NCVA
eREPORTER
- January 18, 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
GW FIRST ANNUAL COLLEGE PREPARATION SEMINAR FOR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS
On Saturday, January 28st, the students of the Vietnamese
Students Association at George Washington University will host
the very first annual College Preparation Seminar for High
School Students. This Seminar is geared towards developing the
leadership qualities, identity aspects, and academics of
upcoming College Students from prospective High Schools in the
DC/MD/VA area. The Seminar will compose of three different
tracts: Identity, Leadership, and College with two workshops in
each tract. Upon attending this Seminar, students will be
exposed to questions such as; What does it mean to be Vietnamese
American, What kind of a leader are you, and How to financially
manage College? The Vietnamese Student Association of the
George Washington University hopes to touch the lives of young
Vietnamese Americans and help them make a difference in the
Vietnamese American Community.
(http://www.ncvaonline.org/regform_prjHS06.htm)
******************
VIETNAMESE TET
NEW
YEAR CELEBRATION IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
January 28, 2006
John Connally High School, 13212 North Lamar Blvd.
Sponsored by the Vietnamese - American Community of Austin,
Texas (VACAT)
The Vietnamese American Community of Austin Texas (VACAT) will
hold its annual Lunar New Year Celebration at Connally High
School on Saturday,
January 28, 2006,
from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The annual celebration will include
cultural entertainment, lion/dragon dances, martial arts
exhibitions, Vietnamese food from various local restaurants,
games for adults and children alike and other festivities. The
admission is free for children and $2.00 for adults.
(http://www.vacat.org)
******************
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE: GIDEON PROJECT SUPPORTS CRIMINAL
JUSTICE ISSUES
The Open Society Institute (OSI)
aims to shape public policy to promote democratic governance,
human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform. The Gideon
Project, a program of the OSI’s U.S. Justice Fund, works to
improve the fair administration of criminal justice in the
United States. The project awards grants in three areas
affecting youth and adults in the criminal justice system:
Improving Public Defense Services, Death Penalty Reform, and
Racial Profiling. Letters of inquiry will be accepted from
advocacy groups, community groups, research institutions,
government agencies, associations of elected officials, and
nonprofit organizations. Letters may be submitted at any time.
(http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/focus_areas/gideon)
******************
CASTLE
ROCK
FOUNDATION SUPPORTS FREE ENTERPRISE PROGRAMS
The mission of the Castle Rock Foundation is to: promote a
better understanding of the free enterprise system; preserve the
principles upon which our democracy was founded to help ensure a
limited role for government and the protection of individual
rights as provided for in the Constitution; encourage personal
responsibility and leadership; and uphold traditional American
values. The Foundation considers general operating or special
project requests from organizations whose goals and purposes are
in keeping with the mission of the Foundation. Preference will
be given to agencies and projects that demonstrate the
application of the Foundation’s guiding principles to
institutions of society. The application deadline is March 15,
annually.
(http://www.castlerockfoundation.org)
******************
GEORGIA-PACIFIC FOUNDATION FUNDS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
The Georgia-Pacific Foundation supports a wide range of
organizations that improve the quality of life in communities
where Georgia-Pacific operates, and where company employees live
and work. (A map of the Georgia-Pacific facilities and locations
is available online at:
http://www.gp.com/facilitydirectory/index.asp) The
Foundation’s areas of interest include: education, community
enrichment, and the environment. Grant applications are accepted
between January 1 and October 31, annually.
(http://www.gp.com/center/community/index.html)
******************
APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR FANNIE MAE FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP
PROGRAM IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING
In partnership with the John F. Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard University, the Fannie Mae Foundation offers the Fannie
Mae Foundation Fellowship Program to support the professional
development of senior state and local government officials and
nonprofit leaders committed to affordable housing in the United
States.
Since 1996, the foundation has annually sponsored up to
twenty-five fellowships to elected and appointed officials as
well as senior managers in the Senior Executives in State and
Local Government program.
The three-week fellowship program is intended to enhance the
management and decision-making skills of accomplished leaders
experienced in managing housing and community development
programs. Fellows are recognized for their commitment to and
accomplishments in affordable housing. The state and local
program curriculum focuses on organizational strategy; political
management; policy development; management control and
operations; and management of human resources. The program is
taught by Kennedy School faculty. In addition to participation
in the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program,
Fannie Mae Foundation Fellows attend special housing sessions
coordinated by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard
University, members of the Kennedy School faculty, and Fannie
Mae Foundation staff. These sessions address housing issues,
trends, policies, and successful models of public/private
housing partnership.
Fellowship sessions take place in June and July. Fellowship
funds cover the cost of the admission deposit, program tuition,
and room and board for the session. Applicants must be able to
attend the entire three-week session and are responsible for
their own transportation and other incidental costs.
(http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/grants/kennedy_school.shtml)
******************
JOYCE AWARDS TO FUND
NEW
WORK
BY ARTISTS OF COLOR AT MIDWEST CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
Funded by the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, the Joyce Awards
provide grants of $50,000 to support projects that advance the
creation and production of works by artists of color in music,
theater, visual arts, and dance.
The program's goals are to enable Midwest cultural institutions
to commission new work by artists of color; to expand the
repertoire of art that speaks to diverse urban audiences; and to
enhance the creative environment in the region.
The award categories are as follows: the dance category supports
the commissioning and performance of a new choreographed work in
any dance genre; the music category supports the commissioning
and performance of a new, fully developed composition in any
musical genre; the theater category supports the commissioning
and performance of a new play; and the visual arts category
supports the commissioning and exhibition of new work.
Cultural organizations whose primary mission is the presentation
of art through public programs are eligible to apply for an
award. Organizations must be located in Chicago, Cleveland,
Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, or St. Paul/Minneapolis and be
well established, able to demonstrate strong organizational
capacity, and have a track record of presenting programs of the
highest artistic caliber. Organizations must also be able to
demonstrate a commitment to serving diverse audiences through
evidence of current programming, community-based education,
outreach, and other activities.
The proposed work should not be developed beyond the conceptual
stage at the time of application. Eligible costs include
commissions and accompanying artists’ residencies; marketing,
advertising, and public relations costs directly related to the
project; educational programming in conjunction with the project
that might engage the target audience and stimulate their
participation as audience members; installation/production
expenses; and artists’ travel. Grants may cover a period of up
to three years.
(http://www.joycefdn.org/programs/culture/content/zfactsheets/creativity.html)
******************
LOUISIANA CULTURAL ECONOMY FOUNDATION OFFERS GRANTS FOR
ARTISTS
AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IMPACTED BY HURRICANES
Individual artists, arts organizations, and small arts-related
businesses in Louisiana affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita
are eligible for a new series of grants offered by the Louisiana
Cultural Economy Foundation.
The grants are intended to defray the costs related to physical
loss or property damage, relocation, or other specific economic
harm suffered as a result of the hurricanes. The overarching
goal of the program is to enable stakeholders in Louisiana's
cultural economy to continue or resume the production and
distribution of the state's unique cultural assets in the
aftermath of recent natural disasters.
Funding is available in the following categories:
Individual Artists and Artisans must be professionally active in
their discipline or earning a living through their artistic
talents and be resident in the state of Louisiana. Originating
and interpretive artists may apply. Students, unless they are
professional artists or artisans, are not eligible.
Nonprofit Cultural Organizations must be active in their field
or discipline and be based in the state of Louisiana. They must
also provide evidence of their nonprofit status and eligibility
to receive tax-deductible contributions directly or through a
fiscal agent or other conduit.
Galleries, Collectives, and Cultural Economy Small Businesses
must be active in their fields or disciplines and be based in
the state of Louisiana. Galleries and collectives must also be
able to demonstrate that the focus of their professional
activities benefits Louisiana artists or artisans.
Grants to individual artists are not expected to exceed $5,000.
Grants to artist businesses and small/medium-size cultural
organizations are not expected to exceed $10,000, unless annual
budget, number of employees, and financial need merit a larger
award. Grants to nonprofit cultural organizations are not
expected to exceed $25,000.
Applications may be submitted immediately and will be considered
on an ongoing basis through April 3, 2006.
(http://www.crt.state.la.us/culturalassets/grants/)
******************
JOURNALISTS INVITED TO APPLY FOR CDC KNIGHT PUBLIC HEALTH
JOURNALISM
BOOT
CAMP
A program of the CDC Foundation, the six-day CDC Knight Public
Health Journalism Boot Camp is designed to equip journalists to
explain and analyze the critical health issues of the day,
including the potential for epidemics after a natural
catastrophe such as the recent hurricanes or the rise of a
deadly new virus such as avian influenza. Participants learn how
to read clinic studies and ask the right questions of scientists
and public health policy makers. There is also a tour of CDC's
world-renowned labs. The 2006 Boot Camp will be held June
25-June 30, 2006, in Decatur, Georgia.
The program is open to any journalist, whether print, online or
broadcast, interested in learning more about public health
science.
Approximately fifteen journalists will be selected for the camp,
which is made possible through lead funding from the John S. and
James L. Knight Foundation. The camp will provide housing,
breakfast, and a per-diem stipend of $25 for other meals.
Participants are required to finance their own transportation to
and from the camp.
(http://www.cdcfoundation.org/pages.html?page=297)
******************
SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES ARTS
AND
CULTURE
MINI-GRANTS
PROGRAM FOR FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
The San Francisco Foundation's FAITHS Initiative and Arts and
Culture Program have announced the FAITHS Arts and Culture
Mini-Grants program for faith-based organizations in the five
Bay Area counties served by the foundation (i.e., Alameda,
Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo).
Faith-based organizations and congregations often serve as a
community hub for immigrant, refugee, and grassroots communities
while acting as a focus for cultural and artistic activity. The
FAITHS Arts and Culture Mini-Grants program is designed to
enhance this exchange of art and ideas.
The program will provide mini-grants of up to $3,000 to support
free, community-based artistic and cultural activities, with a
priority focus on immigrant, refugee, and grassroots
communities.
(http://www.sff.org/initiatives/faith.html)
******************
BP OFFERS GRANTS TO CALIFORNIA TEACHERS THROUGH A+ FOR ENERGY
PROGRAM
Energy company BP has announced the launch of the 2006 A+ for
Energy grant program for teachers.
Now in its third year, the program will award $1.5 million in
grants and scholarships to K-12 teachers throughout California
to implement creative and innovative educational programs
designed to teach students about energy use, alternative and
sustainable energy types and sources, and energy conservation.
Any K-12 teacher currently teaching in a California public or
private school is eligible to submit an application. A+ for
Energy grants are presented directly to teachers who submit
creative classroom, after-school, extracurricular, or summer
activities focused on energy education and/or energy
conservation. Awards, in increments of $5,000 or $10,000, are
available to individual teachers and to groups of teachers
working collaboratively.
BP encourages teachers to think outside the box when creating
their proposals. In the program's first two years, grants have
allowed schools across California to not only teach students
about the variety of energy sources available, but to engage in
hands-on learning projects such as designing alternative-fuel
vehicles, building solar shoebox ovens, growing a garden for a
sustainable-lunch program, building on-campus learning labs
focused on energy education, and taking field trips to see
energy sources in action.
As part of the program, BP will award grant recipients with a
scholarship to attend a three-day training conference hosted by
the National Energy Education Development Project to be held in
July and August 2006. The scholarship will cover travel, meals,
and lodging expenses as well as a NEED Science of Energy Kit
valued at $500 to help educators teach energy.
(http://www.aplusforenergy.org)
******************
INDEPENDENT TELEVISION SERVICE ANNOUNCES LINCS 2006
GUIDELINES
A program of the Independent Television Service, LINCS — Local
Independents Collaborating with Stations — gives independent
producers and public television stations an opportunity to form
full production and presentation partnerships. By providing
matching funds to these partnerships, LINCS acts as a catalyst,
helping independent producers leverage the support of stations
and helping stations access the talent of independent producers,
creating programs that speak to their communities.
LINCS seeks projects that differ from standard television fare.
Programs should stimulate civic discourse and find innovative
ways to explore regional, cultural, political, social, or
economic issues. Projects should speak to the ITVS mission to
serve underserved audiences with programs that "take creative
risks, explore complex issues, and express points of view seldom
seen on commercial or public television." LINCS encourages
two-producer projects, where an experienced maker mentors an
emerging assistant producer or co-producer.
Projects may be in any stage of development, and all genres are
eligible, including documentary, drama, animation, and
innovative combinations. Public television must be the intended
distribution outlet.
Stations must elect a representative that will be committed to
working closely with the independent producer from start to
finish on the project. The independent producer must be at least
18 years old and a citizen or legal resident of the United
States or its external territories. Station partners must be
affiliated with the PBS system and/or receive monies from the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
LINCS funding provides up to $100,000. Funds are paid directly
to the independent producer. Requested funding must be matched
by a combination of secured cash and the station's in-kind
and/or cash contributions.
(http://www.itvs.org/producers/lincs_guidelines.html)
******************
PARTNERSHIP FOR A NATION OF LEARNERS ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY
COLLABORATION GRANT PROGRAM
The Partnership for a Nation of Learners is a Corporation for
Public Broadcasting and Institute of Museum and Library Services
leadership initiative.
The purpose of the project's joint Community Collaboration Grant
program is to build and strengthen working relationships among
libraries, museums, and public broadcasting licensees that
enhance their respective roles within their communities.
Projects eligible to apply include collaborations between a
public broadcasting licensee (radio or television) and a museum
or library, or among all three types of organizations. Projects
that involve all three types of organizations — museums,
libraries, and public broadcasting licensees (and, where
appropriate, other community organizations) — will generally be
considered more competitive for funding purposes.
Each proposed project should show how collaboration and shared
resources enable partners to meet clearly defined needs for one
or more audience segments within their local communities.
Projects must begin on the first day of the month. Projects may
begin at any point between
October 1, 2006, and
December 1, 2006.
Grant amounts will range from $25,000 to $250,000.
(http://www.partnershipforlearners.org/pnlgrants.php)
******************
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2006
Contact: William H. (Mo) Marumoto
(202)
296-9200
APAICS 2006 SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)
invites college students to apply to our 2006 Summer Internship
Program in Washington , DC .The term of the internship will be
from June 5 to
July 28, 2006
.
APAICS is a non-partisan, non-profit, educational organization
whose mission is to promote the participation of Asian American
and Pacific Islanders in the political process. Through our
internship program, APAICS hopes to encourage the political and
civic involvement of young people, to foster their interest in
political and public policy-related careers, and to develop
their leadership skills.
APAICS places our interns in the U.S. Congress, Federal agencies
and institutions that further APAICS' mission. (Please see the
accompanying document, "Host Offices.") Interns attending
continental U.S. schools will receive a total stipend of $2,500
. Interns attending Hawaii schools, or who live in Hawaii , will
receive a total stipend of $3,000 to cover additional
transportation costs. All interns will be required to complete
weekly journals, and a program evaluation at the end of the
internship.
To qualify for the 2006 Program, applicants must meet the
following requirements:
• Interest in the political process, public policy issues and
Asian American and Pacific Islander community affairs.
• Evidence of leadership abilities and excellent oral and
written communication skills.
• Current enrollment in an accredited undergraduate educational
institution. (Recent graduates - within 90 days prior to June 5,
2006 - are also welcome to apply.)
• U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency by June 5,
2006.
• 18-years old by
June 5, 2006.
• Submission of all application materials (Part I & Part II) by
January 31, 2006 .
In order to further our mission, APAICS will give preference to
students who have not previously had an internship in Washington
, DC . Please follow application submission instructions
carefully . Finalists may be contacted for a telephone
interview, and successful applicants will be notified in March
2006 .
For other detailed information and online application materials,
please go to the APAICS webpage at
www.apaics.org, contact the APAICS office by e-mail at
apaics@apaics.org, or call our office at 202/296-9200.
(http://www.apaics.org)
******************
APIASF SCHOLARSHIP ASSOCIATE
Starting Date:: This position is open until filled
Location: Washington, DC
Compensation: Competitive salary plus benefits for this
full-time position. Details available upon request.
Travel: Required travel will include between two and four
trips per year, not to exceed 15% of total time
Organizational Description
The Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF)
is a new national organization devoted solely to the financial
scholarship needs of Asian and Pacific Islander American
students. APIASF’s vision is to see that all Asian and Pacific
Islander Americans who wish to pursue higher education have that
opportunity, regardless of their ethnicity, national origin or
financial means. APIASF will grant scholarships to at least 175
deserving students throughout the U.S. and Freely Associated
States in the Pacific for the 2006-2007 academic year, and is
preparing to expand operations in the near future.
Position Description
The Scholarship Associate, a full-time staff member of APIASF,
will be responsible for a number of administrative, accounting,
and program functions that are critical to APIASF, in addition
to other duties that may be reasonably requested by the
Executive Director/President. Specific functions include the
following:
Administrative Functions:
• Maintain the organization of APIASF’s records.
• Maintain APIASF’s office equipment in good working order.
• Greet callers and visitors to APIASF.
Bookkeeping Functions:
• Assist the Executive Director/President and Accountant with
basic bookkeeping functions.
Program Functions:
• Assist the Executive Director/President and the Scholarship
Committee with the design, revision, and implementation of a
training curriculum for Scholarship Application Readers.
• Assist with the recruitment, screening, and orientation of
Scholarship Application Readers.
• Work with technical experts to design and implement a
computer-based system for the review of scholarship
applications, and the selection of scholarship awardees.
• Assist with outreachcommunities.
Requirements
The ideal candidate will have successful professional experience
directly related to the work described in the position
description; an undergraduate degree or higher; capability with
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and experience with Asian and/or
Pacific Islander American populations.
Physical Requirements: Position requires the basic
communication functions inclusive of seeing, hearing, walking,
and travel.
Application Process
E-mail (preferred), mail, or fax a cover letter, resume, and
three professional references to APIASF at the location listed
below. No phone calls please.
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF)
is the only national organization that promotes the pursuit of
higher education among Asian and Pacific Islander American
students by distributing scholarships to qualified first-year
undergraduate college, university, and vocational school
students. Established in 2004, APIASF has already earned the
support of major corporations including AT&T, the Asian
McDonald’s Operators Association, The Coca-Cola Company,
Federated Department Stores, Inc./Macy’s West, the General Mills
Foundation, the Hilton Hotels Corporation, the IW Group,
McDonald’s USA, LLC, and Wells Fargo & Company. Additional
supporters include Federal Express, the J. Willard and Alice S.
Marriott Foundation, the MetLife Foundation, Nissan North
America,
DLA
Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Sodexho, Southern California Edison,
Wal-Mart Stores, and Washington Mutual. APIASF is also supported
by several major scholarship programs, including the Hispanic
Scholarship Fund, the United Negro College Fund, the American
Indian Graduate Center Scholars and the Gates Millennium
Scholars/APIA. APIASF is a nonprofit organization devoted solely
to the financial scholarship needs of Asian and Pacific Islander
American students.
Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF)
1628 16th Street, NW - Suite 400
Washington, DC 20009
Tel: (202)
986-6892
or
(877)
808-7032
Fax:
(202)
667-6449
E-mail:
info@apiasf.org
Internet:
www.apiasf.org
APIASF is an Equal-Opportunity Employer
(http://www.apiasf.org)
******************
TIPS/RESOURCES
24-HOUR RESOURCE FOR CITIZENS
It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s open 24 hours. GovBenefits.gov
connects people in need to government assistance programs.
GovBenefits.gov (www.GovBenefits.gov)
is the official benefits web site of the U.S. government. The
site provides citizens with a central location to find more than
1,000 federal and state benefit programs that meet their needs.
The Web site includes information for disasters or other
emergencies, employment services, small-business loans and more.
Please share this information with your staff and volunteers,
and most importantly, the people you serve. To help us spread
awareness about this resource, please consider adding a link to
www.GovBenefits.gov from your Web site, and distributing
posters and brochures. Ordering free GovBenefits.gov materials
is simple. Send an email to
GovBenefits@dol.gov and include:
* Your name
* Shipping address
* Quantity of
FREE materials
*** Brochures come in packages of 50 (English and Spanish)
*** Posters are available individually (English and Spanish)
If you have any questions about GovBenefits.gov, please feel
free to contact me at
202-693-4219 or
GovBenefits@dol.gov.
Thank you,
Curtis Turner
GovBenefits Program Manager
U.S. Department of Laborr
(http://www.GovBenefits.gov)
******************
ETHICS: WHEN TO SAY “NO” TO A
GIFT
The rich uncle of an alumnus recently passed on and left behind
a large sum to his nephew's university. But while he might have
been known as a wealthy philanthropist, the late uncle also was
just as well known for cheating investors during a stock
scandal. Do you accept the gift, or say "Thanks, but no thanks?"
Those are some of the issues that charities must consider when
receiving contributions, said Erik Dryburgh, who directs the
charitable giving group at the San Francisco law firm of Sil,
Adler & Colvin, during a workshop at last fall's National
Conference of Planning Giving in Kissimmee, Fla.
Public perception surrounding donations are just one area to
examine when receiving charitable contributions. Others issues
to consider include:
* Educating donors on issues such as a charity's administrative
policies and procedures, which donors sometimes can become
suspicious of how they're established.
* Is the gift's purpose consistent with charity's mission?
Donors often want to make a gift or bequest to Charity X with
the understanding that it will transfer a portion of the funds
to Charity Y.
* If a charity provides some "return benefit" to a donor,
disclose any goods or services provided and include "a
description and good faith estimate of the value of any goods
and services provided to the donor on its receipt."
* If you receive a substantial gift, but it comes with numerous
contingencies on how to use it, are they restrictions that the
organization can live with?
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/ethics.html)
******************
HUMAN RESOURCES: HOW TO CURB ABSENTEEISM AT YOUR CHARITY
Employee absenteeism is a concern for any organization, and
nonprofits are not immune to its effects. Absenteeism can be
especially acute for nonprofit organizations because they often
do not offer the same array of pay and benefits that for-profit
companies are able to provide.
A survey conducted recently by
CCH,
Inc., a workplace analysis company in Illinois, found several
common themes when it conducted a survey of human resource
executives around the country. This survey covered organizations
from major industry segments, and it represented nearly two
million employees.
Among the findings:
* "Personal illness" accounted for 3 percent of no-shows. This
is distinct from employees taking time for a sick relative or
dependent.
* "Other than Illness" accounted for two-thirds of unscheduled
absences, indicating that employees rely heavily on sick time in
order to attend to personal business.
* Companies that have very good or good morale had a lower
absenteeism rate than those that reported fair or poor morale.
No surprise there.
* "Paid time off" retained its position as most effective
absence-control mechanism, offering employees a chance to attend
to personal matters without using sick when they are not really
sick.
* 83 percent of organizations surveyed expressed a belief that
unscheduled absenteeism is likely to stay the same or worsen in
succeeding years. This indicates that companies are not prepared
to deal with a situation they know will continue.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/humanres.html)
******************
MANAGEMENT: DELIBERATIVE PROCESS TO TAKING ACTION
The chasm between intent and result, between hope and reality,
can be huge. Many people who want to make a difference find
themselves stonewalled by a never-ending array of constraints,
problems, bureaucracy and roadblocks, both intended and
unintended.
In their chapter Adapting and Combining Deliberative Designs in
the book The Deliberative Democracy Handbook, Lyn Carson and
Jeanette Hartz-Karp emphasize what they call the deliberative
process, one by which citizens are engaged in joint decision
making with government as a way of dealing with contentious
issues and getting real results.
In this process, citizens are engaged with experts, industry and
government, even if a process takes several years from inception
to completion.
For Carson and Hartz-Karp, there are three essential elements
for a fully deliberative process. Those criteria are:
* Influence. The process should have the ability to influence
policy and decision making.
* Inclusion. The process should be representative of the
population and inclusive of diverse viewpoints and values,
providing equal opportunity for all to participate.
* Deliberation. Not surprising for a process called
deliberative, it should provide open dialogue, access to
information, respect, space to understand and reframe issues and
movement toward consensus.
All consultation make an attempt to meet these three criteria,
although to varying degrees, and performance in these criteria
indicates a method?s success as a democratic process.
((http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/management.html)
******************
NEWS
CROSSING EAST
Crossing East is eight one hour documentaries on the history of
Asian American immigration, from pre-America to post-9/11.
Because of systematic exclusionary laws, the numbers of Asians
immigrating have been kept down over the course of America's
history. Right now Asians are a low four percent in America.
Though the fastest growing minority, Asians are viewed as
perpetual foreigners and their history has largely been untold.
Crossing East is the first comprehensive series anywhere on
Asian American history and it's due out in May 2006 on NPR
stations. Crossing East concentrates on the many waves of Asian
immigration into America and the impact this immigration has had
on descendants, global ties, and the making of this country.
Crossing East relies on scholar and oral history interviews,
archival recordings, and professional actors reading historical
documents and literature, as well as original music by
traditional Asian American musicians around the country.
Along with the radio documentary, the producers of Crossing East
are also collaborating with local public radio stations and
community groups to bring Crossing East to a wider audience.
There will be scholar talks, roundtable discussions, arts
exhibits, and youth camps to coincide with the recording and
airing of the documentaries.
(http://www.crossingeast.org/about.htm)
******************
January 12, 2006
CHIEF TO APOLOGIZE FOR RACIAL COMMENT
Farmers Branch: Fawcett plans statement after return to
police duty
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News
FARMERS BRANCH – Farmers Branch Police Chief Jimmy Fawcett will
personally apologize for racially insensitive remarks against
people of Vietnamese heritage, City Manager Linda Groomer said
Wednesday.
The assurance that the chief will make a public apology when he
returns from a 10-day suspension without pay came as Ms. Groomer
apologized for the chief's comments on behalf of the city.
"The Vietnamese community wants him fired. They get so angry,"
said Duc Van Mai, publisher of But Viet Newspaper, Inc.
But he said his newspaper has encouraged readers not to react
until they see what Chief Fawcett has to say. The chief has been
ordered by the city not to speak to the media at this time, Ms.
Groomer said.
Chief Fawcett has acknowledged making "inappropriate" and
"insensitive" comments about people of Vietnamese heritage,
according to written statements from the city. The comments were
made Dec. 14 before the department's Oral Review Board, which
had convened to interview six job applicants, one of them of
Vietnamese descent.
None of the applicants were in the room at the time. A review
board member reported the incident to the human resources
department. The city has declined to say exactly what the chief
is reported to have said.
When the incident was reported, the chief was immediately asked
about the allegations, and he acknowledged making inappropriate
comments, she said.
Chief Fawcett was put on paid leave from Dec. 16 through Jan. 4.
When he returned to duty, he was given a 10-day suspension,
beginning Jan. 5. He will continue mandatory counseling, city
officials said.
Ms. Groomer's public apology mirrored a written one issued
Tuesday.
"We sincerely regret that this incident has occurred and the
cloud it has brought over the stellar reputation of the Farmers
Branch Police Department and the entire city," she said. "It is
not representative of our attitudes, practices or how we do
business in the city of Farmers Branch."
The chairmen of the Vietnamese American Community of Greater
Dallas and the Vietnamese American Community of Greater Fort
Worth said they don't think the suspension is enough.
They said in an e-mail to the mayor and City Council on Tuesday
that the suspension "did not adequately address a proper remedy
for this serious offense" and asked to meet with city officials.
Jennifer Nguyen, executive vice president of the DFW Asian
American Citizen Council, said that although she first thought
the chief should be fired, not suspended, she now thinks the
damage has been done and the city and the Asian community must
work together to heal.
By making a public apology, the city was "stepping up and
accepting responsibility," she said. Ms. Nguyen said the city
manager agreed to create a multicultural commission to build
stronger relationships with the different ethnic groups in the
community.
"That is something in the works. We definitely talked about it,"
Ms. Groomer said. "She and I want to talk further about that and
find out if we have people in our community interested in
working with us."
Ms. Groomer, through the written statements, said the chief's
suspension was in keeping with the discipline handed down to
other city employees for similar violations of policy.
However, she did acknowledge that she has heard that the chief
may have fired or demoted several employees for racist comments.
She said that she could not confirm that the report was true and
that the city's human resources department is looking into the
matter.
The chief's suspension sends a strong message, said Ron DeLord,
president of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas.
"Chiefs hardly ever get suspended," he said.
"The fact he got a 10-day suspension obviously indicated the
city manager thought it was serious enough."
But he also said Chief Fawcett probably got a lighter punishment
than someone else might have for the same comments.
"All chiefs get treated differently than patrolmen," Mr. DeLord
said.
"I know the hammer would have fallen a lot harder on some
Farmers Branch patrolman who had said that."
E-mail
ssandoval@dallasnews.com
(http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/carrollton/stories/DN-fbprotest_12wes.ART0.West.Edition2.1883713b.html)
******************
January 12, 2006
HOSTILITY GREETS KATRINA RECOVERY PLAN
Residents Assail Eminent Domain and Other Facets of New Orleans
Proposal
By Manuel Roig-Franzia
Washington Post Staff Writerr
NEW ORLEANS -- Angry homeowners screamed and City Council
members seethed Wednesday as this city's recovery commission
recommended imposing a four-month building moratorium on most of
New Orleans and creating a powerful new authority that could use
eminent domain to seize homes in neighborhoods that will not be
rebuilt.
Hundreds of residents packed into a hotel ballroom interrupted
the presentation of the long-awaited proposal with shouts and
taunts, booed its main architect and unrolled a litany of
complaints. One by one, homeowners stepped to a microphone to
lampoon the plan -- which contemplates a much smaller city and
relies on persuading the federal government to spend billions on
new housing and a light-rail system -- as "audacious," "an
academic exercise," "garbage," "a no-good, rotten scheme."
"You missed the boat," homeowner Fred Yoder, who lived in
heavily flooded Lakeview, told committee members. "Give me a
break: We don't need a light-rail system. We're in the mud."
The plan released Wednesday is the first stage of what is sure
to be a multi-layered, multi-level effort to resuscitate New
Orleans. Mayor C. Ray Nagin, who can accept or alter the
proposal, will have to present the plan to a state commission
that will control allocation of billions of federal dollars, as
well as to Donald E. Powell, President Bush's hurricane recovery
coordinator, and the White House. The commission's
recommendations are heavily dependent on federal money, counting
on $12 billion to buy storm-damaged homes and $4.8 billion for
infrastructure improvements, including an ambitious light-rail
proposal to connect downtown New Orleans with the city's
airport, Baton Rouge and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The furious reaction to the plan is the latest agonizing episode
in this city's troubled campaign to reinvigorate itself after
the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Katrina last August.
Nagin, already politically weakened by widespread criticism of
his response to the flooding, now faces the difficult challenge
of guiding decisions about whether some parts of the city will
cease to exist.
Some activists have long accused the commission -- which was
appointed by Nagin -- of trying to find ways to abandon
predominantly black neighborhoods, such as the Lower Ninth Ward.
Wednesday's unveiling did nothing to assuage their fears, even
though commission members promised to give all neighborhoods an
opportunity to prove that they should be rebuilt by convening
planning groups in coming months. The proposed moratorium would
be in the city's most damaged neighborhoods, and officials would
use the four-month period to gauge whether enough residents will
come back to make the areas viable.
"If this plan goes forward as it is, many people's worst fears
about our African American heritage and population will come
true," said Sue Sperry of the New Orleans Preservation Resource
Center. "It's almost like it will be extinguished from this
earth."
Within minutes of the plan's unveiling, Nagin was already
showing signs that he might back away from the commission's most
controversial proposal. He told WWL-AM that he had some
"hesitancy" about the building moratorium. He promised to seek
more public input before making a final decision.
At least two of the commission's proposals -- the creation of
the Crescent City Rebuilding Authority to buy flood-damaged
homes and the implementation of a master redevelopment plan --
will require changes to the city charter, a prospect sure to be
contentious because of the mayor's long-standing animosities
with the New Orleans City Council. The city is also waiting on
the Federal Emergency Management Agency to determine base
elevation levels required before flood insurance can be issued.
The commission is hoping that Congress will approve a
quasi-public recovery authority proposed by U.S. Rep. Richard H.
Baker (R-La.) that would sell bonds to buy flood-damaged homes,
then work with private developers to rebuild neighborhoods.
Despite the hurdles ahead, the commission urged fast action on a
broad set of recommendations, including stronger levees and a
restructured school system. John Beckham, a consultant who
helped devise the plan, urged residents to "imagine the best
city in the world."
Beckham -- who declined repeated requests Wednesday to identify
the private foundation that hired him to draw up the plan for
the commission -- told the audience that New Orleans could have
"a park in every neighborhood," "a bustling downtown" and a city
connected by bike paths and public transportation systems.
Beckham was introduced by the commission's urban planning
chairman, Joseph C. Canizaro, a real estate developer and major
fundraiser for Bush, who chuckled when he was booed by some in
attendance. "This is just a beginning," Canizaro told the
audience.
Mindful that Bush will have a tremendous influence on how much
money finds its way to Louisiana, Beckham displayed some of the
president's pledges on large screens. He reminded the crowd that
Bush said Sept. 15 that "we will do what it takes" to rebuild
New Orleans and of his promise in December to build levees that
are better and stronger than before. On Thursday, Bush will
visit the city for the first time in three months.
The commission's recovery plan anticipates a city that will be
only a fraction of its pre-Katrina size of nearly half a million
residents. Beckham said the city now has about 144,000 residents
and is projected to grow to 181,000 by September and 247,000 by
September 2008.
The shrunken city will need a restructured and more efficient
local government, Beckham said, drawing smirks from City Council
members seated behind the committee. The City Council, which has
clashed with Nagin repeatedly -- most recently trying to use
zoning laws to block sites he selected for temporary housing
trailers -- has effectively been cut out of the power loop in
the recovery process and does not have authority over the
recovery plan. Before the commission's report had even been
announced, five City Council members -- responding to leaks of
the plan's main components to the city's influential newspaper,
the Times-Picayune -- held a news conference to condemn the
committee in the same hotel where the recovery plan was to be
unveiled.
Council member Jackie Brechtel Clarkson called the proposal "a
blatant violation of property rights."
"I think it's unprecedented in America," said Clarkson, who is
also a real estate agent.
The council members were flanked by leaders of the large
Vietnamese community that flocked after the Vietnam War to New
Orleans East, one of the areas that would be affected by the
moratorium. "It just hurt us -- again," said the Rev. Luke
Nguyen of Mary Queen of Vietnam Church. "We have 700, 800
families already returned, ready to gut and fix their houses."
Nguyen streamed into the reception hall, shouldering past
activists and homeowners bristling with anger. On a table
nearby, the commission had placed placards, declaring, "We're
Home." Nguyen did not bother to pick one up.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/11/AR2006011102146.html)
******************
January 16, 2006
IN LITTLE SAIGON, IMPRESARIO
HAS
BIG PLANS FOR MUSIC
Vietnamese American violinist and promoter is near his goal of
opening a performing arts center.
By Mai Tran, Times Staff Writer
For years, Thomas Nguyen has been saddened, even embarrassed, by
the venues where he could hold performances — local restaurants,
dingy clubs or rented halls that set him back way too much
money.
He hopes that's changing.
Nguyen, 43, a violinist and entertainment promoter, plans this
summer to complete his five-year effort to open a 600-seat
performing arts center for local entertainment groups and
Vietnamese American artists.
Sure, it's an old Edwards movie house that's been boarded up for
eight years on the outskirts of Little Saigon in Fountain
Valley. Stripped of its red seats and matching carpeting, it
looks a little bare. But to Nguyen, it might as well be Carnegie
Hall.
"This is all my dream," said Nguyen, raising his arms while
standing in the middle of the vacant theater. "We can finally
show our culture and talent to the Americans after we've been
here for 30 years now."
Little Saigon has long been the commercial hub for the
Vietnamese who live in Orange County, the largest Vietnamese
population outside Vietnam. But in recent years, it has also
become an entertainment district. There are about a dozen
studios in Little Saigon recording Vietnamese-language pop and
classical music.
There are scores of clubs and cabarets. And one local
entertainment executive estimates that about 100 singers live,
record or perform locally.
Nguyen's project, however, would be the first place in the
community that could accommodate large crowds.
"The performing arts center is something we've needed for a very
long time, but there has never been any space, or no one has
come forward to take on the huge task," said Son Thanh Duong,
44, a Garden Grove resident who owns Van Son Entertainment,
which produces music videos and entertainment acts. He usually
puts on shows at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center or the La
Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.
Nguyen said his 18,000-square-foot facility near the
intersection of
Brookhurst Street and Edinger Avenue would allow newcomers to
debut their music, authors to sign their books or politicians to
speak.
"They don't have to go to restaurants to perform and get
distracted when someone drops a plate or calls for a waiter,"
Nguyen said. "That makes them lose their momentum."
Shopkeepers who do business near the former movie theater said
the performing arts center would help bring life to the strip
mall, filled mostly with mom-and-pop shops. A lack of foot
traffic and an upswing in crime has been a problem there for
several years, merchants said.
"At night, there's a lot of homeless people and loitering in the
area because it's been vacant for so long," said John Marynak,
47, who took over his mother's vacuum cleaner and sewing shop,
which has done business at the center since 1976.
"The shopping center has really died, so I think it will bring
us up," he said.
Nguyen's dreams for an entertainment venue are rooted in his
upbringing. His father was a guitarist. His three sisters play
the piano, his brother is a drummer, and Nguyen plays the violin
and keyboards. As a family, they played classical music in
Vietnam before they escaped as boat refugees in 1975, the year
Saigon fell.
The family lived at Camp Pendleton in a refugee settlement for
three weeks before moving to Topeka, Kan., to live with their
sponsors, parishioners of Faith Lutheran Church. There they
rekindled their love of music.
"There wasn't much to do, so we sang and played music all the
time," Nguyen said. "We were very lonely and sad, especially
because it was snowing and there were no other Vietnamese
families around."
"Amazing Grace" became the first song they played at their
church. Their tunes captivated audiences at other churches. They
formed a band, May Bon Phuong, or Four Directions, and began
traveling out of state to perform for Vietnamese immigrants who
found sentimental joy in hearing the tunes of their homeland.
Nguyen, who is also known by the stage name Quoc Thai, finally
gave up on the Kansas weather and moved west, where he
gravitated to Little Saigon. He now owns a radio show on KALI-FM
(106.3) that can be heard throughout Southern California and in
San Jose, and has produced talent shows, including the annual
Vietnamese American Beauty Pageant.
He said the movie theater-turned-performing arts center was in
the midst of a major renovation. The place is being gutted, and
new red carpeting and decoration will be added. His biggest
challenge, he says, is coming up with a name.
His radio listeners have supplied several suggestions — the
Fountain Valley Performing Arts Center, the AmerAsia Performing
Arts Center and the Lotus Performing Arts Center. But he's still
thinking.
"This will be the place," Nguyen said. "We have so much good
talent that has not been discovered, but that will change. I
can't wait."
(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-performing16jan16,0,118552.story?coll=la-headlines-california)
******************
January 16, 2006
GAMBLING SEEN AS NO-WIN
SITUATION FOR SOME ASIANS
Community leaders and social workers are putting pressure on
casinos and legislators to help those who may be addicted face
their problem..
By John M. Glionna, Times Staff Writer
Bill Lee's father was sold as a boy to cover a gambling debt.
In the early 1900s, Lee's grandfather lost a wager during a
gambling binge in China. With no money to settle up, his only
son had to go.
The failed bet unloosed a legacy of problem gambling for Lee's
family. His father became an obsessive gambler who never
mentioned being raised by a man who won him in a card game. "I
saw how gambling destroyed my dad," Lee said. "Part of me also
learned, 'Oh, that's how you deal with conflict; that's how you
escape.' "
For years, gambling also ruled Lee's life.
His 2005 book "Born to Lose: Memoirs of a Compulsive Gambler"
dissects the cultural attitudes that he contends make many Asian
immigrants susceptible to problem gambling.
In recovery, the 51-year-old high-tech recruiter is on the
forefront of a battle by Asian Americans in California against
out-of-control gambling.
In Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean and Cambodian
communities, social workers and leaders are pressuring gaming
officials and state legislators to recognize a hidden epidemic.
"This isn't a special-interest group overblowing a problem,"
said Timothy Fong, co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies
Program, which is conducting an Asian gambling study. "We think
this is real."
Nobody really knows how deeply problem gambling reaches into
Asian communities because Asians have not been broken out as a
group in national or California studies on the issue.
But a 1999 poll in San Francisco's Chinatown, commissioned by a
social services agency, found that 70% of 1,808 respondents
ranked gambling as their community's No. 1 problem. In a
follow-up poll, 21% of respondents considered themselves
pathological gamblers and 16% more called themselves problem
gamblers — rates significantly higher than in the overall
population.
Current data suggest that 1.6% of Americans can be classified as
pathological gamblers, a condition recognized as a psychiatric
disorder. About 3% more are considered problem gamblers.
Gambling has become America's adult pastime of choice. Each
year, more money is spent in the nation's $75-billion gaming
industry than on movies, concerts, sporting events and amusement
parks combined.
And nowhere is gambling on a bigger roll than in California,
with nearly 60 Indian casinos, scores of card rooms, racetracks
and Internet gambling sites as well as one of the nation's most
lucrative state lotteries. By 2010, annual gaming proceeds will
top $10 billion dollars, carrying California past Nevada as the
No. 1 gambling destination in the world, gaming experts say.
Asian gamblers play a key role in that success. Though few
statistics on their contribution to the state's gambling pot
exist, some casinos and card rooms near Los Angeles and San
Francisco estimate that Asians often account for 80% of their
customers.
"Asians are a huge market," said Wendy Waldorf, a spokeswoman
for the Cache Creek Casino north of San Francisco. "We cater to
them."
Each day in San Gabriel, Monterey Park and San Francisco's
Chinatown, scores of buses collect Asian customers for free
junkets to Indian casinos and to Reno and Las Vegas.
Many Nevada casinos also maintain business offices in Monterey
Park, where hosts keep in regular touch with Asian high rollers.
To reach more run-of-the-mill gamblers, casinos run ads in
Asian-language print and broadcast media and conduct
direct-mailing campaigns to ZIP Codes with high numbers of Asian
residents.
Most gambling venues celebrate Asian holidays, hire bilingual
staffers and feature the latest nightclub acts from Shanghai,
Seoul and Manila.
Cache Creek Casino has a tank featuring a popular 2-foot-long
dragon fish named Mr. Lucky. Dragon fish are considered good
fortune by many Chinese gamblers, who often rub the tank for
luck.
Culture is a recurring theme in Lee's book, which describes how
many Asians — especially Chinese — consider gambling an accepted
practice at home and at social events, even among the young.
Chinese youths often gamble for money with aunts, uncles and
grandparents.
While growing up in San Francisco's Chinatown, Lee took betting
to absurd levels — wagering on whether the teacher would assign
homework. On rainy days, he bet on which drop would first reach
the bottom of the classroom window.
Many Chinese are fascinated by the mystical qualities of luck,
fate and chance. The Chinese New Year — this year Jan. 29 — is a
time of heightened wagering, when bad luck of the old year is
ushered out by the good luck of the new.
Numerology also plays a crucial role in many Asian cultures. The
number 8, for example, is considered extremely lucky by many
Chinese, while 4, when spoken in Mandarin and Cantonese, sounds
like the word for death and is avoided.
Though Chinese believe most strongly in such concepts, other
Asian cultures, including Vietnamese, Korean and Filipino, hold
similar beliefs — depending on China's political influence in
their history or the extent of Chinese immigration there.
Experts believe that recent Asian immigrants — risk-takers
willing to leave the familiarity of their homelands — develop
more aggressive gambling strategies than their U.S.-born
counterparts.
Often lacking language skills and advanced education, some
gravitate to casinos, where waitresses dote on gamblers with
free drinks and cigarettes. "They're treated as honored guests
even though they work dead-end, minimum-wage jobs," said Tina
Shum, a social worker in San Francisco's Chinatown. "That's what
they long for."
Some eventually engage in "attack" gambling: wagering sums
beyond their means in a reckless grab at the American dream.
"The immigrant experience is often demeaning," Shum said. "Many
get blinded by the neon lights."
But such gaming habits come at a cost. Shum estimates that
one-fourth of her 150 annual spousal abuse cases are tied to
problem gambling.
"An astronomical amount of money leaves the Asian community for
gambling industry coffers," said Paul Osaki, a member of a
gambling task force created last year by the state Commission on
Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. "It's not all discretionary
money. It's quality-of-life money, food-on-the-table money,
college education money."
Osaki and other activists want more research and culturally
sensitive gambling treatment programs for often-reserved Asians
with gambling problems — for whom Western strategies like
Gamblers Anonymous rarely work.
The task force also is urging prosecutors to explore possible
connections between compulsive gambling and such crimes as fraud
and spousal abuse. They've met with casino owners, asking them
to support research and treatment programs.
California's 4 million Asian residents — 13% of the population —
also should be broken out as a category in gambling prevalence
studies, activists say.
Kent Woo, executive director of a Chinatown-based health
coalition that conducted the gambling polls, said the biggest
challenge is to convince the community that it has a problem.
"Breaking through the denial is the hard part," he said. "For
the community to simply accept that someone has lost their
apartment building or their business to gambling — there's
something terribly wrong with that."
Still, activists say, California's Office of Problem Gambling is
under-funded and disorganized. The agency's $3-million budget is
derived from contributions from 26 Native American-run casinos.
Thirty other tribal casinos do not contribute. Nor do card
rooms, race tracks or the state lottery.
In 2003 the office left its entire budget unspent.
"That first year we had no staff; you need people to run
programs," said agency director Steve Hedrick. He said his
office is spending $1.6 million for a new problem gambling
prevalence study to be completed this year.
The office has contacted Asian American leaders for guidance on
programs.
Diane Ujiiye, who heads the problem gambling task force, said $3
million wasn't nearly enough to deal with the issue. "It's
unacceptable," she said. "What can you do with $3 million?
Publish a couple of brochures and run a hotline?"
Officials blame staffing shortages for not having spent the
money.
"That first year we had no staff; you need people to run
programs," said agency director Steve Hedrick. Leo Chu, owner of
the Hollywood Park Casino, said he would not object to
contributing to the state's problem gambling fund. Chu says
casinos sponsor self-exclusion programs in which problem
gamblers can ask that casinos refuse to admit them.
Though Chu does not gamble, he acknowledges that many Asians
develop problems. "I wish customers would recognize a
responsibility to their families as much as their desire for a
good time," he said. "But you can't legislate common sense."
When Bill Lee was on a roll, nothing mattered but the gambling,
not even family. He fell for the
VIP
treatment that came with betting thousands of dollars at a
casino: free hotel suites and concert tickets, having casino
managers know his name.
"I was a big shot," Lee said, "as long as the money lasted."
Angela, 52, a San Gabriel Valley tour guide who often
accompanied Asian customers on Las Vegas gambling junkets, said
that on most trips, she ended up losing her own money and began
playing with the company's funds. Angela, who is in treatment
and asked that her last name not be used, said she once lost
$23,000 in a single day.
She said she tried to tame her zealous gambling. On one Vegas
trip, she gave all her credit cards to a friend and begged her
not to return them, no matter what she said. Later, after losing
all her cash, Angela threatened to slap her friend unless she
returned the cards. "She threw the cards on the floor and I got
down onto my hands and knees without shame to pick them up."
Angela met a reporter at the Commerce Casino, where she spent
numerous nights before she quit gambling in April 2000.
"Ohhh, I love it," she whispered, looking away from the pai gow
poker tables. "You can feel that old passion. The money is there
for the taking."
Angela helped start one of the state's few Mandarin Chinese
gambling treatment programs. But she soon realized a hard fact:
Admitting an addiction is difficult in any culture. But many
Asians find it particularly hard, especially men.
"It's shameful to be emotionally weak," Lee said. "It's not
acceptable. So you certainly don't get up and bare your soul
before a room full of strangers."
To save face among neighbors, many families will bail out an
addicted gambler, paying off casinos and loan sharks, rather
than seek help.
Asian American advocates are urging casinos to distribute
brochures in Asian languages offering help to problem gamblers.
More ambitiously, they want ATMs in casinos closed and overnight
hours curtailed to discourage problem gamblers. They also would
like the state to require gaming venues to contribute to
treatment programs.
Yet casino owner Chu warned that "too many restrictions will
kill business."
Lee's family has broken gambling's grip. He's continuing his
treatment, and his only son doesn't gamble. But Lee can still
taste the shame his father felt at being sold like a commodity.
It was Lee's mother who told him of his father's tragic
childhood.
And he knows that gambling almost brought him the same fate. For
years, his parents struggled to cope with the effects of what
Lee now recognizes as his father's habit. When Lee was only 3,
they considered selling him to an elderly Chinatown couple,
planning to disguise the transaction as an adoption.
Lee's father finally decided that he loved his son too much to
part with him.
(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gamble16jan16,0,6759332.story?coll=la-home-local)
******************
About NCVAA
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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