NCVA REPORTER
- June 15, 2004
In this NCVA Reporter:
Events
Funding Opportunities
Jobs/Internships
Legislation
News
******************
EVENTS
MEETING WITH A.G. KAWAMURA, SECRETARY OF CALIFORNIA FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance SELANOCO JACL
Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Council and the Asian and Pacific
Islanders' California Action Network
Invite you to a reception to meet with
A.G. Kawamura
Secretary of California Food and Agriculture
Friday, June 25, 2004
5:30PM – 7:30 PM
Dragon Palace Restaurant
9848 Garden Grove Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92844
(714) 530-7878
Secretary Kawamura is one of the few Asian Americans ever appointed as a
California cabinet member. Secretary Kawamura is widely known for his
passion for education and for his commitment to the issues of hunger and
nutrition. As president of Orange County Harvest, a non-profit promoting
agricultural partnerships with organizations combating hunger, he arranged
for thousands of volunteers to harvest and glean over a million pounds of
produce for area food banks. His nationally recognized urban projects, such
as the 7-acre Common Ground project in San Juan Capistrano and 4-acre
Incredible Edible Park in Irvine, are agricultural paradigms linking
nutritional education and interaction with local schools and food banks.
The Department of Food and Agriculture oversees programs to assist and
promote California's agriculture industry. The department operates as an
advocate for the industry. Approximately 1,800 employees work for the
department with a budget of $270 million.
Please to come to this wonderful event to get to know and understand more
about the role of Secretary Kawamura. A complimentary light dinner buffet
will be served.
Please RSVP or for more info please contact OCAPICA at (714) 636- 9095 or
abae@ocapica.org
www.ocapica.org
******************
WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Thursday, July 8, 2004
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sheraton Boston Hotel
Prudential Center
39 Dalton Street
Boston, MA 02199
On Thursday, July 8, the White House and the Departments of Justice,
Agriculture, Labor, Health & Human Services, Housing & Urban Development,
and Education and the Agency for International Development will host a
conference in Boston to help faith-based and community organizations learn
more about President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative. The
Federal government is working to make sure that faith-based and community
groups can compete on an equal footing for Federal dollars, receive greater
private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers.
The conference is free, but pre-registration is required. Registration is on
a first-come, first-serve basis. Visit
www.fbci.gov to register online. We strongly encourage you to register
online. Please register by Thursday, July 1. If you must cancel your
registration, please send an email to
fbci@dtihq.com so we may accommodate as many people as possible.
The conference is part of a series of regional conferences that are being
held around the country. These conferences will provide participants with
information about Federal programs that are suited to their needs, the
Federal funding process, and the legal requirements that may apply to
recipients of Federal funds. They will also offer practical information on
the grant-writing process, share successful practices from other
organizations, and facilitate opportunities to network with government
officials.
The conference will offer two workshop tracks: Government Resources and
Successful Partnerships. Both tracks have six sessions. Conference attendees
can participate in both tracks, but must choose their first and second
session choice because the workshops fill up. Visit the conference section
of
www.fbci.gov to learn more about the conference workshops.
For more information, please call 202-456-6718, send an email to
fbci@dtihq.com, or visit
www.fbci.gov.
We very much hope you will be able to join us in Boston.
******************
FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES
GRANTS FOR MENTORING AT-RISK CHILDREN
The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs announced a
grants initiative to promote mentoring programs for children.
A total of $29.37 million is available, with each award no more than
$200,000. The grants can be used for mentoring programs that assist at-risk
children in receiving support and guidance from a mentor; improve the
academic performance of children; improve interpersonal relationships
between children and their peers, teachers, other adults and family members;
reduce the dropout rate; and reduce juvenile delinquency and involvement in
gangs.
Eligible applicants include county governments; city or township
governments; special district governments; independent school districts;
local educational agencies; and nonprofit, community-based organizations.
Applications are due July 7.
Applications and guidelines are available online. If you have difficulty
accessing the full announcement electronically, contact Julius Cotton at
202-245-6140; fax: 202-245-6288; e-mail:
julius.cotton@ed.gov.
(http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/ED/HRO/DCMGC/ED-GRANTS-052704-001/Grant.html)
******************
PROPOSALS SOUGHT FOR 2005 SOROS JUSTICE FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: September 22, 2004
(http://soros.org/initiatives/justice/focus_areas/justice_fellows/guidelines)
The Soros Justice Fellowships support outstanding individuals who will
advance the criminal justice priorities of the Open Society Institute's U.S.
Justice Fund (http://soros.org/initiatives/justice/).
These priorities include reducing the nation's over-reliance on policies of
punishment and incarceration, restoring judicial discretion and eliminating
race and class disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system, and
encouraging the successful resettlement of people returning from prison.
Through three programs, the Soros Justice Fellowships seed innovation in
criminal justice activism, lawyering, policy analysis, research,
scholarship, and media coverage.
Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowships: Two-year fellowships to fund innovative
projects designed by individuals working in law, organizing, public health,
public policy, and other disciplines that will have a measurable impact on
issues underlying the fund's criminal-justice priorities.
Soros Justice Senior Fellowships: One-year fellowships to enable experienced
individuals, including academics, activists, lawyers, and community leaders,
to raise the level of national discussion and scholarship on issues that are
key to the fund's criminal justice priorities.
Soros Justice Media Fellowships: One-year fellowships to support journalists
and documentarians in print, radio, photography, and film and video to
improve the quality of media coverage of issues at the core of the fund's
criminal justice priorities.
Detailed program guidelines and application forms are available on the U.S.
Justice Fund Web site.
******************
JOHN GLENN SCHOLARS IN SERVICE-LEARNING SEEKS APPLICANTS
Deadline: June 18, 2004
(http://www.glenninstitute.org/glenn/scholars_index.asp)
The John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy (http://www.glenninstitute.org/glenn/index.asp)
at Ohio State University has established the John Glenn Scholars in
Service-Learning to recognize scholars whose work helps advance
service-learning.
During 2004-05, the institute will recognize ten scholars whose scholarship
efforts contribute to advancing the understanding or adoption of
service-learning, with specific emphasis on K-12 education. The institute
seeks contributions from scholars whose work addresses gaps in
service-learning research as well as in insulated pockets not currently part
of the service-learning mainstream.
Areas of emphasis for 2004-05 include curriculum connections, social justice
issues and education, school and community partnerships, student
development, critical issues and priorities, math/science, learning theory,
and educational policy and reform. Selection as a scholar carries an
honorarium of $1,000; recipients are also recognized as a John Glenn Scholar
in Service-Learning. Scholar selections are featured on the institute's Web
site and publicized on a national level, with specific attention focused on
papers submitted as part of the selection process.
For the June 18, 2004, deadline, the areas of emphasis are: 1) curriculum
connections, and 2) social justice issues and education.
Complete information regarding the 2004-05 call for scholars is available at
the John Glenn Institute Web site.
******************
ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH
& SOCIETY SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Deadline: October 15, 2004
(http://healthandsocietyscholars.org/)
The Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholars Program (http://healthandsocietyscholars.org/),
a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is designed to
build the field of population health, which takes a broad approach to
understanding why some groups of people are healthy and others are not.
The goal of this interdisciplinary program is to improve health by training
scholars to investigate rigorously the connections among biological,
behavioral, environmental, economic and social determinants of health; and
to develop, evaluate, and disseminate knowledge and interventions based upon
integration of these determinants. The program intends to produce leaders
who will change the questions asked, the methods employed to analyze
problems, and the range of solutions offered to improve the health of all
Americans.
Outstanding individuals who have completed doctoral training in one of a
variety of disciplines, ranging from the behavioral and social sciences to
the biological and natural sciences and health professions, are eligible to
apply. Applicants are expected to have significant research experience.
Past training in health-related areas is not a requirement, but applicants
must clearly connect their research interests to substantive population
health concerns. The program is looking for open-minded yet critical
thinkers with demonstrated leadership skills and an active interest in
interdisciplinary collaboration.
Up to eighteen scholars will be selected for the two-year appointments that
will begin in the fall semester of 2005. Grants have been made to six
participating universities (Columbia; Harvard; the University of California,
San Francisco and Berkeley; the University of Michigan; the University of
Pennsylvania; and the University of Wisconsin) in accordance with RWJF's
regular funding guidelines. Scholars will have access to a full range of
university resources and will receive annual stipend support of $74,000 for
year one and $77,000 for year two, plus health insurance from their
university site. In addition, the selected scholars will have access to
financial support for research-related expenses, training workshops, and
travel to professional meetings.
Individuals must apply through an online system that will be available
through the program's Web site beginning July 1, 2004.
******************
JCPENNY FUNDS AFTER-SCHOOL CARE AND EMPLOYEE
VOLUNTEERISM
JCPenney Corporate Giving Program/JCPenney Company Fund
(http://www.jcpenney.net/company/commrel/contributions.htm)
JCPenney supports targeted issues of concern to the company, its employees
and its customers, including improvement of K-12 education through
curriculum-based after-school care, support of employee volunteerism, and
support for United Way in communities with a company presence. Support is
provided to national and local nonprofit organizations, with priority given
to organizations and programs that are located in communities where JCPenney
has a business presence. Nonprofit organizations and state government
agencies are eligible to apply. Applications are accepted year-round. Visit
the above website for more information.
******************
FUNDING TO INTEGRATE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR INTO PHILANTHROPY
W. K. Kellogg Foundation: Expanding the Boundaries: Leadership in
Philanthropy Project
(http://www.wkkf.org/Pubs/PhilVol/ExpandingtheBoundaries_RFP_00251_03780.pdf)
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Expanding the Boundaries: Leadership in
Philanthropy Project was established as a means of broadly integrating
communities of color into the world of philanthropy at large. The project’s
principal objectives are to enhance the work of emerging leaders and donors
of color, and to promote the creation and sharing of knowledge that supports
these leaders and donors. Proposals will be accepted for innovative ideas
that cut across the three dimensions of engaging new leaders and donors,
generating new knowledge, and creating new tools related to integration of
communities of color in mainstream philanthropy. Proposals may be local or
national in scope. Proposals to enhance existing innovative programs on a
national level will also be accepted. Nonprofit organizations throughout the
United States are eligible to apply. The next deadline is August 30, 2004.
Visit the website above for more information.
******************
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
CASTING CALL – VIETNAMESE AMERICAN XPOSURE (VAX)
RARE TELEVISION OPPORTUNITY! DON'T MISS OUT!
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE ONE OF THE FAMOUS FACES OF VAX?
IF YOU ENJOY HAVING FUN, MEETING PEOPLE, AND BEING ON CAMERA, READ ON...
VAX (Vietnamese American Xposure) is a fresh, young and edgy weekly
half hour magazine style television show dedicated to "xposing" who we, as
2nd Generation Asian Americans, truly are. VAX focuses on Vietnamese
American culture, fashions, celebrities, lifestyles, music, sports,
hotspots, and the "on-goings" of contemporary Asian American culture. Visit
our website at
www.vaxtvshow.com for more information.
Produced by VABC Television and Multimedia, VAX is scheduled to launch in
September of 2004 on local and national television networks.
We are having an open casting call for field reporters and field
correspondents. As part of the field team, you will be regularly covering
events, interviews, and segment bits for the VAX TV Show.
Your face, your voice, and your personality will be on TV, on printed media,
and on the Internet!
BE A PART OF A REVOLUTIONARY WAVE OF TELEVISION PERSONALITIES!
What: Casting Call for VAX Field Talents
Who: Anyone of any race and ethnic background. Vietnamese American a
plus! No experience necessary.
Age: 18-30. Young, fashionable and outgoing!
Where:
VABC Studio Office.
17150 Newhope St. Building #907
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
When:
Tuesday, June 15th | 5pm - 9pm
Thursday, June 17th | 11am - 3pm
Saturday, June 19th | 10 am - 2pm
Please send an email to
jobs@vaxtvshow.com to schedule an audition time with our casting
director. Priority scheduling will be given to applicants who mail or email
in their a resume and picture. (please provide resumes in word document.)
Visit our website at
www.vaxtvshow.com for more information.
Forward this email to all your friends!
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PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE
H STREET
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANIES
Duration: 8 weeks, anytime from June to August 2004
Stipend: $2,500
Qualifications: You have to be a college student graduating in summer
2004, winter 2004 or summer 2005. This internship is designed to provide you
with valuable experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors in
preparation for a job placement. Preference will be given to those who are
majoring in Business, English, Communications, or other non-technical
degree. Those interested in a permanent job placement at State Farm
Insurance Companies are strongly encouraged to apply.
You will be required to take a pre-qualification test with State Farm
Insurance Companies prior to the interview process if you are selected for
an interview.
Responsibilities: 2 days at the H Street Community Development
Corporation (HSCDC) working with Francey Youngberg, Project Manager of the
Diversity Project to provide educational outreach to Asian Pacific American
small businesses and improve relations between African American residents
and Asian American businesses. Duties will include door-to-door visits to
merchants, attending community meetings, creating a merchant database and
assisting with the High School Summer Internship program at HSCDC. Korean
language skills are preferred but not required.
3 days at a State Farm Insurance Fairfax branch office. The State Farm
branch office location is not metro-accessible so applicant should have
access to a car.
To Apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to Francey L.
Youngberg at
Francey.youngberg@verizon.net or fax it to 215-895-9853.
The League of Korean Americans, USA (LOKA-USA), Inc. is a national,
nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational and charitable organization under IRS
Code 501 (c) (3). LOKA-USA is dedicated to provide the community with
relevant information and services affecting our society. LOKA-USA also
helps to bridge the gap between Korean Americans and the American mainstream
by providing educational seminars, symposiums and training. Founded in
1980, LOKA-USA in pursuit of its mission has carried out numerous activities
and events. For more information, please visit:
www.LOKA-USA.org.
******************
LEAP COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM COORDINATOR
JOB DESCRIPTION
Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) is a national,
non-profit organization founded in 1982 to achieve full participation and
equality for Asian Pacific Americans (APAs). Unmatched in vision and scope,
LEAP offers leadership training, publishes original policy research, and
conducts community education to advance a comprehensive strategy of Asian
Pacific American empowerment.
For the past twenty-two years, LEAP has been intent on “growing leaders.”
LEAP programs encourage individuals to assume leadership positions at work
and in the community, to be informed and vocal about policy issues relevant
to APAs, and ultimately, to become role models for future leaders.
LEAP is now searching for an employee to coordinate the delivery of our
community programs. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
Leadership in Action (LIA) internship program, Community Workshop Series
(CWS), Community Forums, and other community leadership development
programs.
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
RESPONSIBILITIES
* Project manage, coordinate, produce, promote, and market LEAP’s community
projects, which include training programs, internship programs, and
community forums.
* Work with Vice President of Leadership, Director of Training and other
trainers in development and evaluation of training curriculum
* Participate in community activities and serve as a community liaison.
* Establish, maintain, and build relationships with community members and
organizations.
* Work with Director of External Relations and Director of Communications to
market various programs, including coordinating the creation and
distribution of brochures, flyers, and press releases. Some public speaking
will also be required.
* Cross train with Leadership Management Programs coordinator
General
* Report to Vice President of Leadership.
* Work collaboratively with other program coordinators and administrative
staff in a team environment.
QUALIFICATIONS
General
* Familiarity with the Asian Pacific American community and its issues and
needs at the local and national levels.
* Excellent written/oral communication and editing skills required.
* Must be detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills.
* Must be a self-starter, able to enthusiastically work both independently
and as part of a team.
* Well-developed interpersonal skills, professional appearance and manner.
* Ability to work under pressure while managing multiple projects/tasks and
deadlines.
* Familiarity with community based organizations in the Greater Los Angeles
and Orange County areas preferred.
* Must be Macintosh-literate with working knowledge of MSWord, Excel,
Filemaker Pro, and the internet.
* Experience with desktop publishing (PageMaker, QuarkXpress, PowerPoint)
preferred.
Miscellaneous
* Willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed.
* Occasional required traveling, locally and nationally.
* Valid California Driver's license, auto insurance and access to a car.
COMPENSATION
Commensurate with qualifications and related experience. Excellent benefits
package, including 403(b), medical, vision, and dental.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Send resumé with cover letter.
Fax: (213) 485-0050
or mail to:
Grace Toy
Vice President of Administration and Finance
LEAP
327 East 2nd Street, Suite #226
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Cover letter must address the following:
1) provide specific reasons for applying for the position of Program
Coordinator; and 2) indicate how your experiences and qualifications align
with the job requirements.
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!
For more information about LEAP, please visit our website at
http://www.leap.org
******************
LEGISLATION
U.S. SENATE BILL LIMITS IN-KIND DONATIONS DEDUCTIONS
A bill passed by the U.S. Senate would place a limit on the tax deductions
individuals and corporations can take for non-cash contributions, the
Washington Post reported May 12.
The provision is part of an amendment to the Jumpstart Our Business Strength
Act and is designed to control charitable-deduction abuses.
Under the provision, charities would be required to furnish donors with
receipts showing how much a donated item sold for, and would limit the
donor's deduction to that amount. In addition, the measure would limit
deductions for donated cars and intellectual property.
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to pass the bill.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18980-2004May11.html)
******************
NEWS
June 3, 2004
JAPAN LAYS OUT NEW AID POLICY FOR VIETNAM
HANOI, (AFP) - Japan, Vietnam's biggest aid donor, will link future aid for
the communist nation to a series of benchmarks that include respect for
human rights and its investment climate.
Mitsuru Kitano, minister at the Japanese embassy in Hanoi, said that under
Tokyo's new official development assistance (ODA) charter, the size of its
annual aid pledge to Vietnam would depend on five elements.
One of these, he said, includes the "principles" of respect for human rights
and the environment, as well as progress made by the Vietnamese government
towards democracy and a market economy.
The new aid programme would also take into consideration the overall
bilateral relationship and Vietnam's "policy and institutional environment".
Although Japan is the third largest investor in the country, investment ties
were strained in 2002 when Hanoi slashed import quotas on motorcycle parts,
forcing Japanese manufacturers Honda and Yamaha to temporarily suspend
production at their Vietnamese factories.
Alarm bells were set off again in Tokyo last year after Hanoi announced a
series of tax hikes on foreign-invested vehicle manufacturers.
Kitano said the other factors that will be taken into account when
determining assistance for Vietnam are its development needs and its
"absorption capacity of development aid".
Japan has repeatedly expressed its frustration at the slow disbursement of
aid and warned last December at the annual meeting of donors to Vietnam that
it could cut future donations unless Hanoi picks up the pace.
Kitano said that although Japan had taken into account such issues in the
past, for the first time the size of Tokyo's annual aid pledge will be
directly linked to these five "ODA elements".
"Although our old ODA charter has always addressed these issues, the linkage
of these five elements to the actual size of our ODA is new," he told AFP in
a telephone interview.
"We will make a systematic examination of our ODA to Vietnam in relation to
these principles."
His comments came as Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, speaking in
Tokyo, called for stronger regional cooperation to help poorer nations
develop.
In December, Japan announced that it would maintain its 2003 level of
funding for this year, pledging 91.74 billion yen (846 million dollars).
This came despite cuts in Tokyo's overseas aid budget over the past few
years and amounted to nearly 30 percent of the total amount pledged by
donors to help poverty reduction and economic growth efforts in Vietnam.
Japan has traditionally been reticent about linking human rights concerns to
its vast international aid programme but last May it cut off new aid to
military-ruled Myanmar after it detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
The ban was partially lifted in August to provide emergency and humanitarian
aid but Tokyo has said it will not resume large-scale assistance to the
country unless it sees an improvement in the situation there.
Kitano was not able to comment on whether Japan's ODA to Vietnam for 2005
could be cut as a result of continuing international concerns over its human
rights record but he said that the issue would be taken into account.
"Are we going to pay attention to human rights (in Vietnam)? Yes we will,"
he said.
At the donors meeting in December, the European Union (news - web sites)
stressed the "promotion and protection of human rights should go
hand-in-hand with the sustainable development of a country," while the
United States urged "greater tolerance of dissent".
(http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040603/wl_asia_afp/vietnam_japan_donors_040603072721)
******************
June 3, 2004
HARD WORK REWARDED WITH A POLISH
Opening a
salon is pleasant surprise for former refugees
Brad McElhinny
Charleston Daily Mail staff
Business is still a little slow at the new manicure and pedicure shop in
downtown Charleston, but that's no problem at all compared to the challenges
the owners have faced before.
Khoi Le; his sister, Dhuong Thongdara; and her son, Canh Dang, migrated as
refugees from a farming community in South Vietnam, grappled with English
and spent a decade earning a living off two daily shifts at Wal-Mart.
Now they've wound up owning their own business. They opened their manicure
salon, Le Nails, on Summers Street a couple of weeks ago. For the family,
opening their own business was a pleasant surprise.
"I never thought of doing nails," said Dang, who is 20 years old. "I like
it. It's OK. It's artistic. It makes people happy."
In Vietnam, they had lived in a farming community called Tay Ninh. They grew
rice, and they said it was difficult.
"I worked very hard over there," Le said.
His sister agreed.
"It was like a man job," she said. "It was hard work for me. This is a big
difference."
In 1993, they came to the United States. They said the process took four
years, requiring mountains of paperwork and interviews.
They first came to Charleston, receiving sponsorship from migration and
refugee services, an agency that checks in on them.
The family had trouble adjusting to the language and to cultural
differences. They spent much of their time translating with an
English-to-Vietnamese dictionary.
"It's not easy," Thongdara said. "We had to look back and forth in the
dictionary, and it was very slow."
Within a year, they moved to Arkansas. They said they ran a Wal-Mart nail
shop in the morning, took a break for a couple of hours and then worked an
evening shift on the Wal-Mart floor.
"We got very tired," Le said.
"Not enough time to sleep," Thongdara added.
This year, they decided to return to Charleston to open their own business.
They had fond memories of their year here a decade ago.
Dang, who was just a boy the last time he was here, said he is enjoying his
return.
"It's different," he said. "More people, and people are nicer. Everywhere we
go people are helpful."
Their success story is a common one among Vietnamese immigrants, said Sophy
Pich, project associate for the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center in
Washington, D.C.
"For farmers, it's a struggle to learn English," Pich said. "They work hard
to save for their children and to sacrifice for their children, so their
children will be successful."
He said Vietnamese immigrants who already have settled in a community try to
help those who are getting established. The owners of Le Nails said they
have received help from the managers of other Vietnamese nail shops in the
area.
"There's a social consciousness that permeates through the community," Pich
said. "If you see someone making it, you want to pursue that as well."
Vietnamese immigrants often wind up in the nail salon business for a couple
of reasons, said Hung Nguyen, president of the National Congress of
Vietnamese Americans, also based in Washington, D.C.
First, it's not hard to get into the trade, compared to trying to become a
doctor, a lawyer or even a plumber. Secondly, immigrants can enter the trade
as a family, with those who have the best English and entrepreneurial skills
leading the way and the rest offering support.
"Part of the difficulty of getting into it is the language barrier," said
Nguyen, who grew up in a family of nail salon owners.
The most successful often set up shops in communities where there are no
nail salons already, Nguyen said. They ease their social isolation by
bringing along the entire family.
"They are willing to move to a place where there's nothing there yet," he
said. "You go as a cluster. You can do a very, very decent living. They're
able to send their children through school."
Business still isn't easy for the family that opened Le Nail on Summers
Street. They're not accustomed yet to running their own salon.
"It's hard to set up a business, to set up telephone service, to get
customers -- everything," Thongdara said.
Her son, Dang, added, "At first we had to worry about getting the best deal
on everything."
Now they just need a few more people to come through the door. They've been
trying to increase walk-in traffic by advertising grand opening specials,
including a pedicure for $25.
"Good for your feet," Dang said, trying his best to pitch the service.
Writer Brad McElhinny can be reached at 348-4872.
(http://www.dailymail.com/news/Money/2004060332/)
******************
June 7, 2004
A Government Assist
PROGRAM NURTURES MINORITY FIRMS’ GROWTH
The Washington area has the highest concentration of government contractors
in the country. One important reason for this thriving local contracting
industry is the presence of government programs to nurture small and
minority-owned businesses.
The Small Business Administration administers the 8(a) program.
Participating companies can benefit from quotas that require federal
agencies to give a certain percentage of their contract dollars to small
businesses. For some contracts, firms in the program do not have to
participate in a competitive bidding process. Companies are expected to
eventually wean themselves off these advantages and win jobs from private
firms.
Joseph Loddo, the district director of the Small Business Administration,
recently spoke to Washington Post staff writer Anitha Reddy about how the
program works and a proposed change to measure the size of businesses by the
number of employees rather than annual sales.
Q Who is eligible for the 8(a) program?
AGenerally the business must be a small business that is unconditionally
owned and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged
individuals who are of good character and citizens of the United States. The
business must be at least two years old and demonstrate the potential for
success.
That means we would look carefully at overdue taxes or criminal records. We
would also examine the experience of the management team and the products
and services that they're offering. Clearly we're looking to ensure that the
business has the capacity as well as the capability to perform on a contract
on time.
Certain groups, such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native
Americans and others are automatically considered socially disadvantaged,
but other individuals who can prove they have been socially disadvantaged
are accepted. Economic disadvantage means that the individual has less than
$250,000 in net worth, exclusive of their business and primary residence.
Could you describe the application process?
An SBA representative will answer general questions and direct the
individual to the Internet Web site www.sba.gov, where he or she can access
the application package. Most district offices have workshops to provide
additional information. A decision will be made within 90 days of receipt of
a complete application.
Once they finish the application process and they're approved for the
program, they come to the district office for an orientation program and
meet their business opportunity specialist. That's the beginning of a
nine-year relationship.
What kind of guidance do 8(a) companies receive?
Firms are certified for a nine-year term, which consists of the
developmental stage and the transitional stage. The developmental stage is
the first four years and is designed to help firms overcome their economic
disadvantage by providing business development assistance.
We offer workshops on how to sell to the federal government. We
also send letters on behalf of the firms to contracting and purchasing
officials at different agencies indicating that the firms have the capacity
to perform a contract.
We also have matchmaking events. We bring in not only the federal
government but large private-sector organizations. What we're doing is
creating the environment for small businesses to be able to talk to users,
whether it's large businesses or prime contractors of the federal government
or the federal government itself.
There's an annual review process in the sense that we're monitoring
the work that they're receiving. We're looking in the last five years for
them to have fewer federal contracts and more private-sector contracts.
What kinds of difficulties do companies commonly experience after
graduating? What kinds of companies tend to successfully overcome these
obstacles?
Companies that have not adequately prepared for transitioning out
of the program and have become overly reliant on 8(a) contracts will
experience a decline in revenue. The firms that have developed effective
exit strategies and have maintained or exceeded the required mix of 8(a) and
non-8(a) contracts do not experience these problems.
This is something our advisers work on with participants, and this
year we are instituting a new series of training sessions that are designed
to help participants successfully manage their transition.
Is there one industry or type of company that is predominant in the
program?
For the Washington area, information technology firms tend to
predominate in the program. The district has some 1,300 firms [in the 8(a)
program], of which 55 percent are IT firms. Other district offices have a
larger representation of other industries such as construction contractors.
In the Washington district, 14 percent of the businesses in the program are
Hispanic-owned.
What kinds of changes are being contemplated to the size standards
for qualification?
On March 18, SBA proposed revisions to our current size standards
in order to reduce the confusion over what qualifies as a small business.
The revisions would reduce the number of size standards from 37 to 10. The
proposed size standards, if adopted, change standards now based on average
annual receipts [sales] to number of employees. Most businesses are not
affected by the proposed size standards; they are small under the current
average annual receipts standard and are small under the proposed number of
employees standard.
However, all small businesses should read the proposed rule, which can be
found at
www.regulations.gov/AGCY_SMALLBUSINESSADMINISTRATION.cfm, to see if it
affects them. Likewise, all small businesses are encouraged to submit
comments on the proposed regulation any time before July 2.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20909-2004Jun6.html)
******************
June 9, 2004
Hope for refugees
VIETNAMESE GET NEW CHANCE TO SETTLE IN U.S.
By Ben Stocking
Mercury News Vietnam Bureau
MANILA, Philippines - This isn't what freedom was supposed to look like.
Tran Tung is trapped in one of Manila's toughest slums, selling sandals for
pennies a day. He's living in legal limbo -- forbidden from doing most jobs,
buying property or casting a vote.
Tung has been waiting 15 years to taste the freedom he imagined when he fled
Vietnam in 1989. He may finally get his chance.
More than a decade after the last wave of Vietnamese refugees swept ashore
in California, up to 1,800 will begin arriving in the United States later
this year in one final ripple.
They are the world's last unsettled Vietnamese refugees. Most will be
reunited with long-lost family members -- many already in the Bay Area --
and finish a seemingly endless journey set in motion by the Vietnam War.
``I can't wait to see my brother,'' said 61-year-old Tung, whose brother,
Tum, fled Vietnam by boat in 1984 to a Hong Kong refugee camp and later
resettled in San Jose. ``I haven't seen him for 20 years. But I never gave
up hoping.''
Prodded by a young Vietnamese-Australian attorney, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San
Jose, and a host of other advocates for the refugees, the U.S. State
Department announced April 15 that it would reconsider their cases.
The department has agreed to interview nearly all the remaining refugees and
to apply a liberal standard when deciding whether to let them emigrate. Most
are expected to make it through this time.
``This will close a final chapter in the Vietnam War and in the lives of
Vietnam's refugees, who have contributed so much to our country,'' Lofgren
said.
Like many Vietnamese who fled their homeland after the communist victory in
1975, Tung and Tum were members of the South Vietnamese army who fought
alongside the defeated Americans. When the war ended, they were sent to
``re-education camps,'' enduring physical abuse and lectures about the
glories of Ho Chi Minh.
Rather than face possible retribution, many became ``boat people,'' risking
their lives in rickety vessels to cross the South China Sea. After being
processed at refugee camps around Southeast Asia, hundreds of thousands were
sent to the United States, Australia or France.
Other asylum-seekers weren't so lucky.
Those who remained in the camps in 1996 were forced back to Vietnam --
except for one feisty group at the United Nations camp on Palawan, an island
in the southwestern Philippines. While their counterparts at other camps
quietly climbed aboard flights back home, hundreds of Palawan refugees
blocked the runway and clashed violently with police.
Some refugees were forced aboard the flight, but eventually authorities gave
up and let the others stay after Catholic Church officials said they would
help resettle them. The Philippines was the only nation that didn't force
all its refugees to leave.
As it turned out, many of the refugees forced to return to Vietnam were
eventually resettled in the United States. And those who gambled on freedom
in the Philippines faced a much harder life than they envisioned.
``I left Vietnam in search of freedom,'' said Tung, who gets up to sell
sandals every morning at 4. ``I still haven't found it.''
Tung and his fellow Vietnamese are officially ``stateless'' -- living in the
Philippines but not of the Philippines.
``We don't have any papers,'' said Tung, whose 59-year-old brother has
become a U.S. citizen. ``We don't have anything.''
Unable to apply for legitimate jobs, they are forced to scratch out a living
as street peddlers. Many sell ``Miss Saigon'' perfume, which comes in a
bottle shaped like a woman dressed in a conical hat and ao dai, the
traditional Vietnamese dress.
Tung and his son Phuoc, 23, go from market to market carrying 50-pound sacks
of shoes and other knickknacks on their shoulders. They earn 150 pesos a day
-- about $3. It's not always enough to put food on the table.
They live in the rough-and-tumble Baclaran neighborhood, with little to
remind them of home except for a convenience store selling specialty items
like fish sauce and Vietnamese movies. Only a handful of Vietnamese are
sprinkled through the neighborhood. Tung's older daughter, Hanh, 27, lives
in a nearby province with her own family.
Tung, his wife, Dong, daughter Lien, and son Phuoc live in a cramped
apartment they've tried to make a home. Incense burns at their small family
altar, and the wall calendars display pictures of Vietnamese pop stars.
Vietnamese music videos play constantly on the television -- except when
Lien insists on listening to Britney Spears.
Life in the Philippines has required one particularly difficult sacrifice
for Tung, who comes from a culture that treasures learning: Two of his
children have had to give up their education to help put food on the table.
``They couldn't go to school because we didn't have enough money.''
Lien recently graduated from a Manila high school and hopes to go to
college. But if she stays in the Philippines, she'll have to work as a
street peddler even if she gets a college degree.
It took Tung and his family two tries to flee their homeland. In 1987, the
police nabbed him before he could launch his boat. Two years later, Tung
made it out with his wife and three youngest children. He left the oldest
two sons in Vietnam to make sure at least part of the family remained free
if their escape attempt landed them in jail.
They arrived in the Palawan camp May 10, 1989, and stayed for nearly seven
years. Palawan had a reputation as being more pleasant than most of the
other U.N. camps around the region. But the refugees say it was sometimes a
difficult life.
Supplies were scarce and bullies were abundant. People lined up each day for
a four-liter allotment of water, only to lose it to roving gangs. Letters
containing cash from relatives overseas often were ``lost'' in the camp
mail.
But the next eight years were even harder. Tung, who speaks only Vietnamese,
was left to fend for himself in a strange country.
If his family had arrived at Palawan just three months earlier, they
probably would have been resettled in the United States years ago. But their
timing couldn't have been worse.
Any Vietnamese who arrived at the U.N. refugee camps scattered around
Southeast Asia before March 21, 1989, was automatically declared a refugee
and resettled in a third country. But all who arrived after that date had to
prove that they had fled Vietnam for political rather than economic reasons.
Some refugees were rejected by U.S. screeners for not meeting that standard,
but many were assessed by Filipino interviewers notorious for taking bribes.
Those who didn't make it through say they were victimized by a corrupt
system.
This time, Tung and his family have been assured they have a good chance of
being in San Jose by Christmas.
``I suppose it will be the happiest moment of my life when we meet again,''
said his brother Tum.
Contact Ben Stocking at
bstocking@mercurynews.com.
(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/8877405.htm)
******************
June 9, 2004
MD. GOP REACHES OUT TO ASIAN AMERICANS
By Phuong Ly
Washington Post Staff Writer
In a red-and-gold-draped banquet hall often reserved for Chinese wedding
parties, Maryland's most prominent Republicans arrived yesterday to court a
group that some analysts view as the state's emerging political darlings:
Asian American voters.
"You can't build a party on white men alone," Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
told the crowd gathered at a fundraiser for the GOP's 8th Congressional
District candidate, Chuck Floyd.
Ehrlich said the state Republican Party had already broken barriers by
tapping Michael S. Steele to be Maryland's first African American lieutenant
governor and now hopes to broaden its appeal to other ethnic groups.
About 500 tickets were sold for the event at a Gaithersburg Chinese
restaurant, billed by organizers as the first major Republican fundraiser in
Maryland to focus on Asian American voters.
Unlike African Americans and Latinos, who tend to vote heavily Democratic in
Maryland, Asian Americans haven't skewed toward -- or been cultivated by --
one political party. That could make them key swing voters, leaders in both
parties say.
Their numbers make them hard to ignore: In Montgomery County, Asian
Americans make up 11 percent of the population and are concentrated in
affluent areas such as Potomac and Bethesda. African Americans compose 15
percent of the population and Latinos 11.5 percent, according to the U.S.
Census Bureau.
In the 8th District alone, Floyd's consultants tell him, there are nearly
70,000 Asian voters -- with roots in India, Korea, China, Vietnam and Japan.
The district includes most of Montgomery and a corner of Prince George's
County.
In the same banquet hall six months ago, Montgomery County Executive Douglas
M. Duncan (D) took in about $35,000 for future campaigns, including a
possible run for governor in 2006. Floyd expected to raise as much last
night. And his opponent, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D), has made several
appearances at events at the New Fortune restaurant.
"Asian Americans are a force to be reckoned with in Montgomery County and
certainly for any candidate running for governor," said Keith Haller, a
Montgomery pollster. " . . . They've shown a propensity to stay informed in
local issues and politics. They've proven to be less knee-jerk in support of
the Democrats compared to, say, African Americans and Hispanics."
Although Ehrlich's recent remarks about multiculturalism being "bunk" have
drawn vocal criticism from several black and Latino political groups, some
Asian American leaders at last night's event said the controversy has been
blown out of proportion.
Sam Malhotra, chairman of the Indian American Republican Council, which was
formed last year, said he agreed with Ehrlich that although people can
retain their culture at home, everyone should learn to speak English.
"We say we can be Vietnamese Americans, Indian Americans, but we're
Americans first. We gave up our homeland and came here for a brighter
future," said Malhotra, a Potomac resident who owns an engineering
consulting firm and helped organize last night's event.
Malhotra said the Republican Party has appealed to him and other Asian
American entrepreneurs because of its emphasis on family, education, lower
taxes and self-reliance. He noted, however, that the "extreme right doesn't
resonate with us."
Ehrlich reiterated last night his belief that most Maryland residents
understood that his remarks about multiculturalism to a radio show host last
month should not be construed as anti-immigrant.
"We have a Hispanic council; we go to ethnic festivals," he said after his
speech. "We welcome people from all over the world."
Floyd, posing for pictures with guests at the fundraiser, said he did not
agree with Ehrlich's radio comment. "I think he meant it in a positive
light. He just didn't use the right words," said Floyd, a small-business
owner from Kensington.
"Multiculturalism is very, very important," he added.
In Virginia, Asian Americans also have been wooed by both parties.
Candidates in Fairfax County -- where Asians are 13 percent of the
population -- regularly make stops at Asian-owned businesses and buy ads in
ethnic newspapers. Republicans in the General Assembly redrew a legislative
district to afford Asians and Latinos more representation.
The Latino community has also been courted by both political parties, and
Maryland GOP chief John Kane says Republicans can capitalize on conservative
social issues to attract many of those voters. The party leadership recently
established the Maryland Hispanic Republican Caucus.
But the Latino candidates elected to office in 2002 -- two state delegates
and a Montgomery County Council member -- were all Democrats. And some
Maryland political scientists think that Latino voters will stay solidly in
the Democratic column.
It is the Asian vote that is up for grabs, said James Gimpel, a professor at
the University of Maryland who has recently studied voting patterns in the
state.
"There's all this ridiculous furor over Latinos," he said. "What's very
interesting are the Asians. There's tremendous value in their
unpredictability. . . . They are in play."
Studies show that Asian immigrants are becoming U.S. citizens at a faster
rate than Latinos. Yet as a group, Asian Americans haven't historically
favored a particular party, Gimpel said. Nor do they tend to vote for a
candidate simply because the person is Asian. But they do turn out to vote
in great numbers, particularly in local races, he said.
Nationally, Asian Americans are the wealthiest and most highly educated
ethnic group, with a median income of $53,600 and 47 percent of those older
than 25 holding a bachelor's degree or higher, according to census figures.
Because many Asian Americans are newer residents and voters, the GOP's Kane
said, they may be more open to his party's message.
"They come to America looking for government as less of a solution and
opportunities as the answer," he said, adding that many African American
voters have "become ensconced in the Democratic programs of the 'new era'
society that have failed."
At last night's fundraiser, many of the guests were not Asian, and one sign,
taped over a Chinese screen, boasted: "Irish American Republican Club." Some
of the Asian Americans there had also attended Democratic events.
George Dang, a financial adviser who lives in Silver Spring, attended
Duncan's fundraiser in December and helped organize yesterday's event for
Floyd, a friend.
"I'm an independent. I have friends on both sides," said Dang, who has both
a Vietnamese and a Chinese heritage.
Dang said he looks for politicians who appreciate "globalism" and are
culturally sensitive. He said Ehrlich's remarks about multiculturalism gave
him pause.
"I think he meant that immigrants need to learn English. I agree with that,"
Dang said. "But I want to make sure that he realizes that new languages take
time to learn."
Dang has not yet decided whom he will support for governor. "I'll see how
they perform," he said, "and see how they express their views on Asian
Americans."
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26188-2004Jun8.html)
******************
June 14, 2004
TO FANS, O.C.'S LITTLE SAIGON IS TOO LITTLE KNOWN
People familiar with it marvel at what it has to offer -- and at how few
visitors come to explore.
By Joel Rubin, Times Staff Writer
Sure, people know about Little Saigon — home to the world's largest
Vietnamese population outside Vietnam. They've heard about it, read about it
and probably have driven past freeway signs announcing the area.
But they don't usually stop.
Few outsiders do.
"It's intimidating to people," said Kathy Buchoz, a former Westminster mayor
who now works for the realty firm responsible for developing much of Little
Saigon. "They don't understand the place. I hear it all the time…. But this
place is amazing! You can go to another country without ever getting on a
plane."
The district began in the mid-1970s as a scattering of businesses on Bolsa
Avenue in Westminster as the first wave of South Vietnamese exiles arrived
in search of new lives after the Vietnam War.
"I remember the first little restaurant that opened," Buchoz said. "Friends
were asking me, 'What language is that? Korean? Japanese?' We were all so
ignorant of the Vietnamese culture."
Nearly 30 years later, Little Saigon has become a self-contained world
inside Orange County. U.S. Census data from 2000 show that nearly 40% of
Westminster's 90,000 people are of Vietnamese ancestry, a figure Buchoz
thinks is low.
Although once restricted to Bolsa Avenue, businesses have expanded into more
than 1,500 Vietnamese-owned enterprises in Westminster and Garden Grove, and
to a lesser extent in Fountain Valley and Santa Ana.
"Little Saigon isn't so little anymore," Buchoz said as she waited at a
crosswalk for two elderly Vietnamese women in traditional conical hats to
pass. "It's Big Saigon now."
Yet few from outside Little Saigon's expanding borders ever come to explore
what it has to offer.
Even as the area grows, Bolsa Avenue remains its heart. Locals call the main
thoroughfare "the Dragon," which rears its head at the intersection of Bolsa
and Magnolia Street and uncoils east to Ward Street. For the Vietnamese, the
mile and a half in between is filled with life-as-normal sights, sounds and
smells. For the stranger, it's a tour through the extraordinary.
A gentle, monotone recording in Vietnamese of religious chanting fills the
small sanctuary of Phap Quang — considered one of Little Saigon's best shops
for all things Buddhist. Shelves brim with hundreds of statues of
Compassionate Buddha, Reclining Buddha and Happy Buddha. Don Huynh is quick
to explain that the rotated swastikas on the chest of many Buddhas are, in
fact, an ancient, holy birthmark signifying completeness, and that the Nazis
perverted the symbol.
One wall is stacked with religious texts — predominantly in Vietnamese, but
some in English — while another is filled with tapes of Buddhist sermons and
lectures with such titles as "A Path to True Happiness." In keeping with the
Buddhist tenets of selflessness, Huynh said, the tapes are free to those who
cannot afford them.
Most of Huynh's customers are monks and nuns from area temples and
homeowners with private shrines. Occasionally, however, a tourist walks in,
often looking to buy a tubby, Happy Buddha statue.
For those who lean toward Confucius' philosophical teachings, a visit to the
back of the Asian Village parking lot, behind the A Dong Supermarket, might
be in order. There, in the shadow of the market's loading dock, is a
towering statue of the ancient Chinese thinker surrounded by his 72
disciples.
Across Bolsa Avenue, in the modern Asian Garden Mall, Hai Trieu's herbal
medicine store is nestled next to the bright lights of a music store selling
the latest in Vietnamese pop.
Jars full of dried seahorses are prescribed for bad backs, chrysanthemums
for weakened lungs, ginseng for low energy and cinnamon bark for stomach
problems.
In the back of the narrow store, a doctor licensed in Eastern medicine and
acupuncture takes the pulse of a customer.
The second floor of the mall is dedicated entirely to what Buchoz says is
one of the largest jewelry markets in the country. Scores of vendors stand
behind display cases gleaming with 24-carat gold, jade, diamonds and pearls.
In workrooms in the back, jewelers fire up small blowtorches as they work on
delicate, custom designs through magnifying glasses.
Jewels, herbs and inner peace aside, Little Saigon is best known for its
scores of restaurants and markets.
At the bustling A Dong Supermarket, old women in search of that night's
dinner inspect the enormous catfish flown in from Louisiana and the bubbling
tanks filled with crabs.
Down the street, in the backroom at Hao Vi BBQ, a stern-looking man armed
with an electric saw prepares whole pigs for cooking. Out front, sides of
meat hang in the oven next to steaming trays of chicken feet and something
labeled "pork variety."
If there is a Vietnamese equivalent to the popularity of the hamburger, it
is pho — rare beef and noodle soup. Each day as lunch approaches,
restaurants fill with hungry businesspeople in search of the hot, delicious
broth.
Buchoz says she dreams of a visitors center and the day when people will
visit the streets, on which she is now often the only non-Vietnamese
walking.
"I can't tell you how many times I have brought someone here and they've
said, 'I drive by every day and had no idea this was here.' "
(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-peeled14jun14,1,2974416.story)
******************
June 14, 2004
[Note: In 2004, Congress added the Tier 2 Watch List category.
Countries categorized as Tier 2 – Watch List are in danger of falling to
Tier 3 in the coming year. Tier 3 brings with it the possibility of losses
of certain kinds of U.S. aid.]
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT -Report
Home Page
Released by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
IV. Country Narratives: East Asia and Pacific
VIETNAM (TIER 2 - WATCH LIST)
Vietnam is a source country for persons trafficked for forced labor and
sexual exploitation. Vietnamese women and girls are trafficked to Cambodia,
the People's Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Macau
for sexual exploitation and forced marriages. Labor export companies recruit
and send workers abroad; some of these laborers have been known to suffer
trafficking abuses. There is also internal trafficking from rural to urban
areas.
The Government of Vietnam does not fully comply with the minimum standards
for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant
efforts to do so. Vietnam’s placement on Tier 2 Watch List is due to the
government’s failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat
severe forms of trafficking, particularly its inadequate control of two
state-controlled labor companies that sent workers to American Samoa from
1999-2001. Additionally, Vietnam’s weak labor export regulations are
vulnerable to abuse by unscrupulous employers to facilitate the trafficking
of Vietnamese workers. Vietnam lacks adequate protection for victims of
labor trafficking. The government does not yet have a separate national plan
of action to address trafficking, but trafficking in women and children is
an explicit component of the 2004-2010 National Plan of Action on Protection
for Children in Special Circumstances and is also addressed in the 2000-2005
National Anti-Criminal Plan of Action. The Government has also engaged
neighboring governments to combat trafficking in persons. Vietnam has made
increasing efforts to prosecute trafficking crimes. It is cooperating with
Cambodia and other neighboring countries on the repatriation of victims and
other cross-border issues.
Prosecution
Vietnam's anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts in 2003 were uneven.
Vietnam has a statute that prohibits sexual exploitation and the trafficking
of women and children, with penalties ranging up to twenty years in prison.
It does not, however, have a law against other forms of trafficking,
including forced labor. The government actively investigates trafficking
cases and prosecutes and convicts traffickers. In 2003, the government
opened a crime statistics office to track arrests, prosecutions, and
convictions. Officials have reported 296 arrests, 224 prosecutions, and 204
convictions specifically related to trafficking in women and children in
2003. Through cross-border cooperation, the Vietnamese and Cambodian
governments were able to crack down on several transnational trafficking
rings and convict several kingpins. Government corruption impedes law
enforcement efforts; in 2003 the government prosecuted three police officers
who facilitated labor trafficking.
Protection
The Vietnamese government does not provide adequate protection to
victims, although in 2003 it improved cooperation with NGOs and
international organizations. Vietnam's labor export regulations allow labor
companies to largely monitor themselves, creating opportunities for
unscrupulous employers to abuse Vietnamese workers abroad. The American
Samoa case prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice in Hawaii indicates
that some Vietnamese police may have facilitated this trafficking by
investigating Vietnamese workers labeled as "troublemakers" by the
employers. Victims are usually not detained, arrested or otherwise punished,
but the government routinely sends women who engage in prostitution within
the country to “rehabilitation centers.” The centers provide medical
treatment, vocational training, and counseling and seek to deter the women’s
return to prostitution. The government’s rehabilitation efforts include
“re-education” and limit freedom of movement. Moreover, rehabilitation that
takes place at provincial and local levels lacks adequate financial
resources.
Prevention
The Vietnamese government does not implement specific anti-trafficking
programs, although the Ministry of Public Security in 2003 did establish a
separate office dedicated to trafficking concerns and held a high-level
inter-agency meeting on improving performance on trafficking issues, chaired
by a Deputy Prime Minister. The government, moreover, cooperated with
several international organizations on anti-trafficking studies in 2003 and
sponsored public awareness campaigns using television and newspapers.
What do the tiers of the Trafficking in Persons Report mean?
-
Tier 1:
Countries that fully comply with the act’s minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking.
-
Tier 2:
Countries that do not
fully comply with the minimum standards but are making significant
efforts to bring themselves into compliance.
-
Tier 2 Watch List:
Countries
on Tier 2 requiring special scrutiny because of a high or significantly
increasing number of victims; failure to provide evidence of increasing
efforts to combat trafficking in persons; or an assessment as Tier 2
based on commitments to take action over the next year.
-
Tier 3:
Countries that
neither satisfy the minimum standards nor demonstrate a significant
effort to come into compliance. Countries in this tier are subject to
potential non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions.
(http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2004/33191.htm)
******************
June 15, 2004
VIETNAM BRIDE: I WAS TORTURED
STARVED, PIERCED WITH NEEDLES, CUT WITH KNIFE
IT is a shocking tale of abuse.
The Taiwanese man allegedly pierced his Vietnamese bride's fingers with
needles and soaked her hands in salt water.
He also allegedly shot rubber bands at her eyelids and used a wooden pole
and knife to hit and cut her back.
After less than a year of abuse, Liu Cheng-chi, 39, allegedly abandoned Ms
Tuan Jih-ling, now 20, at the side of a road.
Ms Tuan was allegedly confined to the house and given one meal a day,
reported Apple Daily Taiwan.
In a year, she shrank from a slim 40kg to just 20kg.
Liu apparently inflicted all this pain on his bride because he believed she
had given him a sexually-transmitted disease (STD).
This tale of revenge was revealed in a Taiwanese court recently, as Liu and
his ex-wife Lin Li-ju, 34, who allegedly helped him in the abuse, were put
on trial.
They are charged with enslaving and abusing Ms Tuan, who has since recovered
from her injuries.
It all began when Liu and Lin, who have a daughter together, were desperate
for a son.
Lin apparently decided Liu should take another wife. The couple divorced and
Liu went on a matchmaking trip to Vietnam, where he met Ms Tuan.
Upon his return to Taiwan, he felt unwell. A doctor told him that he had a
bacterial infection but Liu reportedly suspected that Ms Tuan, who had been
a hostess in a hotel previously, had given him an STD.
Ms Tuan moved to Taiwan in April 2002.
It was only then she realised that Liu and Lin were already divorced but
were still living together with their daughter.
Just three months after she arrived, Liu and Lin reportedly started
torturing Ms Tuan.
The torture came to an end only in February 2003, when Liu and Lin are said
to have become worried that they might kill Ms Tuan with their abuse.
That was when they allegedly abandoned her at the side of a road.
Ms Tuan stumbled into a restaurant and begged for a meal.
A police report was made and she was sent to hospital.
Liu appeared in court wearing a monk's robes and reciting Buddhist chants.
He claimed to be mentally ill.
However, after investigation, the authorities concluded that neither Liu nor
Lim were mentally ill when they inflicted the torture.
If found guilty, they could be jailed for up to seven years.
(http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/top/story/0,4136,64643,00.html?)
******************
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.
