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About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum – by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil liberties.


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NCVA eREPORTER - January 4, 2005

In this NCVA eReporter:

Funding Opportunities

Jobs/Internships

Tips/Resources

News

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 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

 NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL INVITES GROWING TO GREATNESS RESEARCH PROPOSALS

As part of Growing to Greatness: The State of Service- Learning Project, an initiative sponsored by State Farm, the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) has announced a Request for Proposals for further research on its 2004 national survey of K-12 principals.

NYLC is currently accepting research proposals from student-faculty teams. Two teams will be selected to receive a $1,000 stipend.

The primary focus of all research projects must be quantitative analysis of the 2004 national survey of K-12 principals dataset to further understanding of the state of service-learning. Proposals must be submitted by teams comprised of one faculty member and at least one student.

(http://nylc.org/happening_newsarticle.cfm?oid=4412)

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 APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR BROOKDALE RELATIVES AS PARENTS PROGRAM

The Brookdale Foundation's Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) is designed to encourage the creation or expansion of services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting due to the unwillingness or inability of parents to care for their own children.

The program awards seed grants of $10,000 over a two-year period in two categories: local agencies and agencies.

The RAPP Local Initiative enables local agencies to: provide accessible support groups and other supportive services to relative caregivers and the children in their care; encourage cooperation and collaboration among various service delivery systems; ensure the development, expansion and future continuity of local services; and create replicable models of service. (Deadline: January 13, 2005.)

The RAPP Statewide Initiative asks state grantees to: initiate five new relative support groups in different parts of the state, under the sponsorship and support of local agencies; develop a statewide network of local organizations that link current programs and interested agencies; provide guidance and information to local communities and stimulate the expansion of services to grandparent caregivers and their families; and establish or expand an inter-system task force or committee of public state agencies and statewide organizations on the issue of relatives as surrogate parents. (Deadline: February 10, 2005.)

Each year the foundation awards grants to up to fifteen local community-based agencies and up to five state agencies throughout the United States.

(http://www.brookdalefoundation.org/)

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 NOMINATION PROCESS OPEN FOR YOSHIYAMA AWARDS HONORING YOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE

The Hitachi Foundation presents the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community each year to ten high school seniors from around the United States in honor of their community service activities.

The award recognizes exemplary service and community involvement rather than academic achievement. Activities must foster longer term community change and be focused in socially and/or economically isolated communities.

The award is accompanied by a gift of $5,000. Recipients are invited to participate in a special award ceremony in Washington, D.C., and a retreat with other awardees.

High school seniors from the United States and U.S. territories are eligible to be nominated for the award.

The Hitachi Foundation accepts nominations annually from people directly familiar with the nominee's social contribution such as community leaders, service providers, teachers, school principals, or members of the clergy. Self-nominations and nominations from family members (parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, and uncles) will not be accepted.

(http://hitachifoundation.org/yoshiyama/)

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FOCUS ON COMPANY COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE
ROHM AND HAAS COMPANY CONTRIBUTIONS PROGRAM

The primary focus of the Rohm and Haas Company Contributions Program is to improve the quality of life in company communities and to improve the quality of science and math education internationally. Support is provided in communities throughout the world where the company has a significant operating presence. The funding areas of interest are education, including K-12 science, technology, and math education; the environment, including environmental education; civic and community; health and human services; and arts and culture. Applications are accepted year-round from nonprofit organizations in communities with company facilities worldwide.

(http://www.rohmhaas.com/community/giving/guide_appl.html)

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GEORGIA-PACIFIC PROVIDES SUPPORT IN COMPANY COMMUNITIES

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

The Georgia-Pacific Foundation supports a wide range of nonprofit organizations that improve the quality of life in communities where Georgia-Pacific operates and where company employees live and work, including communities in 39 states. The Foundation's areas of interest include education, the environment, and community enrichment. Applications are accepted between January 1 and October 31, annually. Visit the above website for more information. A map of the Georgia-Pacific facilities and locations is available online at http://www.gp.com/facilitydirectory/index.asp.

(http://www.gp.com/center/community/index.html)

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SUPPORT FOR SKATEBOARD PARKS AND FACILITIES

Tony Hawk Foundation

The Tony Hawk Foundation makes grants is to encourage and facilitate the design, development, construction and operation of new, quality skateboard parks and facilities located in low-income communities in the United States. The Foundation favors parks in low-income areas, or areas with a high population of "at-risk" youths, that currently have no skateboarding facilities. Parks should be open during daylight hours 365 days a year and should charge no money. Nonprofit organizations, public schools and government agencies throughout the U.S. are eligible to apply. The next application deadline is March 1, 2005.

(http://www.tonyhawkfoundation.org/)

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FUNDS FOR NONVIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE

A.J. Muste Memorial Institute

The A.J. Muste Memorial Institute supports projects that promote the principles and practice of nonviolent social change. Funded projects must be concerned with one or more of the following areas: peace and disarmament, social and economic justice, racial and sexual equality, and the labor movement. The Regular Grant Program provides grants of up to $2,000 for international, national, and local projects that seek to advance nonviolent grassroots education and action for social and economic justice. The International Nonviolence Training Fund provides grants up to $3,000 for nonviolence training projects outside the United States, and within Native nations in the U.S. The next application deadlines for the Regular Grant Program are February 18 and April 29, 2005. Applications for the International Nonviolence Training Fund are accepted throughout the year.

(http://www.ajmuste.org)

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2005 KODAK AMERICAN GREENWAYS AWARDS PROGRAM
Applications Accepted March 1 – June 1, 2005

The Kodak American Greenways Awards Program, a partnership project of the Eastman Kodak Company, The Conservation Fund, and the National Geographic Society, provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways in communities throughout America. The application period for the 2005 Kodak American Greenways Awards Program runs from March 1 through June 1, 2005. Applications will only be accepted online.

(http://www.conservationfund.org/?article=2372%20)

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PACIFICORP FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING

The PacifiCorp Foundation for Learning fosters strategic, sustainable learning initiatives that serve the best aspirations of individuals, organizations, and communities, and that enhance and develop their capabilities to address significant challenges and opportunities. Application deadlines vary.

(http://www.pacificorpfoundation.org/)

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ACTION FOR NATURE

Action For Nature is an international environmental organization whose mission is to foster respect and affection for nature through personal action. Action For Nature has created the International Young Eco-Hero Awards to recognize and reward the successful individual environmental initiatives of young people aged 8-16 from around the world. The awards honor individual young people for their self-initiated projects. The application deadline is February 28, 2005.

(http://www.actionfornature.org/eco-hero/ecoheroawards.html)

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 JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

2005 APS/IBM Research Internship for Undergraduate Women

RESEARCH INTERNSHIP FOR UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN Information on the 2005 APS/IBM Research Internship for Undergraduate Women is now available!

 

These summer internships are salaried positions typically 10 weeks long, and include in addition a $2,500 grant, plus the opportunity to work with a mentor at one of three IBM research locations.

Applications must be submitted by January 31, 2005. Complete details on the program and how to apply are available at: http://www.aps.org/educ/cswp/ibmintern.html

2005 APS/IBM Research Internship for Undergraduate Women

Description: The American Physical Society and IBM co-sponsor a research internship program for undergraduate women. The goal is to encourage women students to pursue graduate studies in science and engineering.

Award: The internships are salaried positions typically 10 weeks long at one of three IBM research locations (San Jose, CA, Austin, TX, or Yorktown Heights, NY), and include in addition a $2,500 grant, plus the opportunity to work with an IBM mentor. The Watson lab has a full range of research, as does the Almaden lab, and the Austin lab focuses on software and systems.

Research areas of the internship are individually chosen so as to optimize the match between the skills and interests of the student, and the ongoing research programs of the laboratory.

Information about the sites and their research may be found at:
http://www.research.ibm.com
http://www.almaden.ibm.com
http://www.watson.ibm.com
http://www.research.ibm.com/arl/arlext/

The starting and ending dates are chosen so as not to conflict with the student's school schedule. Assistance in finding and renting housing will be provided. Applications for summer 2005 will be due January 31, 2005, and notification of results will begin in February. More information is available in the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Eligibility: Must be female with sophomore or junior standing at a US college or university at the time of application Must be majoring in chemistry, physics, materials science or engineering, computer science or engineering, chemical, electrical, mechanical engineering Must have a minimum 3.0 GPA No citizenship restriction.

Selection Procedure: Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee at IBM/Almaden and selected based on their commitment to and interest in their major field of study.

Application Procedure: The application process consists of an online application, which is submitted through an IBM server; two letters of recommendation, which are to be emailed directly from the recommenders to the internship chair; and a paper supplement (official transcript), which is submitted to APS via postal mail.

The online application requires: Completing the student application form (on the IBM server). Uploading your Essay (250 words) describing your interest in research and how this opportunity would advance your goals.

Uploading your Resume (1-3 pages). Uploading a page listing all of your college technical courses (math, science, computer science, engineering) with the school year in which they were taken and the grades awarded Acceptable formats for the essay, resume, and course list are PDF, PostScript, and Microsoft Word.

The links on the upper left of the application (including "Select a Country") will direct you to other sites within IBM; they can be ignored for the purposes of filling out the application form. If you have any problem submitting your application electronically, please use your "back" button to return to the application and try again; if after at most three such tries you still have difficulties, please email Barbara Jones at bajones@almaden.ibm.com as soon as possible.

The paper supplement includes: Two letters of recommendation sent by email to bajones@almaden.ibm.com. At least one letter must come from a faculty member at your current college/ university, preferably in a field related to your major. Official copy of your transcript, including fall semester 2004 grades, sent directly to the APS office at the address given below.

APS/IBM Research Internship Award
American Physical Society
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740
Attn: Sue Otwell

Applications must be postmarked by January 31, 2005. For further information on the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics or its programs, please contact Sue Otwell at 301-209-3231 or women@aps.org

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LINKAGES INTEGRATED CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (LICMP) COORDINATOR

 County of Los Angeles - Human Resources
Bulletin Number: 04-103 Bulletin Posted: December 08, 2004

HOW TO APPLY:
A standard Los Angeles County employment application and will be accepted on business days only between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. beginning Thursday, December 9, 2004. This examination will remain open until the need of the service are met and is subject to closure without prior notice. Applications must be received, either in person or by mail at the following location:

Human Resources Employment Information Services Office
3333 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90010
213-738-2057
213-738-2039
CHIEF COMMUNITY SERVICES ANALYST
(LINKAGES INTEGRATED CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM)
SALARY: $72,307.00 - $108,461.00 ANNUALLY EXAM NUMBER: R8195A
SALARY INFORMATION: (R10)

POSITION INFORMATION:
Reports to a higher-level department manager and has responsibility for directing, administering, and coordinating the State-sponsored Linkages Integrated Case Management Program (LICMP), including case management and monitoring, education, quality improvement, utilization management, and advocacy services provided by community-based contract providers.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Oversees the administration and development of the case management model and quality standards for utilization by LICMP providers; serves as a technical resource director for agency management staff by providing information concerning case management practices, administrative rules and regulations, community resources, vendors, and programs; meets with direct community service providers to assist in developing new programs or in modifying existing programs to upgrade the quality of services; handles special projects such as coordination of programs and the development of new systems for the delivery of services; works closely with LICMP site directors and case management providers to coordinate and ensure that program functions are provided in accordance with State policies and guidelines; manages the technical support and educational services provided to LICMP community-based providers to promote effective case management, coordination of care and quality service delivery for clients participating in the program; develops and maintains community relationships that are integral to the program and assist provider agencies to identify and resolve programmatic issues to ensure the interests of clients are fully represented; participates in case management consultation by interacting with direct care contract service agencies to discuss client cases in relation to eligibility, case management and problem solving, case monitoring, coordination of services, reassessment and treatment plans, and other client-related activities; participates in statewide, area, or regional staff meetings of quality assurance personnel and/or other agency staff.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:
A Master's degree in Social Work, Social Welfare, Psychology, Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling, or a closely related field of specialization from an accredited college or university and two (2) years of experience supervising staff engaged in social, mental or health-related case management services for adults and/or senior citizens in a human services, health, or mental health agency.

Proof of required education, either an official copy of your transcript or an official copy of your diploma, must be provided at the time of filing.

LICENSE:
A valid California Class "C" Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions. PHYSICAL CLASS: 2 - Light

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:
* Knowledge of Federal, State, local, and community service programs and projects.
* Knowledge of the State of California Linkages Program.
* Comprehensive knowledge of case management principles, objectives, quality of care standards and delivery systems.
* Knowledge of social and health intervention techniques and procedures.
* Knowledge of human behavior and the aging process.
* Excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
* Ability to implement organizational goals, policies, and procedures.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION:
The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the SELECTION REQUIREMENTS. Fill out the application completely and correctly to receive full credit for any related education, training, and job experience you include. In the space provided for education, include the names and addresses of schools attended, titles of courses completed, dates completed, and number of credits and/or certificates earned. In order to receive credit for any type of college degree such as a Bachelor, Master, or Doctorate degree, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization, or official certificates with your application. Accredited institutions are those listed in the publications of regional, national, or international accrediting agencies which are accepted by the Department of Human Resources. Publications such as American Universities and Colleges and International Handbook of Universities are acceptable references. Also acceptable, if appropriate, are degrees that have been evaluated and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from United States accredited institutions by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, description of work performed, and salary earned. All information supplied by applicants is subject to verification.

Applications may be rejected at any stage of the selection process.

SPECIAL INFORMATION:
RECORD OF CONVICTIONS: A full disclosure of all convictions is required. Failure to disclose convictions will result in disqualification. Not all convictions constitute an automatic bar to employment. Factors such as your age at the time of the offense(s), and the recency of offense(s) will be taken into account, as well as the relationship between the offense(s) and the job(s) for which you apply. However, any applicant for County employment who has been convicted of workers' compensation fraud is automatically barred from employment with the County of Los Angeles (County Code Section 5.12.110). ANY CONVICTIONS OR COURT RECORDS WHICH ARE EXEMPTED BY A VALID COURT ORDER DO NOT HAVE TO BE INCLUDED.

VETERANS' INFORMATION:
VETERANS' PREFERENCE CREDIT of 10 points will be added to the final passing grade in any open competitive examination if you are an honorably discharged veteran who served in the Armed Forces of the United States:
a. During a declared war; or
b. During the period April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955; or
c. For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; or
d. In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal or expeditionary medal has been authorized and awarded.

This also applies to the spouse of such person who, while engaged in such service was wounded, disabled or crippled and thereby permanently prevented from engaging in any remunerative occupation, and also to the widow or widower of any such person who died or was killed while in such service. A DD214, Certificate of Discharge or Separation from Active Duty, or other official documents issued by the branch of service are required as verification of eligibility for Veterans'preference. If you are unable to provide any documentation at the time of filing, the 10 points will be withheld until such time as it is provided.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS:
Applicants who require special testing arrangements such as readers or interpreters must provide advance notice of their disability and required accommodation. Contact the Coordinator of Personnel Services for Disabled Persons by calling 213-738-2057. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling 800-899-4099 or 800-897-0077. The County will attempt to meet reasonable accommodation requests whenever possible.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION:
This examination will consist of an interview weighted 100%. The interview will assess education, experience, personal fitness and general knowledge and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

ONLY THOSE CANDIDATES WHO ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70 OR HIGHER ON THE INTERVIEW PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION WILL BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE REGISTER.

VACANCY INFORMATION:
The eligible register resulting from this examination will only be used to fill the vacancy in the Los Angeles County Department of Community and Senior Services.

ELIGIBLE INFORMATION:
The names of candidates receiving a passing grade in the examination will be placed on the eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of six (6) months following the date of promulgation. No person may compete in this examination more than once every six (6) months.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:
Employment is contingent upon verification of U.S. Citizenship or the right to work in the United States. Immigration law provides that all persons hired after November 6, 1986 are required to present original documents to the County, within three (3) business days of hiring, which show satisfactory proof of: 1) identity and 2) U.S. employment eligibility.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY CHILD SUPPORT COMPLIANCE PROGRAM:
In an effort to improve compliance with court-ordered child, family and spousal support obligations, certain employment and identification information (e.g. name, address, Social Security Number and date of hire) is regularly reported to the State Directory of New Hires which may assist in locating persons who owe these obligations. Family Code section 17512 permits, under certain circumstances, for additional employment and identifying information to be requested. Applicants will not be disqualified from employment based on this information.

THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES IS AN ACTIVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER cr 12/04

Tracy Franklin
Management Services Section
(213) 738-3008
(213) 738-6541 Fax
trfrankl@co.la.ca.us

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 TIPS/RESOURCES

 DOS AND DONT’S FOR APPOINTMENT SEEKERS

By Maeley Tom

Here’s a checklist for winning an appointment to an administration position or a seat on a state board or commission. Seeking an appointment is like a campaign. The more prestigious the appointment, the more intensive the campaign, unless one has a direct personal relationship with the appointing power.

Why are you seeking an appointment?: Is it for the purpose of career advancement, personal prestige or public service? Once you have clarified your purpose, it will help you determine what type of appointment to go after. High-profile policy-making appointments will likely require relocating to Sacramento.

Research what appointments are available: For state employees and influential friends of the governor, news often travels by word of mouth. For the general public, information about appointments and applications are available through the website www.governor.ca.gov; there is a link called “Appointments,” and within that link is “Serving in the Schwarzenegger administration.”

What makes a candidate competitive?: Once you find a suitable appointment, carefully evaluate your qualifications and credentials. Is your professional background and expertise related to this appointment? What type of support can you generate that would influence the appointing power?

How broad is your base of support? Would you be able to generate support from community, regional, professional, political and special-interest groups?

Have you been able to cultivate some name recognition with groups who would be impacted by this appointment?

Many are appointed as a result of their work on campaigns on behalf of the appointing power. Some appointees bypass the above steps because they have sponsors who are very influential with the appointing power.

Getting the appointment: Once you have filed your application, alert key individuals and organizations who can provide you with a credible support base. for the Individuals you select should have some type of relationship or influence with the appointing power or staff. Recommendations from elected officials can also be helpful especially if they have a close relationship with the administration.

You must do your homework to find out as much as you can about the appointing power’s key interests and about organizations and individuals who have strong relationships with the decision maker. And yes, major financial contributors can be helpful. Bottom line, if qualifications are about equal, appointments go to candidates who can provide the most benefits to the administration and the governor.

If possible, establish a link with someone in the governor’s office or appointments office who can advise you about the process and your candidacy’s progress. Do not be afraid to inform as many people as possible who work closely with the process. The more your name surfaces in discussions among staff, the more attention your application will receive.

Some don’ts: Do not use ethnic-parity criteria in any of your application materials. Let organizations or individuals argue this issue on your behalf. This should not preclude you from highlighting your participation in ethnic community issues or organizations.

In gathering support, either through letters or personal phone calls, do not overkill by having people send hundreds of letters of recommendation. And most important, please do not use form letters.

APA state employees seeking appointments or promotions have the advantage of joining the Asian Pacific State Employees Association (APSEA), which has an appointment subcommittee currently chaired by Mary Phillips. The APSEA provides advice and guidance through the appointment process. It also has an invaluable working relationship with the governor’s staff. My appointment to the State Personnel Board was mainly due to the APSEA’s 10-year crusade to get the first APA appointed to this board during the Davis administration. Information about the APSEA can be obtained at www.apsea.org.

If you are called in for an interview, do not hesitate to ask about what types of subjects staff would be interested in discussing. You may even be able to solicit the name of the interviewer. It is important that you have a firm grasp of the responsibilities of the agency, department and appointment. Be prepared to discuss what value your candidacy would bring to the administration and the governor.

Finally, whether or not you succeed, always remember to express appreciation to everyone who helped with your effort. One never knows when another opportunity will surface and the important connections you made in your first attempt will be that much more valuable.

 (http://news.asianweek.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=251e968835cafdad5c4b90d38524aa30&this_category_id=170)

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CALIFORNIA’S NONPROFIT INTEGRITY ACT OF 2004- SUMMARY OF KEYPOINTS

 NEW CHARITIES LAW

Sponsored by Attorney General Lockyer, the Nonprofit Integrity Act of 2004 imposes new protections against fraudulent fundraising practices and requires greater financial accountability by charities and commercial fundraisers.

We offer a Guide to the Nonprofit Integrity Act of 2004 which highlights the new requirements for charities, commercial fundraisers, fundraising counsels, unincorporated associations and trusts. Additional information is available in Frequently Asked Questions on the Nonprofit Integrity Act of 2004.

The law (SB 1262 - Sher, Chapter 919, Stats of 2004) seeks to improve corporate governance by nonprofit organizations and to prevent commercial fundraisers from engaging in unscrupulous fundraising practices.

(http://www.ag.ca.gov/charities/publications/nonprofit_integrity_act_nov04.pdf)

 (http://www.ag.ca.gov/charities/faq.htm#charities-nonprofitintegrityact2004http://www.ag.ca.gov/charities/faq.htm#charities-nonprofitintegrityact2004)

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 NEWS

December 2004

CHRISTMAS GIFT: U.S.-VIETNAM RELATIONS – UNLIKELY PARTNERS?
Propaganda Tour in the Christmas Month

By Jackie Bong-Wright

Ambassador Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations, conducted an extensive propaganda tour in the U.S. November 30 to December 18.  A well-wishing gift from the Vietnamese government to the American administration?  Vietnamese here were alerted to her trip by Que Me (The Motherland), a Paris-based advocate for democracy and human rights in Vietnam, which spread the word over the internet.  Her objective was to respond to the Bush administration, listing of Vietnam as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act.  Cited were severe violations of religious freedom with specific incidents of persecution and repression of religious belief and practice.

Que Me laid the background for Amb. Ninh’s tour by giving ample examples of religious oppression since the Northern Communists took over the South nearly thirty years ago.  It also noted that Ninh had declared at a conference in Vietnam, that Vietnam was “building a democracy with a one-party system…protecting the rights of a minority.”  Vo Van Ai, head of Que Me, interpreted her to mean the rights of the 2,600,000 Communist cadres against the majority of 81 million Vietnamese people.  He said that Vietnam sent her to sugar-coat the truth by intoxicating and duping Americans and overseas Vietnamese.

Ms. Ninh, a former Ambassador to Belgium and the EU, traveled to eight states and 12 cities, starting from the East coast.  Her 36 speeches included Yale, Harvard, Vassar, Princeton, National Defense University, Cleveland State University, Notre Dame, the University of Iowa, the UCLA School of Public Affairs, and UC San Diego.  She met with the Boston Globe, New York Times, the National Press Club in Washington, National Public Radio, the Washington Times and the Los Angeles Times. 

She also talked to prominent think tanks, the Ford Foundation, the Asia Society and the Stanley Foundation in Iowa.  She discussed issues of interest with Vietnamese American families, Vietnam’s largest contingent of the Vietnamese diaspora at 1.5 million.  She said that it was an important constituency that influenced U.S.-Vietnam relations.  Finally she courted the business community, promoting the Bi-lateral Trade Agreement (BTA) at the 3-year point of its implementation.  Official figures show that Vietnam exported $4.5 billion to the U.S. last year, a rise of 329% from 2001.  Vietnam’s imports from the U.S. also rose to $1.32 billion in 2003, up 186% from 2001.  Thus, Amb. Ninh’s talks ranged from trade conflicts to human rights, educational exchange and social issues.

Ninh grew up in France and was educated at the Sorbonne and at Cambridge University.  An astute spokeswoman with extensive academic, diplomatic, and legislative experience, she has represented Vietnam in international conferences on crucial issues with global implications.

In the past, Amb Ninh has not hesitated to criticize Western institutions.  The Belgian publication Solidaire of May 2001 cites her as saying that multinational corporations control trade and scientific and technological transfers.  She declared that capitalism and imperialism tended to exploit this “processus” and pretended to establish a “new world order.”  She exhorted her Communist colleagues not to fight against globalization but against imperialism.  She continued, “We should use globalization to benefit our own objectives, as we succeeded in doing in Seattle and Prague, where we used the internet to serve our side.”  She urged socialist countries to develop a common front, in principle and in practice, to fight against the exploitation of imperialism.

Meet the Press in the Capital

At the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on November 12, Ambassador Ninh tried to persuade her audience of Vietnam’s efforts to improve relations during the 10 years since the U.S. stopped its embargo and the two countries normalized ties.  She mentioned “irritants” regarding religious freedom and human rights.  However, she saw a bridge of bonding and healing between American and Vietnamese veterans, and between Vietnamese students studying in American universities and the second generation of Vietnamese-Americans.  The latter, now in their late thirties, were trying to help the less fortunate Vietnamese back home, she said.

She also saw a dramatic rise in bi-lateral trade and economic exchanges, and wanted to broaden this common ground.  She wanted Vietnam to pursue negotiations and become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and continue the dialogue with the U.S.

Finally, Ninh announced that Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange were filing suit against American chemical companies as part of this mature relationship, and insisted that the U.S. should recognize the losses the Vietnamese have suffered.

During the question period, Ninh was asked about the seven members of the Mennonite Church who were arrested and severely beaten in the central highlands of Vietnam, while their church was totally destroyed.  She replied that the allegations of the State Department and Human Rights Watch were slanted or based on shortage of information.  She said that these reports should be checked with the Vietnamese government first before lies were spread.  She asked her own question, “What’s the position of the State Department on Agent Orange victims?  What do you have to say about that?”

Replying to a question concerning the sanctions imposed on Vietnamese catfish exports to the U.S., Ninh said that the U.S. was a huge and promising market with complicated rules that Vietnamese exporters were not aware of.   Vietnam’s enterprising solution was to sell instead to Europe as well as to local markets.

Asked why Vietnam had just refused a visa to Rep. Loretta Sanchez of California, Ninh said that this case was an exception, and that what Sanchez was promoting was not really a bi-lateral relationship.  It was unfortunate that Sanchez catered only to constituency of Vietnamese-Americans in her area to get their votes.  Ninh dared Sanchez to hold a dialogue on American soil with her instead of going to Vietnam.  She said that from the track record of Sanchez’ previous visits, the Vietnamese government did not feel comfortable in welcoming her and did not think her visit would be useful.

On that note, reporter Al Kamen wrote in the Washington Post of December 13 that the United Airlines flight from California that just landed in Ho Chi Minh City was a historic event.  “But another Californian, Rep. Sanchez, was not on that or any other flight to Vietnam.  That’s because she’s persona non grata, unable to get a visa because she has had the effrontery to criticize the commies for blatant disregard of religious freedom and the usual violations of human rights.”

Another question was posed by Shandon Phan of Vietnamese American TV. “For the past three years since the passage of the BTA, Vietnam is exporting freely its intellectual products to the U.S. but maintains a monopoly and in effect, an absolute ban on many of these products from the U.S.  Why continue to limit the free flow of information between the two people while the Vietnamese government takes full advantage of that freedom in America?”

Ninh replied that many American movies were imported to Vietnam as well as magazines like Times and Newsweek, but that there were certain limitations on foreign literature, not only from the U.S. but also from Europe.

Phan told this reporter later that “Madame Ninh’s reply was, at its best, a clever maneuver to run away from the question.  So much for the Vietnamese government representative who likes to give the American media advices about being accurate, credible and straightforward,” he added.

Helen Ngo, a director of the Vietnamese Public Radio, raised the case of Father Nguyen Van Ly, a Roman Catholic priest.  He was arrested and given a sentence of 15 years after testifying openly before U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.  In May 2004, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the House Resolution 378 with almost unanimous vote of 424 to 1 to ask for the release of Father Ly.  “Why does your government refuse to grant him freedom?”

Ninh said that she didn’t know all the details of Father Ly’s case, but said she had accompanied Senator Brownback to visit him in jail and that he was being treated more than decently.  She claimed that he was not arrested on religious grounds but as a citizen who had broken the law and that his sentence had been reduced.  She said that the next time around, she would come to the U.S. with a list of similar demands, but that these would go nowhere to promote the two countries’ relations.

Ms. Ngo said that the Ambassador was ducking the issue.  She said that in October 2003, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Father Ly’s imprisonment was in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.   Later, Ms. Ngo complained that the “time allocated was not enough for a rebuttal, therefore, Ninh came out the winner, giving people the impression that the Communist government was lenient in reducing Father Ly’s sentence.  Ninh portrayed the victim as a criminal,” Ngo concluded.

(www.asianfortune.com)

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December 27, 2004

TRYING TO CURB GRAFT IN VIETNAM
Corrupt officials have been embarrassing Hanoi's Communist authorities.

By Amy Kazmin, Financial Times

The arrests this month of Vietnamese civil servants suspected of smuggling crude oil out of the country may help solve the riddle of fuel consumption in neighboring Cambodia. Official petrol imports there, which are subject to high duties, have declined by 20% in the last decade, even as the number of passenger cars on the roads has risen by 50%.

The arrests also signal an increasingly vigorous drive to weed out a reportedly growing number of corrupt officials, who are embarrassing Hanoi's Communist authorities with their brazen demands for bribes and highly visible, opulent lifestyles.

Eight senior executives of Vietnam Airlines' petroleum trading subsidiary, Vinapco, were arrested on suspicion of illegally exporting oil to private traders in Cambodia.

The executives, including Vinapco's director, chief finance officer and chief trade officer, stand accused of taking as much as $1.3 million in bribes.

Just days later, an investigation into Vietnam's trade ministry reached its climax as Mai Van Dau, the 62-year-old deputy trade minister, was arrested on charges of "abuse of power," for allegedly selling export quotas for garment manufacturers sending textiles to the U.S.

The "cash-for-quotas" racket has claimed four other senior trade ministry officials, including Dau's son.

Vietnamese government officials have long used their positions and their vast discretionary powers to make money. But with the economy expanding more than 7% a year, and popular aspirations growing, the graft appears more brazen. The number of state officials seeking handouts and the sums demanded are said to be increasing.

Officials have also been accused of using their authority to evade taxes, secure contracts for family companies and illegally sell state property, as well as engage in other forms of profiteering.

At its highest echelons, Vietnam's Communist Party now fears that public servants' increasingly visible opulence is eroding the legitimacy and effectiveness of its authoritarian, one-party rule.

"Since 1996, corruption has been public enemy No. 1, but the drive to uproot it has become much more vigorous in the last 12 months," said John Shrimpton, director of Dragon Capital, Vietnam's largest fund manager.

The clean-up effort has so far exacted its heaviest toll at Petrovietnam, the state-owned oil and gas behemoth, where the general director and his deputy were dismissed in May last year for misconduct in tendering for Vietnam's first oil refinery. Authorities subsequently uncovered rampant corruption and arrested numerous Petrovietnam employees and others, including a senior construction ministry official.

The widening anticorruption net has also ensnared powerful local officials suspected of land speculation on the island of Phu Quoc; an executive from the state-owned shipping company, Vinalines; the head of the state coffee company, Vinacafe; and the agricultural minister, who was forced to resign this year.

Skeptics have suggested that the dismissals and arrests may stem from internal party rivalries, but many foreign observers in Vietnam are convinced they are a serious attempt to deter corrupt officials.

"Greed is running amok, and the arrests seem designed as a signal to slow things down," said Frederick Burke, an attorney at Baker & McKenzie in Ho Chi Minh City.

But curbing graft in Vietnam will require Communist authorities to make far-reaching changes, including reducing officials' discretionary power and increasing the transparency of government decision-making and the accountability of public officials.

(http://www.latimes.com/business/la-ft-vietnam27dec27,1,6727227.story)

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December 27, 2004

AMERICAN DREAM COME TRUE

By Larry Werner, Star Tribune

THE CHALLENGE: Competing with Dell as a mom-and-pop computer business.

THE STRATEGY: Sell custom-built PCs and offer one-day repair service on all PCs -- including Dells.

After resettling in the United States from refugee camps in Southeast Asia, Paul and Tam Tran had become the central characters in one of those heart-warming stories about the American dream.

With a degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University and two years with Sun Microsystems in California, Paul was running a computer store in New Orleans with Tam, who had studied computer science and accounting.

But in 1999, seven years after starting their own business, the Trans decided to take a vacation in the Midwest. That inspired them to sell their Louisiana store and open Tran Micro Computers on University Avenue in southeast Minneapolis.

With a confidence he expresses in rapid-fire, accented English, Paul Tran said he has no doubt that his 2,500-square-foot business will survive competition from big-box retailers, such as Best Buy, and the mail-order marketing of Dell.

With a policy of one-day repair service and a fanatical aversion to debt, the Trans say hard work and a strong Minnesota economy have blessed them with the good life in their adopted country.

"I have to repay America back," said Paul, 44, whose $1.2 million business covers their only debt -- the mortgage on a house in Apple Valley, where the Trans live with their three children. "You supported us before. I think America is the best country."

Tam, 36, who manages the store and inventory while her husband builds and repairs PCs, said their success was as simple as asking God for the revenue they needed to pay the bills.

"From first day we opened in October 1999, I pray, 'God please let me make enough to pay my rent and everything,' and he did. I say, 'God help me to make double,' and I make double."

But even with such faith, it took three months before the Trans sold their first computer, Paul said.

Their story began in Vietnam. The end of the Vietnam war saw many South Vietnamese become refugees, living in camps in Malaysia and the Philippines. With the help of Catholic refugee workers, Paul and Tam were sent in 1985 to New Orleans, where they met. They married and started their business there in 1992 with savings from Paul's first job as a systems engineer with Sun.

The plan was to try the enterprise for two years, and if it didn't work, go back to salaried jobs. Childless, they lived in an apartment at the back of their store and slept on the floor so they didn't have to buy a bed. "In 1994, [Tam] got pregnant," Paul said. "And she can't sleep on the floor with the pregnancy. So we had to buy a sleeping sofa."

With business growing to about $700,000 in annual sales by 1999, the Trans took a vacation to a part of the country where, they heard, the economy was hotter and the weather cooler than in Louisiana. They spent time in Ohio, Indiana and Minnesota. Crowded computer stores in Minneapolis persuaded them that it was time to leave the humidity of Louisiana for the booming economy of Minnesota. The Trans sold their New Orleans store for $80,000 and rented a storefront near the University of Minnesota where two computer retailers already had failed.

"The landlord said, 'What are you doing?'" Paul recalled. "I said, 'A computer business.' He said, 'You know how tough it is?' I said, 'I know how tough it is, but I believe I can make it.' So I told him I'll sign a one-year lease. And one year later he came back and said, 'How many years you want?'"

In its first full year, Tran Micro Computers had revenue of about $1 million, which persuaded the owners to open a second store in Richfield. That expansion doubled revenue to more than $2 million in the next two years, but another pregnancy caused another change in plans. The doctor told Tam she shouldn't work long days running the store at 66th St. and Penn Av. S. while she was pregnant.

So they closed the second store in September 2003, dropping revenue to about $1.2 million. In addition, the competition from big companies has made Tran's low-end computers less competitive. Luckily, the reliance on computers by small businesses has created a demand for prompt, reliable service, which is what Paul loves to do.

"I don't like retail," he said. "I want to do service."

In their store, Tam deals with customers at the counter or on a wireless telephone equipped with a headset so she can talk on the phone while carrying her 10-month-old daughter around on her hip. Paul builds and repairs computers, including some Dells, on a workbench at the rear of the store. He said 50 percent of his revenue comes from selling computers and other merchandise and 50 percent from providing same-day or next-day repair. His goal is to increase the service business to 60 percent of revenue.

As he navigates the rough waters of competition, he's willing to adapt, but will "never" resort to borrowing money to meet his objectives, he said. Never had a business loan, he said. Never will.

"Whatever money we have, we do whatever we can," Paul said. "So we never depend on anybody. When you're going down, you have to stand up by yourself. Don't depend on somebody else to pull you up."

The expert's opinion: Kate Rubin, president of the Minnesota High Tech Association, said the Trans "have it figured out" by emphasizing prompt repair.

Rubin, whose association provides assistance to technology companies, said: "Responsiveness and service are the name of the game. While PCs have become ubiquitous, they still break."

She said she knows one small-business owner who is so dependent on his laptop that he keeps three on hand "so he always has one available while the other is being repaired, with the third for extra back-up."

Larry Werner is at werner@startribune.com.

(http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/5153311.html)

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December 29, 2004

ASIANS TO BUILD WAR MEMORIAL
Group sponsors Sunday event to raise funds

By Katania Castaneda
Chronicle Correspondent

A huge concrete pedestal has been erected with a big black wall behind it at 12360 Bellaire Blvd. in the Universal Center in Houston. It stands alone in the plaza, unfinished, the site of what may one day be a Vietnam War Memorial.

The project to erect a memorial began about seven years ago by a group of four former Vietnamese soldiers. They began the project with the intent of commemorating fallen soldiers on both the Vietnamese and the American sides.

But the effort to build the monument was stopped and started several times over the years, said Nghiep Nguyen, architect and chair of the Viet Nam War Memorial Construction Committee.

"For the first five years, nothing was moving," Nguyen said. "We got the money, but very slowly, so we built it according to the funds that we have had."

The group had all but given up when Diana Tran-Yu, 35, heard an interview on the Vietnamese radio station with Nguyen about the memorial. She had come from a family of fallen soldiers and felt compelled to help.

"That night I came home and thought, 'Gosh, I want to help. If I send them a little check it will only be my contribution. My contribution alone is not enough.' "

She moved quickly to try and get everyone she knew to get involved.

Network of help
"I thought about a way to call up all my friends who are young professionals to form a group," Tran-Yu said. "I was on the phone every single day calling every person I knew, telling them that we should do something about this."

Tran-Yu was particularly interested in helping with the memorial because she recently had taken trip with her parents to see a Vietnam War memorial in Orange County, Calif.

The experience of seeing the memorial, she said, really touched her.

"I just literally cried. I wept and wept," Tran-Yu said.

Tran said she had family — including several uncles and her father — who served fighting against communism in South Vietnam.

Tran-Yu remembers hearing the story about her uncle from her mother.

Her uncle's battalion was invaded by the Communists, and he was captured. During his captivity, a group of 100 soldiers were told that they could go free. When they got up and ran, they were shot dead.

Tran-Yu's uncle saw this and was horrified by the sight; he decided to take his life by shooting himself.

Tran-Yu said she also has heard stories about the graves of the unknown soldiers in Vietnam being dug up by Communists and burned so that fancy hotels and restaurants could be put up in their places.

"When I heard about this, I was angry and frustrated," said Tran-Yu. "I wanted to go a do something about it."

She built a fund-raising team comprised of about 40 members from throughout Houston. They call themselves the Youth for Viet Nam War Memorial Monument Fundraising — Houston.

The cost to build the monument is $300,000, but they are still about $80,000 short to complete construction. When it is completed, it will include a bronze statue of both a Vietnamese and an American soldier standing side-by-side.

To put the money together, the group will sponsor a fund-raising event on Sunday from 4-10 p.m. at the Kim Son Restaurant, 2001 Jefferson St. in downtown Houston.

Several group members expressed their feelings about participating in the project.

"My dad fought in the services, so I want to give back to our elders and leave something for the next generation," said Todd Nguyen, 39, financial planner for SVO & Associates.

"I want other people to have a place to remember the soldiers that have fallen for us," said Helen Vo, 20, a senior biology major at the University of St. Thomas. "I am doing this to help others learn about their culture."

"It is a very good chance for us to remember all of the sacrifices from the South Vietnamese soldiers and the American soldiers as well," said Bang Nguyen, 44, an engineer with Memorial Hermann Hospital. "It is a symbol of appreciation for what both sides did to help the freedom cause."

Stories of survival
Several group members, including Tran-Yu, came to the United States when they were children, either on boats or planes fleeing Communist oppression.

Bang Nguyen was 15 when he fled Vietnam with his family on a boat on April 29, 1975, just one day before the Communist takeover.

"At the time I was young, but I was old enough to realize the war was very ugly," said Bang Nguyen. "I could hear bombs and rockets everywhere, every day."

He was out at sea for about two or three days when he was picked up by a U.S. naval ship. He was taken to the Philippines and later to Guam and eventually was flown to Arkansas, where he stayed at Fort Chaffee. His family was sponsored by a Lutheran church in Topeka, Kan., where he lived for three years until he came to the Houston area three years later.

Bang Nguyen said two incidents occurred that made him realize he was free. The first occurred in the Philippines.

"When I set foot on the Philippines, I told my sisters, 'This is freedom. No more curfew. No more bombs and rockets,' " said Bang Nguyen. "When I set foot on land, I kissed the ground."

The next incident that brought home to him that he is free occurred in the United States. He remembers hearing thunder and thinking that it was a bomb or a rocket. But then he reminded himself that the days of war were over. He was on free soil.

"It still haunts you for a long time," Bang Nguyen said.

Tran-Yu went through a similar experience.

She was in first grade in 1977 when she left Vietnam with her family in the middle of the night. She remembers being stranded in the middle of the sea for about a month.

"On the boat, there was not food, people had severe diarrhea," said Tran-Yu. "I remember being so hungry and thirsty."

Her boat was rescued by a German freighter, and the 120 people on the boat were allowed to land on an island on the Thai coast.

The Germans threw food to the boat, "and I remember catching the food," said Tran-Yu. "As a little girl, I thought food was raining from the sky."

She and her family lived on the island for at least seven months. Then they went to Germany, where they lived for 2 1/2 years until they could come to the United States.

Tran-Yu and others that have similar stories to tell say that not a day goes by when they are not grateful for being in the United States.

"I'm so thankful that I'm here. Knowing you feel safe, having a place you can call home. It's a beautiful, reassuring feeling," Tran-Yu said.

(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/thisweek/zone17/news/2968691)

(http://www.class.uh.edu/lac/vnmemorial/)

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December 29, 2004

NEW SURVEY DISCLOSES ASIAN HEALTH ATTITUDES
Study by M.D. Anderson shows education needed

By Betty L. Martin
Houston Chronicle

Data are still being analyzed and disseminated, but a preview from a telephone survey to assess southeast Texas Chinese and Vietnamese attitudes about health show different views about specific issues such as cancer, immunizations and prevention.

There's no dispute, however, among the survey's creators at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, that more surveys are needed in the near future.

Beverly Gor, associate program director, and Son Huang, research assistant, at M.D. Anderson's Center for Research on Minority Health in the old Nabisco Building, 2450 Holcombe, say professionals in their field have long felt the need for a study to identify health attitudes among Asian-Americans.

The first-ever telephone survey, conducted among about 800 Chinese and Vietnamese called throughout a five-county area beginning June 6, resulted in the Asian-American Health Needs Assessment unveiled Dec. 7.

"It validated our belief that, in spite of all the technical advances in medicine, Asian minorities constitute a medically underserved community. What they are finding is that the Asian culture has different attitudes about health prevention," said Gor, 52, a southwest Houston resident who holds a doctorate in the field of allied health education and administration.

For many older refugees and immigrants within the survey's call area of heavy Asian-American communities in Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Galveston and Montgomery counties, preventive medicine is a new concept, Gor said.

"Going to a doctor — such as getting regular Pap smears or mammograms — isn't something they do if they're not sick, so we're trying to educate the community," she said.

Privacy issues, the sense that medical procedures invade an acute sense of modesty, lack of health insurance or money for doctor's bills all contribute to a demonstrated reluctance among Asians to apply for public health care, said Huang, a Pearland resident and a graduate from the University of Houston's biology program in the class of 2000.

Gor and Huang also published some of their research as two of the three authors of the article titled "What we know and don't know about Asian American Health in Texas" in the November issue of the Journal of Texas Medicine, a publication of the Texas Medical Association.

The center, along with the survey, is funded through the center's corporate agreement grant from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and, in part, from the National Cancer Institute and private organizations including the American Cancer Society and Exxon Mobil.

Two-year process
The survey instrument itself took two years to compile and was created through making culturally sensitive changes to a similar Texas Department of Health community health questionnaire used to determine health issues among mainstream populations, Gor said.

A group of 11 people went through the survey's 125 questions to determine their relevancy or if they were culturally appropriate for the Asian communities they were addressing.

One question was dropped, she said, after it was determined that the Vietnamese language contained no words for folic acid, while another question about breast exams was abandoned after it was deemed potentially embarrassing for respondents, she said.

The Chinese and Vietnamese were targeted, Huang said, "because this population is the fastest-growing population in the state," he said.

Of the 405 Chinese and 414 Vietnamese provided with the modified survey, the majority of respondents lived in southwest Houston, west Houston and Fort Bend County, and most — 62.5 percent of Chinese and 51.7 of Vietnamese — were female. Among those surveyed, 43 percent of Chinese rated their health as "very good," while the largest percentage of Vietnamese — 43.2 percent —described their health as merely "fair," the second from the lowest among five possible categories.

The vast majority of both Chinese — 76.5 percent — and Vietnamese — 80.4 percent — said they were married. More than 62.5 percent of Chinese respondents had four or more years of college, as compared to 22.7 percent of wedded Vietnamese.

The survey indicates that 26.1 percent of Vietnamese lack health insurance, as compared with 19 percent of Chinese without policies.

About a third of Vietnamese respondents — 33.8 percent — said they would know where to get information about cancer, compared with 61 percent of Chinese who can locate the same information. More Chinese — 37.3 percent, as opposed to 20.5 percent of Vietnamese respondents — say a family member has had the disease.

One of the more potentially disturbing responses concerned the percentages of the populations who had heard of Hepatitis B immunizations — 77.8 percent of Chinese; 73.2 percent of Vietnamese — and those who had completed a Hepatitis B immunization series — 35.3 percent of Chinese; 21.3 percent of Vietnamese, Gor said.

"Right now, we're just giving out a little bit of the data," Gor said.

Mandated by Congress
Created in 1999, the center is the only minority health research center that is mandated by the U.S. Congress, outside of the federal government, Huang said, so the information the center will provide may have national implications.

"It's always tempting to add more questions, but there will be future studies," she said.

She and Huang will relay the results of the study — and identification of major health issues — to the Chinese and Vietnamese communities. They also will introduce themselves to Texas' second-largest Asian American-Pacific Islander group, the Asian Indian community and Cambodian Americans in southeast Texas in preparation for a future study.

Gor and Huang are also looking at the possibility of future studies involving other Asian groups, Hispanic and African-American populations.

"We know a few more things because of what we've done," Gor said.

"At least, we now have a direction."

betty.martin@chron.com

RESOURCES
NEED MORE INFO?
For more information on the survey, contact the Center for Research on Minority Health.
* Call: 713-563-2764
* Visit: See the Web site at www.mdanderson.org/CRMH
* E-mail : Send correspondence to CRMH@mdanderson.org.

(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/thisweek/zone09/news/2968969)

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December 30, 2004

LITTLE SAIGON’S LUNAR NEW YEAR PARADE IS CANCELED
Organizers say they do not have time to prepare for Feb. 12 event. It was also called off in 2000.

By Mai Tran, Times Staff Writer

A popular parade to usher in the Lunar New Year was canceled Wednesday after organizers said they did not have time to prepare for the Little Saigon event.

It is the second time the Tet parade has been canceled since its debut in 1997 along Bolsa Avenue, the commercial hub and tourist destination in Westminster.

Timothy Ngo, board chairman of the Vietnamese Community of Southern California, said he began to prepare for the parade only two months ago after last year's organizer, the Little Saigon Tet Parade Assn., opted out.

Organizers of the parade association did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

"Because of the divisions in the community, we stood back to take a look and see who would organize it," Ngo said. "Now it's too close for me to do anything about it. It's really sad."

The parade, which last year attracted about 60,000 spectators, was planned for Feb. 12 to welcome the Year of the Rooster.

The Lunar New Year, or Tet, is the largest celebration for Asians and is compared to Thanksgiving, Christmas and new year's celebrations rolled into one holiday.

The Tet Festival, a three-day celebration sponsored by a different group at Garden Grove Park, is not affected by the parade's cancellation and will take place Feb. 11-13.

The parade, which includes marching bands and fancy floats, takes at least five months to prepare and needs as much as $100,000 to operate, Ngo said. Last year, Little Saigon Tet Parade Assn. had to contribute money and take out loans to cover expenses.

In addition, Ngo said some participants were not interested in marching down Bolsa Avenue because the seven-lane road was revamped this year to include a landscaped center median that would divide the parade's path.

"We have several issues. How are we going to raise the funds? How can we get the participants to be excited about it?" said Lac Tan Nguyen, board vice president of the Vietnamese Community of Southern California.

"They were performing on a wide street and now it's a tiny corridor. They feel it's not worth their time to show up."

The Tet parade was canceled in 2000 after another group failed to post a $15,000 bond required by Westminster and infighting escalated among several community groups.

Bickering has long been a history of Tet celebrations because of clashing personalities, politics and power struggles.

(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tet30dec30,1,181516.story)

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December 30, 2004

VIETNAMESE-AMERICANS CENTER HAS HOME
New $1.6-million, 10,000-square-foot facility open to all seniors

By Bob Howie
Chronicle Correspondent

Concern over the needs of a growing senior citizen population in northwest Houston has created a unique partnership between the private and public sectors.

A population study uncovered the need for social services by 3,000 Houstonians ages 65 and older and of various ethnic backgrounds; services such as computer training, hobbies such as photography and field trips not widely available in the North Bammel-Champions Forest region bordered in part by Antoine and Texas 249.

Over the years, various charitable groups did what they could to meet those needs, but the growing population began to slowly outstrip the organizations' abilities to keep up.

In 2000, a group of volunteers, today headed up by Jimmy Do, formed the Vietnamese-Americans Community Center at 9530 Antoine.

Last month, center officials completed a $1.6-million, 10,000-square-foot facility on Antoine that is allowing the organization to expand its services.

"This organization is unique because although the building was built with a community development block grant obtained with the help of Harris County, it is operated privately," said center spokeswoman Bic Nguyen.

"In five years, the building becomes ours and this entire project was completed because of the need these senior citizens have, and Harris County, as well as the Houston Endowment, recognized that need and helped us do something to address it."

Over the past decade, Houston's population has continued to diversify and although the organization's name lends itself to one group, Nguyen said the center embraces the city's entire population — not just one segment.

"There's a growing Vietnamese population in Houston, yes, and their needs range from overcoming language barriers (to) finding places to live (and) jobs, and enrolling their children in school," Nguyen said. "We do everything we can to help them meet all these needs as well as any issues they have adjusting to living in the United States.

"But, we are not here just for our Vietnamese community," Nguyen said. "We are here for the entire community; whoever has need for social services, we are here for them, too.

"Everyone is welcome here."

It's that entire community, too, Nguyen said, which helps keep the doors open.

"Our funding comes from our ongoing efforts within the community to acquire private donations from individuals, businesses and corporations," Nguyen said. "Public money does not fund our operations."

Nguyen said the center's success comes from a resource that is almost more important than cash.

"None of the (29) volunteers who help run the center and who oversee services for the seniors are paid; not one dime, they volunteer all their time 100 percent," she said.

"You cannot begin to imagine how much this helps us be successful," Nguyen said. "Our operating budget runs between $25,000 and $50,000 a year and all that money goes toward providing services.

"The budget would have to be several times that amount — maybe 10 times that amount or more — if it were not for our volunteers," she said.

The center operates from 8:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, during which time it provides the bulk of its services to seniors. It also is typically open on Saturdays, but generally as a meeting place for seniors to gather and without the various services and programs.

For information, call 713-320-7555.

(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/thisweek/zone11/news/2968909)

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January 3, 2005

MUSTANG IS HIS DRIVING PASSION
The '05 version of the car was designed by a Vietnamese immigrant. It's a quintessentially American success story.

By Gayle Pollard-Terry, Times Staff Writer

DEARBORN, Mich. — Hau Thai-Tang was still a car guy in the making when he saw his first Mustang, a white Mach One, in Saigon during the Vietnam War. He was about 5, and that American muscle car — on display to boost the morale of U.S. troops — looked nothing like the cars he had seen on the narrow, tree-lined streets near his home.

"We had very few cars to start with, and the cars we had were mostly French because we were a French colony," he recalls. His parents owned a small, two-cylinder Citroën "Deux Cheveaux" — French for two horses — that resembled a VW Bug, only more boxy.

"It was so big to me as a kid," he says of that early-'70s Mustang. He got to see the car because his grandfather did business with American troops.

Today, more than three decades later, his English is far better than his Vietnamese. He's talking in his office in the Ford Product Development Center, where he's the man most responsible for the widely hailed and wildly popular new Mustang, which critics say combines the best of the classic retro design with 21st century technology.

The workaholic car enthusiast, lean and intense but also prone to telling jokes, is snacking on cheese crackers late in the day because he skipped lunch while taking meetings and phone calls. The man behind the Mustang is much in demand these days.

"He's an immigrant from Vietnam and he ends up the chief engineer of one of the most American of American cars. It's a remarkable story," says Csaba Csere, editor in chief of Car and Driver, by phone from his Ann Arbor office.

The 2005 Mustang, which launched in September, is one hot car: Retail sales are up 50% from the previous year as of November, according to Ford, and 45,000 coupes are on order to be built. The January issue of Car and Driver features a red one on the cover, as does Motor Trend.

And Thai-Tang will be in Southern California for the eagerly anticipated worldwide debut of the convertible Wednesday at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.

As chief engineer, Thai-Tang took charge of all things Mustang, including profit and cost, while leading hundreds of engineers and designers on the first "clean sheet" model in the 40-year history of the car. The inaugural Mustang was a Ford Falcon underneath that revolutionary styling.

Everyone, it seems, wants one of the 2005 Mustangs, including the 38-year-old Thai-Tang, who currently drives a red Lincoln LS, the last car he worked on before the new Mustang.

"I have one on order," he says, while leaning against a red GT in the lobby of the Ford Motor Co. Worldwide Headquarters. It's a stick, of course, because no car guy would be caught driving a power car with an automatic transmission.

But internal orders must wait until retail orders are filled, and that could take until spring — or even longer, as the 2005 continues to be one of the most coveted American cars in a generation.

So why all this love for the retooled Mustang?

"From a styling standpoint," Csere explains, "they've gone back and distilled the best from the great Mustangs of the '60s. If you ever saw the movie 'Bullitt' with Steve McQueen and you saw him drive a Mustang in the greatest movie chase you will ever see, you would recognize the 2005 because it has the styling cues of that '68 Mustang embodied in it." Csere also praises the car's performance — and its price.

"Building a cool car for $50,000 or $60,000 kind of gets people's attention," the editor says, "but when you can build a really cool car at a price everybody can afford, it goes gangbusters…. You order the V8 GT, and the base price is $25,000 and you get this great look, tremendous horsepower … and a car that is tremendously fun to drive."

A narrow escape
Thai-Tang and his younger brother, Nam, were born into a middle-class family in Saigon whose lives were upended by the war.

While their mother worked in customer service for Chase Manhattan Bank, their father left his job teaching Vietnamese literature at Nguyen Trai high school in Saigon to join the South Vietnamese Army.

"There wasn't a whole lot of fighting there [in Saigon] with the exception of two times," Thai-Tang recalls. "One in 1968 — there was the Tet Offensive, and there was a big battle in the city at that time. My dad was part of that … but I was only 2 so I don't remember any of it. The next time there was active fighting was when we left — 1975 — when the Communists came into the country." The family flew out just before the fall of Saigon on April 30.

Chase had a program through which it selected some employees to relocate based on how easily it was thought they would be able to resettle in the U.S. "Our family was very fortunate because, atypical of most Vietnamese families, we had a small family — most families have seven or eight kids," he says. "Both of my parents were fairly young. They were college educated. They spoke a little bit of English.

"We were told to listen to Armed Forces Radio and as soon as we heard Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas,' that was the code to get to this predetermined meeting place. We had an hour to get there after the song," he says.

For about a month, his parents listened for a Christmas carol on the radio. "I vividly remember the four little bags by the door. We were each allowed one carry-on," he says. When they finally heard the song, they grabbed the bags, gave their car to his grandparents, hurried to the secret meeting place and on to the airport.

After a brief stay on Guam, the family lived in tents for two weeks at Camp Pendleton. From there, they went to Brooklyn, where Chase had arranged an employee sponsor for them. Two days later, in mid-May, Thai-Tang started school at P.S. 282. "I learned all about dodgeball the first day because I got hit in the head a lot," he says. "[It was] pick on the new kid."

He spoke five words of English: "one," "two," "three" and "thank you," picked up from a show with an American magician he had watched weekly in Vietnam. "We learned real fast. It was total immersion," he says. "When you're in the third grade, you learn quickly."

He doesn't recall a difficult transition. "I remember my peers in my class were doing book reports, and I'd still be reading Dr. Seuss-type level. But I would kick their butt in math. I learned the multiplication tables when I was 4 because it's kind of the Asian thing to do. So I was really good in math, and I wasn't too good in English."

That's all changed now — or at least the language part. "I'll go somewhere and someone will say, 'Wow, your English is really good,' or 'Well, geez, I talked to him on the phone and he doesn't sound like a Hau Thai-Tang,' " he says. He speaks idiomatic English without an accent. A radio interview last year in Vietnamese for Voice of America proved challenging.

"That was really hard [although] I speak Vietnamese all the time to my parents," he says, "It was hard when I was asked, 'What's the mission of Mustang?' "

Ask him in English, and he'll tell you: "Flatter the novice and reward the expert driver."

Motor oil in his veins
Make no mistake about it: Thai-Tang loves fast cars.

"Hau likes to drive very fast," his wife, Jenny, says. "I'm pretty used to it. I scold him if he's doing it with the kids in the car."

He bought his first Mustang, a new 1988 GT-50 convertible (in the shade of "vanilla ice") after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and joining Ford. Thai-Tang joined the car company, with whom he's spent his entire career, because he wanted to work in the hyper-competitive automotive world. He started out as a chassis engineer designing suspension and steering systems. While moving up, he has worked on the Thunderbird, the Scorpio in Cologne, the 2001 Mustang GT, V6, Cobra and special-edition "Bullitt" GT and the Lincoln LS. In November he was named the director of advance product creation and special vehicle teams.

"Cars are just toys for grown men. Grown women too," he says. "So it's just a fun product to work on. You think about all of the songs, music videos, movies and books that have been written about cars."

Especially fast ones.

He worked on some of the fastest while assigned to Ford's Motor Sports Technology Exchange in 1993. "I had a chance to go work in the Indy car series, CART [for Championship Auto Racing Teams] as it was called." He tackled vehicle dynamics for the Newman/Haas Team, which had two world-champion drivers, Nigel Mansell and Mario Andretti. "It was a great experience…. We won the overall championship," Thai-Tang says. "I love motor sports."

That racing experience paid off when it came time to manage the redesign and engineering of the new Mustang, noted friend and co-worker Keith Knudsen, who supervised the car's overall mechanical design and interior package. "You can tell it's a power car," Knudsen says during an interview on the Ford campus.

Both guys like car racing, whether it's watching or competing for the best time on the Ford test track in the 2005 Mustang.

Thai-Tang won.

A tight-knit family
The Thai-Tangs live with their two children, Katie, 5, and Maddy, 2, in an elegant two-story house in Plymouth, an affluent suburb west of Detroit. His parents live nearby — while their friends were retiring from New York to warmer climates like Florida and California, they moved to Michigan when the first grandchild was born. His younger brother, Nam, who is also a Ford engineer, lives close too. They gather weekly for meals cooked by Thai-Tang's mother, Hai, "to remind them of the Vietnamese culture."

"When people meet him, they think he's a very quiet person," Jenny says. "He's actually very warm. He comes off as a bit reserved because he saves his warmth for the people he really cares about. He can't fake it. He's very committed and loyal to his family, to his parents."

She's the daughter of Chinese immigrants, born and raised in Manhattan; he lived in Brooklyn and on Staten Island. The New Yorkers met at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She was a senior majoring in psychology and communications who had refused to date "geeky engineers." Her plans changed when she met Hau, who at that point was a Ford engineer working on an MBA.

The story of his marriage proposal even has an automotive element. After surprising Jenny with a birthday trip to San Francisco, Thai-Tang rented a speedy Mazda Miata and tore up the winding roads of Mt. Tamalpais. She almost got carsick before he could get down on bended knee.

On a recent Friday, his parents' 39th wedding anniversary, the Thai-Tang family is in a relaxed mood, reminiscing about Hau. About how competitive he was as a child — if his team lost, he would fuss.

About how others have followed his lead since he was young. "Hau liked to raise [homing] pigeons when he was in high school. He worked so hard to get money for the pigeons," his mom says. "He was so good at it," he tied a garbage bag on a stick like a flag to signal the birds to return. "The kids in the neighborhood were very amazed. They wanted to do it too."

About how a young man who wanted to become an artist became an engineer.

"That was my dream," his father, Huy, says. "In our family, we are three generations of teachers. I didn't want to be a teacher. I tried very hard to learn mathematics. My son is my extended hand."

And then there's all the recent publicity.

"There's a Vietnamese paper in Orange County. It's called Nguoi Viet, which stands for 'the Vietnamese people,' " Thai-Tang says. "They wrote a big article about me. [For] my mom, that was the biggest thing…. Forget the Wall Street Journal. Forget Motor Trend. He was in the Vietnamese newspaper. That's validation that he's made it."

His mother explains: "We have my brother, my in-laws — most of our relatives live in California. We have a large family, and there is a large Vietnamese community in California.

"The name Thai-Tang is very special because it's not a very common Vietnamese name. So when they saw Hau's name or they listened to Voice of America and heard his name, it's like, 'Oh yeah, I know that family.' "

Thai-Tang has never returned to Vietnam, where he saw his first Mustang, though he plans to go when his children are older. While in Southern California, he won't have time to visit his relatives in Cypress, Irvine and Long Beach. He'll be too busy hanging out with — what else? — a Mustang.

(http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/news/la-et-mustang3jan03,1,5961869.story)

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December 3, 2005

PRESIDENT ASKS BUSH AND CLINTON TO HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR TSUNAMI RELIEF

President Bush has asked former President Bush 41 and President Clinton to head an American humanitarian effort to raise money for the victims of the tsunami.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release                          January 3, 2005

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON TSUNAMI DISASTER RELIEF

The Roosevelt Room
10:15 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  I'm honored to be standing here with two former Presidents, President Bush 41, President Clinton 42.  We have come together to express our country's sympathy for the victims of a great tragedy.  We're here to ask our fellow citizens to join in a broad humanitarian relief effort.

Eight days ago, the most powerful earthquake in 40 years shook the island of Sumatra.  The earthquake caused violent tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, which left an arc of destruction from Thailand to the Horn of Africa.  The devastation in the region defies comprehension.  More than 150,000 lives are estimated to be lost, including 90,000 in Indonesia, alone.  As many as 5 million people are thought to be homeless, or without food or shelter; thousands more are missing, and millions are vulnerable to disease.

Across the United States this week, our flags will fly at half-staff to honor the victims of this disaster.  We mourn especially the tens of thousands of children who are lost.  We think of the tens of thousands more who will grow up without their parents or their brothers or their sisters. We hold in our prayers all the people whose fate is still unknown.

The United States government is in close contact with the governments of the affected countries, and America is playing a leading role in the relief and recovery efforts.  Our nation has committed military assets and made an initial commitment of $350 million for disaster relief.  We're working with the United Nations and with governments around the world to coordinate the comprehensive international response.  American military assets in the region are now aiding recovery efforts.  Patrol and cargo aircraft have been surveying damage and delivering supplies for several days.  Air Force C-130s are flying aid missions 24 hours a day.

We are grateful for the hard work of the men and women who wear our nation's uniform.  The Abraham Lincoln carrier group is in place near Indonesia and transporting relief supplies by helicopter.  Other naval and Marine assets will arrive shortly to generate clean water and provide further logistical help.

I have sent a delegation headed by Secretary of State Powell and Governor Bush of Florida to the Indian Ocean region.  There they will meet with fellow leaders and international organizations to assess relief efforts in place, as well as the needs that remain.  Secretary Powell and Governor Bush will report their findings directly to me, so we can ensure that our government provides the most effective assistance possible.

We're showing the compassion of our nation in the swift response.  But the greatest source of America's generosity is not our government:  it's the good heart of the American people.  In the weeks since the tsunami struck, private citizens have contributed millions of dollars for disaster relief and reconstruction.  Organizations like the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, the Salvation Army, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children, CARE, UNICEF, and America Cares responded rapidly after the tsunamis hit.  They have reported an outpouring of generosity from around the world.

To draw even greater amounts of private donations, I have asked two of America's most distinguished private citizens to head a nationwide charitable fundraising effort.  Both men, both Presidents, know the great decency of our people.  They ring tremendous leadership experience to this role, and they bring good hearts.  I am grateful to the former Presidents, Clinton and Bush, for taking on this important responsibility and for serving our country once again.

In the coming days, President Clinton and Bush will ask Americans to donate directly to reliable charities already providing help to tsunami victims. Many of these organizations have dispatched experts to the disaster area, and they have an in-depth understanding of the resources required to meet the needs on the ground.  In this situation, cash donations are most useful, and I've asked the former Presidents to solicit contributions both large and small.

Over the past week, we have seen some of the innovative ways Americans are helping people in need.  A coffee roaster in California is handing out bags of coffee for a $10 donation to the Red Cross.  In Virginia Beach, the owner of a tax assistance firm is making a donation for every tax return he prepares.  Worshipers at a Buddhist temple in Houston collected thousands of dollars in cash to send to their sister temple in Sri Lanka.  Some people are selling personal items on the Internet and donating the cash to the charities.  Many corporations are matching contributions by their employees. And several have shown exceptional generosity by donating large amounts of cash and products to the relief efforts.

Presidents Clinton and Bush will be speaking about the countless ways individuals and businesses can support this urgent cause.  I ask every American to contribute as they are able to do so.  For more information about how to make a donation, you can visit the USA Freedom Corps website at http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov./

Americans have suffered sudden catastrophe many times in our own history, from massive earthquakes in Anchorage and San Francisco, to destructive wildfires in the West, to the series of hurricanes that struck Florida last year.  From our own experiences, we know that nothing can take away the grief of those affected by tragedy.  We also know that Americans have a history of rising to meet great humanitarian challenges and of providing hope to suffering peoples.  As men and women across the devastated region begin to rebuild, we offer our sustained compassion and our generosity, and our assurance that America will be there to help.

The Presidents and I will be going to the embassies of the countries affected to pay our nation's respects.  I'm so grateful that both President Bush and President Clinton have taken time out of their busy schedules to not only serve as a catalyst for people to give money to help, but also to join me and Laura in paying our deepest respects to those nations that have been affected by the tsunamis.  As well, the Presidents will return to the White House compound to talk to members of the press about how to better effect this great relief effort that is now going on in our nation.

Thank you all for coming.

END
10:24 A.M. EST

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050103-12.html)

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January 3, 2005

For Immediate Release

Contact: Hung Nguyen (877) 592-4140

ON THE PASSING OF CONGRESSMAN ROBERT T. MATSUI

Washington, D.C. – The Honorable Robert T. Matsui passed away on January 1, 2005 at the age of 63 of Myelodysplastic Disorder, a rare stem cell disorder.

Rep. Matsui was the third ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Ranking Member on the Social Security Subcommittee.  Matsui was going to be instrumental in the upcoming deliberations on Social Security reform.  He was also the Chairmen of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee which is responsible for electing Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Matsui’s past accomplishments include the 1988 Japanese-American Redress Act, in which the U.S. government apologized for the World War II internment camps and offered compensation to Japanese American internees.  He also fought against anti-immigrant provisions in the 1996 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) legislation.

Representative Bob Matsui represented the 5th Congressional District for 14 two-year terms.  His district includes more than 129,046 Asian Pacific Americans, of which 12,541 are Vietnamese Americans.  Many of these hard working Vietnamese Americans are employed in the service industries or own small businesses such as restaurants, nail salons and lawn/gardening companies.  Robert Matsui served his constituents well.  He will be remembered for his tireless efforts of bridging the partisan gap to make a difference in his district and across the United States.

The National Congress of Vietnamese Americans expresses our sincerest condolences to Doris, his wife; Brian, his son, Amy, his daughter-in-law, and Anna, his granddaughter.

The Matsui family and friends are establishing a charitable fund in memory of the Congressman and ask that all gifts be sent to The Matsui Foundation for Public Service, P.O. Box 1347, Sacramento, CA 95812.

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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.

www.ncvaonline.org

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About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum – by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil liberties.
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