrina. By supporting in-depth
journalism and media projects, OSI aims to stimulate and sustain
a national conversation on these issues.
The Katrina Media Fellowships will support dynamic print and
radio journalists, photographers, and documentary filmmakers in
the creation, and improvement, of media coverage of issues
exposed by Katrina. Applicants should propose projects that will
expand and deepen the public's understanding of race and class
inequalities in the United States. Applicants may also propose
projects that will address the government's response to problems
caused or illuminated by Katrina, the use or misuse of public
funds, the role of private contractors, the effectiveness of
clean-up and rebuilding efforts, citizen involvement in these
efforts, and lessons learned that should inform the handling of
future natural and man-made disasters. In addition, applicants
may propose projects that draw attention to OSI's current or
past programmatic priorities, using Katrina as the frame. These
priorities include access to legal services and government
assistance, criminal justice reform, improving end of life care,
and access to healthcare and education reform.
OSI expects to award twelve to fifteen one-year fellowships.
Fellows will receive between $15,000 and $35,000 to carry out
projects in print, radio, photography, and documentary film and
video production. Award amounts will cover a stipend and project
expenses and will vary depending on the project duration,
medium, and costs involved. The fellowship term begins June 15,
2006.
Applicants must be mid-career or veteran print or radio
journalists, photographers, or documentary filmmakers with
proven track records as serious media-makers. OSI will give
special consideration to applicants who have been displaced from
or are residents of the Gulf Coast region. The Katrina Media
Fellowships are a one-time competition and will not be offered
in subsequent years.
(http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/focus_areas/katrina)
******************
SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION INVITES ENTRIES FOR COMMUNITY
LEADERSHIP AWARDS
Deadline: March 1, 2006
The San Francisco Foundation (http://www.sff.org)
Community Leadership Awards recognize individuals and
organizations whose leadership has made a significant impact in
their particular Bay Area communities. This work may confront
social or health problems, address environmental concerns, or
promote arts and humanities.
One of the four awards is designated for an under-recognized,
mature artist who has made a significant and ongoing
contribution in the Bay Area. Artists from the performing,
literary, media, and visual arts, including craft, folk, and
traditional forms, will be considered.
Individuals receive $10,000 awards, while organizations are
awarded $20,000. Individuals and nonprofit organizations in
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo
counties are eligible to apply.
Individuals from all sectors are eligible for these awards.
Nominations for emerging and innovative leadership as well as
for longstanding accomplishments are encouraged.
(http://www.sff.org/awards/nomination.html)
******************
WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP FOR MINORITY STUDENTS
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Deadline: February 15, 2006 and July 15, 2006
The Nonprofit Sector Research Fund (http://nsrf.org),
a grantmaking program of the Aspen Institute (http://www.aspeninstitute.org)
in Washington, D.C., is accepting applications for the William
Randolph Hearst Endowed Fellowship.
The fellowship, which is based on academic excellence and need,
is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are
members of minority groups. The Hearst Fellow serves as an
intern with the fund. Through the program, the fund seeks to
introduce a diverse group of students to issues relating to
philanthropy, volunteerism, and nonprofit organizations.
Recipients may arrange with their colleges or universities to
receive academic credit for this experience. In his or her
internship, the Hearst Fellow undertakes general research and
program support for the fund's grantmaking and outreach efforts.
The ideal candidate for this fellowship is a highly motivated
continuing graduate or undergraduate student from an
underrepresented community. She or he should have an excellent
academic record and also have the following: outstanding
research skills; a background in the social sciences or
humanities; excellent writing and communication skills;
demonstrated financial need; and American citizenship.
The student must be able to intern for ten to fifteen weeks at
the Washington, D.C., office of the Aspen Institute. A
fellowship grant of between $2,500 and $5,000 will be awarded,
depending on the recipient's educational level, financial need,
and time commitment.
For the Summer 2006 internship, the deadline is February 15,
2006; for the Fall 2006 internship, the deadline is July 15,
2006.
(http://www.nonprofitresearch.org/newsletter1530/newsletter_show.htm?doc_id=16318)
******************
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
NATIONAL COALITION FOR ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT - COMMUNITY RESOURCES PROGRAM MANAGER
Founded in 1999, the National Coalition for Asian Pacific
American Community Development (CAPACD) is the first national
organization dedicated to the housing, community and economic
development needs of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)
populations. Our mission is to be a powerful voice for the
unique community development needs of AAPI communities and to
strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs)
to create neighborhoods of hope and opportunity.
We utilize four strategies to accomplish our mission: 1)
Creating and increasing access to capacity building tools and
resources; 2) Convening AAPI community organizations to plan,
strategize and mobilize; 3) Telling our stories through
participatory action research and policy; and 4) building
collective leadership and creating opportunities for change
agents at local and national levels.
Overview:
National CAPACD seeks a Community Resources Program (CRP)
Manager to facilitate participation of AAPI-serving CBOs in
community development activities. The CRP Manager's primary
responsibility will be to implement and expand our training and
technical assistance (TTA) program, focusing on using
peer-to-peer exchanges as well as existing community development
trainings and resources. The CRP Manager will also develop
additional strategies and programs to address the unmet needs of
AAPI CBOs engaged in community development activities. The CRP
Manager will participate in all National CAPACD activities,
including regional meetings, the annual convention and board
meetings; represent the organization at training events and
other speaking engagements; and provide support for resource
development and fundraising. The CRP Manager reports to the
Executive Director.
Specific responsibilities:
1) Program Activities
a. Design programs and implement strategies for community
and membership involvement in national AAPI and community
development initiatives
b. Coordinate technical assistance (TA) providers and
recipients, manage the TA Provider Network with regular
meetings, and where appropriate, directly provide TA
c. Oversee the creation of on-line resources, including
web-based database access and training
d. Develop a national directory of organizations and
individuals with relevant expertise in TA provision, TA systems
development, program evaluation and organizational capacity
building
e. Provide support for related National CAPACD program
activities, including the annual Convention, regional meetings,
leadership development and special events
2) Relationships Management
a. Manage relationships and MOUs with all TTA
sites/organizations (currently 4 existing, plus 3 to be launched
in 2006)
b. Work with national training organizations to increase
opportunities, participation and satisfaction for AAPI-serving
CBOs in existing community development and organizational
development trainings
c. Assist the Executive Director in building and
maintaining organizational relationships with other national and
local intermediaries, community development agencies, federal
agencies, foundations, and corporations
3) Budget and Fundraising
a. Oversee, develop and update annual/monthly program
budget
b. Manage timely disbursement of program funds to pilot
sites
c. Prepare regular updates and program reports to funders
d. Developing grant proposals for future expansion of
training and technical assistance activities
4) Evaluation
a. Coordinate program evaluation process, ensuring that a
baseline needs assessment and qualitative documentation of the
pilot project is integrated into program activities
5) Other Responsibilities
a. Provide regular written program communications to
staff, board, members and public through press releases,
newsletters, memos and emails
b. Monitor housing, community and economic development
issues and trends impacting member organizations and low-income
AAPI communities
c. Participate in all National CAPACD organizational
activities, including board and staff meetings, budget and
planning activities and other events.
Qualifications:
Required
* Graduate degree or equivalent work experience in urban
planning, non-profit management, public policy or related field
* Five years (minimum) experience in housing, economic
and/or community development; a significant part of this
experience should include program and budget management and
supervision of staff
* Experience designing and managing technical
assistance, organizational development and/or capacity building
systems
* Exceptional written and oral communications
* Willingness and ability to travel regularly
* Proficiency with personal computers and electronic
communications, including Windows-based word processing and
databases
* Excellent motivation and interpersonal skills,
particularly the ability to meet deadlines, work as a team
member and interact with diverse individuals and organizations
* Committed to supporting the housing, community and
economic development needs of low-income and immigrant AAPIs and
willing to work in a non-profit setting
Preferred
* Bilingual/biliterate in an Asian or Pacific Islander
language
* Experience in one or more of the following areas:
managing real estate transactions; program development and
evaluation; fundraising and grant writing; subcontracting and
grants management; website development and database management
Compensation
The CRP Manager is a full-time position. Salary is competitive
and commensurate with experience.
To Apply:
Applications are due February 14, 2006, but will be accepted
until position is filled. Please email cover letter, resume,
salary history and short writing sample (2 page max.) to:
lisa@nationalcapacd.org.
National CAPACD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and
people of color strongly encouraged to apply.
(http://nationalcapacd.org)
******************
GRANTS MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST – U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: FWS9-MBSP-2006-0012
DUTIES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
This position is located in the Branch of Grants Operations and
Policy, Division of Federal Assistance, Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service).
The Office is responsible for implementing the following grant
programs and subprograms: (1) Wildlife Restoration, (2) Sport
Fish Restoration, (3) Multistate Conservation, (4) Hunter
Education - Section 4(c), (5) Hunter Education-Section 10, (6)
Aquatic Education, (7) Clean Vessel Act, (8) National Coastal
Wetlands Conservation, (9) Boating Infrastructure, (10)
Landowner Incentive, and (11) State Wildlife Grants. The
incumbent of the position assists in writing rulemaking
documents, Service policy and procedures; coordinates
stakeholder input from States and Regional Offices; and,
coordinates the approval process for the 11 national grant
programs or subprograms. The incumbent may coordinate the annual
awarding of grants in one or more programs. The incumbent
participates in scheduled conference calls with Regional staff
to address issues of concern. The incumbent serve as a contact
for Federal Assistance staff in the seven geographic Regional
Offices providing advice on regulatory and policy issues
governing the grant programs administered by the Service's
Wildlife and Fish Restoration Program. The incumbent represents
the Service at national, regional and local meetings, as well as
meetings with members of the Service Directorate, Departmental
officials, and others.
(http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov)
******************
TIPS/RESOURCES
ETHNIC MARKETING: SUCCESSFULLY TARGETING THE HISPANIC MARKET
The majority of Hispanic direct response donators fall between
the ages of 25 and 44 with males making the donation 67 percent
of the time while females comprise 37 percent of giving,
according to The Direct Marketing Association's 2005 Hispanic
Market Report.
The report showed that income levels indicated that 46 percent
of those who donate earn $25,000 or less per year, while 29
percent earn between $25,000 and $50,000.
The growing Hispanic segment was the subject of a fundraising
and marketing session at the Direct Marketing Association
Nonprofit Federation's 2005 New York Nonprofit Conference. Jose
Raul Perez, People en Espanol (Time, Inc.), detailed a number of
strategies for appealing to the Hispanic market.
The Four F's -- Commonalties
* Faith. The majority of Hispanics are Christian Catholics
* Family. A personal and cultural connection exists with
extended family - engage tio, abuela and primas.
* Fun. Present product in a visual and vibrant way while
avoiding stereotypes.
* Future. Emphasize common aspirations: Owning a home, saving
for college, helping others, service to the community, etc.
The Four P's -- Practical Insights
* Price. It is more elastic than generally thought. Price and
payment options matter, but product quality, image and brand
awareness matters more.
* Product. Fulfill a need (or many). Provide bilingual customer
service.
* Promotion. Use clear, concise and easy-to-understand copy.
Stress savings, benefits, service and payment options.
Incorporate compelling visuals.
* Positioning. Appeal to sensibilities and cultural markers.
Language absolutely matters. Literal translations, grammatical
errors and disregard for cultural differences can break an
effort.
Carefully vet copy; words and meanings vary from country to
country.
Proper grammar involves accents, tildes, ??s and other symbols.
Feliz Ano Nuevo won’t work
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/marketing.html)
******************
ENDOWMENTS: 9-POINT CHECKLIST FOR GETTING STARTED
An organization's maturity is a key element in whether or not to
start an endowment. For an endowment campaign to succeed, an
organization should meet a number of criteria, advised G.
Douglass Alexander and Kristina J. Carlson in their book,
Essential Principles for Fundraising Success.
1. Do you have a committed board that gives and solicits funds
on a regular basis and is prepared to give significant and
sacrificial gifts to an endowment campaign?
2. Do you have a record of success in major fundraising
campaigns? Have you demonstrated proper stewardship through the
completion of projects that were proposed during the campaign?
3. Do you possess eight to 10 current donors who are capable and
willing to give between 80 and 90 percent of the endowment
campaign goal?
4. Do you have a long history of financial stability and
conservative fiscal management?
5. Can you justify an endowment and show how its generated
income will enable you to better serve your constituents? (For
every $1 million in an endowment, you will typically receive
$50,000 in annual income.)
6. Have you crafted a long-range plan and solved all other
significant and foreseeable capital and programmatic priorities
within that plan?
7. Do you have a history that shows that your organization will
still be around (and mission still relevant) for the next 100
years?
8. Does the entire organization, including board and staff,
understand that an endowment does not replace annual fundraising
but rather supplements those funds?
9. Have you created policies, bylaws and controls to protect
your endowment principal from invasion?
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/endowments.html)
******************
FINANCE: BUDGET QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO BE ASKING
Any organization’s annual operating budget should include
estimates of revenue and expenses for an upcoming year, and it
is of course an essential part of nonprofit operations.
In their essay Understanding Financial Statements in the book
The Art of Governance, Patricia Egan and Nancy Sasser offered a
list of questions that trustees might ask as part of their
review of the budget than an organizations staff presents to
them.
The questions include but are not limited to:
* Is the operating budget balanced? If not, why not?
* Does it provide a small contingency to handle unforeseen
events?
* Does the budget include only current-year revenue that is
unrestricted and available to be spent on operations?
* What are the riskiest parts of the budget?
* Is there a fallback position to prevent the organization from
these risks?
* How do the major budget categories compare to this years
budget and year-end projections?
* What new initiatives are included in the budget?
* Are any existing programs terminated?
* If the budget includes significant increases in earned or
contributed revenue, does the staff have a realistic plan for
activities to generate the growth, and is the development or
marketing budget increased to reflect the new activities?
* Does the budget include depreciation as an operating expense?
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/finance.html)
******************
SURVEY ON
VIETNAMESE HEALTH TRENDS
I am a graduate student at Georgetown University and my team is
conducting a research analysis of Vietnamese health trends,
specifically consumption of juice beverages. My online survey is
only 7 questions.
(http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=871431737617)
******************
NEWS
January 26, 2006
PG&E REACHES OUT TO
APAs
By Carla Williams-Namboodiri
Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced it has enrolled more
than one million customers — in its CARE program, including
thousands of APA households. Qualified enrollees get a 20
percent discount off their monthly bills. “Reaching one million
customers is a tremendous achievement, but we’re not content
with stopping here — we’re committed to enrolling every eligible
PG&E customer,” said Ophelia Basgal, vice president of Civic
Partnerships and Community Initiatives.
“My wife and I are an elderly couple living on a fixed income.
The CARE program gives us a monthly discount so we can spend
that extra money on other things,” said Ai Nguyen, a CARE
customer since 2002.
The drive to enroll more customers in CARE was backed up by new
California legislation, in Senate Bill 850, which provides
automatic enrollment in CARE for anyone receiving help from a
state public assistance program. “CARE helps people who really
need assistance in paying their bills and it gives them a
discount,” said Chai Vang, who handles enrollment at the
Sacramento Lao Family Center.
— Catherine Chen and Angela Pang contributed to this report
(http://news.asianweek.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=54f3fd292f3304c4c1fbec69a9d16ee1&this_category_id=170)
******************
January 30, 2006
WILSON BOULEVARD:
THE NEW SAIGON
Written By Gary Nurenberg, WUSA 9 News
What's in a name?
Wilson Boulevard by any other name would smell as sweet and
would still be congested.
Well, part of Wilson Boulevard in Falls Church has been
ceremonially renamed Saigon Boulevard.
The road is dotted with Vietnamese-owned businesses, more than a
hundred of them in the Eden Shopping Center area alone.
Many Vietnamese Americans have never accepted the renaming of
south Vietnam’s capital Saigon to Ho Chi Min City after the
north won the war and want to keep the name Saigon alive.
City and county governments signed off on ceremonially renaming
a long block of Wilson Boulevard outside Eden center Saigon
Boulevard.
The name change is ceremonial only. Addresses will still be
Wilson Boulevard. The big dedication for Saigon Boulevard drew
hundreds to a ceremony over the weekend; a ceremony designed to
coincide with the Chinese New Year, the year of the dog.
(http://wusa9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=46372)
******************
White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2006
CONTACT:
Jimmy Lee or Erik Wang
202-482-2204
PRESIDENT’S ADVISORY COMMISSION ECHOES MESSAGE BY PRESIDENT BUSH
IN HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
Washington DC: The President's Advisory Commission on Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders today expressed that the message
as delivered by President George W. Bush in his Annual State of
the Union Address to the country once again confirmed that the
President shares the values and priorities of Asian American and
Pacific slanders. He firmly believes we can and must have
quality education for our children to remain competitive.
Quality health care can be affordable and accessible. The
country must be secure and small businesses are the engine of
economic growth.
President Bush established the President's Advisory Commission
on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to ensure that the
federal government provides equal opportunities for Asian
American and Pacific Islander businesses to fully participate in
our free market economy, thus improving the quality of life and
opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He
understands and supports the potential of Asian American and
Pacific Islanders - along with all Americans -- to make
significant positive impacts on this country and its economy.
The proposals outlined in the State of Union address reinforce
the President's commitment to providing all Americans the tools
and environment necessary to prosper.
"We stand by the President at this important juncture in our
American history. The President laid out his message and agenda
for leadership that calls for cooperation and courage in
confronting the challenges that are before us today. His message
and ideals of maintaining a strong economy, making our
businesses competitive with the world around us, ensuring
affordable and accessible health care, and his strong commitment
to training 70,000 high school teachers to lead advanced
placement courses in math and science and bringing in 30,000
math and science professionals to teach in classrooms is similar
to the strong ideals that we share as a community" stated Rudy
Pamintuan, Chairman, President's Advisory Commission on Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders.
As a Commission, we support his work and leadership for our
nation and for the people of our community. We support and also
believe that:
** The President's American Competitiveness Initiative Will
Strengthen The Economy and help AAPI economic empowerment. The
President has set forth a path that seizes upon opportunities to
raise standards of living, make Americans and America more
competitive and generate new jobs.
The President's pro-active plan focuses on Americans and
American businesses shaping the future of the economy, not our
competitors. This will be done through new funding in research,
providing for new developments, and strengthening our math and
science sectors by ensuring there are more quality teachers to
help students struggling with math so that they have a better
chance at good, high-wage jobs. Quality education has always
been a cornerstone for AAPI communities and science and math has
historically been areas where AAPIs have focused and excelled.
The President also stressed the need to make tax cuts
permanent. Five percent of all small businesses in America are
AAPI owned. Making the tax cuts permanent will have a
significant impact on the ability of AAPI businesses to survive,
grow, and successfully contribute to the American economy.
** Security is a priority for the safety of all Americans and
the potential of America and its economy. America is still the
beacon of hope and freedom for people around the world. We
believe that the President's resolve to fight for this country's
freedom at home and abroad not only secures the future
prosperity and potential of this country, it is a great tribute
to all the immigrants and refugees that have struggled to come
to this country to escape oppression to seek the American
dream.
Immigration reform is an important part of making this country
more secure and the President laid out a plan that will uphold
our laws, reflect our values, and serve the interests of our
country.
** Health Care Must Be Made Affordable And Accessible. Our
government has a responsibility to help provide health care for
the poor and the elderly, and it will meet that responsibility.
The Commission is committed to addressing AAPI health care
issues. The President's proposals to confront the rising cost
of care, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship, and help
people afford the insurance coverage they need are positive
steps toward improving the affordability and quality of health
care delivery to AAPIs .
###
Erik F. Wang
Deputy Director
White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW
Room 5092
Washington, DC 20230
(http://www.aapi.gov)
******************
February 1, 2006
THE ‘INVISIBLE’ MARKET
Julia Huang believes that Asian Americans are an "invisible"
market to U.S. packaged goods companies. As proof of her
assertion, she recalled the researcher who once showed her
videotape from a San Jose, Calif., supermarket in which two
Chinese shoppers were seen opening packages of detergent, soap
and salad dressing, touching and smelling the items before
placing them back on shelves.
"That was their way of forming a connection with the product,"
observed Huang, a Taiwanese immigrant and founder of the
multicultural marketing firm InterTrend Communications, Long
Beach, Calif. "No CPG or food company has gone out of its way to
form relationships with us. That's what branding is about,
establishing connections with consumers."
Trying to foster more of those relationships, Huang established
the agency's Knowledge Center research arm in 2004. This year,
the Center will begin an intensive study to obtain qualitative
and quantitative data on the Asian market, which it hopes to
tailor to the packaged goods industry.
"We will be going into people's homes to see what brands they
have in their refrigerators and how they use those brands, as
well as [into] supermarkets and other venues," said Tanya Raukko,
director of strategic planning at InterTrend. "This is the kind
of research that is needed to demystify for marketers how Asians
connect with brands."
In this day and age, it may seem odd that marketers would need
help "demystifying" a well-represented ethnic group with
familiar names in government (Norman Mineta), sports (Yao Ming,
Michelle Kwan) and entertainment (Lucy Liu). However, the Asian
demo remains largely untapped by a number of U.S. companies that
stand to benefit from a greater understanding of the market.
"There is still a dearth of secondary research on the product
and brand usage behavior of Asian Americans in many categories,"
said Saul Gitlin, evp of strategic marketing services at Kang &
Lee, New York, a consultancy that specializes in the Asian
market whose clients include the NBA, Western Union and The New
York Times. "Many marketers therefore may be waiting for the
advent of more research to validate their emerging interest in
[the demo]."
InterTrend was part of the first wave of marketing firms in the
'80s that began to target Asian consumers in the
telecommunications, auto, retail and finance industries. It now
counts Northwest Airlines, J.C. Penney, State Farm Insurance,
Western Union, Toyota and Verizon among its clients. These
companies were some of the first to target Asian immigrants with
in-language advertising, sales promotions and outreach during
holidays like the Vietnam Tet Festival and Chinese New Year.
Today, however, Asian Americans receive a tiny fraction of the
resources earmarked for multicultural marketing in the U.S. The
lion's share of spending is geared toward Hispanics and African
Americans, with 2004 totals for the former ($3.9 billion) and
latter ($1.7 billion) dwarfing the $100 million dedicated to
Asian Americans, according to the Asian American Advertising
Federation in Los Angeles.
In neglecting to speak directly to this audience, marketers risk
ignoring a demo that boasts higher education and considerable
spending power.
At 4% of the U.S. population, or 11.6 million, Asian Americans
are one-third the size of the Hispanic population, which is
growing at a faster rate. Still, their combined buying clout of
$397 billion is well over half that of Hispanics ($686.3
billion) and is projected to quintuple to $579 billion by 2010,
per The Multicultural Economy, a 2005 study by the Selig Center
for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia. The near-400%
gain from 1990 through 2010 is substantially greater than the
increases projected for Caucasians (164%) and African Americans
(222%), and nearly equal to the 413% leap predicted for
Hispanics.
"By and large, CPG companies are missing the boat on this one,"
said Michelle Barry, vp of consumer insights at the Hartman
Group, a Bellevue, Wash., consultancy with clients in the
pharmaceutical and packaged goods industries. "The vast majority
of [ethnic] research and consulting work we do is constrained to
the African American and Hispanic groups. We are very rarely
asked to consult on or provide insights into the Asian American
segment."
Why not? Marketers may offer a list of reasons that include a
reluctance to devote resources to a comparatively small segment,
the lack of such efforts by competitors and the complex task of
reaching a diverse audience with many frames of reference.
"Unlike Hispanics, who share a single language, marketers may
find it difficult to communicate with them with one message,"
said Nick Hahn, managing director at branding consultancy
Vivaldi Partners, New York. "What works for the Japanese is not
so relevant to the Chinese and vice-versa." For example, while
red connotes positivity in China, the color signifies bad luck
for Koreans. And as opposed to Western culture, where black
symbolizes grieving, Asians wear white, which represents
sadness, to funerals.
U.S. companies are often daunted by the convoluted nature of the
Asian market, which comprises 20 countries in six main
sub-groups: Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Korean
and Japanese (in order of population size). Still, Asians share
core values like safety, education and reverence for family
elders—values to which many marketers could appeal.
"We would never recommend that a marketer attempt to address
each of the Asian sub-segments," said Bill Imada, president of
the AAAF and chairman/CEO of IW Group, a West Hollywood, Calif.,
marketing firm with clients including Merrill Lynch, Blue Cross
of California, McDonald's and Wal-Mart. However, with two-thirds
of the Asian population concentrated in 10 urban markets (the
top three are Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco), that
could make the group easier to target along geographic lines.
More marketers are beginning to tap multicultural agencies like
Cultural Access (Chicago) and Ameredia (San Francisco) as well
as advertising firms such as Admerasia (New York) and Kang & Lee
that specialize in the Asian market. According to Imada, the
number of such agencies rose from three in 1989 to more than 50
today. More than two-thirds of the Asian-American population
prefers to speak their native language, he said, noting the
current 625 Asian-language media outlets in the U.S.
"There are many ways to segment this market," said Sharmila
Fowler, managing director of Cultural Access Group, whose
clients include Universal Studios and Honda. "It all boils down
to the marketers' key business objectives."
Food, Glorious Food
Food purveyors are among those most conspicuous packaged goods
companies to lag behind in marketing to Asian Americans. While
Asians took 10 fewer grocery shopping trips in 2004 and bought
approximately one less item per visit compared to the general
market, they spent a healthy $30 per trip, according to
ACNielsen Homescan Panel.
The void is beginning to fill. Last fall, Kraft launched its
first dedicated Asian marketing effort, an integrated campaign
featuring in-language ads, in-store product demos/tastings and a
Web site with recipes and tips for healthy living.
"Reaching multicultural consumers and speaking to them in
culturally relevant ways will continue to be an important part
of our overall growth strategy," said Kathy Nyquist, associate
director for multicultural marketing at Kraft. "We see Asians as
one of the fastest-growing segments. As they begin to adopt to a
new culture, our goal is to provide them with the meal
solutions, recipe ideas and nutritional information they need to
make their lives easier."
Kraft began testing for some of its major brands in 2003 via a
partnership with 99 Ranch, the largest Asian grocery chain in
the U.S. Based in Buena Park, Calif., 99 Ranch offered customers
samples of brands including Jell-O, Capri Sun, Ritz, Maxwell
House and Kraft Pourable Dressings. "We wanted to know what they
knew about Kraft, how familiar they were with our brands and how
they were using them," Nyquist said.
Surprisingly enough, the shoppers did not want more Asian-style
products from Kraft. "They were interested in learning how to
prepare Western-style meals with our products," said Nyquist,
adding that consumers wanted answers to questions, such as which
brands were appropriate for kids' lunches, in their native
language. Per Nyquist, there was high brand recognition for many
brands, including Maxwell House and Jell-O, yet there was little
awareness that these were marketed by Kraft.
From its experience marketing to Hispanics, Kraft knew it needed
to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. While most Hispanics
speak Spanish, regional nuances can create very different
meanings—and potential pitfalls for marketers. A word that
Argentines use for "insect," for example, is one that is used to
describe the male reproductive organ in the Caribbean.
To ensure credibility with its Asian audience, Kraft tapped
Admerasia, which launched print ads during the test phase in
Chinese newspapers New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and
Boston. Given that there are hundreds of dialects in the Chinese
language, it was no simple task.
"We went with Mandarin and Cantonese, which are two of the more
commonly-spoken dialects spoken by immigrants," said Vincent
Tam, director of client services at Admerasia, whose clients
also include Mercedes-Benz, Delta, McDonald's and American
Express. "We targeted immigrant moms who are seeking to strike a
balance at home between Western and Eastern cultures. They are
considered the cultural gatekeepers."
One print ad on a bright red background shows an array of Kraft
products arranged on a platter. The headline, "Life has a
hundred flavors," is based on a Chinese proverb, while the
tagline translates to: "A fulfilling family of brands . . . from
Kraft." The background color is an auspicious one not only in
Chinese culture, but also for Kraft with its red, white and blue
logo.
To further connect with shoppers, Kraft deployed
Chinese-speaking representatives to supermarket chains including
Ralph's and Albertsons. The reps conducted cooking demos of
Western recipes using Kraft products, handed out product samples
and offered suggestions for convenient kid-friendly school
lunches. Kraft also launched a Web site (Krafthealthyliving.com)
to promote tips for healthy eating, such as "sip your tea" for
better health benefits. Recipes include Nutty Pineapple Tofu
Fried Rice, which calls for Planters Peanut Oil and Planters
Sliced Almonds, and Quick Veggie & Beef Noodle Bowl, made with
Kraft Light Done Right reduced-fat dressing.
Kraft's foray into the Asian market may set the stage for a
bigger push among food and beverage marketers. Asians are
staunch consumers of staples such as peanut butter, rice,
cooking oils, mayonnaise, flour and noodles, suggesting an
opportunity for the likes of Skippy, Uncle Ben's, Crisco,
Hellman's, Pillsbury and Barilla.
"Those who put in their dollars now in this market will realize
the early benefits [and will establish] brand loyalty," said
Pawan Mehra, partner at Ameridia. (Its clients include Citibank,
Comcast and Dish Network.) "Often this does not involve big ad
bucks. The proportional share of ad dollars in Asian
[communities] is still less compared to other groups."
Beverage makers might also achieve greater returns among Asians,
who index high for 7UP and Mountain Dew and "very" high for
Coke, per Kang & Lee's Gitlin. Thus far, cola giants have
engaged in only cursory marketing to the segment. Coca-Cola, for
instance, is a longtime sponsor of the Chinese New Year Parade
in San Francisco, while Pepsi dabbles in other holiday event
promotions.
Fast food companies have more of a foothold in the market. Last
year, for example, McDonald's highlighted its Chicken Selects
strips—which proved quite popular among Asians—in print ads in
Chinese, Vietnamese and other English-dominant Asians.
Roads Already Traveled: Lessons from Retail, Auto And Telecom
Once they finally set their sights on the Asian demo, packaged
goods marketers may take a page from those in the retail,
telecommunications and auto industries. "Marketers like
Washington Mutual, Toyota and AT&T were pioneers in recognizing
the bottom-line potential of the Asian market," said Imada. "But
food and other consumer packaged goods companies have barely
made a dent."
J.C. Penney is a noteworthy case study. When the all-American
retailer wanted to build its brand in the Asian market in 1996,
it turned to Huang to create a compelling shopping destination
for Chinese and Vietnamese females ages 25-49 in northern
California, which boasts the highest Chinese population in the
U.S.
J.C. Penney initially relied on price promotions and in-store
displays to present itself as offering quality and value to
Asian shoppers. To maximize its $500,000 budget, InterTrend
focused on Chinese women, the largest Asian segment, and
Vietnamese women, who responded positively to J.C. Penney
merchandise in research studies.
"Women are usually the decision makers [and shoppers] in the
Asian family. They are very price conscious," said Huang.
"Sales, promotions and sweepstakes are the main forces that
drive them to a store and make purchases."
In 2003, the efforts expanded with a national advertising
campaign. J.C. Penney began marketing to Asians not only during
the back-to-school or Thanksgiving selling seasons but also
during cultural holidays and at family-oriented events. As the
brand's marketing budget grew to $3 million, Huang laughed, "We
now can afford to use real live Asian models!"
During a one-month Lunar New Year sales event (Dec. 2003-Jan.
2004), a J.C. Penney tagline ran across a wide mix of
communications including tie-ins with fashion shows and credit
card applications. The results: Sales grew 1.9% at J.C. Penney
stores with high Asian penetration (versus overall sales growth
of 0.5%) during the promotion period. Today, the retailer
features the program as a signature annual event.
Toyota, with its Asian pedigree, is another successful
InterTrend case study. In 2003, research identified four Toyota
brands—Sienna, Camry, Corolla and Highlander—whose quality and
reliability resonated with the target. "They were looking to
optimize both traditional and non-traditional media reach and at
the same time grow their online platform to target tech savvy
Asians," explained Huang.
The campaign targeted Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans with a
spate of programs that included the auto industry's first
language-specific Web site. Corolla TV and print ads stressed
freedom and independence to 20-ish immigrant females who needed
their car to be a "reliable partner" in their new homeland. Tag:
"Corolla gives you a sense of freedom." Other Toyota brands told
young professional males to "Advance in life with your Camry,"
while families with kids who value safety and versatility were
assured that Sienna is the safest way to drive. Per InterTrend,
sales of Camry and Sienna were up 10% among the Asian targets in
2004.
Spam and Other Specialities of the House
In supermarket aisles, one opportunity comes from the fact that
72-90% of Asians are lactose intolerant. (During its focus
groups, Kraft learned that Asian moms were feeding cheese to
their kids as a substitute for milk.) Does McNeil Nutritionals,
the maker of Lactaid, thus have a cash cow on its hands? "If
ever there was a product that should go after the Asian market,
it's Lactaid," said Gitlin. "Asians are the biggest sufferers of
this condition, but the company does zero advertising in this
community."
In fact, McNeil, a Johnson & Johnson company, has been marketing
Lactaid to just about everyone but Asians. "We focus our efforts
on Hispanics and African Americans," said a McNeil rep. "There
are nascent efforts with regard to targeting Asian Americans. We
have some robust plans for next year."
Hormel's Spam hasn't allocated a single dedicated Asian
marketing dollar, yet has tremendous appeal in the community
since it was offered as a fresh meat substitute to soldiers
during World War II. Today, Asians practically deify the brand.
In South Korea, wedding couples are said to have a long and
prosperous life if they receive a wedding pack of Spam. In
Hawaii, Spam is sold at McDonald's restaurants, and travel
agents send tours packed with Hawaiian residents on annual
pilgrimages to the Spam Museum in Austin, Minn.
So why not actively reach out to this loyal market? "We simply
don't have to. It's a part of their culture," said Shaun
Radford, archive manager at the Spam museum.
Beyond food, there are categories such as household goods in
which marketers could benefit from a more targeted approach to
the Asian market. Consultants were quick to suggest how Procter
& Gamble, for instance, could make inroads with a brand like
Tide.
"If you're an immigrant who doesn't speak English or doesn't own
a washing machine, you must show them how Tide meshes into their
lives," advised Imada. "Allow consumers to see, touch, smell and
use the product with in-store demos or at community events. They
love to test products. Offer them coupons . . . Don't describe
to them how to use it in an instruction book or print ad."
Cosmetics marketers, meanwhile, have expanded multicultural
efforts in recent years, but continue to gear most of their
products toward Caucasian women. P&G, for example, has a loyal
Asian following behind its SK-II high-end cosmetics line, which
originated in Asia, though is formulated for the general market.
Still, the company advertises SK-II with print ads in Chinese
and Korean newspapers in major metro areas.
If marketers are looking for a clear sign that the race is on
for the Asian dollar, it came last spring when Wal-Mart launched
its first Asian-targeted effort in the U.S. A multipronged
campaign for Wal-Mart via Imada's IW Group ran through January
in languages and dialects including Mandarin, Cantonese and
Vietnamese. TV ads featuring Asian shoppers extolled the merits
of shopping at Wal-Mart, and print touted holiday electronics
sales.
"Here's a company that is leveraging its global clout [with
1,600 stores outside the U.S.; 16 in South Korea and 44 in
China] to tell us about their brand," said Imada. "They weren't
daunted by the segmentation litany."
Now, other retailers and manufacturers may be forced to respond.
"Some marketers are waiting to see who jumps in first," said
Gary Stibel, principal/founder of New England Consulting Group,
Westport, Conn. "Once a major player like Wal-Mart moves in,
others are sure to follow."
For those who still cast a wary eye on the demo, Gitlin has some
advice.
"Start small with a single Asian group in a limited geography,
test and learn," he recommended. "And grow the programs as you
go."
(http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/spotlight/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001955982)
******************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
CONTACT:
Jimmy Lee or Erik Wang
202-482-2204
WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE FOR ASIAN AMERICANS
AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS ANNOUNCES FIRST TECHNICAL WORKSHOP FOR
THE NEW YEAR
Washington DC: The White House Initiative for Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders today announced that the first technical
workshop for the year will be held in the growing Asian American
and Pacific Islander community of Fairfax, Virginia on Friday,
March 10, 2006.
Along with the White House Initiative Office, the President’s
Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,
local federal agencies and governmental officials will be
conducting workshops to bridge the divide between programs and
services of federal agencies with community groups and
organizations in the State of Virginia.
Free Workshops conducted will include such topics as how to
write effective grants, how to access grants and find grants for
your community organization, financial literacy for your
community, and minority contracting opportunities for your small
business. For a list of up to date partners and federal
agencies that will be at the technical conference please go to
www.aapi.gov
The technical workshop is an initiative through the White House
Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The White
House Initiative was created through an Executive Order signed
by President George W. Bush on May 13, 2004, President Bush to
increase economic opportunities for and improve the quality of
life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through greater
participation in federal programs where they may be underserved
(e.g. economic and community development).
Technical Conference Information
Location: Fairfax County Government Center
1200 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035-0011
8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
COST: FREE
###
(http://www.aapi.gov)
******************
February 1, 2006
ASIAN AMERICANS LENT COLOR, PAGEANTRY TO KAINE INAUGURATION
Their Presence, Participation Are ‘Medium of Their Message’
By Rita M. Gerona-Adkins
Asian Fortune Senior Writer
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG, VA --- The Asians and Pacific Islander
(API) community in Virginia, the state recognized by history as
the Nation’s birthplace, raised visibility for individuals of
API origins with their sizable presence and participation at
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s inauguration held Jan. 14, 2006 in this
history-laden setting of Colonial Williamsburg.
They made their presence felt in two significant
inaugural activities: 1) an Asian Pacific American Reception
hosted for the in-coming governor at the Roosevelt Room of
Williamsburg Inn on Jan. 13, eve of his being sworn into office;
and 2) the next day, their impressive participation in the
inaugural parade that showcased their colorful native costumes
and cultural accoutrements depicting various ethnic groups in at
least five Asian countries.
Their impressive number and participation must have
crossed his mind when, in his inaugural address, he pledged to
pursue “a commonwealth where the promise of Virginia rings true
for every son and daughter” and asked for help from “all
Virginians regardless of party or race, region and religion.”
At the reception they gave in his honor, the
Governor-Elect hobnobbed with many of them who, regardless of
their preferred party affiliation, came from all over the state
to personally greet and congratulate him.
And from the podium and review stand built behind
the Colonial Governor’s Palace, he saw and applauded them as
they marched in their colorful native costumes, as part of the
longest line ever assembled for an inaugural parade of
Virginians with origins from dozens of countries from all over
the world.
SHOW OF MULTICULTURALISM
With this dramatic show of multiculturalism,
Virginia – marked as the Nation’s birth place when the country’s
first English settlers who sailed in 1607 into James River
created Jamestown -- has indeed gone a long way from the
original Native Indian dwellers and English settlers of the 17th
Century to becoming a seat of diversity in the 21st Century,
with a population culled not only from Europe and Africa but
also from Latin America and Asia
It was not only the new governor who must have been
thrilled by this multicultural spectacle.
Watching the 150-some Asian Pacific American team in
their varied colorful attire waiting for the parade to start,
Bob McConnell, dressed as a “typical frontier’s man” with
musket, long horn and tomahawk (mean-looking ax), exclaimed, “It
is beautiful, just beautiful!!”
Craig Roybal, dressed in a “typical rifleman’s” garb
of colonial times for hunting deer, buffalo and “occasionally an
elf,” joined in with words of praise and wonderment that would
have been great quotes if they were not lost somewhere in his
fascinating down-home “old Virginny”country accent.
PURSUING ‘PROMISE OF VIRGINIA’
Kaine, a 47-year old Democrat who served as Lt. Governor to the
exiting governor Mark R. Warner and earlier as Mayor of
Richmond, had his inaugural ceremonies moved to Williamsburg as
the State Capitol [a landmark built by Thomas Jefferson] in
Richmond where inaugural ceremonies have been usually held, is
undergoing comprehensive renovation.
Narrowly beating the Republican standard bearer
Jerry Kilgore by 6% in the November 2005 election, Kaine is
predicted to follow the moderate model of his Democratic
predecessor while maintaining a balance with a
Republican-dominated Legislature.
A practicing Catholic who as a young man had taught
young children and did carpentry chores in Honduras, Kaine
enjoys the distinction of being the third governor and the first
to be inaugurated in modern times in historic Williamsburg,
after Thomas Jefferson (1779) and Patrick Henry (1777), the
commonwealth’s first governor. He serves as the 70th governor
of Virginia.
Hatless in a drizzling rain, Kaine delivered an
inspirational inaugural address that strummed the chords of
nonpartisanship, inclusiveness, participatory decision-making,
fiscal discipline and accountability, improving public schools,
safe environment, hi-tech research, entrepreneurial business,
and better economic opportunities in pursuing the “Promise of
Virginia.”
It was a departure from what political wags refer to
as Virginia’s politicized themes of “guns, gays and God,” but
interestingly, also drew from underpinnings of both liberal and
conservative political philosophies.
He pursued the theme of a welcoming, helping hand,
while asking for the help of “all Virginians regardless of party
or region, race or religion.”
Without mentioning the impact of immigrants in
Virginia, he recalled the “hospitality of Chief Powhatan and the
compassion of Pocahontas, without which the first English
settlers would have perished.”
“That same sense of community is required of us
today,” he said. “We must include all Virginians in our
efforts. We should continue to welcome newcomers to this
commonwealth and nation, just as Chief Powhatan did 400 years
ago.”
Chief Justice Leroy R. Hassell Sr. of the Virginia
Supreme Court swore him in at 12:17 p.m. Also sworn in were
Republican Bill Bolling as Lt. Governor and Republican Robert F.
McDonnell as Attorney General.
His wife, Judge Anne Bolton, their three children, and his
father-in-law, former VA Governor Linwood Bolton, joined Kaine.
KAINE’S MESSAGE THRU ASIAN FORTUNE
As he worked the room at the APA reception, with a
glad hand and his characteristic twinkle-eyed smile, Kaine was
obviously appreciative of the reception, which was organized by
the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia and
co-chaired by Rob Colorina of Hampton Roads and Eric Liang
Jensen of No. Virginia.
Speaking to Asian Fortune readers through this
correspondent, Kaine expressed his gratitude for the help of
Asian Pacific Americans during the election campaign, which
included Rose Chu, a long-time Democratic community leader in
Virginia, Joe Montano of Virginia Beach and community activist
in the D.C. area who served as assistant coordinator for APAs in
the Kaine campaign, among others.
He said, “We really thank the Asian community for
all their great support in the campaign; more importantly, for
their contributions to Virginia. The APA community is in every
corner of the State, and I look forward to working very closely
with them in the next four years.”
STATE OFFICIALS AT
APA RECEPTION
State officials, some of whom upon hearing about the
reception came late to catch up, included U.S. Rep. Robert Scott
(D-3rd District), a grandson of a Filipino; State Senator Yvonne
B. Miller, Del. Chuck Caputo, Del. David Bulova, and former
State Education Secretary and University of Virginia President
John Casteen.
Their welcomed presence to APA-sponsored inaugural
events gave the impression that the Asian Pacific American
community is starting to make waves and attract more attention
from the state’s political leaders.
If numbers and participation mean anything in the
American political process, they would be the medium of their
message [to borrow from communication guru Marshall McLuhan to
Virginia that they are here, participating, and will not be
ignored.
Rep. Scott -- who represents the Richmond, Tidewater
and Hampton Roads areas, which contains strongholds of the
largest segment of Virginia’s Filipino American population -- in
his brief address, urged them to support the “necessary changes”
in the U.S. Patriot Act, which will be debated for
reauthorization when Congress hearings start in Jan. 31st. “It
is important that there is a check-and-balance mechanism in our
system,” he said. -
Del. Caputo, of VA’s 57th District, who represents
diverse groups, including APAs in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties,
told this correspondent, “What I found out – in meeting with
many of them in my district – is that they are hardworking, very
supportive of their families, and are trying hard to make it and
help grow the economy. I will dedicate myself to making sure
that they have the opportunity to indeed succeed.”
But, he adds as a reminder that they should get
involved.
“It’s very important that the APA community continue
to constantly keep in close contact, and bring their concerns to
me, their ideas on issues. I’d be very happy to accept them.”
John Marshall, re-appointed as Virginia’s Secretary
for Public Safety, was expected but failed to attend the
reception. He is part Filipino, being son of a Filipino mother
and wife of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood
Marshall. Regarded as an icon in the country’s struggle for
civil rights, Supreme Court Justice Marshall is enshrined in
judicial history for having argued the segregation-busting Brown
vs. Board of Education case to triumph over the country’s Plessy
vs. Ferguson separate-but-equal policy.
BIPARTISAN AMBIENCE
Nonpartisanship or bipartisanship, if one prefers to
call it, could be said to describe many of the reception guests,
with Drs. Oscar and Sarie Laserna of Falls Church, Marilyn
Donato of Roanoke, and other GOP members hobnobbing with Dick
Dabu of Virginia Beach, Francis Stevens, former elected council
member of Petersburg, Mr. And Mrs. Singh of Chesapeake, and
other fellow Democrats.
“Now that the election is over, we Republicans are
also here to join everybody to congratulate the new Governor and
to see where we can all work together for all Asians and other
Virginians for our common good,” Donato, a food technologist and
cookbook author, told Asian Fortune.
Dr. Sarie Laserna, who had helped raise funds for
Republican candidate Kilgore and is active in issues of health
and malpractice insurance policy reform, reiterated the
sentiment with her exuberant presence and photo-op poses with
the Democratic governor.
Sounding off on the multi-faceted subject of Asian
values and American values, Asian work ethos and the American
Dream, Hung Nguyen, of Fairfax, VA and President/CEO of the
National Congress of Vietnamese Americans, told this writer:
“APAs are [an integral] part of the Commonwealth,
which will be 400 years old in 2007…being a large part of the
state’s work force, including almost 60,000 Vietnamese, almost
50,000 Koreans, and others… So we may be smaller in numbers than
other [immigrant] groups but we have greater purchasing power…
But we need to work together, even as we differ on issues and
have different opinions, such as on immigration…We have to aim
for appointments of APAs be it at federal or state or local
levels…
“About values, everybody talks about them…Asian
values are about family, working hard and being
self-sufficient…But we also adopt the American values of
pursuing the American Dream …raising ourselves by our own
bootstraps, and aiming for and supporting ownership in our
personal and political life…so we should support both Asian and
American values, and live by them…
“And when [political] leaders tell us that they
support racial equality and are for equal opportunity, we heed
their words but we should look for action…”
Giving an overview of CAPAVA’s activities, its
president Ting Ying Oei said:
“We had a very successful year, having held three
major activities: 1) our first legislative forum, 2) a
candidates forum for the 2005 elections, and 3) an educational
forum which discussed how to look for jobs, helping specially
new immigrant families integrate into the system, learning about
schools for their children, etc.
“We also made more contact with our [local and
state] leaders…many of them have not quite realized how fast the
Asian and Pacific Islander population is growing, especially in
areas of No. Virginia, Loudon and Hampton Roads.
“We hope to put out a [final] report very soon that
would include a whole range of information and ideas on issues
of our concern, such as education, etc. “
Oei was referring to the draft report being produced by the
Advisory Commission for Asian Pacific Americans serving during
the Warner administration, with assistance from CAPAVA.
APA LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING –FEB. 2ND
The report is expected to generate discussions at the Second
Legislative Briefing for Asian Pacific Americans in Virginia to
be held Feb. 2nd in Richmond. The briefing aims to help create
a guide for ensuring APA involvement and participation in the
Kaine administration.
[According to Census 2000, the fast-growing Asian Pacific
American population in Virginia numbered six years ago, in the
following:
Asian Americans – totaled 261,025: Asian Indians at the
forefront with 48,815, followed by Filipino Americans (47,609),
Korean Americans (45,279), Vietnamese Americans (37,309),
Chinese Americans (36,966), and Japanese (9,080). Pacific
Islanders (3,946), and other Asian Americans (35,967)].
APA PARADE PARTICIPANTS
The Asian Fortune performing Team was organized and
coordinated by Jay Chen, publisher of this publication Asian
Fortune, which was first established in Hampton Roads 13 years
ago and had moved a year later to the Northern Virginia area.
He said it took about two months to contact and
prepare the participating organizations and their members for
the big show. Five Asian countries – China, Korea, India,
Philippines, and Vietnam -- were represented by some of their
ethnic groups in the parade.
The preparation must have been so focused that when
asked about what country or organization they represented, some
quickly answered, “Asian Fortune!” only to correct themselves
with half-embarrassed smiles.
Lucia Chen, however, showed nonchalance about her
chores as she helped groups take their assigned positions in the
parade. Asked about the diminutive bells that decorate the
trousers of a certain costume, she said, “Taiwan… the
Laoshing…but they are also worn in the Southeastern parts of
China.”
Dr. Vishnu Lakdawala, professor of electrical and
computer engineering at Old Dominion University, was more
loquacious about the Hindu Temple Association of Hampton Roads.
“We have about 1,000 family members, and have over
30 participants in the parade. They are mostly professionals,
e.g. those working at NASA (National Air and Space
Administration), businessmen operating hotels and motels, and
small business ventures,” he said with naked pride.
Sangita Patel had to be coaxed by Dr. Lakdawala to
speak to Asian Fortune. A long-time head of an Indian dance
troupe in Hampton Roads, she spoke of some technical problems in
conforming to parade rules, by adjusting the dance movements of
the 30 members who performed “Garbi”, a Hindu tribute to the
Mother Goddess in Kujarat.
Little girls in native costumes were among the
parade’s most appealing attractions.
Desiree Jimenez, 9-year old member of the United
Ilocano Association of Tidewater, wearing a half-covered sash
across her bodice reminded Asian Fortune, “I am Little Miss
Philippines!”
Yeng, 6 and her sister Jo Ann, 9 were a bit shy as
they agreed to be photographed with their big Chinese dragon
masks, which later they placed on top of their heads as cover
from the rain.
Two young members of a Latin ballet troupe explained
what country their costumes represented: Anna, 11, Peru; and
Loren, 10, Mexico. Their ballet teacher, Maria Sanchez, proudly
beamed at they posed for photographs. They were among the long
line that represented, with banners, just about every country in
South and Central America, surely making Kaine who spent
volunteer work in their part of the world, beam with pride and
appreciation.
But most illustrative of the tenacity of the parade
participants was a Chinese gentleman, Choi, who, rain-drenched,
steadied himself with a cane as he slowly made step-by-step
progress on the road shoulder, late perhaps but surely not left
behind.
“I’m a friend of Jay,” he told Asian Fortune without
realizing he was being interviewed for his friend’s handiwork.
Below is a list of APA parade participating
organizations or troupes under the Asian Fortune Team, which are
generally nonprofit and dedicated to promoting Asian arts and
culture by performing within their own communities as well as
for others in the greater American society:
- Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe, a nonprofit amateur
group composed of students of all ages from Greater Washington
Metro Area and Delaware.
- East Rising Lion Dance Troupe, a nonprofit lion dance
troupe composed mainly of college students and young
professionals.
- The United Ilocano Association of Tidewater Dance
Troupe, 20-years old, headed by Josie Orencia and assisted by
Christian and Tricia Orpilla and other dedicated parents. The
girls wear “Maria Clara” and boys the Barong Tagalog of Spanish
influence.
- Filipino Fighting Arts Academy, performing Filipino
martial arts of Stick Fighting & Knife Fighting.
- Hindu Temple of Hampton Roads serving the religious
and cultural needs of the Hindu Community in the Hampton Roads
area which includes the cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk,
Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News,
Williamsburg, and also Eastern Shores; has a 24,000 square feet
of Temple Complex on 10 acres of waterfront land.
- Korean American Association of Washington
Metropolitan Area (KAAW)
Korean Drum Dance team consisting of Samul-Nori (drum dance) and
Tal Chum (Mask Dance)
- Vietnamese Lion Dance - Spirit Mountain Martial Arts,
a discipline based on Buddhism, trains the mind, body and spirit
for self-protection and self-perfection; it includes meditation,
Kung Fu, Kick Boxing, Aikido, Tai Chi, and Lion Dance.
(http://www.asianfortune.com)
******************
February 2, 2006
DoOneNiceThing.com RECOGNITION OF HUNG NGUYEN
Dear Friends,
It's my pleasure to announce that HUNG NGUYEN has received the
Nice People award from kindness project DoOneNiceThing.com. The
award is given to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary
kindness and selflessness. To see our tribute to Hung, please
visit DoOneNiceThing.com.
What an inspiring man! Despite his heavy commitment to work, he
also devotes tremendous energy and time to helping other people
realize their dreams through the National Congress of Vietnamese
Americans and numerous other committees and good works.
DoOneNiceThing.com is proud to shine the spotlight on him and
thank him for all he does to make the world a better place.
DoOneNiceThing.com's mission is simple: Do one nice thing for
someone every Monday. We have members all over the world. Please
visit us to see the small nice things every person can do. And
join us! Working together we are making a difference.
Warm regards,
Debbie Tenzer
Founder, DoOneNiceThing.com
dtenzer@DoOneNiceThing.com
(http://www.DoOneNiceThing.com)
******************
February 3, 2006
CITY
HAS MUCH TO LEARN ABOUT ASIAN AMERICANS
Gillian May-Lian Wee
gwee@charlotteobserver.com
I have never been more conscious about my ethnicity than in
Charlotte.
At bars, men frequently approach me and my Asian American
friends and say they love Asian women. Sources I interview ask
me if I am "oriental," which, as readers of Edward Said know,
isn't complimentary.
Colleagues assume I love sushi and can translate Vietnamese,
even though I am ethnically Chinese.
Maybe it feels awkward, or at times unwelcome, to be Asian in
Charlotte because there are so few of us, even though our
numbers are growing. Or maybe it's because whites and blacks,
with their own old and existing tensions, don't know how to
perceive the newest entrants: Asians and Hispanics, the nation's
fastest growing races.
Asians are seen through so many lenses: the model student in
math and science; the coy, submissive woman who will cater to
your every whim; the kinky, fetishized dragon lady; the teen who
embraces hip-hop culture; the martial arts specialist.
Some people still think that all Asians look alike, speak one
another's languages and act the same way.
Or maybe these same people aren't thinking enough.
A group of young, educated Asian Americans claim they were
turned away from an uptown club, the Forum, late last year
because of their race. A bouncer had allegedly told them he
didn't want any trouble because a few nights before, a group of
Asians were involved in a nearby shooting after leaving the
club.
Joseph Wind, 24, e-mailed the club to complain. He said that
night was the first time he had felt being Asian restricted his
movement. The club's management has said it sent an e-mail
apologizing for any "perceived impropriety," but it hasn't
admitted any wrongdoing.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Wind and his sister were adopted by
white Americans two decades ago. Growing up between Rochester,
N.Y., and North Carolina, he hated the fact that he looked
different. People bullied him for having "slanty eyes" and black
hair, he said. He began to embrace being Asian only in college,
at N.C. State University, where he met other Asians.
"My Asian friends know their parents have sacrificed for them;
they owe them and respect them," said Wind, a credit manager at
a bank in Charlotte. "With my white friends, that's still the
case but it's not as evident in the way they treat their
parents."
Wind e-mailed his friends about the incident, and that note has
been forwarded around Charlotte. He's now in the process of
filing a complaint against the uptown club through the city's
community relations committee. His aim: to create awareness and
defeat stereotypes.
His friend, Hien Tran, 26, was also there that night. Tran, who
recently moved to Charlotte from Raleigh, said he wasn't really
that surprised. Growing up, he thinks, he was picked on because
people around him weren't used to Asians. Tran said he realized
during college at Chapel Hill that some educated people appeared
to be more unlikely to make racial slurs.
"You have ignorant people trying to mimic our languages, saying
gibberish and laughing to us," said Tran of the discrimination
he's felt throughout his life. "You can't blame people for being
ignorant; I don't take it personally anymore."
Tran, the son of Vietnamese immigrants, wants to be seen as
American, not just singled out as Asian. He thinks that if
minorities start playing non-stereotypical roles in the movies,
that will help erode stereotypes.
Painful as they are, such incidents might help each individual
define and develop his or her own beliefs -- by deciding to
identify solely with Chinese, Vietnamese, Asian, Asian American,
or American cultures, or a number at once.
The underlying issue of race is growing more fragmented and
complex, as international migration increases. Newer ethnic
groups and those around them might not immediately think about
asserting or understanding cultural differences.
Since I moved to the South, I felt a need to preserve my own
heritage, one I never felt I had to cling to while living in
London and bigger U.S. cities, where people seemed more open.
About a year ago, I started using my other first name "May Lian,"
(pronounced may-lee-yan), which means beautiful lotus in
Mandarin. My parents and grandparents gave me that name. It
reminds me of my roots.
If Charlotte truly wants to sell itself as a diverse
cosmopolitan city, we need to learn more about different
cultures, and be more sensitive. Minorities have long grappled
with bridging different worlds and cultures, but now, more than
ever, there needs to be an acceleration in thought.
We live in a global age, where such countries as China and India
are quickly emerging as superpowers. How will ignorance and
discrimination help us then?
How do you think Charlotte can become a more inclusive city?
Email me at
gwee@charlotteobserver.com
(http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/13787008.htm)
******************
February 4, 2006
NEW
ORLEANS’ VIETNAMESE DRAW STRENGTH FROM PAST
By Russell McCulley
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - While a large swath of eastern New
Orleans remains desolate and without power, hundreds of
Vietnamese-Americans in one flood-ravaged part of the district
are busy rebuilding their once-thriving community and rallying
around the church that anchors it.
Every year, parishioners at Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic
Church gather to celebrate Tet, the beginning of the Vietnamese
lunar new year, with fireworks, dragon dances and music.
This weekend's festival, the first since Hurricane Katrina
struck on Aug. 29, has more significance than ever following the
floods that killed more than 1,300 people and displaced
two-thirds of the city's population.
"Psychologically, it acts as a stabilizer," said Mary Queen of
Vietnam's pastor, Rev. Vien T. Nguyen.
"Every mark that we set has some symbolism to it, to show people
that it is business as usual, that we are home and we are
continuing."
About 1,000 of the church's 6,300 parishioners have returned to
Versailles, an eastern New Orleans neighborhood carved out of
swampland, Nguyen said.
A further 2,000 or so come in on weekends to work on
flood-damaged houses and to help restart the businesses that
serve the tight-knit community. Few residents or businesses have
returned to other parts of eastern New Orleans.
The revival of flood-prone neighborhoods has become a
politically contentious issue. City officials have suggested
that certain areas cannot be rebuilt unless enough evacuated
residents demonstrate an intent to return.
UPROOTED BY WAR
Kimberly Nguyen, who was busy preparing vermicelli, shrimp and
herb-stuffed spring rolls for sale at one of the festival's food
booths, said she was happy to be home after evacuating to
Lafayette, Louisiana, even though the early days were difficult.
"When I came here we didn't have lights or water," said Nguyen,
who is not related to the pastor. "But we survived. And we made
it back."
Before Katrina, New Orleans and its suburbs were home to an
estimated 20,000 Vietnamese immigrants and their U.S.-born
children.
The first wave of Vietnamese arrived in 1975, many at the
invitation of the Roman Catholic archdiocese. About two-thirds
of those who settled in the region are Catholic, with Buddhists
and ancestral worshipers making up the rest, Rev. Nguyen said.
Many in Versailles can trace their roots to three North
Vietnamese clans who fled to South Vietnam during the war with
the United States before relocating to eastern New Orleans.
That shared history has been key to the neighborhood's
resurgence, Nguyen said.
"Not only just by being neighbors, but also by being clans,
being all family, we are obligated to lend each other a hand,"
he said.
Most homes in the area took on between 5 inches and 1 foot of
water -- substantially less than harder-hit sections of eastern
New Orleans -- when breached levees inundated 80 percent of the
city.
The church and an adjacent school served as a refuge for the 400
neighborhood residents who rode out the storm, Nguyen said. When
evacuees began returning in early October, the parish used
church property as a distribution center for food and emergency
supplies.
"The factor that plays into the tightness of this community is
that these people have migrated several times in their life,
first from North to South Vietnam," Nguyen said.
"People who are 60 and older, they know each other's families,
each other's ancestors and relatives."
(http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04248154.htm)
******************
February 6, 2006
VIETNAMESE AMERICAN STUDENT RECEIVES 2006 MARTIN LUTHER KING,
JR. AWARD
By Adela De La Torre
Washington, DC -- Trinh Ngoc Tran, A Vietnamese American student
at the George Washington University, is among four students who
received the 2006 Martin Luther King Jr. medal at a convocation
celebration held by GW Multicultural Student Services Center on
Jan. 26.
Born in Thailand with strong family roots in Viet Nam, Trinh is
the daughter of Long Tram and Hoa Lam, and sister to Diem, Linda
and Kathy. Trinh grew up in Rosemead, California and came to
the George Washington University in the fall of 2002 to study
International Affairs and Social Cultural Anthropology. She
maintains strong ties in the Asian American community through
her work with the Vietnamese Student Association, the National
Congress of Vietnamese Americans and the East Coast Asian
American Student Union. Currently the coordinator of the
diversity discussion outreach program “Real Conversations,”
Trinh is an advocate for social justice, community Building and
social solidarity.
The Martin Luther King Jr. medal is conferred annually to
selected GW students in celebration and recognition of the human
values embodied in King's commitment to integration, peace,
nonviolence, conscience, personal integrity, and community. The
recipients of the 2006 Martin Luther King Jr. medal are
undergraduates Trinh Tran and Stephen Harris and graduate
students Abby Charles and Lina Musayev, a GW Presidential
Administrative Fellow. The medal recipients are selected by a
committee of GW staff, faculty, and students.
The Multicultural Student Services Center, located at 2127 G
Street, NW, provides a wide range of student services,
educational programming, and social and cultural activities to
enhance the multicultural ideas of cultural heritage, racial
understanding, academic excellence, and continuous personal
development.
(http://www.asianfortune.com/feb06/Articles/MLK%20award.htm)
******************
February 6, 2006
ELECTION 2006: S.J. MAYOR
In avid pursuit of ethnic vote
VIETNAMESE-AMERICANS PLAY
KEY POLITICAL ROLE AS NUMBERS INCREASE
By Phil Yost
Mercury News
What's that white male mayoral candidate doing dressed in a
traditional Vietnamese robe and attempting a phrase or two in
Vietnamese?
Why, politicking, of course, and demonstrating that San Jose's
Vietnamese-American community has achieved an importance in
local races that candidates for the city's highest office cannot
ignore.
Vietnamese-Americans are ``getting into the mainstream,'' said
mayoral candidate Chuck Reed, and ``elected officials are paying
attention.'' Reed certainly is, along with fellow Councilman
Dave Cortese and Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez, the candidates whose
campaigns for the June mayoral primary are the most organized
and best-funded to date.
At recent events celebrating Tet, the Vietnamese festival of the
Lunar New Year, Reed, Cortese and Chavez participated in the
same ways that candidates have at other ethnic festivals in
America for decades.
Saturday, at the Tet Friendship Festival at the fairgrounds, the
three joined other elected officials in a flag ceremony and then
in the tradition of feeding dollars to a dragon for good luck.
All three appeared in the Tet parade in downtown San Jose on
Jan. 29, as they have done for the past half-dozen years, where
elected officials rode in convertibles. Reed and Cortese donned
multi-colored traditional robes. They ventured a greeting in
Vietnamese.
At both events, Reed, Cortese and Chavez each set up campaign
booths in an exhibition hall and passed out fliers in Vietnamese
and English.
The political attraction is mutual.
``Vietnamese organizations are sending out invitations to all
the mayoral candidates,'' said Madison Nguyen, whose election in
September to the San Jose City Council was a milestone for the
Vietnamese community. ``We're starting to take the initiative to
reach out to political candidates.''
Since Vietnamese immigrants began arriving in San Jose in
substantial numbers in the mid-1970s, their population in San
Jose has grown to 100,000. But as with every immigrant group, it
took a while to become politically active and influential.
Eight years ago, the last time there was real competition for
the office of mayor, Vietnamese-Americans were about 2 percent
of San Jose voters, political consultants reckon. They were a
political footnote.
No longer. Consultants peg them at 10 percent -- some 35,000
voters.
The mayoral candidates assert that they have been attentive to
the needs of Vietnamese-Americans for years. When Reed was first
a council member, he said, ``I was often the only elected
official at some of their events.'' Reed has had a
Vietnamese-speaking staff member in his council office since he
was elected seven years ago.
Chavez said she was working on behalf of Vietnamese immigrant
workers as a labor organizer in the early 1990s.
Cortese said his introduction to the community came when his
family's real estate business established a partnership with a
Vietnamese immigrant to operate a gas station in the late 1980s.
H.G. Nguyen, founding president of the Vietnamese American
Chamber of commerce, says her community's increased political
participation is easy to understand.
``More and more people live longer in this country, so they
become U.S. citizens more and more,'' she said. And when they
take citizenship classes, she said, ``a lot of us realize how
this wonderful American system works.''
In the past few years, Vietnamese-Americans have seen the
benefits. In 2002, Madison Nguyen was elected to the board of
the Franklin-McKinley School District, the first
Vietnamese-American woman to hold public office in California.
Vietnamese-Americans make up a majority of the district's
student body.
In July 2003, the community was galvanized when a San Jose
police officer shot a disturbed Vietnamese-American woman,
mistakenly thinking she was threatening him with a weapon that
turned out to be a vegetable peeler.
In November 2004, Lan Nguyen won a school board seat in the East
Side Union High School District, which Vietnamese-Americans saw
as significant because they are a minority in the district.
But last summer is seen as the real breakout. In May, the city
council, responding to community pleas and a well-organized
campaign, passed a resolution recognizing the flag of
pre-communist Vietnam as the flag of the Vietnamese community
abroad.
That victory was followed shortly by the election that really
put the local Vietnamese-American community on the political
map.
In a special election to fill a vacant council seat, the two
candidates who topped the field of five serious candidates --
and went on to the runoff -- were both Vietnamese-American
women, Madison Nguyen, the eventual winner, and Linda Nguyen, no
relation.
``People got the sense,'' Linda Nguyen said, ``that the
Vietnamese community catapulted the two Vietnamese candidates
into the runoff.''
What Vietnamese-Americans want from City Hall doesn't differ
much from what other San Jose residents want, they say. Safe
streets. Nice parks. The business community would like to have a
neighborhood business district designated as Vietnamese, with
banners, as in Japantown.
It's not apparent this early in the mayoral campaign whether any
of the candidates is a favorite of Vietnamese-Americans -- or
whether Vietnamese-Americans will vote as a bloc.
In the first fundraising report of the campaign, Chavez had
raised the most money from Vietnamese-American contributors,
more than $10,000, estimating from Vietnamese surnames. But
Vietnamese names appeared on all three candidates' reports and
those reports covered only three weeks in December.
The support flows the other way as well. Reed contributed $2,000
toward this year's Tet parade, and Cortese helped with $1,000.
Chavez has donated $500 from her ``officeholder account'' to the
Viet Heritage Society.
At the Tet events, Reed's booth was staffed by Khoa Nguyen, a
political science graduate of the University of
California-Irvine.
He said his generation hears from parents who battled communism
in Vietnam that having a voice in politics is ``what they fought
for.''
``The Vietnamese youth have come of age,'' Nguyen said, ``and
understand the need to participate.''
Contact Phil Yost at
pyost@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5636.
(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/elections/13802934.htm)
******************
About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese
Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy
organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese
Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum –
by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens
engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil
liberties.
Copyright material is distributed without profit or payment for
research and educational purposes only, in accordance with Title
17 U.S.C. section 107
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