NCVA Reporter - August 12, 2003

In this NCVA Reporter:

Events

Funding Opportunities

News

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Events

Community Health Forum - "REACHing Vietnamese Women: A Community Model for Promoting Cervical Cancer Screening"

Date:
September 6, 2003

Location:
Franklin McKinley School District Building
645 Wool Creek Drive
San Jose, California 95112
 
Sponsored by the Vietnamese REACH for Health Initiative (VRHI) Coalition and National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (NCVA)

The Vietnamese REACH for Health Initiative (VRHI) Coalition is a coalition of organizations in Santa Clara County. The coalition members are: National Congress of Vietnamese Americans; Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation Inc.; Immigrant Resettlement and Cultural Center; Asian American for Community Involvement; Southeast Asian Community Center; Catholic Charities; Vietnamese Physicians’ Association of Northern California; Community Health Partnership of Santa Clara County; Blue Cross of California; Santa Clara County Public Health Department; American Cancer Society; Kaiser Permanente and Santa Clara County Ambulatory Service.

Vietnamese-American women have the highest cervical cancer incidence rate of any ethnic group in the United States. The rate of cervical cancer in this population is 5 times the rate among Caucasian women. With regular Pap smear screening, the potential to dramatically reduce the incidence of invasive cervical cancer in this population.

To address this problem, the University of California, San Francisco’s Vietnamese Community Health Promotion Project has begun a major initiative entitled, “REACHing Vietnamese Women: A Community Model for Promoting Cervical Cancer Screening.” This initiative is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to promote Pap smear screening among Vietnamese women in Santa Clara County. The award is part of the CDC’s new initiative “Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH 2010)” – a national project that targets six health priority areas with the goal of eliminating, by the year 2010, health disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minority populations. We are one of 25 organizations nation-wide to receive funding to implement the Community Action Plans that were developed together with inputs from community representatives to reduce health disparities among minority populations.

The VRHI Coalition was formed to specifically provide directions to this project addressing an ambitious objective of decreasing cervical cancer by increasing regular Pap smear screening among Vietnamese American women. Once of its many activities is the annual Community Forum where community members gather to provide inputs to the Community Action Plan, to provide feedback on the various interventions, to pose questions to a physicians panel, and to learn about cervical cancer-related resources and services.

This year, the Community Forum will hold 10 small focus groups to discuss our cervical cancer campaign and solicit community feedback regarding of the 5th year of Community Action Plan as well as to gather inputs for other community health concerns which will provide future directions for VHRI and its participating community-based organizations. The Community Forum is not funded by CDC. The Community Forum has been planned as an one-day event at the Franklin-McKinley School District Building in San Jose on Saturday, September 6, 2003. Each of our four previous Forums was attended by more than 250 Vietnamese women and men and childcare was provided for 50 children.

Contact info:
Thien-Nhien Luong
Email: Nhien.Luong@hhs.co.santa-clara.ca.us
Phone: (408) 423-0733

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21st Annual National MED Week Conference

[Note: There are full travel scholarships being given out to college students who are interested in becoming business owners or entrepreneurs to attend this conference.]

We invite you to join us at the 21st Annual National MED Week Conference – September 28-October 1, 2003, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.T

This year's National MED Week Conference will be held September 28-October 1 at Washington D.C.'s historic Omni Shoreham Hotel. This year's conference focuses on “Strategies for Growth in the American Economy, Part III: Pursuing The Global Economy.”

Although MBDA has traditionally focused on business opportunities for minority business enterprises (MBEs) in the U.S., it has expanded its vision to include international development assistance by helping MBEs learn more about how to conduct business abroad. National MED Week will feature speakers from the U.S. trade community, who will discuss the ways in which MBEs can participate in the global economy more effectively and in greater numbers. The substance of the Conference will provide critical information to the minority business community, and to corporate America, which increasingly recognizes that minorities are the fastest growing segment of the Nation’s population and a significant economic force.

The National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference is the largest federally sponsored activity held on behalf of MBEs.

www.medweek.gov

www.mbda.gov

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Conference to Focus on Nonprofit Survival
California Association of Nonprofits

"Money and Mission: Surviving and Thriving in Tough Times" is the theme of the 12th Annual CAN Conference. This year's conference is aimed at helping nonprofits in these tough times. It's the only statewide conference that brings together all sub-sectors of the California nonprofit community, which means participants will get to network with nonprofit leaders from all over the state. The conference will also include high quality training in six workshop tracks: Beginning Fundraising, Advanced Fundraising, Financial Management, Financial Strategy, Operations, and "Nonprofits 101." This last is a hodgepodge of tips organizations might have missed on their way to achieving their missions. The conference will take place November 14-15, 2003, in San Francisco, CA. For registration and more information, go to the above website.

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Funding Opportunities

Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Voting Access for Individuals with Disabilities

Who: For public or nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations, working with individuals with disabilities and/or interested in voting access issues.

What: Funding available through the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) to provide Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Voting Access for Individuals with Disabilities. ADD expects to fund two projects at or below $70,000 per project.  

When: Applications are due on September 4, 2003.

Funding Announcement: Please read the program announcement carefully. Copies of the program announcement and required forms may be obtained electronically at the ADD website: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/add/.

Contacts for more information:

Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Carla R. Brown, Management Analyst

370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW

Washington, DC 20477

202-690-8332

crbrown@acf.hhs.gov

Or Lois Hodge, Grants Officer

202-401-2344

lhodge@acf.hhs.gov

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Support for Well Being of Children
With Arms Wide Open Foundation

The With Arms Wide Open Foundation seeks to ensure healthy, loving, nurturing bonds between children and their parents by funding existing service providers and identifying and addressing service gap areas. The Foundation's intent is to raise public awareness of the importance of healthy parent-child relationships. Grants are made to nonprofit organizations that focus on education, public policy and judicial action. The Foundation also supports organizations that provide assistance to poor and low-income families, and organizations that offer services to families in crisis. Applications are accepted from nonprofit organizations located throughout the United States, and requests are reviewed three times per year. For more information, visit the above website.

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Funds for Environmental Advertising Campaigns
Temper of The Times Foundation

Temper of The Times Foundation promotes the use of standard marketing concepts to increase environmental awareness. Recognizing that organizations working to protect the environment in general have limited access to paid media, the Foundation provides funds to underwrite advertising designed to promote the conservation and restoration of native wildlife, plants, and ecosystems in the United States. Grants should be used to fund the production of print, radio, or television ads, to pay for advertising space or airtime, or to produce or distribute pamphlets, books, videos, or press packets. The application deadline is October 15, 2003. Letters of inquiry may be submitted prior to application but are not required. For further information, go to the website listed above.

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Grants to Increase Resources for Young Women
Third Wave Foundation

The Third Wave Foundation's goal is to harness the energy of young women by sharing information and resources between young women, together creating a community in which members can take action around issues that affect us all. The Foundation supports organizations that benefit and are led by women between the ages of 15 and 30, with an emphasis on low-income women, differently-abled women, women of color, and lesbian and bisexual women. Grant opportunities include the Reproductive Health and Justice Fund, which provides training and emergency grants; Organizing and Advocacy Grants; and the Scholarship Program for Young Women. The next deadline is October 1, 2003. Visit the website for to download an application and see details.

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Minority Ministry and Empowerment Funded
United Methodist Church: Minority Group Self-Determination Fund

The Minority Group Self-Determination Fund was established by the United Methodist Church for the empowerment of racial and ethnic minority people within and outside the church. The Fund provides assistance to minority groups that seek to develop programs of empowerment and ministry to their local communities or churches. Grants are available to support programs that are initiated, developed, controlled, and administered by Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander groups. Minority persons must comprise more than 50 percent of the membership of the decision-making committee for the project. The constituency to be served must be represented in the decision-making body. Nonprofit community ecumenical groups and United Methodist churches and caucuses with predominantly ethnic minorities in membership and decision-making are eligible to apply. Applications are accepted twice per year, and the next deadline is November 1, 2003.

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ShopKo Communities Receive Support
ShopKo Stores Charitable Giving Program

The ShopKo Stores Charitable Giving Program supports nonprofit organizations located in ShopKo communities. The giving program focuses on assisting people with disabilities, helping the underprivileged and the disadvantaged, strengthening family values, encouraging programs aimed at educating youth, and supporting the arts. Nonprofit organizations may submit applications at any time, and requests are reviewed monthly. Visit the website listed above for company locations, program details, and application guidelines.

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Funding for a Broad Array of Community Interests
Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation

The Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation focuses its efforts on programs designed to strengthen and improve the quality of life in communities served by the industry. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that encourage job creation and training, improve access to community services, and provide youth and adult education, particularly for minority and disadvantaged students. The Foundation also promotes programs designed to improve literacy, teach basic life skills, and provide mentoring services. The Foundation's areas of emphasis include civic and community development, educational assistance and training programs, public health programs, and environmental preservation initiatives. Requests from organizations in port states or major metropolitan areas where a large part of industry business is generated are given priority consideration. Nonprofit organizations, local and state units of government are eligible to apply. Applications are accepted at any time. Visit the website for further information.

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News

August 4, 2003 

U.S.ENGLISH Releases Bilingual Education Horror Story in Wisconsin;

Vietnamese Student Forced into Spanish Language Classes

To: National Desk

Contact: Jim Lubinskas of U.S.ENGLISH, 202-833-0100, jlubinskas@usenglish.org

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Bilingual education has been dismantled by the voters in three states and studies show it is less effective at teaching English than the English immersion method, according to U.S.ENGLISH. But in states where it has not come up for a vote, bilingual education is still alive and well.

This produces all sorts of nightmares, but a horror story from Madison, Wis., illustrates how destructive bilingual education can be to immigrant students. Kiet Tran, 15, came to the United States in April 2002 when his Vietnamese mother married John Gardner, an American man from Madison, Wis. Kiet does not know English and Madison school officials placed him in a bilingual education class -- for Spanish speakers.

Of course, Kiet does not understand Spanish, but for three hours each day he was forced into classes where the instruction was almost entirely in Spanish. Gardner pleaded with the Madison school system to take his son out of the bilingual classes but to no avail. Kiet's education was harmed as he was not learning English or any of his other subjects taught in Spanish. Gardner said his son began to suffer emotional problems due to his frustration at school. Unable to get any cooperation from the Madison public school establishment, the family had to move out of the district.

The good news is that Kiet recently completed a four-week "English for College" program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The program uses an English immersion method to help immigrant students learn the language and prepare them for college-level courses. Kiet won the award for "most improved English" and now looks forward to starting school in September.

Still, Gardner worries about other immigrant students. "My son has an English speaking father who understands our system of government and is not afraid to speak out," he said. "Many immigrant students do not have such an advantage and are often at the mercy of the education establishment." With that in mind, Gardner is filing a lawsuit against the Madison school system on the grounds that his son's civil rights were violated and for non-compliance with the Educational Opportunity Act of 1974.

Gardner has promised his state and federal representatives that he is going to make their stands on bilingual education an issue in the next election. He is also working hard to educate parents on the realities of bilingual education. "Most people assume that all students are given an equal chance to learn English. I was amazed to find out that this is not true. In Kiet's class, students wrote their answers in Spanish, used Spanish textbooks and conversed with the teachers and tutors in Spanish. Non-Spanish speakers were shut out of the learning process."

U.S.ENGLISH is the nation's oldest and largest citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States (Web site: http://www.us-english.org). Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S.ENGLISH now has more than 1.7 million members nationwide.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

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/© 2003 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-library29jul29,1,3205518.story

July 29, 2003

Library, Cultural Hub Proposed in Garden Grove's Little Saigon
Two buildings would be set on three acres of city land. If approved, the project would take five years and $10 million to complete.

By Scott Martelle, Times Staff Writer

A small, nonprofit group has proposed building a $10-million Vietnamese library and cultural center on three acres of city-owned land in Garden Grove, signaling the further expansion of Little Saigon, Orange County's rapidly growing Vietnamese American community.

If approved, the project would plant a large and significant Vietnamese cultural anchor in Garden Grove, which in recent years has begun to rival adjacent Westminster as the heart of the nation's Vietnamese American community.

The proposal, which Garden Grove officials described as ambitious, includes two buildings. One, called Vong Quoc Mieu, or Temple of the Founding Fathers, would be a cultural and historical research center patterned after traditional Vietnamese architecture.

The other would be a four-story structure holding a restaurant, offices, performance and conference space, a library and museum. The complex would total nearly 100,000 square feet.

The site is part of a 16.5-acre area the city has designated the Brookhurst Triangle, and for which it has already received at least eight proposed master plans. The Vietnamese Library and Cultural Center, if approved, would have to be included in one of the broader plans, city officials said.

The City Council was scheduled to begin considering those master plans next month, said Glenn Kreiger, Garden Grove's economic development director. "There will be a lot on the table to mull over, including this proposal," he said.

Although fund-raising isn't expected to start in earnest until fall, organizers have already put together a brochure that refers to a pledge by city officials to donate the three-acre parcel.

"It's not something concrete, like they've already transferred the land to us," said Phat Bui, spokesman for Nhan Ai Foundation, which submitted the proposal. "It's a pledge."

The city, though, has not made any promises. Mayor Bruce Broadwater and Councilman Van Thai Tran have endorsed the project, but their letter to the Nhan Ai Foundation only voices their interest and says they will help promote the proposal.

Broadwater described the project Monday as in the "early discussion" stage

"We're talking with a lot of other people about this same piece of property," Broadwater said. "We're hoping everything will work out. It depends on how it all comes together."

Broadwater described the proposed library and community center as a potentially welcome addition to the city.

"It will be something on the level of the Nixon Library," he said, and would recognize "our history of the Vietnam War and the history of the refugees coming here and how they've worked out."

Bui said organizers hope the center will become the cultural anchor of the Vietnamese American community. They also hope other ethnic communities in the region will rent its performance halls and other spaces for events.

Bui said organizers have raised $400,000 to launch planning for the project and plan a broad appeal to corporations and individuals for the $10 million needed for construction. As envisioned, he said, operating expenses would come from the restaurant, rental fees and other sources.

Bui estimated it would take five years to complete the project.

Nhan Ai has operated a small library in Santa Ana for four years, and its 30,000-volume collection would form the core of the proposed center's holdings, Bui said.

The last prominent project within the Vietnamese American community, a war memorial in Westminster, nearly collapsed because of political bickering, distrust by donors of the project's management and shifting fund-raising goals. The $1.1-million project opened in April, five months late.

Bui said the organizers hope to avoid similar problems by involving community leaders and outside advisors.

Also, he said, organizers plan to establish two funds, one that would pay for planning and promotion and the other for construction.

"By separating the two funds we would be able to avoid some of the problems that have surfaced in the past," Bui said.

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August 1, 2003

PREPARING TOMORROW'S LEADERS TODAY: BUILDING CHARACTER, LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE GOALS

By Jackie Bong-Wright (Asian Fortune – www.asianfortune.com)

Vietnamese American Youth Leadership Conference (VAYLC)

A young Vietnamese discussing an issue with her peers at the recent Vietnamese Youth Leadership Conference. Photo courtesy of Hung Nguyen.

The Hon. Tu Pham, at 31, the youngest federal magistrate judge in the country, told the 400 guests at a Vietnamese Youth Leadership gala dinner June 27, “Do not limit yourself in your career choices.  Do not limit yourself as to where you live.  Always remember the past, but don’t limit yourself to it.” 

Tu Pham, who presides in Tennessee’s Western District, used his own family as an example.  His sister, breaking the family mold, became a news reporter and anchor in Biloxi, Mississipi, an untraditional career path for a Vietnamese woman.  He himself had had to go against his parents’ wishes in studying law.  Now, he said, his parents felt differently.  His sister was a success in television news, and he was a U.S. federal judge prosecuting defendants for crimes like racketeering, bribery, and tax evasion.  These were not the professions Vietnamese elders wanted their youth to follow, fearing they were too risky.

The same evening, Kim Oanh Nguyen, an accomplished player of Dan Tranh, the Vietnamese 16-string guitar, received a Lifetime Achievement Award.  Ms. Kim Oanh taught traditional music and dance extensively in Vietnam and in the United States.  She is well-known for her numerous performances of traditional Vietnamese music at Smithsonian folk festivals and at colleges and universities across America.  She has become a leader in preserving the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam.

A cultural fashion show of Vietnamese traditional costumes was presented by the Asian Pacific American Cultural Arts Foundation, to the evident delight of the audience. 

The gala dinner was part of a three-day Vietnamese American Youth Leadership Conference (VAYLC) hosted by the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (NCVA) at George Mason University’s Arlington campus June 26-28.  The gathering provided a forum for young professionals and students wanting to build professional relationships that would help them acquire the technological know-how, leadership skills and character to lead the Vietnamese American community. 

Sherry Ly, a Fox 5 reporter, served as the event’s mistress of ceremonies.  The principal organizer was Hung Nguyen, the young, dynamic president of NCVA.  Supporting the conference were community organizations such as the Asian Pacific American Cultural Arts Foundation, the Da Hieu Youth Alliance, the International Leadership Foundation, the Vietnamese Professionals of America, the Vietnamese Professional Society, and Vision New America. 

Dispelling the Myth and Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Over a hundred Vietnamese youths from all over the country and as far away as Australia attended the youth conference.  They heard prominent speakers and panelists tell them how to develop issues and communicate effectively to members of Congress.  Uyen Dinh, Counsel on the House Armed Services Committee staff, and Duy Hoang, Vice President of the Vietnamese American Public Affairs Committee (VPAC), briefed the group on education (HR 333), human rights (HR 1587), affirmative action, hate crimes, women’s health, and other issues.  Dinh and many other community leaders accompanied the group to Capitol Hill to discuss their concerns with members of Congress.

On the Hill, the Vietnamese young people were taken seriously, attending a luncheon that included Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia; Robert Primus, Chief of staff of Rep. Mike Capuano (D-MA); Kim  Kotlar, Legislative Director for Rep. William “Mac” Thornberry (R-TX); George Phillips, Legislative Assistant to Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ); and Darryl Chew, former National Security and Defense Appropriations Assistant to Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ). 

The following day, participants attended workshops entitled “Cool Careers: Beyond the 9-5 Jobs.”  Carlton Nguyen, an agent for State Farms Insurance; 1st Lieutenant Ryan Pham, a U.S. Air Force pilot;, federal judge Tu Pham; Captain Due Tran, Counsel for the U.S. Marines Corps; and Minh Vu, Counselor in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division; described some of the careers the youths could select from.  They urged the young participants to dare to take risks, and to follow both their heads and their hearts in choosing what professions to pursue. 

Joel Szabat, Assistant Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation, talked about the need for increased political involvement of Asian Pacific Americans, particularly in regard to the decennial redistricting process.  Je Yon Jung, a civil rights attorney and board member of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum discussed strategies against the exploitation of Asian women and girls in the American labor force and workplace. 

Another session addressed domestic violence.  Shamira Abdulla, Community Outreach Director for APIA Domestic Violence Resource Project; Jean Brugeman, Legal Services Coordinator for Boat People S.O.S.; and Christopher Dang, an officer with the U.S. Capitol Police, said the cause of abuse was a desire for control on the part of the batterers.  The panelists wanted to promote more awareness among young people who might become victims one day and educate them on prevention and how to enlist the help of community groups, health providers, and legal entities.  

There was also a session on “Vietnamese Americans and the Media.”  Kim Bui, executive producer with CNN, and Phuong Ly, a writer for the Washington Post, spoke on methods of communicating with people, how to present a persuasive speech, and how to use pubic service announcements and press releases.

Political Involvement

Larry Berman, author of “No Peace, No Honor: Nixon and Kissinger in Vietnam,” whetted the appetite of the participants during the lunch period.  The keynote speaker and director of the University of California Washington Center pointed out how much the Vietnamese people had suffered from the Nixon disengagement policy and what he described as the sell-out of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger of South Vietnam to the northern Vietnamese Communists.  Berman urged the young participants to go back to their roots, do research and read thoroughly to know the past, learn from its mistakes, and be active in involving themselves in the political process. 

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http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/6416681.htm

July 30, 2003

FBI probe sought in S.J. shooting
NAACP: LOCAL COPS CAN'T BE IMPARTIAL

By Connie Skipitares
Mercury News

The San Jose chapter of the NAACP is calling for the FBI to take over the investigation into the death of 25-year-old Bich Cau Thi Tran, who was shot by a San Jose police officer as she held up an Asian vegetable peeler that was mistaken for a cleaver.

Rick Callender, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, said he does not think police investigating fellow officers can be impartial.

``How can you do an unbiased investigation when every single investigator is San Jose PD or ex-San Jose PD, and you have a district attorney's office that's mostly alumni of the police department?'' said Callender, who plans to send the FBI a letter today requesting it take over the investigation. ``You have friends investigating friends. You have people who will not cross that code of blue.''

He said the district attorney's office should withdraw from the case and allow the FBI to conduct the investigation. The FBI announced last week that it has begun a preliminary inquiry into the shooting death but stressed that it is not an investigation, just a fact-finding mission that will be forwarded to the Justice Department.

An FBI spokeswoman couldn't be reached Tuesday night.

The district attorney's office said its investigator assigned to the Tran case is not from the San Jose Police Department but is a former Los Gatos police officer.

``We are mindful that when we have an officer-involved shooting we do not send out an officer who works for that department,'' said Assistant District Attorney Karyn Sinunu. ``The FBI can come in; I'm not going to fight that. It's just that they're blue, too.''

San Jose police officials said the department's investigation will be fair. ``I welcome all the investigating bodies that are looking into it,'' said Tom Wheatley, who takes over as San Jose's interim chief in late August when Bill Lansdowne leaves for San Diego.

Contact Connie Skipitares at cskipitares@ mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5647.

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[Note: NCVA participated in this meeting with Pham Thu Dang representing the organization.]

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/6469206.htm

Police chief defends probe of shooting death of mother

By Chau Doan

Fending off heated questions Tuesday from Vietnamese community leaders, San Jose police chief Bill Lansdowne defended his department's investigation into the shooting death of Bich Cau Thi Tran, 25, the Vietnamese mother killed by an officer last month in her home.

About 30 community leaders met with Lansdowne, City Councilman Chuck Reed and the city's Independent Police Auditor Teresa Guerrero-Daley, insisting that police could not objectively investigate whether their own officer was justified when he shot Tran. Police say officer Chad Marshall opened fire because he thought Tran was about to attack him with an Asian vegetable peeler with a six-inch blade.

James B. Chanin, an attorney for Tran's family, urged police, the city attorney and district attorney to release more information about the July 13 shooting, particularly the statement that police took from Tran's boyfriend, who was in the home at the time of the shooting. In an interview last month with the Mercury News, Tran's boyfriend Dang Bui disputed many of the officers' accounts.

San Jose police say it is their policy not to release information until a grand jury rules on the case, but Reed said he would see whether other government officials can and should authorize disclosure of information.

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/08/10/IN66996.DTL

August 10, 2003

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM
A Silent Majority Speaks Up
Little Saigon flexes new political muscle

By Andrew Lam

(San Francisco Chronicle) - Vietnamese Americans are known for their passionate protests against the Communists ruling their homeland, but they are not known for militant responses to issues they face in this country. The recent police shooting of a Vietnamese housewife in San Jose may be changing all that.

San Jose is home to the second-largest resettlement of Vietnamese in the world. On July 22, 2003, a Vietnamese woman named Cau Bich Thi Tran was shot and killed by the police in her own kitchen after she allegedly threatened them with a vegetable peeler that resembled a cleaver.

The Vietnamese community flew into an uproar, unleashing a series of actions that showed an extraordinary flexing of collective muscle. A demonstration confronted the San Jose City Hall within a day. A frenzied letter-writing campaign targeted local politicians. A vigil of 400 people, including singers, clergymen and non-Vietnamese supporters, quickly materialized.

All the while, Vietnamese newspapers, radio programs and Internet chat rooms buzzed with information to keep every Vietnamese in the United States abreast of the tragedy.

The result of these actions have been staggering. Money poured in from various Vietnamese communities around the world to help the victim's family. San Jose's mayor met with community leaders, and the police chief promised a full investigation before moving to a new job in another city. Police representatives apologized to the Vietnamese community on Vietnamese radio programs. The FBI made a preliminary inquiry, and the Santa Clara district attorney's office announced an unusual step to open a grand jury and to publicly air the facts of the case.

It's a far cry from the usual protests for which Vietnamese are known. In 1999, for example, more than 20,000 Vietnamese Americans besieged a video shop in Southern California's Little Saigon because the owner had put up a picture of Ho Chi Minh. The thrust of such activism has been symbolic: petitions to local governments to recognize the South Vietnamese flag as the official flag of Vietnamese communities here; fund-raisers to build a Vietnam war memorial in Orange County. Only now have Vietnamese Americans raised their voices over a domestic issue.

Madison Nguyen, board member of the Franklin-McKinley School District in Santa Clara who spearheaded the recent protests against the police shooting, says, ''The tragedy has definitely brought the Vietnamese community together. With the rally that I helped organize, it only took less than 24 hours to get more than 200 people to show up at City Hall."

For the first time since she came to San Jose, Nguyen adds, an event caused "all Vietnamese to come together and fight for the same cause -- to request that the San Jose Police Department conduct a thorough and complete investigation of the incident."

"If there is a history of in-fighting and dispute within the Vietnamese community, it was not evident this time," observes Quynh Thi, publisher and editor of Vietnam Daily, one of three daily Vietnamese-language papers in San Jose. "This time there's no factions, no generation gaps. The tragedy unites our community in a way that hasn't happened before."

For many young Vietnamese in America, who are too young to remember Vietnam and the war and who feel a psychological distance from the anti-communist passion of the older generation, there is now genuine surprise and pride.

Tony, a 22-year-old recent college graduate in San Francisco who did not want his last name used, observes: "I never identified with flag-waving.
In fact, I was embarrassed by it. But I certainly feel that the community is doing something right. Our lives are here and now, and we should focus on fighting for fair treatment here. I'm totally down with that."

Tony may be embarrassed by his parents' flag-waving, but it is precisely those years of anti-communist activism that have created a large network -- radio programs, Web sites, in-language newspapers and an army of volunteer protesters -- that can rally large gatherings at a moment's notice.

What's more, says Phillip Nguyen, director of the Southeast Asian center, the Vietnamese community is beginning to find new ways to focus its energy. "The San Jose police have this belief that Vietnamese tend to organize a protest only when it comes to homeland politics," he says. "This may explain their reactions during the first 48 hours, when they tried to overpower the community they perceive as silent and invisible on issues related to their rights here in the United States. Well, they are wrong."

In the largely Hispanic working-class neighborhood where Bich Cau Tran was killed, Marcelino Perez, 22, a Mexican American, says that he is amazed by the Vietnamese community's unity. "That's why Vietnamese are taken seriously. Mexicans are not. We experience police abuse, but we don't have the same clout to demand change."

Rocky Hernandez, 20, who also lives in the neighborhood, put it more plainly: "You don't mess with Vietnamese in Silicon Valley. They stick together. Everybody knows that."

The Vietnamese community is relatively young as ethnic communities go -- less than 30 years old. Whether it will mature politically depends on how well it sticks together, despite generation gaps and political differences, and perhaps more importantly, how it finds new ways to translate nostalgic passions into tangible political clout.

Andrew Lam is an editor for Pacific News Service.

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

Visit us at www.ncvaonline.org.