NCVA eREPORTER - March 8, 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

• 2006 AMA's Lunar New Year Celebration Gala – March 12, 2006
• Doing Business with Social Security and the Federal Government:  An Informational Conference for Minority-Owned Businesses – March 22, 2006
• Conference Addresses Small Business Innovation Issues – May 15-18, 2006

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

• DOL New Freedom Initiative Awards
• The Kresge Foundation Funds Bricks and Mortar Projects
• Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation Children's Initiative
• FedEx Global Community Relations Program
• MetLife Foundation Supports Secondary School Principals
• Mission Support for Youth Serving Organizations (Technology and Media)
• RWJF Local Initiative Funding Partners Program 2007
• YouthActionNet Funds Youth-Led Social Change Projects
• Nominations of Young Community Volunteers Invited for Kohl's Kids Who Care Program
• Herb Block Foundation Invites Letters of Inquiry for Encouraging Citizen Involvement Grant Program
• General Mills Foundation’s Continuation of Celebrating Communities of Color Grants Program
• Aetna Foundation 2006 Regional Community Health Grants Program
• Reuters Digital Vision Program For Social Entrepreneurs
• MetLife Foundation Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing

JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

• Executive Director - Springfield Vietnamese American Civic Association
• Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship Program in Affordable Housing

TIPS/RESOURCES

• Direct Mail: Color Or Black & White?
• Trends: 5 hot fundraising strategies
• Donors: Managing prospect information
• NetSquared - Website Focuses on Innovative Technology Uses for Nonprofits

NEWS

• From the Wildflower Apartments, three families diverge (Austin American-Statesman)
• UW minority students reap benefits of culture center (Daily Nebraskan)
• Tran Won't Run in State Senate Race (Los Angeles Times)
• Senate Clears Extension of Jobless Benefits for Hurricane Victims (Congressional Daily)
• Seminary shift (Mercury News)
• Minority Populations Leaving Large Cities (Knoxville News Sentinel)
• Asian Youths Cope with Studies — and a Myth (Arizona Daily Star)
• Pioneer Chu Lin Set High Standard for Journalists (Mercury News)
• Minnesota’s Homeownership Gap Among Country’s Highest (Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder)

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EVENTS

2006 AMA’S LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION GALA
March 12, 2006

Asian Media Access will host the 1st annual Asian Lunar New Year Celebration. The Celebration is intended to raise needed funding for Asian Media Access' Multi-media Arts Complex.  The event will be hosted at March 12, 12pm-3pm at the Varsity Theater, 1303 4thh Street, SE., Minneapolis, MN in celebrating the Lunar New Year.

The festival will highlight several events with Asian New Year themes; Banquet, Performance, and Silent auction.

* Banquet: The sit-down banquet will feature the winner dishes of Twin Cities Asian restaurants, including: Chinese duck, Hmong purple rice, Japanese sushi, Thai custard and Vietnamese spring roll, etc.
* Performances: Performances feature each Pan Asian group such as Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.
* Silent auction: Items include: performance tickets, hotel stay for 4, gourmet dinner for 2, etc.

All funds will go to build Multi-media Arts Complex.

Please join and support the meaningful event.  ticket price is $40/per person, and $300 for a table sponsorship of 10.  please call 612-376-7715 and amamedia@amamedia.org for reservation

(http://www.amamedia.org)

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DOING BUSINESS WITH SOCIAL SECURITY AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: AN INFORMATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES

The Social Security Administration is hosting a business conference entitled "Doing Business with Social Security and the Federal Government:  An Informational Conference for Minority-Owned Businesses." The conference is open to the public.  Small and minority owned businesses are encouraged to attend.

The conference is scheduled for March 22, 2006, from 08:30 AM to 02:30 PM, at Social Security Headquarters in Woodlawn, Maryland. Registration and parking are free.

The event will be held at the Altmeyer Building Auditorium and Multi-purpose room.  Registration opens at 08:00 AM with the conference starting promptly at 09:00 AM.

All participants must be pre-registered to attend.

The conference date is fast approaching.  Register Today!

For additional information please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/aapi/conference.htm

For exhibitor information please contact Leo Brandenburg at Leopold.Brandenburg@ssa.gov

Leopold R. Brandenburg
Program Analyst, ODISP, OBDS
Social Security Administration
AAPI Workgroup, AIAN Interagency Taskforce
6401 Security Boulevard, RRCC 178
Woodlawn, MD, 21235
410-966-3560

(http://www.socialsecurity.gov/aapi/conference.htm)

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CONFERENCE ADDRESSES SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION ISSUES
2006 Spring National SBIR/STTR Conference

The National Science Foundation, in association with the Small Business Administration and SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) agencies, is sponsoring the 2006 Spring National SBIR/STTR Conference. Annually, the SBIR and STTR programs provide over $2 billion to small businesses through federal programs to help entrepreneurs take their ideas from conception to reality. This conference will give participants the tools needed to obtain part of the funds available to small business innovators. The conference also provides each participant with multiple opportunities to network with SBIR and STTR Program Managers and fellow attendees, including SBIR/STTR award winners, speakers, and experts from businesses and the government.

The conference will be held May 15-18, 2006 in Louisville, KY.

(http://www.sbirworld.com/conferences/eventDetails.asp?mnuConf=1&confId=1586&fromPg=home)

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

ODEP News Release: [03/02/2006]
Contact Name: Peggy Abrahamson or Public Affairs
Phone Number: (202) 693-7909 or x4676
Release Number: 06-0330-NAT

SECRETARY OF LABOR ELAINE L. CHAO ENCOURAGES COMPANIES, NON-PROFITS, OTHER TO APPLY FOR 2006 NEW FREEDOM INITIATIVE AWARDS
Awards Recognize Exemplary Efforts to Employ Workers With Disabilities

WASHINGTON — Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao today called upon non-profits, small businesses, corporations and individuals that have demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts to improve the employment and workplace environment of people with disabilities to submit their entries for the 2006 “Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative (NFI) Award.” This will be the fifth anniversary of the NFI awards, which so far have been presented to 13 companies, 13 non-profits and 4 individuals.

“President Bush and I are committed to advancing employment opportunities for workers with disabilities,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “The New Freedom Initiative Awards recognize individuals, nonprofit organizations and private sector companies that have improved the employment prospects for people with disabilities.”

The award recognizes public-private partnerships and programs that have had a positive impact on the employment of people with disabilities through access to assistive technologies, the use of innovative training, and hiring and retention strategies. It also recognizes organizations, businesses and individuals who develop comprehensive strategies to enhance the ability of Americans with disabilities to enter and advance in the 21st century workforce.

Additional information on the award and specific nomination criteria are available in the March 2 Federal Register or at http://www.dol.gov/odep/newfreedom/nfi06.htm under the New Freedom Initiative tab. The information is also available by calling the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Education and Outreach Section, at (202) 693-7880. The deadline for receipt of nominations is May 31.

President Bush introduced the New Freedom Initiative Feb. 1, 2001, within a month of taking office. The initiative contains a comprehensive set of proposals designed to ensure that Americans with disabilities have the opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, make choices about their daily lives and participate fully in their communities. ODEP has primary responsibility for implementing the employment-related aspects of the New Freedom Initiative.

(http://www.dol.gov/odep/newfreedom/nfi06.htm)

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THE KRESGE FOUNDATION FUNDS BRICKS AND MORTAR PROJECTS

The purpose of the Kresge Foundation is "to promote the well-being of mankind." The Foundation seeks to strengthen the capacity of charitable organizations to provide effective programs of quality. The Foundation's geographic scope is national and, on occasion, international, and grants support a range of organizations reflecting almost the entire breadth of the nonprofit sector. The Foundation primarily makes challenge grants for building construction or renovation through its Bricks and Mortar Program. Grants are also given for the purchase of real estate and major equipment. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

(http://www.kresge.org)

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WEYERHAEUSER FAMILY FOUNDATION CHILDREN’S INITIATIVE

The Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation Children's Initiative supports local programs throughout the U.S. that strengthen the social, physical, intellectual, and emotional functioning of young children in significant and measurable ways. The Foundation is looking for programs that are innovative, or that demonstrate a new way of delivering services, and from which others can learn. The Initiative will consider programs that: serve children from the pre-natal stage to six years of age; deliver services to children in non-office or non-traditional settings; involve parents or guardians in the planning, delivery or evaluation of the program; and are within the first three years of development. All proposals must demonstrate that the program offered for consideration meets all four of the above elements. The deadline for letters of intent is April 1, 2006.

(http://www.wfamilyfoundation.org/childrens_initiative.html)

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FEDEX GLOBAL COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM

The mission of the FedEx Global Community Relations Program is to support the communities the company serves through financial contributions, in-kind shipping services and volunteer services of employees. The company's core giving areas include: Emergency and Disaster Relief; Pedestrian and Child Safety; and Education, with emphasis on technology, global economics, cultural diversity and programs that enhance learning. FedEx also provides support for Health and Human Services, primarily through the United Way and March of Dimes, with limited support for youth development organizations and others that meet basic human needs. FedEx is especially interested in supporting organizations that request 5% or less of the total project budget. The company also weighs the involvement of employees in groups that seek financial support. Applications may be submitted at any time.

(http://www.fedex.com/us/about/responsibility/community/guidelines.html?link=4)

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METLIFE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS
Bridge Builders' Grant Program

The MetLife Foundation Bridge Builders' Grant Program, administered by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), provides mini-grants to principals of public middle level and high schools serving large numbers of low-income students and underrepresented minorities (more than 40% of the student body). The program will provide 25 $5,000 mini-grants to implement a school-developed initiative aimed at building better relationships among adults and students. Examples of projects eligible for funding include mentoring initiatives, civic engagement projects, and engaging families in the school. Twenty-five schools will be selected to receive a grant. The application deadline is April 17, 2006.

(http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec.asp?CID=568&DID=48228)

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MISSION SUPPORT FOR YOUTH SERVING ORGANIZATIONS (TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA)

The Salesforce Foundation has announced the 2006 grants program. This grants program is focused on building capacity in the non-profit sector through the effective use of technology. Grants ranging from $5,000-$25,000 are provided to create depth in local nonprofit organizations by helping them improve their efficacy via powerful technology tool. Letters of intent are due March 24, 2006; Final submissions are due April 18, 2006.

(http://www.salesforcefoundation.org/grants/grantsbudget.html)

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RWJF LOCAL INITIATIVE FUNDING PARTNERS PROGRAM 2007

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced a Call for Proposals for the Local Initiative Funding Partners Program 2007. This Initiative is a partnership program between RWJF and local grantmakers that seeks to fund promising, original projects to improve significantly the health of vulnerable people in their communities. The deadline for Stage 1 applications is July 6, 2006.

(http://www.lifp.org/html/apply/cfp.html)

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YOUTHACTIONNET FUNDS YOUTH-LED SOCIAL CHANGE PROJECTS

YouthActionNet will present awards to youth leaders and emerging projects that promote social change and connect youth with local communities. The YouthActionNet Awards are supported by Make a Connection, a global initiative of the International Youth Foundation and Nokia.

To be eligible for an award, youth-led projects should have clearly defined goals and the potential for growth or further replication. Final selections are made following a peer-review process in which previous award winners select the next round of awardees. Award recipients will receive $500 and are eligible to participate in an international capacity-building workshop.

The program is open to all young people between the ages of 18 and 29. Individuals applying must have a leadership role in a youth-led initiative that works to create positive change in their community, and applications must be written in English.

The YouthActionNet Awards will be held once a year. This year's deadline is April 15, 2006, with winners to be announced July 30, 2006.

(http://www.youthactionnet.org/yan_awards)

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NOMINATIONS OF YOUNG COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS INVITED FOR KOHL’S KIDS WHO CARE PROGRAM

A philanthropic program of the Kohl's Corporation, the Kohl's Kids Who Care program provides Kohl's an annual opportunity to recognize and reward young volunteers who transform their communities for the better.

Any individual 21 years of age and older may nominate children and youth who are 6 to 18 years old and have not yet graduated from high school by March 15, 2006. Nominators will be asked to describe a young community volunteer's actions in detail and document efforts that are above and beyond what is normally expected. The volunteer's efforts should have resulted in a positive community outcome and must have occurred within the last twelve months. (Note: The volunteer activity cannot be performed to benefit a family member.)

Completed nominations will be accepted in person or by mail at any participating Kohl's Department Store (for local store addresses, see the Store Locator at the Kohl's Web site).

Nominees will be divided into two groups based on their ages as of March 15, 2006. The first group will consist of kids 6 to 12, the second group kids 13 to 18. Three levels of awards will be presented. Each participating store will have one winner from each age group. Each Store-Level winner will receive a $50 Kohl's Gift Card and a Kohl's Kids Who Care Certificate. A judging panel at Scholarship Management Services will then select both Regional and National winners. Each region will have one winner from each age group (for a total of 148 winners). Each Regional winner will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship toward his or her post-secondary education. There will be five National winners selected from children in each age group (for a total of ten). Each National winner will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship toward his or her post-secondary education. In addition, Kohl's will contribute $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on behalf of each national winner.

(http://www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/Community02.htm)

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FANNIE MAE FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING

In partnership with the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the Fannie Mae Foundation offers the Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship Program to support the professional development of senior state and local government officials and nonprofit leaders committed to affordable housing in the United States.

Since 1996, the foundation has annually sponsored up to twenty-five fellowships to elected and appointed officials as well as senior managers in the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.

The three-week fellowship program is intended to enhance the management and decision-making skills of accomplished leaders experienced in managing housing and community development programs. Fellows are recognized for their commitment to and accomplishments in affordable housing. The state and local program curriculum focuses on organizational strategy; political management; policy development; management control and operations; and management of human resources. The program is taught by Kennedy School faculty. In addition to participation in the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, Fannie Mae Foundation Fellows attend special housing sessions coordinated by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, members of the Kennedy School faculty, and Fannie Mae Foundation staff. These sessions address housing issues, trends, policies, and successful models of public/private housing partnership.

Fellowship sessions take place in June and July. Fellowship funds cover the cost of the admission deposit, program tuition, and room and board for the session. Applicants must be able to attend the entire three-week session and are responsible for their own transportation and other incidental costs.

(http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/grants/kennedy_school.shtml)

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HERB BLOCK FOUNDATION INVITES LETTERS OF INQUIRY FOR ENCOURAGING CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM

The Herb Block Foundation is committed to defending the basic freedoms guaranteed all Americans, combating all forms of discrimination and prejudice, and improving the conditions of the poor and underprivileged through the creation or support of charitable and educational programs with the same goals.

Through its Encouraging Citizen Involvement grant program, the foundation seeks to help ensure a responsible, responsive democratic government through citizen involvement. Proposals for this program may focus on citizen education, greater voter participation in the electoral process, or citizen oversight of governmental agencies. All projects must be nonpartisan and may not involve lobbying for specific legislation or candidates.

To be eligible for this program, applicants must be nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) organizations by the Internal Revenue Service; applicants must be located in and/or provide services in the greater Washington, D.C. region which the foundation defines as the District of Columbia, the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, and the city of Alexandria in Virginia and Montgomery, and Prince George's counties in Maryland. Grants will not be made for capital or endowment programs, nor for sectarian religious purposes.

Grants in the range of $5,000 to $25,000 will be considered. At this time, grants will be considered for one year's funding. Grants cannot be used for lobbying or other partisan purposes.

(http://www.herbblockfoundation.org/herbblockfoundation/home.aspx?Page=Main)

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GENERAL MILLS FOUNDATION’S CONTINUATION OF CELEBRATING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR GRANTS PROGRAM

The General Mills Foundation has announced the continuation of its Celebrating Communities of Color grants program for 2006. The grants, totaling $500,000, will be awarded to nonprofit organizations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, that serve communities of color. Fifty project grants of $10,000 each will be awarded during the year.

The Celebrating Communities of Color program focuses on four areas: Social Service — i.e., programs that strengthen families and promote a safe, nurturing environment for children and youth; Youth Nutrition and Fitness — innovative programs that help improve nutrition and fitness behaviors; Education — efforts that emphasize student academic achievement, particularly at the K-12 level; and Arts and Culture — organizations that are leaders in their field as evidenced by the innovation and quality of their programs and their contribution to the community.

Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations, health departments, government agencies, schools and school districts, and Native American Tribes.

(http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/communities_color.aspx)

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AETNA FOUNDATION 2006 REGIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH GRANTS PROGRAM

Since its inception in 2001, the Aetna Foundation's Regional Grants Program has awarded over $8 million to support disparities in health programs.

In 2006, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation will award up to $2.9 million through the Regional Grants Program for philanthropic initiatives focused on the following healthcare issues: Depression; Childhood Health — Obesity (including diabetes) and Oral Health; and End-of-Life Care.

Applications will be accepted during the period beginning February 28, 2006 and ending March 31, 2006 for all regions. (Regions include: Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and West.)

(http://www.aetna.com/foundation/communitygrants/2004_rfp.htm)

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REUTERS DIGITAL VISION PROGRAM FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS

The Reuters Digital Vision Program at Stanford University, sponsored by the Reuters Foundation, supports individuals who seek to develop technology-based solutions in the interest of humanitarian, educational, and sustainable development goals. The program is designed to foster social entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary projects that address real needs in underserved communities. The nine-month program takes place at Stanford during the academic year.

The program awards approximately fifteen fellowships each year to exceptional social entrepreneurs and technology professionals from around the world. Successful candidates have innovative ideas and are passionate about implementing a project to empower individuals and communities in the developing world.

Applicants must have at least five years of full-time professional experience working with information and communications technologies in their organizations. Applicants should have an in-depth knowledge of, and interest in, the latest information and communications technology applications and their implementation in the developing world. There is no age limit, but the minimum educational qualification is a bachelor’s degree. Typically, Digital Vision Fellows are at a mid-career stage, and many have advanced degrees and/or technology backgrounds.

The administrative and tuition costs associated with participating in the program will be provided by the Reuters Foundation and its co-sponsors. Additionally, DV Fellows are eligible to apply for funding from the program in support of their prototype development.

In an effort to accommodate full-time employees of technology firms, the Digital Vision program also accepts applications for Corporate Fellowships. Corporate fellows are not required to be on campus full-time, and they may continue to perform their full-time professional duties in their organizations. Each Corporate Fellow is sponsored by their company or organization, which includes a fellowship tuition fee.

(http://rdvp.org/)

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METLIFE FOUNDATION AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING

In partnership with the MetLife Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners offers the MetLife Foundation Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing.

The awards program recognizes 501(c)(3) community-based or regional nonprofit organizations and Tribes or Tribally Designated Housing Entities that excel in property and asset management or provide housing to people with special needs.

Awards are presented in two categories: 1) Supportive Housing and 2) Property and Asset Management. The prize money may be used to cover any of the needs of the winning organizations.

First-place winners will receive $25,000; second-place winners receive $15,000; and third-place winners receive $10,000.

The goals of the program are to showcase models of excellence in the design and management of affordable housing and the operation of supportive housing for special-needs populations; increase the understanding of how to achieve success in providing supportive housing for special-needs populations; increase the understanding of the role of the owner, asset manager, property manager, and tenants in developing, maintaining, and operating housing; provide an unrestricted financial award for agencies that exhibit excellence in asset and/or property management and the provision of special-needs housing; and disseminate model supportive housing and property management programs through publications and the Enterprise Web site.

(http://www.enterprisefoundation.org/resources/index.asp)

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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – SPRINGFIELD VIETNAMESE AMERICAN CIVIC ASSOCIATION

Springfield Vietnamese American Civic Association was founded in 1992 to empower Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees to become self-sufficient and to help them adjust to American society through community support and education.

The Executive Director will work to develop programs that meet the needs of the Vietnamese community, especially those people who are making the transition to settlement in the United States, and vulnerable members of the community including youth, seniors and non-English speaking people.  The Executive Director will create a welcoming environment that provides quality services to all people in need within the limits of program staff and funding.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Supervise and develop staff.
* Recruit volunteers to assist with organizational programs.
* Oversee programs and the delivery of services.
* Oversee fiscal management of the agency and report on agency finances to funders and to the Board of Directors.
* Document program activities and report to funders as required.
* Maintain positive relations with funding organizations.
* Write grants and raise needed funds to create a stable funding stream.
* Formulate organizational development plans.
* Oversee community outreach to bring in people for services that the organization provides.
* Represent the organization at meetings and events, and develop relationships with leaders of organizations inside and outside the Vietnamese community.

SUPERVISION:  Board and Policy Development
Manage relationships and communications with the Board of Directors; Work with Board members on strategic planning and policy development, financial management and fundraising; Help plan and schedule Board and committee meetings, develop agendas and background materials, facilitate meetings, and ensure maintenance of minutes and related records; and Help identify potential new Board members and assist in new member recruitment and orientation.

QUALIFICATIONS:
* Bilingual/ bicultural Vietnamese American.
* Minimum of a B.A. or equivalent experience in human services and community development.
* Minimum of 5 years experience in human services.
* Able to supervise and work with staff as a team member.
* Grant writing experience desirable.
* Willing to learn to improve skills and participate in skill-based training programs.
* Ability to manage multiple tasks and organize time well.
* Strong written and oral communication skills.
* Personal commitment to working with a multicultural immigrant community.
* Basic computer skills.

COMPENSATION: SVACA will offer competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with the skills and background of the successful candidate.

TO APPLY:  Please send a resume and cover letter to Springfield SVACA.

Springfield Vietnamese American Civic Association
433 Belmont Avenue
Springfield, MA 01108
(413) 733-9373
Email: svaca@verizon.net

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION:  March 28, 2006

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FANNIE MAE FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING

In partnership with the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the Fannie Mae Foundation offers the Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship Program to support the professional development of senior state and local government officials and nonprofit leaders committed to affordable housing in the United States.

Since 1996, the foundation has annually sponsored up to twenty-five fellowships to elected and appointed officials as well as senior managers in the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.

The three-week fellowship program is intended to enhance the management and decision-making skills of accomplished leaders experienced in managing housing and community development programs. Fellows are recognized for their commitment to and accomplishments in affordable housing. The state and local program curriculum focuses on organizational strategy; political management; policy development; management control and operations; and management of human resources. The program is taught by Kennedy School faculty. In addition to participation in the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, Fannie Mae Foundation Fellows attend special housing sessions coordinated by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, members of the Kennedy School faculty, and Fannie Mae Foundation staff. These sessions address housing issues, trends, policies, and successful models of public/private housing partnership.

Fellowship sessions take place in June and July. Fellowship funds cover the cost of the admission deposit, program tuition, and room and board for the session. Applicants must be able to attend the entire three-week session and are responsible for their own transportation and other incidental costs.

(http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/grants/kennedy_school.shtml)

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TIPS/RESOURCES

DIRECT MAIL: COLOR OR BLACK & WHITE?

As fundraising techniques become more sophisticated, many more organizations have turned to color and eye-catching graphics as part of their direct mail packages.

No matter how much its use has increased, however, the presence of color has failed to ask the age-old question: What works best?

Certainly color has become easier, and far cheaper, to use than it was even 10 years ago. New advances in technology have allowed for hands-on creative work right at the worker's desk as opposed to having everything sent out for every phase of a project.

When making decisions about fundraising graphics, nonprofits may want to keep a few considerations in mind, both pro and con about using splashy color images for mailing.

* The cost of color has dropped dramatically, from approximately $200 for 1,000 color pages in the early 1990s to about $10 today.

* Digital printing allows people to create color pieces that have varying levels of personalization to them.

* More and more people respond to color and come to expect it in everything they read, from newspapers to advertising pitches.

* Many donors are still suspicious of a request that seems to offer splash instead of substance.

They think that if the cause is serious then the request should be also.

* Even donors who like flashy colors will accept an organization's logo in color.

* Many organizations have found that when they stick to the basics, they get better results.

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

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TRENDS: 5 HOT FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES

Is there a single strategy for great fundraising? Are there more than one?

Organizations are always trying good new fundraising strategies or refine old ones, but for nonprofit consultant and practitioner Mal Warwick, there are five strategies, and in his book The Five Strategies for Fundraising Success, he spells them out, literally.

For Warwick, the five strategies spell out to G-I-V-E.

To explain:

* Growth. Although Warwick does not agree whole-hog with the saying that bigger is better, but he does maintain that an organization needs to broaden its donor base each year, thus bringing in more money.

* Involvement. Many people who send money to organizations are not conscious of being donors to those groups. Involvement means building stronger relationship with donors in order to encourage more active participation.

* Visibility. This is about becoming familiar to the people who matter most. It is about gaining name recognition, becoming, if possible, a household word.

* Efficiency. This is fairly straightforward. It is about raising money by spending as little money as possible in the process. Efficiency-driven organizations are cost conscious, sometimes obsessively so.

* Stability. This is a legitimate and often urgent, and ongoing, concern. An organization devoted to stability must seek to convey an image of permanence and of solidity. A stable organization is one that endures.

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DONORS: MANAGING PROSPECT INFORMATION

Prospecting is a necessary part of fundraising, but as with any necessity it usually benefits from a good system of keeping and managing information. Mass prospecting is not worth much if it does not produce a certain amount of results.

In their book Essential Principles for Fundraising Success, G. Douglas Alexander and Kristina J. Carlson maintain that for prospect research to be as productive as possible, it needs to built upon the following practices:

* A solid system for recording all donor gifts, contacts and activities.

* A good database system for managing donor records, prospect information, contact information and more.

* Annual goals and objectives for the research (such as finding a certain number of new prospects, identifying a certain number of major donor prospects for solicitation and so on). These goals and objectives need to be tied to the development program's overall goals. For example, an organization that is adding a major gifts program for a certain year should consider how many cultivation visits it will have with a potential major gifts donor. This should be the number of major gifts prospects the organization's research should attempt to identify for that year.

* A consistent set of resources used to conduct research. (Researchers should narrow the list down to the ones most helpful for their particular needs.)

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

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NETSQUARED – WEBSITE FOCUSES ON INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY USES FOR NONPROFITS

NetSquared (Net2) is a new website created by TechSoup that is based on the belief that both the online and offline work of every nonprofit organization can be enhanced by a dynamic online community in which organizations and users support one another. Through the immense possibilities of the Internet, nonprofits can turn hundreds of supporters into thousands, access new reserves of volunteerism, and give their constituencies tools to take charge of change. Net2 is actively seeking the involvement of nonprofit organizations, companies, funders, and innovators who care about the strategic, organizational, operational, and technical challenges facing nonprofits today.

(http://www.netsquared.org)

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NEWS

February 26, 2006

FROM THE WILDFLOWER APARTMENTS, THREE FAMILIES DIVERGE
Six months after Katrina, Vietnamese-American evacuees seek new futures

By Suzannah Gonzales
American-Statesman Staff

They already had escaped once, fleeing Communist Vietnam separately before making their way to new homes in Louisiana.

Six months ago they escaped again, this time running from a force some of the ex-soldiers in the group said was more terrifying than the war or their journey to America. Against Katrina, they couldn't fight back.

Many of them landed in Austin speaking little or no English. Few had marketable skills beyond the shrimping and fishing industries. And they were hundreds of miles away from Versailles, the Vietnamese enclave between Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne where that is enough to get by.

In September, more than 200 Vietnamese immigrants left homeless by Hurricane Katrina arrived in Austin, virtually unnoticed among the throng of more than 5,000 who arrived in the days after Katrina drowned New Orleans and crushed the Gulf Coast.

It is not known how many are still here. But when they arrived, they were embraced by Austin's Vietnamese community. Lawyer Vinh Tran and others offered advice and set up the Vietnamese American Katrina Relief Effort in the suite next door to his office on North Lamar Boulevard. Just down the street, they helped about 35 Vietnamese evacuees find temporary homes in one apartment complex.

Among them are three families who share a name — the men are named Nguyen, a common Vietnamese surname, although they're not related — and a language and roots in Vietnam and Louisiana. But six months after the storm, their paths are diverging.

A gray-haired ex-soldier waits to go home. A middle-age couple and their son search for a new life, somewhere. And a young family prepares to set roots in a new city.

Help from strangers

At the Austin Convention Center, the city's evacuee shelter in the first weeks after Katrina, a boy and a girl approached Thuc Van Nguyen and gave him $20.

Nguyen, who is 66 and speaks little English, searched for a piece of paper so he could contact them and properly thank them later. But he couldn't find the words to ask their names, and the children left.

Nguyen, a former South Vietnamese soldier who was imprisoned for six years after the war, got to the United States in 1995. In Versailles, where he spent the next 10 years, you could get by without English.

In Austin, no.

But he has received help from many strangers, including members of the local Vietnamese community who found him a one-bedroom apartment at the Wildflower Apartments. A Catholic church donated the bed, a volunteer gave him a DVD player, and the radio is from an Austin Vietnamese public radio station.

"People here help him even if they don't know who he is," said fellow evacuee Thiet Le, who worked with Nguyen in a crab-trap factory near Versailles and translates for him here.

Volunteer Elaine Marie Allan drives him to the doctor, to a state Health and Human Services Commission office. Allan, a retired lawyer, drives up to 100 miles a day for evacuees.

In Versailles, Nguyen shared a house with his wife, two sons and a daughter-in-law. After Katrina, his wife and youngest son went back to Vietnam.

The other son and the daughter-in-law are now back in Versailles. Nguyen waits for his son to call and say: The house is fixed. You can come home.

He cooks, walks around the apartment complex and talks to other Vietnamese evacuees. He strolls from his back patio and peeks over a fence at a creek, looking for fish.

Next to the telephone numbers of other evacuees at the Wildflower, Nguyen has written the names of nine people who helped him while he was in Austin. He will never find the children from the convention center, but when he returns to New Orleans, where there are people who can talk on his behalf, Nguyen will call these people. And say thank you.

'Too much worry'

An Ngoc Nguyen, his wife, Phuong Bui, and their 20-year-old son, Steven Nguyen, took their shrimp boat into open water as the hurricane approached.

"We didn't know Katrina was going to be as bad as it was," Steven Nguyen said.

The hurricane tossed the 65-foot Miss Tina — named for the couple's daughter, who lives in Mississippi — and knocked out the radio. The engine compartment filled with water. Between them, the mother and father lost seven teeth.

Before the Miss Tina went under, the three grabbed on to a large buoy. The cold water tasted like oil, and the rain came down so hard they couldn't see.

They washed up along U.S. 90 near Slidell and eventually were moved to the Austin Convention Center, where a Vietnamese Catholic priest told them about the Wildflower. Other Austin Vietnamese donated a few furnishings for their two-bedroom apartment.

At the end of January, they moved to a two-bedroom, two-bath at the Mountain Ranch apartments on East Riverside Drive. The new apartment is closer to a grocery store and fast-food restaurants.

Steven is now considering studying electronics or auto mechanics at Austin Community College.

His parents, who left Vietnam in 1977, are both 55, and their English is difficult to understand. An Ngoc Nguyen said he has thought about going back to Louisiana. But back to what? Their uninsured boat is gone, and so is their mobile home in Buras, southeast of New Orleans. After working the Gulf for 20 years, the elder Nguyen said, he's not ready to go back on the water anyway. It's too scary. He might return to his previous occupation as a welder.

"I worry for the future," An Ngoc Nguyen said. "I too old. I don't have the house. No money. Too much worry."

In the meantime, they'll wait in Austin.

"We'll be OK," Bui said, hopeful.

'We're going to stay'

Thanh Nguyen and his wife, Kieu Trang were tired of running. They had evacuated their home on New Orleans' West Bank with their infant daughter in early July when Hurricane Cindy hit the Louisiana coast, and again when Hurricane Dennis threatened less than a week later.

They ran from Katrina, too, finding refuge with six relatives in a one-bedroom apartment in Baton Rouge. There, they decided to leave Louisiana and their damaged home behind.

Austin, they had heard, is "a great city," said Trang, 25. They pointed their sport-utility vehicle toward the Texas capital.

Compared with leaving Vietnam, this was easy.

In 1989, when Trang was 8, her family boarded a boat crowded with 147 people and headed to sea. She said Thai pirates attacked the boat, kidnapping several women, before another ship took them to a Malaysian refugee camp. Trang said she spent four years there before making it to the United States.

Her future husband arrived at the same refugee camp in 1990 after five days at sea with 46 others, drinking capfuls of water from a container of melting ice. But the two didn't meet until both had settled in America. In Austin, they found their way to the Vietnamese senior center on Jamestown Drive, where they met Rose Hoang.

"I look at them and I saw the baby," Hoang recalled. "My heart, my eyes, my tears come out."

They stayed with Hoang for about three weeks before moving into their own place at the Wildflower Apartments with furniture from the Salvation Army. While there, they helped other evacuees with FEMA paperwork and transportation.

The day they hit town, Nguyen, 35, located the nearest Men's Wearhouse — where he had worked as a tailor in New Orleans and New York.

"I need to work," he told the manager. Within days, he had a job.

Shortly after Christmas, Trang found one, too, as a computer programmer for the City of Austin. Now they're thinking about buying a house.

"We're going to stay," Trang said.

sgonzales@statesman.com; 512-445-3851

(http://www.statesman.com/search/content/life/stories/other/02/26vietnamese.html)

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March 1, 2006

UW MINORITY STUDENTS REAP BENEFITS OF CULTURE CENTER

By Meredith Grunke, Daily Nebraskan

MADISON, Wis. — Just next to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s student union towers a castle-like red building – a foreboding presence in the center of campus.

But there’s a place in this building that, for many UW-Madison students, makes the 933-acre, 43,000-student university feel smaller and more approachable – like a home away from home.

The building, known as the Red Gym, was renovated in the late 1990s and features high ceilings, wood floors and large, heavy medieval-style wooden front doors.

In the front half of the second floor is the university’s Multicultural Student Center, a place set apart for the university’s minority population but still welcoming for any UW-Madison student to come to study, use the computer, watch TV or just hang out with friends.

Cubicles and low walls divide the center into offices for student organizations, administrative areas, a lounge, a reading room and a computer lab.

Ten multicultural student organizations have office space in the center, which focuses its efforts on assisting the five major ethnic groups on campus: Blacks, American Indians, Chicano/as, Asian Americans and Puerto Ricans.

The back half of the second floor is home to international student services and other student organizations. The center also offers a kitchenette and conference room. The center is open later into the evening and during part of the weekend to allow students plenty of time to congregate.

The space gets used by 73 to 100 students per day depending on event lineup, which often includes academic assistance, movie nights and seminars.

A satellite center is located in one of the residence halls and offers a lounge, meeting room and computer lab to students on the other end of campus.

And while the center in the Red Gym was built with multicultural students in mind as they make up 10 percent of the student body, director Candace McDowell said she hopes to integrate one or two groups that are not culturally based into the facility to promote learning and to bring more “majority” students into the center. The open computer lab was also built to bring more traffic into the center.

But for now, McDowell said the space provides a place for students to feel comfortable and interact with other minority groups.

“On a large campus like this, I think every single student needs to find a niche,” McDowell said.

“They need a place where they can feel comfortable and talk about issues relevant to them.”

Nadya Perez-Reyes, a senior international studies, Spanish and Latin American and Caribbean studies major, is a student manager at the center, as well as president of the Puerto Rican Student Association.

Perez-Reyes said she’d likely attend the multicultural center about two times per week even if she didn’t work there.

“I think it provides a safe haven for students of color to go to,” she said. “It’s basically a place to call home.

“Just knowing that it’s here promotes a sense of tolerance.”

Leonard Taylor Jr., president of the UW-Madison’s Black Student Union, said the college experience would be different for many students if the center didn’t exist.

“I think it weighs heavily on their success in college,” Taylor said. “Your experience in the classroom is one thing … but your experience outside the classroom is what helps you stay here.”

Taylor said the students aren’t trying to separate themselves from everyone else.

“It’s not as much about segregation,” Taylor said. “I think what it (the center) does is allow all of the organizations here to optimize their efforts.

“The key thing we need to do as people is to be able to share … part of our culture, part of ourselves, to everybody else.”

Perez-Reyes said one of the few major faults of the center is its lack of space. Multicultural greek organizations are on the rise, she said, and many organizations would love to find office space.

“A place like this sparks a lot of beginnings and opportunities for people,” Perez-Reyes said.

But for now, the center is utilizing its space and budget the best it can.

McDowell, who has served as director of the center since it first opened in the student union in 1988, said the facility itself utilizes no student fees.

She said University of Wisconsin policies mandate that any program related to diversity is funded by the state.

The facility was started by UW-Madison minority groups themselves, who, in the 1980s, protested racial intolerance on campus. The center originally was located in the union with plans to find it a larger, more permanent space.

It took 10 years before the UW-Madison administration had raised enough money to complete the renovation of the Red Gym. The $11.5 million project gave the center 6,800 square feet – a considerable increase from the 2,200 square feet it had in the union.

It now has a $256,000 annual operational budget, which primarily pays for staff salaries, and student-initiated programming is funded by $129,000 from the Dean of Students office. McDowell said the student-initiated programming budget is used up completely every year.If she had to do it over again, McDowell said she would’ve asked that the multicultural center take up the entire second floor instead of just the first half. Because the ceilings are so high in the old gym space, noise during events carries easily to the back of the building and disturbs the other offices.

And with about 600 student organizations on campus, space for organizational offices is in high demand.

McDowell said the center helps with campus recruitment, although that assistance couldn’t be quantified. Many campus tours begin at the Welcome Center on the first floor of the Red Gym building, and the center is usually pointed out.

But the key to recruiting multicultural students, McDowell said, is having enough scholarship money available to attract the top students of color.

Students and administrators agree the center is seen as a valuable part of campus.

Bernice Durand, UW-Madison’s associate vice chancellor for diversity and climate, said the center is one of several campus elements that contributes to the university’s Plan 2008 – an effort to encourage student collaboration and create a more welcoming campus.

“I think we take (the center) for granted,” Durand said. “It’s not by any means the only space that students of color congregate, but it is probably the most used and most established in some sense.”

McDowell agreed the center isn’t the only place where multicultural events are held on campus, but it attempts to serve as a central clearinghouse and gathering place.

And according to minority students themselves, those gathering places are what make being a part of that 10 percent minority population more tolerable.

Carlos Gonzalez, a junior history, Latino, Caribbean and Liberian studies major from Chicago, said he often gets singled out in classes that discuss minority issues. When other students don’t understand his cultural background, campus can be a lonely place, he said.

Gonzalez, who works at the satellite multicultural center, laughed when asked if multicultural centers solve minority issues on any campus.

“A place like this is kind of where you find the other minorities,” Gonzalez said. “You do feel like social outcasts sometimes. Having a place like this sort of softens the blow.”

See also, Madison campus facts, Madison quotes, MADISON'S LONG ROAD TO CENTER COMPLETION

(http://www.dailynebraskan.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/03/01/440536a8bb42d)

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March 1, 2006

TRAN WON’T RUN IN STATE SENATE RACE
The Garden Grove Republican was urged to drop out, clearing the way for Daucher.

By Jean O. Pasco, Times Staff Writer

The candidate lineup for a key state Senate election this year narrowed Tuesday when Assemblyman Van Tran (R-Garden Grove) dropped out of the race for the 34th District seat representing North County.

Tran had been touted by conservatives as an alternative to Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher (R-Brea), who supports abortion rights and some tax increases for schools.

Tran was pressured to leave the race by Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman (R-Irvine), who has endorsed Daucher as the GOP's best chance to gain a Senate seat this year. Republican voters have a slight registration edge in the district, now represented by Democrat Joe Dunn of Santa Ana, who is running for state controller.

Tran announced his decision on FlashReport, a political Web log. He said he bowed to arguments that he should run for reelection to his Assembly seat, which he won in 2004, and avoid a bruising primary that would have left the Republican nominee weakened for the general election.

That switches the June primary battle to the other side of the aisle. County Supervisor Lou Correa and Assemblyman Tom Umberg of Anaheim are hoping to succeed Dunn and keep the seat in the hands of Democrats.

Lupe Moreno of Santa Ana, a Republican anti-illegal immigration activist, and Libertarian George Reis are also expected to run.

The 34th District includes Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster.

(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tran1mar01,1,5869417.story)

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March 3, 2006

SENATE CLEARS EXTENSION OF JOBLESS BENEFITS FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS

Congressional Daily

The Senate today sent President Bush a stripped-down version of a bill to increase federal help to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

As cleared, the bill (S 1777) would extend unemployment insurance for victims of the storms for 13 weeks beyond the normal six-month limit.

The special jobless benefits are available to people who are not eligible for ordinary unemployment compensation, such as small business owners who lost their livelihoods in the storms.

The Senate originally passed the bill Feb. 15. But that version included other relief measures in addition to the jobless benefits extension, including a provision allowing the government to reimburse communities for the cost of supplies they provided to storm survivors.

The House stripped out all of those additional provisions before returning the bill to the Senate on Thursday, leaving only the extension of jobless benefits.

(http://www.cq.com)

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March 5, 2006

SEMINARY SHIFT

By Truong Phuoc Khánh
Mercury News

It wasn't the voice of God that summoned Mai Thanh Luong to church every Sunday as a youngster in his native Vietnam. It was the voice of his mother: persistent, unyielding, non-negotiable.

``My mom influenced me in a very concrete way. She dragged me to church at a very early age,'' Luong recalled, unable to stifle a chuckle. ``I slept right through, but it became a custom.''

Six decades later in 2003, Luong became America's first and only Vietnamese-American bishop. As auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Orange County, Luong, 65, is the Roman Catholic spiritual leader of the largest Vietnamese population outside Vietnam.

At a time when priesthood ranks in the United States have been shrinking -- down 26 percent from 57,317 in 1985 to 42,528 in 2005 -- the number of Asian-Americans in seminary schools is growing, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, or CARA, at Georgetown University.

And while exact numbers by ethnicity are not available, church officials say Vietnamese and Filipinos make up the largest segment of the Asian seminarian population. Indeed, from Australia to Canada, where their numbers are in abundance, Vietnamese priests have been dubbed ``the new Irish.''

``If you ask any father or mother what they want their child to be,'' Luong said, ``if they're Catholic, they will say a priest. In our culture, we think highly of priests; it's very deeply rooted.''

Rising numbers
Asians and Pacific Islanders make up less than 2 percent of American Catholics, but 12 percent of U.S. seminarians. That's up from 9 percent five years ago: from 313 out of 3,474 in 2000, to 397 out of 3,308 seminarians in 2005, according to CARA.

Justin Le, 33, of San Jose came to the United States in his late teens and hopes to be ordained in three years. Le remembers his mother taking him to different churches in Saigon each week, allowing him to sample the aura and aromas emanating from each cathedral. At home his family worshiped together.

``The family was where my faith grew,'' Le said.

About 10 percent of Vietnamese in Vietnam are Catholic, with most others practicing Buddhism, Confucianism or ancestral worship.

``When the family leans strongly toward a direction,'' Le said, ``children tend to follow, in the business world or spiritual.''

Overall decline
For years, church leaders have been anxiously monitoring the dwindling number of priests in training. Two factors are often blamed: the pursuit of consumerism over spiritualism and the scandalous revelations about priests abusing minors.

From 2000 to 2005, the number of seminarians in the United States dropped 5 percent, with whites falling from 69 percent to 65 percent. Black seminarians increased from 4 percent to 5 percent; Latinos held steady at 15 percent.

The notable rise of Asian-American priests seems to lie in the cohesiveness of the immigrant family and the central role of Catholicism in Asian cultures. From family prayers to the prominence of the crucifix and Madonna -- sometimes on front lawns -- religion is part of everyday life.

No wonder that when a child announces his intention to become a priest, it can be a cause for celebration, bestowing the whole clan with a blessed social rank.

For Asians, Luong said, ``Religion defines the meaning of being human, and that is definitely different from the Western concept of religion. My family instilled in me the seed or germ that blossomed as I journeyed through life.''

The student profile at St. Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park reflects the demographics playing out nationally, perhaps even more so because the Bay Area is so heavily Asian-American.

At St. Patrick's, which draws up to 100 seminary candidates from 16 dioceses throughout Northern California, Asians are the leading racial group on campus, at 43 percent, with Vietnamese and Filipinos constituting 84 percent of all Asians on campus.

Broad cultural exposure
Like his friend Le, Andrew V. Nguyen is finishing his fourth year of seven at St. Patrick's. Growing up in San Jose, Nguyen joined his church's choir and actively participated in parish activities.

``It was the community,'' Nguyen said, ``that led me to the priesthood.''

Le and Nguyen are among the seminarians overseen by the Rev. Mark Catalana, vocation director for the Diocese of San Jose. Of the 22 seminarians in the diocese, nine are Vietnamese, six are Filipino, three are white, two are Latino and two Korean.

To provide foreign-born priests with broad cultural exposure, after ordination they are assigned to English-speaking communities. Many, like the Rev. Phan The Luc, the 45-year-old pastor at St. Patrick's Church in San Jose, return to lead Vietnamese parishes, more comfortable worshiping in their native tongue.

Thirty years ago, new Vietnamese refugees only had English Mass to attend. Many daunted by the language barrier stayed home. Today, Sunday Vietnamese services at St. Patrick's are standing-room-only -- two Masses on Saturday and five Sunday.

``There's a tremendous realization that there's great needs for ministering to different cultures here,'' said the Rev. Gerald Brown, rector and president of St. Patrick's Seminary. ``Immigrants need ministers who come from the immigrants' cultures.''

Because the ways of the church go back centuries with changes coming only with Vatican approval, ethnic priests remain bound by the same strict ceremonial parameters and duties. Cultural flair might be seen on special occasions, such as Luc at St. Patrick's donning a yellow robe with red stripes to lead Mass, a tribute to the old flag of Vietnam.

While Asian priests may not fundamentally change the church, Western norms have changed them: U.S.-trained Vietnamese priests have adopted a more Westernized relationship with their flock.

``In Vietnam, when you saw a priest, you were terrified,'' said Minh Le one recent Sunday after a Vietnamese service at St. Patrick's Church in San Jose. ``Everything they asked you, you answered, `Yes, Father.' ''

Closer to congregants
In America, she said, priests are more social and even solicit opinions from congregants.

``Priests are closer to us; there isn't that great a separation between them and us,'' said Le, a 35-year-old mother who works as an accountant in San Jose. ``We can talk more freely with them.''

Growing up, Andrew Nguyen, the seminarian, remembers community gatherings in Saigon where ``priests eat at separate tables.''

``Here,'' he said, ``they want to assimilate themselves with the community.''

Youth services at St. Patrick's Church contain much laughter between priests and children, interspersed with songs and sermons.

``Here, young people raise very challenging questions,'' Justin Le said. ``That's good, because to question is to find the truth.''

The increasing diversity is also slowly changing the faces at the top. In addition to Luong, there are two other Asian-American bishops: Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, who became the country's first Asian-American bishop in 2003, and Oscar Azarcon Solis, who in 2004 became the first Filipino-American bishop.

``You will see more of our national leadership incorporate people from Asian cultures,'' said Brown, president of St. Patrick's Seminary. ``These are the first three, but there will be more.''

Contact Truong Phuoc Khánh at tkhanh@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-2729

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/14023654.htm)

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March 6, 2006

MINORITY POPULATIONS LEAVING LARGE CITIES

By Leslie Fulbright

Minority populations shifted dramatically within the United States between 1990 and 2004 as Hispanics and Asians moved away from large metropolitan areas and blacks moved to the South, according to a new study.

The Diversity Spreads Out report by the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, D.C., shows that although older large cities still house the majority of Hispanics and nonwhites in the United States, Latinos, Asians and blacks increasingly are moving to smaller metropolitan areas that historically have been largely white.

"There is a broader sprinkling of all minorities away from the traditional melting-pot places," said demographer William Frey, who wrote the report. "Minorities are becoming a part of the growth in fast-growing cities."

The movement toward inland metropolitan areas, such as Sacramento, Phoenix and Las Vegas, is particularly pronounced among Hispanics, Frey said. In 2004, 907 counties across the country were at least 5 percent Hispanic compared with 538 counties in 1990.

Between 1990 and 2004, the percentage of the nation's Hispanics who lived in New York and Los Angeles dropped from 30 percent to 23 percent.

"California's dominance as a destination for immigrants, especially Latinos, is not as great as it once was," said Hans Johnson, a demographer with the Public Policy Institute of California.

Minorities contributed the majority of population growth in the nation's 11 fastest-growing metropolitan areas from 2000 to 2004. In the past, nonwhites did not necessarily follow the population shifts of whites, preferring to stay near friends and family and cultural institutions in large cities.

In the 1960s, immigration reform and civil rights legislation fueled the movement of Hispanics and Asians to port cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. During the same decade, there was a rise in the black middle class and growing numbers of blacks moved from the South to the North and West.

That pattern from the 1960s slowed over the next two decades until it started to reverse in the 1990s. The move away from large cities really picked up in 2000.

As immigrants settle in new and nontraditional areas, information about jobs starts to become more widespread and available. Wages are nearly the same, but the costs of living and housing are much lower in smaller cities.

"Part of it is a maturation of immigrant flow and location," said Johnson.

Coastal cities saw substantial declines in white populations as whites moved in greater proportions to smaller metropolitan areas such as Phoenix, Riverside and Atlanta. Fewer than 6 in 10 whites live in large metropolitan areas, while 7 of 10 blacks, 8 of 10 Hispanics and 9 of 10 Asians do.

States in the South saw a large increase in their black populations. Fifty-six percent of the nation's blacks now live in the South; the most notable shift has been to Texas, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

The move to the South appears to be accelerating - 72 percent of the nation's black population growth between 2000 and 2004 happened there. The Atlanta region's total black population soon will overtake that of Chicago, the report finds.

Johnson said the migration of blacks often is a measure of economic success.

"African Americans are leaving the inner city and buying houses in a better neighborhood with better school districts," he said.

Asians are starting to spread out across the country, like Hispanics, though they remain the most concentrated of the three minority groups in traditional immigrant areas of large metropolitan regions. The 10 cities nationwide with the highest proportion of Asian Americans did not change from 1990 to 2004, and they are home to 57 percent of that population, down only slightly from 61 percent in 1990.

Frey, who analyzed census data from 361 metropolitan areas, including 88 with populations of more than 500,000, said the shifts he observed probably will continue.

"It doesn't mean these smaller cities are going to turn into San Francisco or Los Angeles," with large nonwhite populations, he said. "They will still have a higher white share. It does mean more of America is going to get a taste of the minority populations."

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