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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 - February 1, 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

VIRGINIA LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION & BRIEFING

Thursday, February 2, 2006

The Asian American Community across the Commonwealth of Virginia is hosting a legislative reception and briefing on issues pertinent to this community of interest at the State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia.

The events of the day is open to the general public.

(Except for the Meetings prior to 12pm, all activities will take place at the Bank of American Building, 18th Floor Conference Room, 1111 E. Main Street)

10:00-11:15 Constituent meetings with elected officials

11:15-11:35 Greet General Assembly Members (Patrick Henry General Session Building)

12:00-1:45 Virginia Asian Advisory Board meeting (Bank of America Building) - Open to the Public

2:00-2:05  Greeting - Eric Liang Jensen, CAPAVA

2:05-2:20  Briefing on State Legislative Process - Clerk's Office

2:20-2:35  Briefing by Majority Party Caucus

2:35-2:50  Briefing by Minority Party Caucus

3:00-3:55  How to Access State Programs and Services
*   Dept. of Education - Hon. Tom Morris, Secretary
*   Dept. of Business Assistance - Mike Eisenman, Director
*   Dept. of Housing & Community Development - Nikki Nicholau, Deputy Director
*   Dept. of Health & Human Resources - Kathy Cooper, Office of Newcomer Services

4:00-4:10 Briefing on Anti-minority Legislation - Lakshmi Challa

4:10-4:15 Briefing by Virginia Asian Advisory Board

4:15-4:20  Briefing by Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia

4:20-4:25  Briefing by Asian American Society of Central Virginia

4:25-4:45  Briefing by APA Community Groups

5:30-8:00  Reception at Peking Restaurant -  1302 E. Cary Street, Shockoe Slip, Richmond, Virginia 23219 (Complimentary Asian Cuisine will be provided)

For further information, contact: Eric Jensen at (703) 868-8325 or eljensen@comcast.net.

Host Organizations
Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia
Virginia Asian Advisory Board
Asian American Society of Central Virginia
National Congress of Vietnamese Americans

Platinum Sponsors
Asian Fortune Newspapers
Verizon Foundation
World Bankcard Services

Organizations
Alliance Bank
Alliance of Chinese American Community Organizations
Asian American Business Assistance Center
Asian Indians of Hampton Roads
Bank of America
Challa Law Offices
Filipino American Association of Central Virginia
India Association of Virginia
Indian Forum for Political Education – Hampton Roads Chapter
Islamic Society of Virginia
Korean American Association of Northern Virginia
Korean American Association of Washington Metropolitan Area
Korean American Democrats of Virginia
National Association of Korean Americans
Organization of Chinese Americans - Central VA Chapter
Organization of Chinese Americans - Eastern VA Chapter
Philippine American Chamber of Commerce - DC
Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery
Richmond Vietnamese Association
Vinifera Winegrowers Association

Individuals
Ben Bahn * Alex Chan * Toa Do * Dr. Suchada Langley * Michael Liew * Minh Nguyen * Dr. Dilip Sarkar * Cora Yamamoto

(http://www.ncvaonline.org/archive/prj_VALegislativeDay_020206.shtml)

******************

You're Invited!

(H)API HOUR FOR VIET BAY AREA KATRINA (VietBAK)

Thursday, February 9, 2006
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 P.M.
Louie's Bar & Grill
55 Stevenson St, San Francisco
MAP (http://hapihour-sf.c.topica.com/maaerBdabnUXtaKJB1jcadH92e/)
$10 donation* at the door

Vietnamese lose all, this time to Katrina

By Aimee Phan
USA Today, Sept. 15, 2005

After years spent working and sacrificing to build a home and community in the USA, many Vietnamese-Americans have become refugees again. For these Vietnamese, this is the second major displacement within their lifetimes. For older people who escaped in the 1954 flight from the north to the south in the war against the French, this is their third mass evacuation.

Read more (http://hapihour-sf.c.topica.com/maaerBdabnUXuaKJB1jcadH92e/)

RSVP to keith@hapihour.org

Viet Bay Area Katrina is a grassroots volunteer effort representing local Viet organizations and concerned community members coming together to raise funds and volunteer their services. Approximately 55,000 Viet refugees and immigrants living in the Gulf Coast region continue to be affected by the hurricane -- losing their homes and their livelihoods. Although this national tragedy has generated an empathetic outpouring of generous donations and valiant volunteers, there still exists a grave shortage of support for low-income and immigrant communities. As winter continues, Viet communities rooted in the Gulf Coast are determined to rebuild and regenerate despite long-standing government and systemic negligence.

They urgently need culturally-and linguistically-sensitive services and resources to help them succeed and flourish.

Viet Bay Area Katrina has sent a volunteer contingent to the Gulf Coast to provide aid and to hope to continue providing direct financial and volunteer assistance to our community in need.

For more information:

http://www.vietbayareakatrina.org

Special thanks to Albert Chen at Louie's Bar & Grill for allowing us to use his venue for the event!

The (H)API Hour brings together supporters of the APA community through happy hours that raise awareness of - and funds for – nonprofit organizations serving APAs in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.Our events are casual and low-cost, providing an atmosphere that fosters philanthropy and networking.

(http://www.hapihour.org)

******************
 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

BURROUGHS WELLCOME FUND’S STUDENT SCIENCE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR NORTH CAROLINA STUDENTS

Deadline: April 10, 2006

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund's (http://www.bwfund.org/) Student Science Enrichment Program supports diverse programs with a common goal: to enable middle school and high school students to participate in hands-on scientific activities and pursue inquiry-based exploration.

SSEP awards provide up to $60,000 per year for three years  to nonprofit organizations serving North Carolina middle  school and high school students. Up to twelve awards are made annually.

SSEP awards support career-oriented and practical programs  intended to provide creative science enrichment activities  for students in the sixth through twelfth grades who have shown exceptional skills and interest in science, as well as those perceived to have high potential. These programs must enable students to participate in hands-on scientific activities and pursue inquiry-based avenues of exploration.  To increase academic achievement, programs must provide a well-defined structure that aligns with the school-day curriculum, well-trained staff, and student follow up.

SSEP awards are not intended to support curriculum development. Only minimum levels of teacher training that involve student participation will be considered.

SSEP is limited to nonprofit institutions within BWF's home state of North Carolina. All students participating in SSEP projects should be North Carolina students.

Nonprofit organizations that are eligible to apply for SSEP awards include colleges and universities, community groups, museums and zoos, public and private schools, and scientific organizations that can provide scientific experiential activities for middle school and high school students.

(http://www.bwfund.org/programs/science_education/ssep_main.html)

******************

CISCO ANNOUNCES REVISED GUIDELINES FOR SAN JOSÉ IMPACT GRANT PROGRAM

Deadline: March 1, 2006

A program of Cisco Corporate Philanthropy and the Cisco Systems Foundation, the Cisco Impact Grant Program targets well-managed, innovative nonprofit organizations that align strongly with the company's values and criteria.

Grants are awarded via this annual, competitive process to selected community-based nonprofits operating within fifty miles of Cisco's headquarters in San Jose, California.

San Jose Impact Grants fund best-in-class organizations and programs working in the following two areas:

1) Access to Education: Cisco views education as a top priority in its philanthropic giving and funds programs that create educational opportunity and foster classroom innovation in underserved communities. Priority is given to programs that can be replicated through use of technology and offer online resources to teachers/students.  Please note that public schools, private schools, charter schools, school districts, school foundations, and parent/booster clubs are not eligible. Education grants are awarded to K-12 Enrichment Programs that demonstrate educational benefits to underserved K-12 schools/students; adult vocational programs that demonstrate benefit to underserved adults through technical training or other clearly defined work re-entry skills development; and Arts in Education programs that are implemented at the school site and directly integrate into K-12 educational enrichment.

2) Health: The San Jose Impact Grant program also supports health-related programs. Programs must benefit underserved populations by improving access to, and quality of, local healthcare, client services, and training of healthcare workers; and focus on children's health services and/or health education. Priority is given to programs that can be replicated through use of technology and offer online resources for clients and/or healthcare workers.

The set amount of $15,000 will be awarded to each approved grant.

San Jose Impact grants are now awarded once per year. The online grant application opens annually on February 1 and closes annually on March 1.

(http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac48/about_cisco_grant_program09186a0080156cf5.html)

******************

CALIFORNIA HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION ISSUES SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR STEP BY STEP ANALYTIC GRANTS

Deadline: March 3, 2006

Under its Step by Step Initiative, the California HealthCare Foundation (http://www.chcf.org) is funding a second year of small (up to $50,000 each), short-term (up to six months) analytic projects addressing questions facing local health coverage programs under development in California.

The grants will support quantitative or qualitative analysis on topics where primary data are already available but are not being used by local programs due to constraints on their time and/or capacity.

Each project team will have a specific "client" chosen from the California coalitions, counties, and nonprofit organizations that are leading local coverage expansion efforts. Although the client organization need not be a current or past Step by Step grantee, it must be actively engaged in the process of planning or implementing a local coverage expansion program in California and must be prepared to provide feedback and guidance to the project team.

Selection criteria include project relevance, demand for analysis results (as demonstrated by a committed project client), feasibility of the project, and the applicant's experience and abilities.

(http://www.chcf.org/topics/healthinsurance/index.cfm?itemID=108994)

******************

APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR WORLD AFFAIRS JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIPS

Deadline: March 1, 2006

The goal of the World Affairs Journalism Fellowships program is to give experienced journalists and editors from America's community-based daily newspapers an opportunity  to establish the connections between local-regional issues and what is happening abroad. The program is administered by the International Center for Journalists (http://www.icfj.org) and the Newspaper Association Managers (http://www.nammanagers.com), and is funded by a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation (http://www.journalismfoundation.org).

Fellows will conduct overseas research and then submit articles to their local papers in an effort to "internationalize" America's local press. The program is aimed at news managers, editors, commentary writers, and other "gatekeepers" -- those desk editors largely responsible for selecting news agency and correspondent-initiated stories.

By supporting overseas research and writing projects for up to three weeks, the fellowships encourage the writing and selection of news articles, analysis, features, and commentary in the local press that will enhance American understanding of the relationship between local and international issues.

Up to twelve fellows from the United States will be selected and provided support to develop projects that will lead to articles in their home newspapers or in other U.S.-based publications. Preference will be given to applicants from daily, community-based newspapers that do not have overseas correspondents and that would be unlikely to have the resources to support an overseas reporting assignment for a member of their local news team.

(http://www.icfj.org/worldaffairsinfo.html)

******************

FUNDING EXCHANGE SUPPORTS COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

The Funding Exchange is a network of community-based foundations throughout the U.S., with a national office in New York City, committed to change not charity. The Funding Exchange’s Grantmaking Docket provides support for community-based organizing around a variety of issues, including, but not limited to: economic equity, cultural and media activism, environmental justice, social justice, anti-oppression, movement building, and international solidarity with progressive movements abroad. The application deadline for the Grantmaking Docket is March 1, 2006.

(http://www.fex.org/grantmaking.shtml)

******************

GIFTS IN KIND INTERNATIONAL PROVIDES PRODUCT DONATIONS

Gifts In Kind International link corporate resources to enhance, empower and restore communities in need. Partner with 44% of Fortune 500 Corporations, GIKI provides quality products that improve lives in communities around the world. Gifts In Kind receives donations from companies throughout the country and then distributes these goods to nonprofit organizations that join Gifts in Kind. These products can range from computer software and hardware to clothing, personal care items, toys and furniture.

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

******************

TECHNOLOGY DONATIONS FOR K-12 SCHOOLS

The IndiVisual/Hewlett-Packard "Read for Life" Scholarship Program provides computer workstations and software to K-12 schools in the U.S. Public, private, charter, and parochial schools throughout the country that demonstrate financial need, or a high ESL, ELL, or LEP population, and a staff dedicated in promoting technology-based education solutions will be considered eligible for the scholarship. Recipients receive in-class computer-based reading workstations that include five Hewlett-Packard PCs, complete with three years unlimited student-use of IndiVisual Reading. The reading program is designed for students at the third-grade level or above. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

(http://www.indivisuallearning.com/site/reading/scholarship/scholarship1.html)

******************
 JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

THE WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The White House Internship Program offers an excellent opportunity to serve our President and explore public service.  We are seeking exceptional candidates to apply for this highly competitive program.  In addition to normal office duties, interns attend weekly lectures, tours, and complete an intern service project.  Interns may serve a term in the Fall, Spring or Summer.  All candidates must be at least 18 years of age, hold United States citizenship, and be enrolled in a college or university.

We hope you will explore our White House Intern Website for additional information at http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/wh-intern.html.  To apply, read and complete the White House Intern Application.  A strong application includes the following:

*        sound academic credentials
*        history of community involvement and leadership
*        solid verbal/written communication skills
*        demonstrated interest in public service

Completed application materials must be submitted to Karen Race, Deputy Director and Intern Coordinator in the office of White House Personnel, at intern_application@whitehouse.gov prior to the following deadlines:

*        Applications due March 7, 2005 for Summer 2006 term - (May 23 to August 25, 2006)
*        Applications due June 1, 2006 for Fall 2006 term - (September 5 to December 15, 2006)

If you have questions you may contact Karen Race by phone, (202) 456-5979 or by e-mail, intern_application@whitehouse.gov.

******************

NATIONAL COALITION FOR ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INTERNSHIP

The National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development was founded in 1999 as the first national organization dedicated to the  housing and community development needs of Asian American and Pacific  Islander populations. National CAPACD’s mission is “to be a powerful voice for the unique community development needs of AAPI communities and to strengthen the capacity of community based organizations to create neighborhoods of hope and opportunities.”  Our member organizations offer a wide array of community building programs and advocate around issues of housing, employment and economic development throughout the U.S.

Student Interns will assist with the coordination and development of organizational programs such as an API fair housing initiative, a multilingual financial literacy initiative, and an affordable housing education project.  Interns will also assist in preparing for board meetings and special events, representing the organization at various functions, providing support for resource and membership development, and general office and administrative management. Interns would report to CAPACD program coordinator and key staff with one or more of the following areas of responsibility:

§          Policy Development & Advocacy - Assist with researching and developing advocacy initiatives and  involving member organizations in advocacy activities. Assist with policy analysis and legislative tracking.
§          Action Research  – Assist with the development and dissemination of census data, coordinate with the Asian Pacific American Community Development Data Center on developing future research studies on community development issues.
§          Membership Development & Communications - Work with staff to outreach to new member organizations, assist with member organization needs assessments, develop informational materials,  brochures, press releases, special reports and websites.
§          Organizational & Program Development – Facilitate communications with the Board of Directors and assist with coordination of other committees and task forces.  Assist with proposal development and research.  Provide support  for organizational programs and activities that promote community development.
§          Convention Planning & Preparation – Assist with planning and preparing  for the 7th  Annual Convention in May 2006 to be held in Houston, Texas. Duties will include web maintenance, registration and database updating, as well as  special convention-related projects.

Candidates are required to be enrolled in an academic program at a college or university.  We are seeking undergraduate or graduate students planning a career in non-profit management, urban planning or public policy, and a strong  interest in community and economic development, housing, immigration, and civil rights issues impacting low-income, minority communities. Experience working or volunteering at a CAPACD member organization or other community-based organization is preferred, but not required.  Excellent verbal and written communication skills, strong analytical ability, and research experience are desired.  A winter/spring start date is flexible according to the student applicant’s school schedule.  Stipends may be available.

A complete application form, resume, cover letter and letter of recommendation must be RECEIVED at our office by close of business, Friday, February 20, 2006:

Please send application to:
Niramittata Ly
National  CAPACD Internship
1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 730
Washington,  DC 20036

Phone interviews will be scheduled as soon as possible with selected candidates.  For more information about National CAPACD, visit www.nationalcapacd.org.

******************

MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN (MCSW) INTERNSHIP

Spring 2006 Non-Paid College INTERNS

The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) is an independent state agency whose mission is to advance women toward full equality in all areas of life and to promote rights and opportunities for all women. The MCSW provides a permanent, effective voice for the 3.3 million women in the Commonwealth and it stands for the fundamental freedoms, basic human rights and the full enjoyment of life for all women throughout their lives.

Visit http://www.mass.gov/women/internopps.htm for internship details.

[You may be able to intern for college course credits.  Mention you are interested when applying.]

(http://www.mass.gov/women/internopps.htm)

******************
 TIPS/RESOURCES

BOARDS: PROCEDURES FOR EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT

As with all members of organizations, the directors of boards have the right to reimbursement for expenses that have been incurred on behalf of the organization. Reimbursed expenses can include travel, lodging, telephone and postage.

Recouping out-of-pocket expenses can be a smooth transaction if handled in the proper manner, according to Calvin K. Clemons, author of the book The Perfect Board.

The board should have a published statement explaining its reimbursement policy. The policy should be specific and detail exactly what expenses are covered. For example, airfare may be restricted to coach fare with advance purchase or there may be a set rate for mileage reimbursement. Some organizations replicate the rate set by the Internal Revenue Service while others set their own rate.

Directors should sign a statement acknowledging that they have reviewed and understand the policy.

The policy should provide instructions on how and when reimbursements are distributed. Receipts should be required for all expenses. Copies of vouchers, bills and statements should be avoided.

Depending on the size of the organization, it is good to obtain an approval from some other person that is not on the board. It can include an assistant treasurer, staff accountant or controller.

Have a standard organizational form that is easy to complete. Forms are available at most office supply stores and numerous Internet sources.

(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/boards.html)

******************

FINANCE: A FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT BLUEPRINT

Regardless of the nobility of their missions or their dedication to their day-to-day tasks, nonprofit organizations must be aware of, and practice, sound financial management to fulfill their goals and maintain credibility.

In his book Financial Management for Nonprofit Human Service Organizations, Raymond Sanchez Mayers offers a breakdown and explanation of financial management.

Here are some essentials to think about:

* Planning. The use of a rational anticipatory approach to short- and long-term strategies to be employed by the organization to ensure its fiscal solvency.

* Acquisition. The gathering of human, material and economic resources by such means as fundraising, grant writing, contractual agreements, charging of fees, purchase of merchandise and hiring of staff.

* Allocation. The distribution of resources throughout the organization. It may be internal, for example, by budgeting, or external, for example, by contracting.

* Internal control. The establishment of standardized policies and procedures relating to all transactions and events involving monetary items.

* Recording/reporting. The use of some sort of manual, automated or computerized system to list and classify all transactions of a financial nature in journals and ledgers to generate periodic financial statements and reports.

* Evaluating. The periodic review of financial activities in order to assess their efficiency and effectiveness in meeting agency and funder requirements for fiscal accountability. Periodic evaluation is done to check that the control system established by the agency is working as it was intended to do.

(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/finance.html)

******************
 NEWS

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 January 27, 2006

 CONTACT:
Hung Nguyen, (877) 592-4140

 SECOND ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING AND RECEPTION IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
 Asian Americans Celebrate the Year of the Dog by Greeting Virginia Legislators with a Bark

 Asian and Pacific Americans from all regions of the Commonwealth of Virginia will gather in Richmond on February 2, 2006 for two major events: a Legislative and State Briefing Forum and an evening reception honoring State legislative and executive officials.

The Legislative and State Briefing forum will be held from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at the Bank of America Building (18th floor conference room), 1111 East Main Street.  Officials from the Clerk’s Office, Republican Caucus, Democratic Caucus, and State programs offices will brief the APA community on how to access state services and how legislation affects them.

The evening reception will be held at the Peking Restaurant, 1302 East Carey Street, from 5:30-8:00 p.m.  The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and House and Senate elected officials will be attending.

February 2 is an opportunity for elected officials to meet a broad spectrum of communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  In collaboration with the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (NCVA), the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA), Asian American Society of Central Virginia and the Virginia Asian Advisory Board are hosting these events with the support of over 20 Asian Pacific American community groups and businesses.

“There are 310,000 Asian Americans living in Virginia, comprising 4.2 percent of the Commonwealth population.  Our 22,500 businesses generate over $4.4 billion of revenue and we employ over 47,000 employees.  Yet we have no political representation,” said Hung Nguyen, President/CEO of NCVA.

Rose Chu, Board member of CAPAVA said, “What many don’t know is 14 percent of APA families live in poverty, compared to 8 percent of the general population.  And 33 percent of foreign-born residents do not have health coverage.”

Delegate Lionell Spruill and Senator Patricia Ticer have introduced amendments to provide an Asian and Pacific American outreach office at the state.

“If the State creates an Asian Pacific American outreach office, our communities will get the help they need and APAs will be even stronger contributors to the Commonwealth’s economy” CAPAVA President Ting-Yi Oei said.

Nguyen Ngoc Bich, NCVA Chairman said, “Virginia is preparing to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.  Virginia has changed dramatically since then and current stereotypes of quiet Asians are not valid.  As tax paying citizens, Asian Americans are not staying quiet as they seek better use of State resources and programs.”

# # #
 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. www.ncvaonline.org.

(http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/1/prweb338379.htm)

(http://www.ncvaonline.org/archive/prj_VALegislativeDay_012706_pr.pdf)

******************

January 26, 2006

Voice of 1.5 generation
BILINGUAL MAGAZINE WINS 'ETHNIC PULITZER,' CATERS TO VIETNAMESE WHO CAME TO U.S. AT A YOUNG AGE

By Jessie Mangaliman
Mercury News

With his neatly tucked white button-down shirt and plain brown pants, accountant Sonny Nguyen, 39, is the visual antithesis of the slick, stylish and edgy magazine he publishes, Nha Magazine.

Launched in San Jose three years ago as a bilingual niche publication for the so-called 1.5 generation -- young Vietnamese-Americans born in the native country but raised in the United States -- Nha Magazine, (pronounced NYAH) features hip-hop musicians, up and coming politicians, Playboy starlets and Vogue-like fashion layouts, in addition to poetry and serious articles about identity and culture.

On Thursday night, Nguyen will pick up a journalism award on behalf of Nha, for publishing a first-person dispatch from death row in Texas written by Son Tran, a young Vietnamese-American convicted of capital murder when he was 17.

The honor will be presented during the annual awards banquet of New California Media, a nationwide group of 700 ethnic media organizations based in San Francisco. Each year, NCM, billed by PBS as the ``ethnic Pulitzers,'' honors journalists and civic leaders.

The Mercury News is one of a number of Bay Area sponsors of the banquet, which will be held at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose.

Nguyen calls the award an important milestone for the San Jose-based magazine, well known among the hip, young crowd of Vietnamese-Americans who navigate between the old culture they left behind as children, and the new, American one they now inhabit in style.

``The magazine's look, design, images and presentation are wonderful,'' says Chanh Pham, 33, a clothing designer from San Francisco who subscribes to Nha. ``The fact that it's both in English and Vietnamese is important so no one is left out.''

For Trung Lam, 28, a San Jose Realtor, the magazine is a culture bridge for young, bilingual Vietnamese-Americans like himself.

The magazine, which publishes every other month a modest 15,000 copies -- up from 10,000 copies three years ago -- now circulates and has subscribers in Vietnamese-American communities from Southern California to North Carolina. It is also carried on Eva Air, a Taiwan-based airline used by many Vietnamese-Americans visiting Vietnam.

Published in full color in English and Vietnamese, the 164-page book also has readers in prisons around the United States, Nguyen said.

Son Tran, the Texas death row inmate who wrote the winning essay in 2004, learned of the magazine and wrote to Nguyen.

``We're being recognized as a respectable publication not only for how we look but also for our content,'' Nguyen said. ``I'm very proud of that.''

Bridging a gap

Nha, which means ``home'' in Vietnamese, has published articles on the growing problem in Vietnam of trafficking children into prostitution; the ``Vietnamese American Ladies of Generation X,'' which includes a portrait of San Jose City Councilwoman Madison Nguyen; and stories every issue about the experience of the bicultural, hyphenated generation of Vietnamese-Americans.

When he launched the magazine three years ago, Nguyen was a tax accountant who realized that in the United States there were plenty of publications in Vietnamese that catered to the mono-lingual, first generation.

But they all but ignored a generation of readers like himself, Nguyen said, who speak, and live, both Vietnamese and American.

``It's indicative of this whole new generation of ethnic media that you find in almost all sectors, all ethnic groups,'' said Sandy Close, founder of New California Media. ``It's really part of what the community imagines its future to be.''

Nha's proposition, Close said, that ``fashion and culture defines your identity,'' is an idea that's accessible to the mainstream. ``It's very forward looking.''

Art director Kim Le, 40, said working at Nha Magazine has opened up a world of young Vietnamese-Americans unknown to her working for a technical publication in Palo Alto.

``I didn't realize there are so many talented young Vietnamese out there,'' Le said. ``So that makes my work fun and fulfilling.''

Route to publisher

Nguyen was born in Vietnam and in 1980, after trying a dozen times to escape, walked to Cambodia with his family. A year later, after spending months in refugee camps near Thailand and in Indonesia, Nguyen arrived in the United States.

He grew up in Southern California and got a bachelor's degree from San Jose State University in accounting and managing information systems.

One corner of Nha's office, located on an industrial stretch of Monterey Highway south of downtown San Jose, is the glassed-in section of what used to be Nguyen's principal work: tax accounting.

Late last year he and a business partner launched a free tabloid of real estate and commercial listings.

``When I go to Barnes & Noble, I see Nha next to mainstream magazines,'' Nguyen said. ``I'm proud of that fact.''

Contact Jessie Mangaliman at jmangaliman@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5794.

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/13715837.htm)

******************

January 26, 2006

YEAR OF THE DOG HAS GREAT PROMISE

By Kat Bergeron
kbergeron@sunherald.com

The Lunar New Year celebration this weekend may be muted in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, but no storm will keep the Mississippi Coast's Asian population from this important holiday that is like birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving rolled into one.

The year 4703 will be the Year of the Dog and begins after midnight on Jan. 29.

New Year's Eve, which is Saturday, and the following New Year's Day will be marked with food, reunions, special services and dragon dancers

But smaller public observances than usual will be held on Biloxi's Point Cadet, the heart of the local Asian community.

"The New Year is an important time. We do not forget," said Thay Thien Tri, abbot at Chua Van Duc, a Buddhist temple that received 12 feet of Katrina surge with four monks inside it.

The temple on Biloxi's Oak Street, as well as the next-door Church of the Vietnamese Martyr, will observe the Lunar New Year, though on a smaller scale than usual. After basic repairs and time as staging grounds for community recovery, both places are again worship centers for the Vietnamese community that arrived in the 1970s to work in the seafood industry.

The Catholic church is forgoing its usual three-day festival but will hold a Sunday morning Mass, likely followed by the appearance of the dragon. The Buddhist temple will have a New Year's Eve celebration that ends with the dragon dance. The public is invited to both.

"There's a misconception that the temple is closed to the public but that is because many Vietnamese don't speak English well," said George Foote, who attends Chua Van Duc. "Everybody is welcome. That's what Buddhism is about. There are no preconceptions."

Americans know this also as the Chinese New Year, and Tet is commonly heard here because of the Coast Vietnamese population, estimated at 4,300. The holiday is also observed by Coast Chinese, Korean, Japanese and other Asians, who number about 7,400.

Those figures, of course, are pre-Katrina. No studies have yet determined how many continue to live here since the Aug. 29 storm. Many of the Vietnamese-Americans lived on Biloxi's Point Cadet, much of which was leveled by Katrina.

Rumors of ruined dragon costumes and sparse volunteer dancers are minimized as Lunar New Year planners forge ahead. The dragon is an ancient tradition that scares away evil spirits and brings in good luck through combat between a dragon and saffron-robed human.

In normal years, both Catholic and Buddhist dragon dancers visit houses and businesses as well as perform firecracker dances at the Catholic and Buddhist centers. For the Vietnamese, Tet evokes a magic period to forget the misfortune or misery of the previous year. By tradition, the upcoming Year of the Dog brings promise.

"We hope to do the best effort to recover from Katrina and, in the spirt of the new calendar, to be successful," said the Rev. Dong Duc Phan. "The dog is a smart animal."

Lunar New Year promoters point out that dogs have a deep sense of loyalty and inspire other people's confidence.

The good-luck dragon dance is an important part of the annual three-day Lunar New Year festival at Church of the Vietnamese Martyr. Because of Katrina's devastation to Biloxi's Point Cadet, New Year's observances there and at the next-door Buddhist temple will be scaled down.

If you go
What: Lunar New Year observances.

At Chua Van Duc Buddhist Temple: 165 Oak St., Biloxi; Lunar New Year's Eve, Saturday, 10:45 p.m., with Tet greetings, distribution of good luck charms and dragon dance and other entertainment. (Saturday services include 11 a.m. midday chanting and 6 p.m. end-of-year repentance); Lunar New Year's Day, Sunday, 8 a.m. temple opens for New Year worship and observance with midday chanting at 11 a.m.
Details: For these and other Buddhist observances through Feb. 12, call 435-0737.

At Church of the Vietnamese Martyrs: 163 Oak St., Biloxi; Lunar New Year's Day Mass co-celebrated with Bishop Thomas J. Rodi at 9 a.m. Sunday.
Details: 313-7208.

(http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/living/13714180.htm)

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January 27, 2006

EDUCATION’S APPEAL IS EVER-ENDURING

By Anh Do
Asian Affairs, Orange County Register columnist

What's the hot button when asking the Asian community for donations?

What else? Education.

That appeal is paying off for Coastline Community College, which gathered its VIPs to toast other VIPs this month at a dedication for the Le-Jao Center, named in honor of two families gifting $1 million to the school's endowment campaign.

Mariachis and dragon dancers feted the crowd, while college president Ding-Jo Currie spoke to nearly 300 in the audience: "The next generation, that's why we're here." She urged Chinese-Americans, Vietnamese-Americans and Filipino-Americans to be generous.

"There's no better setting than an educational institution," she later told me. "The Harvards, the UCIs, they're always there. But to donate to a community college, that is especially a huge statement. We touch more lives because, as I like to say, 'Community is our middle name and we're never going to change it.'"

The main donors of the day, Frank Jao and Chieu Le, as well as their wives, shook hands with well-wishers, beaming.

Both are immigrants, on center stage with their American dreams fully realized as they now turn to philanthropy to help shape the lives around them.

Each wave of newcomers to a country adapts by sharing goods, time and money to survive and to build up the area where they settle. Through the years, they give, and give plenty, when you consider the billions of dollars sent to support family, friends, schools and hospitals back home. These projects might boost social services or health care, and fundraising, particularly in areas like Chinatown or Little Saigon, thrives.

We have more reasons to donate in Orange County now, Currie notes, as she and her peers cite assimilation and the desire of the older generation to dig deeper roots in their new homeland.

This gift "is absolutely the spark that will ignite a wildfire in the Asian community," she adds, after a host of school officials delivered speeches, following Mayor Margie Rice of Westminster. The gleaming, 33,000-square-foot building is part of a $12 million campus across the street from City Hall, offering ESL courses, certificates in biotechnology and an entrepreneur program for small business owners.

Jao and Le had committed to the funding over six months ago.

Jao is widely known as the man who put Little Saigon on the map. When he arrived in the United States, one of his earliest jobs was selling vacuums door to door. He took classes, learning about real estate at Coastline before founding Bridgecreek, a company that has developed more than $400 million in retail, condo and apartment space. He could not have soared, he said at the podium, "without America opening its golden doors to receive us."

Both he and his friend, Le, said they felt a sense of duty to contribute.

Le hails from San Jose but is a familiar face in Orange County where customers flock to the well-lit Lee's Sandwiches shops he runs. His company sprouted from a catering truck operation he launched with his late son, Minh. His wife, Yen, tearfully thanked both sets of parents for their inspiration.

Mariam Khosravani, born in Iran and raising her children in Irvine, serves as executive director of the school's foundation. She is collecting information for a book on Asians in philanthropy and is pushing for more outreach.

Phong Tran, a doctor working in pain management, is a big believer. He's shelling out $100,000 to the college.

Tran grew up in Memphis, leaving Tennessee with two bachelor's degrees in mathematics and physical science, later earning an MBA from UC Irvine – but only after finishing medical school and his residency at King/Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles.

"I think I've spent most of the years of my life in school," he adds, confessing he's signed up for more classes. "Knowledge is the key to success. It allows you to be anything, do anything."

Currie is delighted with Tran.

"I'm on my way to build a new center," she says, a light in her eyes. "Perhaps Fountain Valley. Perhaps Newport Coast. We're looking for sites and you know what else we're looking for."

Tran, she notes, is an ideal funder. She introduces him to colleagues as they head to the eggrolls. His clinic happens to be called Coastline. "I told him, 'You have no choice. You are now married to us.'"

(http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/life/education/article_969765.php)

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January 29, 2006

A DATE WITH TRADITION
Chinese New Year Ushers in Quest for Official Holiday Recognition

By Amit R. Paley
Washington Post Staff Writer

Emily Yee-Mei Lee remembers that as a child in Taiwan, she longed for the next Chinese New Year, that fabulous day when she would receive neon-red envelopes with $100 bills and gorge on scrumptious pork dumplings.

But in the United States, Lee usually confronts the festival with angst and guilt: Instead of spending the whole day celebrating, she trudges to her job as a computer programmer and ships her 15-year-old son off to school.

"It makes me feel like it's impossible to be a good Chinese and a good American," said Lee, 47, of Ellicott City. "It's just so hard to properly celebrate the holiday in this country."

The Lunar New Year -- which is celebrated today by more than a billion Asians around the world -- presents a troubling annual dilemma for many of the country's 12 million Asian Americans: honor your millennia-old traditions by taking the day off, or bow to the pressures of Western society by going about business as usual?

Asian Americans such as Lee say they shouldn't have to make that choice. In a sign of their increasing political power, Asian American groups in the Washington region and across the nation are pushing measures that they hope will eventually result in a federal holiday, with public schools closing and employees staying home from work.

"This is about respect for our culture," said Henry Lau, a co-founder of the Maryland Coalition for Recognition of the Asian Lunar New Year. "The New Year is the most important festival in our culture, and that needs to be acknowledged."

The Howard County Council passed a measure this month to prohibit public meetings on the holiday. The Maryland General Assembly is considering a bill to officially recognize the day, and activists in Virginia are lobbying for a similar measure. Groups in the District are proposing to close school on the Lunar New Year.

The growing movement echoes efforts by earlier immigrant and minority groups that fought for recognition of holidays that honor them, Lau said.

"The Italian Americans have Columbus Day, the Irish have St. Patrick's Day and African Americans have Martin Luther King Jr. Day," said Lau, 60, a manager at the Environmental Protection Agency who lives in Columbia. "But the Asian American community has nothing. It's like we're not real Americans."

The movement's first major success came in 1994 when San Francisco agreed to close its schools on the Lunar New Year. Lorna Ho, a school system spokeswoman, said the city had little choice because so much of the staff and student body, which is now 39 percent Chinese American, took the day off. "It just wasn't cost effective for us to run school when half the population wasn't teaching and so many students were missing," she said.

Momentum picked up in the Washington region after New York City in 2002 declared the Asian Lunar New Year a holidayon which street parking regulations are relaxed. Lau, who is also president of the Coordination Council of Chinese-American Associations, a group with members throughout the Washington region, began about a year ago to organize an effort to replicate the city's approach throughout Maryland.

Activists from the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese communities have collected more than 6,000 signatures in Maryland for a petition to recognize the Lunar New Year. And they continue to explain the importance of the holiday -- which is observed by many Asian communities, including the Vietnamese (who call it Tet) and Koreans (who call it Sol Nal) -- to elected officials and the public.

The Chinese New Year is like if Western people combined Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's all together," said Qingyuan Han, 50, of Columbia.

Their arguments persuaded Montgomery County Council President George L. Leventhal (D-At Large) to introduce a measure to make the Asian Lunar New Year -- and 22 other holidays, including the Jewish Purim and Muslim Eid ul-Adha -- a "day of commemoration." The legislation won't establish paid holidays or close county facilities, but it will signal to county supervisors that Asians may want to take a personal leave day on the New Year.

"It's simply a gesture of inclusion and respect," Leventhal said in a statement.

On Friday afternoon in a Senate office building filled with bright-red Chinese lions and a Korean orchestra, members of the Maryland Coalition for Recognition of the Asian Lunar New Year met with Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) and other elected officials to celebrate the holiday and fight for their cause.

The group is pushing a bill, which was introduced last week, that would make the Asian Lunar New Year a "commemorative day," a quasi-holiday distinction given to only three others in Maryland: Law Day (May 1), Poetry Day (Oct. 15) and the birthday of John Hanson (April 13), an 18th-century lawmaker. Although celebrations of the New Year last for different numbers of days in various Asian cultures, advocates want the holiday to be observed on the first day of the lunar calendar, which falls on a different day every year.

"Of course we'd like to have a real holiday, but this is the first step," said Del. Susan C. Lee (D-Montgomery), the bill's sponsor. "But remember how long it took to get a holiday for Martin Luther King?"

In the District, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association has started a petition to urge the Board of Education to close the school system on the Lunar New Year -- not by adding another vacation day, but by scheduling a teacher working day on the holiday or eliminating a PTA conference day. In Montgomery County, many Asian American parents continually ask the same question: Why is the school system open on the Asian Lunar New Year but closed on the Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah?

"It would be pretty hard to keep the schools open, given the enormous number of Jewish teachers and students who take those days off," said Montgomery Council member Steven A. Silverman (D-At Large). "It just doesn't appear that many people take off Asian Lunar New Year."

But Jeanny Ho does. The District resident takes the day off from her job as an information technology manager and pulls her 11- and 17-year-old kids out of school -- unless they have a test. "It's very important for us to be together as a family," she said. "But Asians care too much about education to have their children miss an exam."

For Emily Yee-Mei Lee, though, it's hard to skip work and miss important meetings that others always seem to schedule on the Lunar New Year. "They just don't know that Chinese need the day off," she said.

In Taiwan, everyone in her family dressed in new clothes on the New Year and spent the day attending enormous parades, visiting friends and relatives and worshiping ancestors and the god of heaven in Buddhist-Taoist temples. But in Ellicott City, she is lucky to get her children to attend a dinner party at a local Chinese language school.

Lee is worried that her younger son, Brian, a 15-year-old high school freshman, is missing a part of his heritage. He insists on going to school on the holiday so that he doesn't fall behind on schoolwork. But Brian said he wouldn't mind if his mother succeeds in making the Lunar New Year an official holiday.

"Any day off from school seems like a good idea to me," he said.

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/28/AR2006012800926.html)

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January 30, 2006

IRS MOVES AGAINST 30 NONPROFIT CREDIT COUNSELING SERVICES

The Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) expects to revoke the tax-exempt status of some 30 nonprofit credit counseling agencies after consumer complaints about deceptive business practices skyrocketed in recent years.

IRS spokesman Eric Smith said credit counseling has been a priority area of the tax-exempt sector for some time, with the industry “recognized as having a fair amount of abuse and the need for some oversight and intensive scrutiny.”

He said this particular phase is coming to an end, but warned that organizations are always subject to oversight. About 60 agencies were under examination -- accounting for more than half the industry, by gross receipts -- and those that will have their status revoked can appeal either within the IRS or in court.

Deanne Loonin, staff attorney for the National Consumer Law Center, said the action by the IRS is “the step we’ve all been waiting for; it’s key.”

Though agencies likely will appeal their revocation, Loonin said almost a dozen states -- including New York, Rhode Island and Maryland -- require credit counseling firms to be nonprofits. Revocation would all but put firms in those states out of business. The IRS announced the revocation of the nonprofit status of four agencies this past summer, she added, and appeals are still going on.

About half the states require licensing in the first place, Loonin said, and most regulate to some extent

In a 2003 study, “Credit Counseling in Crisis,” the National Consumer Law Center and Consumer Federation of America detailed the “severe threat to consumers from a new generation of credit-counseling agencies.”

The report outlined four major problems with credit counseling: abuse of nonprofit status, deceptive and misleading practices, excessive costs and no options other than debt consolidation. “Credit counseling organizations should not qualify as nonprofit corporations under IRS rules if they are organized and operated to benefit individuals associated with the corporation or if they are not operated exclusively to accomplish charitable or educational purposes.”

Among its four primary recommendations, the report said the IRS should “aggressively enforce existing standards for nonprofit credit counseling organizations.”

According to the Better Business Bureau, the number of complaints about credit counseling agencies nationwide was up from 261 in 1998 to 1,480 in 2002 -- a 467 percent increase. In 2004, the most recent year figures were available, there were 2,127 complaints.

“Tax exempt credit counseling organizations traditionally have helped Americans reduce their borrowing costs and do a better job of financial planning in difficult situations,” IRS Commissioner Mark Everson told the Greater Washington Society of CPAs in December. “Unfortunately, in recent years, too many organizations got into this field not to help others but as a business to enrich insiders or related for-profit associates.”

(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/Jan06/news-0130_1.html)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Christine Chen, 202-223-9170

January 31, 2006

APIAVOTE NATIONAL BEGINS 10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF CHRISTINE CHEN AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ten years after starting as a national voter registration campaign for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA), APIAVote has incorporated and begins this year with the announcement of Christine Chen, who founded APIAVote ten years ago, as its new Executive Director.  APIAVote is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that encourages and promotes civic participation of APIAs in the electoral and public policy processes at the national, state and local levels. 

APIAVote’s goal is to effectively engage the APIA community in the political process by coordinating outreach and educational activities and programs.  By building effective partnerships with national and local nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations and coalitions, APIAVote continues to build upon its decade of success.

”The hiring of Christine Chen as its first executive director is long overdue,” said board member Eunsook Lee, Executive Director of the National Korean American Service Education Consortium. “APIAVote is embarking on an ambitious endeavor to institutionalize its work to enhance the civic engagement of APIAs, said Lee. “The APIA population is diverse, in terms of ethnicity, history and language and through APIAVote, our communities can and will come together to form a common vision and political agenda that advances the rights and concerns of our diverse constituencies.”

A Decade of Amplifying the APIA Voice in Politics and Policy

The organization started as the 1996 National Asian Pacific American Voter Registration Campaign, made up of 19 national organizations newly aware of the need to politically mobilize the APIA community. The campaign that year registered more than 70,000 voters and produced a public service announcement featuring almost two-dozen Asian American Hollywood celebrities encouraging APIA voters of all ages to vote.

In the decade since, APIAVote has contributed to an upward trend in APIA voter involvement, which has between 2000 and 2004 seen 700,000 more APIAs registering to vote and 800,000 more voting.

“APIAVote has a tradition of identifying and working with growing communities like those in Texas,” said Texas State Representative Martha Wong.  “Although APIAs make up four percent of the country, we make up only two percent of the voter turnout, and we need to continue supporting APIAVote’s efforts to amplify our collective political voice.”

“By working with APIAVote these past few years, voter participation by the Hmong community has increased tremendously, but there is still much work to be done," said Minnesota State Senator Mee Moua.  "Research commissioned by APIAVote found that turnout in the Hmong American community was 14-points lower than the average for Twin Cities during the 2004 elections.  Our communities here in Minnesota look forward to working with Christine and APIAVote.” 

"Over the last election cycle alone, 1.5 million more APIAs became eligible to vote. The APIA electorate continues to grow," said Rep. Mike Honda, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.  "There are so many crucial issues at stake in which the voices of APIAs need to be heard and amplified through the power of the vote.  CAPAC is excited to work with Christine Chen, a leader in the civil rights community who will help prepare APIAVote for its next stage of growth."

In 2004, APIAVote coordinated voter mobilization efforts in 20 states and 25 cities registering more than 45,000 newly registered APIA voters, with comprehensive campaigns in eight states, including Nevada, Minnesota and Washington. The organization strengthened field operations and local organizing efforts, while increasing the involvement of APIA youth and women.

APIAVote will also continue to focus on capacity building to sustain this work of civic engagement.  In 2004, APIAVote and its partners conducted 28 trainings, distributed over 230,000 multilingual educational pieces, hosted 97 post-debate house parties, 29 educational forums, and made more than 175,000 multilingual phone calls.

APIAVote previously operated as a project of a coalition fiscally sponsored by OCA. In June 2005, the organization began a strategic planning process funded by the Ford Foundation to establish itself as an independent entity and to map out a path to long-term sustainability. APIAVote incorporated in December 2005.

Christine Chen Hired as New Executive Director

Chen, who was profiled by Newsweek magazine in 2001 as one of 15 women who will shape America’s new century, served from 2001 to 2005 as  national executive director of the Organization of Chinese Americans, one of the leading APIA civil rights organizations in the country. Leading an organization with more than 80 chapters and affiliates across the nation, she worked with OCA’s national board, executive council, chapter representatives, members and funders while managing a staff of 13.

Chen’s accomplishments at OCA included: increasing funding levels by 35 percent; expanding the national office by creating a West Coast branch office in Los Angeles; managing the development and transition of national office staff from five people to 13; launching innovative student development and outreach programs, including APIAU: Leadership 101, which trained more than 3,500 students; managing grassroots advocacy campaigns on issues such as immigration, hate crimes, affirmative action, racial profiling, voting rights and election reform; and strengthening OCA’s relationships with key Congressional offices including the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Prior to being appointed OCA executive director, Chen served as the organization’s director of programs for six years.

Chen also was a member of the executive committee of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, served as vice-chair of programs for the National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans, sat on the board of the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL), and was on the executive committee of Youth Vote.

"Christine Chen is well-known by activists across the county.  Her track record in building coalitions and working at the grassroots and national levels established her as one of the strongest voices in the APIA community, stated Gloria T. Caoile, board member and former executive director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO.  Filipino Americans who came 100 years ago to become part of the larger labor movement were at the forefront of struggles to gain dignity and respect for all working families. By partnering with APIAVote and Christine, we ensure that their legacy, and the gains that they have made for workers' rights, are secured. Strong voter participation will keep this spirit of solidarity among APIAs alive by becoming an even more vital part of American society." 

-30-

(http://www.apiavote.org)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2006

CONTACT: Patti Boerger, 703-903-2445
Allen Okamoto, AREAA 415-596-4294

FREDDIE MAC, AREAA TEAM UP TO HELP ASIAN AMERICANS IN CHICAGO, HOUSTON, LOS ANGELES OVERCOME HOMEOWNERSHIP OBSTACLES

McLEAN, Va.— To help remove some of the homeownership challenges faced by the Asian American communities in Chicago, Houston and Southern California, Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) is teaming up with the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), prominent mortgage lenders, mortgage insurers and housing counseling organizations.

This initiative is designed to address language and cultural barriers, lack of knowledge about the homebuying process and other challenges identified in recent research. These barriers are keeping many Asian Americans from pursuing their dream of homeownership. To gain a better understanding of how the Asian American community perceives homeownership, and their homebuying behaviors and challenges, Freddie Mac and AREAA have both published separate reports on their websites: www.freddiemac.com/corporate/reports and www.areaa.org.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Asians are the second fastest growing ethnic population in the U.S., and number 13.5 million, or approximately 5 percent of the total U.S. population. The U.S. homeownership rate for Asians is 60 percent, compared to 76 percent for non-minorities.

Freddie Mac, one of the nation’s largest residential mortgage investors, and AREAA, the trade association for real estate professionals who serve the Asian American market, developed the new initiative.  AREAA members will help prospective homebuyers locate properties, and will work with the local nonprofits and lenders to become more familiar with the products and services each offers to improve service in these communities.

Four large mortgage lenders – Chase Home Finance, Charter One, Countrywide Home Loans and Washington Mutual – will make available bilingual loan officers; flexible, affordable mortgage products, including those with low downpayment features; and marketing support.  Freddie Mac will purchase eligible mortgages.

Flexible, low downpayment mortgages will also be possible due to the participation of three mortgage insurers – Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. (PMI) and United Guaranty Insurance (UGI). Housing counseling and homebuyer education will be provided free to homebuyers by local nonprofit agencies.

“Homeownership is a family value, one that ensures social and economic benefits that enhance entire communities,” said Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “Asian American families want to increase their participation in this slice of the American Dream, and I salute Freddie Mac and AREAA for their work to try and make that Dream a reality.”

Robert Tsien, senior vice president of Freddie Mac, added, “Freddie Mac is proud to lead this effort. The Asian American homeownership rate lags behind the national average. By working closely with trusted advisors in the community, like AREAA and Asian American community organizations, the mortgage industry can help put more families on the path to owning a home.”

 “AREAA is pleased to work with Freddie Mac, local nonprofits, leading lenders and mortgage insurers to expand homeownership opportunities for more Asian Pacific American families.  Through this ground-breaking initiative, AREAA will help prepare more real estate and mortgage professionals to better serve this important and growing market,” said Allen Okamoto, chairman of AREAA.

For this effort, the Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles areas were selected based on such factors as the growth in the Asian American community, lower homeownership rates and the growing presence of AREAA members in those markets.

Chicago
In the Chicago metro area, lenders Washington Mutual and Charter One, and mortgage insurer PMI will work with the Chinese community. The Chinese American Service League (CASL) and the Chicago Urban League are teaming up to provide financial literacy and homeownership education workshops as well as one-on-one counseling.

“Charter One Bank is pleased to continue our support to the Chinese American community of Chinatown by providing mortgage lending services and bilingual loan originators to increase homeownership opportunities through our two local branch offices located in Chinatown,” said Allen Rodriguez, senior vice president of Charter One Bank.

“When we founded CASL 27 years ago, we were mostly trying to help our clients meet basic needs and to grow towards self-sufficiency.  Now many of them have reached that level of self-sufficiency, and we are proud to introduce programs to meet their next level of need such as homeownership.  The CASL Housing Center offers seminars, workshops, individual counseling on financial literacy and housing and bilingual information that will help hundreds of people realize this important dream,” said Bernarda Wong, president of CASL.

Houston
In Houston, the initiative will initially focus on helping Asian American hurricane victims find housing, and later will focus on the larger Asian American community. More than 50 percent of all Asian Americans living in the devastated Gulf Region evacuated to Houston.  Chase Home Finance will be the lead lender and UGI will offer mortgage insurance. The Chinese Community Center (CCC) will provide services in several Asian languages and currently is helping hurricane victims with many of their social service needs. CCC staff and AREAA members will assist individuals in finding temporary housing and homes to purchase.

“We welcome this opportunity to work with Freddie Mac and AREAA to serve the Asian American Community in the Houston area, especially those who have immediate housing needs,” said Mike Dubois, senior vice president at Chase Home Finance. 

Chi-Mei Lin, executive director of CCC, said, “Housing and employment have been identified by the United Way as the top two needs for evacuees.  CCC is pleased to participate in this homeownership initiative, which will enable hurricane victims to get back on their feet with dignity.”

Los Angeles
To serve the Korean community in the Greater Los Angeles area, including the Inland Empire, the participating organizations are Countrywide Home Loans, MGIC, Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD) and the Koreatown Youth and Community Center.

“A limited understanding of the homebuying process can be an obstacle for many first-time homebuyers, and it can become more complicated with cultural and language differences,” said Mary Salinas Duron, Countrywide’s executive vice president and manager of National Multicultural initiatives.  “This collaborative effort will go a long way toward providing the educational resources and assistance necessary to eliminate these barriers and make it easier for Los Angeles area Korean residents to own a piece of the American dream.”

“KCCD is excited about this opportunity to work with Freddie Mac, AREAA, KYCC and other participants to expand our services to the Korean American community,” said Hyepin Im, President and CEO of KCCD. “It is often an unknown fact that homeownership rates for Korean Americans are far below the national average. In addition, with the second highest language barrier of any group in the country, many Korean Americans critically need in-language services to help them navigate the complicated homebuying process. Over the last three years, KCCD is pleased to have provided education to over 2,000 homebuyers in the Korean community. We look forward to this initiative and helping more individuals become homeowners.”

Koreatown Youth and Community Center Executive Director Johng Ho Song added, “Koreatown Youth and Community Center is committed to promoting socioeconomic empowerment, and is delighted to work with Freddie Mac to help Korean Americans pursue their dream of homeownership.  Many recent immigrants face barriers due to language and cultural differences, but with the assistance of Freddie Mac, Korean American residents in Los Angeles will be able to successfully overcome these barriers and achieve their piece of the American Dream.”

Freddie Mac is a stockholder-owned company established by Congress in 1970 to support homeownership and rental housing. Freddie Mac fulfills its mission by purchasing residential mortgages and mortgage-related securities, which it finances primarily by issuing mortgage-related securities and debt instruments in the capital markets. Over the years, Freddie Mac has made home possible for one in six homebuyers and nearly four million renters in America. www.FreddieMac.com

Founded in 2002, the Asian Real Estate Association of America is the national trade association dedicated to promoting homeownership opportunities among the nation’s many Asian American communities and enhancing the business opportunities and success of the real estate professionals who serve them.

###

(http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060131/dctu059.html?.v=29)

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About NCVA
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