NCVA eREPORTER - August 22, 2005

The National Congress of Vietnamese Americans' NCVA eReporter is a regular email newsletter containing information on grant/funding opportunities, events/forums/conferences, available internships and news items pertinent to the Vietnamese American and Asian Pacific American communities.

In this NCVA eReporter:

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

• Ben & Jerry's Foundation Supports Social Change Efforts
• The R.O.S.E. Fund Supports Domestic Abuse Survivors
• Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
• Herb Block Foundation: Defending Freedoms Program
• Strengthening Existing National Organizations Serving Racial and Ethnic Populations Capacity Development Programs: Strategies to Advance Program Implementation, Coordination, Management, and Evaluation Efforts
• SAMHSA Conference Grants
• Northern California Community Loan Fund Seeks Letters of Inquiry
• GoGirlGo! Grant and Educational Program Offers Support for Girls Sports and Educational Program
• U.S. Soccer Foundation Announces 2006 Grant Program
• International Policy Fellowships Program Seeks Applications for 2006-2007 Fellowships
• North Star Fund Invites Proposals From New York City Grassroots Organizations
• California HealthCare Foundation Announces Continuation of Step by Step: Local Coverage Expansion Initiative
• Applications Invited for LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Legal Fellowship
• Open Society Institute's U.S. Justice Fund Announces New Fellowship Programs

 TIPS/RESOURCES

• Modeling - How to prepare your database for statistical modeling
• Online - Placement on search engines
• Annual Giving - Many ways of making the "ask"

 NEWS

• VA APAs Flex Muscle with 2005 Candidates’ Forum (Asian Fortune)
• Home Ownership Still Difficult to Attain for Many AAPIs (Asian Fortune)
• UH classes focus on Vietnamese (Houston Chronicle)
• Project seeks to preserve history (Orange County Register)
• ACT scores hold steady for class of 2005 (CNN)
• Asian American Educational Achievement Belies Invisibility (Sing Tao Daily)
• Vietnamese hope for cultural center (Detroit News)

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

BEN & JERRY’S FOUNDATION SUPPORTS SOCIAL CHANGE EFFORTS

The Ben & Jerry's Foundation provides support to nonprofit, grassroots organizations throughout the United States that facilitate progressive social change by addressing the underlying conditions of societal and environmental problems. Grant applicants need to demonstrate that their projects will: lead to societal, institutional, and/or environmental change; address the root causes of social or environmental problems; and lead to new ways of thinking and acting. Specifically, the Foundation seeks groups that are working to help themselves, help their own communities, and help others like themselves through self-empowering, community organizing efforts. The Foundation does not make grants to support basic or direct social service programs. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

(http://www.benjerry.com/foundation/)

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THE R.O.S.E. FUND SUPPORTS DOMESTIC ABUSE SURVIVORS

The R.O.S.E. (Regaining One’s Self-Esteem) Fund is a national nonprofit organization committed to recognizing, assisting and empowering women who have broken the cycle of domestic violence. The Fund distributes grants to nonprofit organizations whose programs work to achieve the Fund’s mission - to encourage personal growth beyond the initial recovery from domestic violence. The bulk of grants are distributed to small organizations (annual budget no greater than $500,000); however, larger organizations that substantially address the Fund’s mission are also supported. Priority is given to organizations in the Northeast. The application deadline is October 1, 2005.

(http://www.rosefund.org/programs/grants.asp)

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PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARDS

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards recognize middle and high school students involved in volunteer community service. The program is sponsored by Prudential Financial and administered by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Application packets are mailed each fall to all public and private middle-level and high schools, and to supporting organizations like Red Cross, YMCA, 4-H, Girl Scouts and Volunteer Centers of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network. Two state honorees will be chosen in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and each will receive an award of $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC for national recognition events in May. Out of the state honorees, ten national honorees will receive an additional award of $5,000. The application deadline is October 31, 2005.

(http://www.prudential.com/community/spirit/)

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HERB BLOCK FOUNDATION: DEFENDING FREEDOMS PROGRAM

The Herb Block Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations that work to preserve basic freedoms, that help clear the pathways out of poverty, and that encourage citizen involvement in government at all levels. The Foundation’s Defending Freedoms program seeks proposals to safeguard the basic freedoms guaranteed in our Bill of Rights, and to help eliminate all forms of prejudice and discrimination. Anti-discrimination projects that involve joint efforts of two or more organizations are encouraged. The Foundation will also consider contemporary societal issues that may arise. Letters of inquiry for this program are accepted from organizations throughout the U.S., with a deadline of October 12, 2005. The Foundation also offers two other grant programs that accept applications from Washington, DC area nonprofits only.

(http://www.herbblockfoundation.org)

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STRENGTHENING EXISTING NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SERVING RACIAL AND ETHNIC POPULATIONS CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: Strategies to Advance Program Implementation, Coordination, Management, and Evaluation Efforts

This program provides funding to support and strengthen existing National and Regional Minority Organizations (NMOs/RMOs) that engage in health advocacy, promotion, education and preventive health care with the intent of improving the health and well-being of racial and ethnic minority populations.

(http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/05055%20Amendment.htm)

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SAMHSA CONFERENCE GRANTS

The purpose of the Conference Grant program is to disseminate knowledge about practices within the mental health services and substance abuse prevention and treatment fields and to integrate that knowledge into real-world practice as effectively and efficiently as possible.

(http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2006/RFA/PA_06_001_Conference.aspx)

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY LOAN FUND SEEKS LETTERS OF INQUIRY

Deadline: September 12, 2005 (Letters of Inquiry)

The San Francisco-based Northern California Community Loan Fund (http://www.ncclf.org/), a nonprofit lender and technical assistance provider that works to revitalize low-income communities in the surrounding region, provides loans nd financial training to organizations that develop affordable housing, community facilities, job-training programs, and vital human services.

The Performing Arts Program of NCCLF's Nonprofit Space Capital Fund (NSCF) is accepting Letters of Inquiry (LOIs). The Performing Arts Program provides technical assistance and grants to performing arts organizations to acquire and/or renovate mid-size live performing arts facilities. Preference is given to: (1) projects that serve as catalysts for economic activity in the surrounding neighborhoods; and (2) projects that offer co-location opportunities to increase access to space for fledgling and smaller arts organizations. The program operates in the nine-county Bay Area and in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The current round of funding is made possible by a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (http://www.hewlett.org/).

(http://www.ncclf.org)

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GOGIRLGO! GRANT AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OFFERS SUPPORT FOR GIRLS SPORTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Deadline:  November 30, 2005

Administered by the Women's Sports Foundation (http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/), the GoGirlGo! Grant and Educational Program seeks to maximize the use of sport/physical activity as an educational intervention and social asset in order to enhance the wellness of girls as they navigate between childhood and early womanhood.

GoGirlGo! is dedicated to the development and funding of girls' sports/physical activity programs that combine athletic instruction and programming with the delivery of educational information by qualified adults aimed at reducing risk behaviors that threaten the health and social advancement of girls in third to eighth grade.

The program provides financial assistance to sports and physical activity programs seeking to add new or expanded program participation opportunities for an under-served population of girls, particularly economically disadvantaged girls and/or girls from populations with high incidences of health-risk behaviors.

The be eligible for this program, applicants must meet the following requirements: demonstrated ability to deliver girls' sport/physical activity programming to girls in third to eighth grade; delivery of a minimum eight-week sports/physical activity program, with preference given to organizations working consistently with girls throughout the year; program leadership administered by experienced and committed adults; 501(c)(3) program status or non-profit status (if the program does not have nonprofit status, it may be possible to receive a grant with support from a local fiscal agent); and commitment to implement the GoGirlGo! educational curriculum, including completion of a post-project attitudinal survey. The GoGirlGo! curriculum may be implemented following receipt of a grant.

A total of $200,000 will be awarded.

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

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U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2006 GRANT PROGRAM

Deadline: September 30, 2005 (Letters of Inquiry)

The U.S. Soccer Foundation (http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org/) seeks to support soccer in the United States through its annual grantmaking program.

For the 2006 grant cycle, the following focus has been established to guide the foundation's funding decisions:

Proposals that develop players, referees, and coaches through programs, field enhancements, or the foundation's All Conditions Fields Program, with special emphasis on the economically disadvantaged in urban areas.

The foundation's grants program is open to anyone with a soccer-specific program or project that benefits a non-for-profit purpose and meets the established focus for  the 2006 cycle.

The foundation's grantmaking program includes the following grant types:

Program -- A project that develops players, referees, and coaches, with special emphasis on the economically disadvantaged in urban areas. This grant type does not contain a construction element.

Program With Field Enhancements -- A project that develops players, referees, and coaches, with special emphasis on the economically disadvantaged in urban areas, that contains a construction element such as field renovation, addition, or improvement of field equipment, or lighting.

All Conditions Fields (ACF) Program -- A project consisting wholly of field development construction utilizing the ACF Program package consisting of four components (i.e., Field-Turf synthetic surface pitch,  Kwik Goal field equipment, Musco lights, and TGI signage). Applications for ACF projects that do not propose to use lights will be given a lower priority.

There is no limitation on the amount of funding an applicant may request; however, the awards process is highly competitive and it is extremely unlikely that an applicant will be awarded the full request amount. Grant awards frequently include the services and/or products of the foundation's Partners Resource Center, which is made up of industry leaders who support the foundation.

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

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INTERNATIONAL POLICY FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICATIONS FOR 2006-2007 FELLOWSHIPS

Deadline: September 20, 2005

The International Policy Fellowships (http://www.soros.org/initiatives/ipf) program is calling for applications for 2006-07 fellowships.

Launched in 1998 and affiliated with the Open Society Institute (http://www.soros.org/) and the Center for Policy Studies (http://www.ceu.hu/cps/) of the Central European University in Budapest, these fellowships support analytical policy research in pursuance of open society goals such as the rule of law, democratic elections, diverse and vigorous civil societies, and respect for minorities. Each year the IPF program invites research proposals that address critical issues in the development of open societies. Successful applicants will demonstrate originality, sound project design, and the strong likelihood that their project may lead to significant impact on policy.

The IPF program seeks to enhance the quality of policy research in the countries where the Soros Network operates -- Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia, as well as countries in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. It places strong emphasis on independent research that is both rigorous and appreciative of practical implications. Analysis and evaluation of existing policy contexts should be based on explicit criteria, and fellows should be able to communicate their ideas and findings in a variety of professional and public settings.

Applicants are encouraged to submit individual, practical, and policy-oriented research proposals in the following subject areas. The product of each fellowship will be a detailed analysis of a major issue to be published in English and translated into other languages.

The 2006-07 Fellowship Issue Areas are: General Framework: New Frontiers of Open Society; the Challenge of Wider Europe; Open Society Promotion in Predominantly Muslim Societies; Combating Open Society Threats; Combating the Resource Curse; Roma Exclusion; and Open Information Policy.

All applications must be submitted online at the program's Web site. Those who have no possibility to access the Web should send an e-mail to fellows@osi.hu to discuss alternate application solutions. Applications sent by mail, fax, or email will not be considered unless given prior approval from IPF staff.

(http://www.soros.org/initiatives/ipf)

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NORTH STAR FUND INVITES PROPOSAL FROM NEW YORK CITY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS

Deadline:  September 2, 2005

The North Star Fund (http://www.northstarfund.org), a 25-year-old progressive public foundation dedicated to building the progressive social movement in New York City, is soliciting proposals from New York City-based grassroots organizations for its fall 2005 grant cycle.

The fund supports grassroots organizations that are working to address the different manifestations of poverty, racism and homophobia, and gender discrimination through a clear community organizing strategy. Particular interest will be given to efforts in the fund's four strategic priorities areas: securing peace and justice/ resisting militarism; ending race and gender bias;  ensuring economic justice; and protecting civil liberties and constitutional rights.

In this funding cycle, the fund has a modest pool of money for groups working to increase access to quality public pre K-12 education and foster greater parental and intergenerational participation in efforts to improve New York City's public schools. Community organizing groups that are working on education equity in under-served communities are encouraged to apply.

North Star will consider proposals from groups in New York City that meet the following criteria: have an annual budget of $250,000 or less; work within the five boroughs of New York City; have 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsor; make the links between different but related forms of oppression; are led by and for the communities they seek to serve; are democratically structured and accountable to their communities; represent traditionally marginalized or disenfranchised communities; and actively work to create progressive social change.

Applicants must utilize one or more of the following strategies: community organizing; grassroots advocacy; cultural work (i.e., film, video, and performance) that serves as a catalyst for social change and is connected to grassroots organizing efforts in New York City and/or resources for organizing groups (i.e., training or print media).

(http://www.northstarfund.org)

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CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES CONTINUATION OF STEP BY STEP: LOCAL COVERAGE EXPANSION INITIATIVE

Deadline:  October 14, 2005

The California HealthCare Foundation's (http://www.chcf.org) Step by Step: Local Coverage Expansion Initiative supports county-based efforts and local coalitions seeking to expand coverage to uninsured populations ineligible for public coverage. The initiative has supported the development of diverse models of health coverage at the local level. The California HealthCare Foundation is funding Step by Step for a third year and  is soliciting a new round of proposals this fall.

The upcoming solicitation will fund two types of technical assistance grants: 1) planning grants will assist coverage expansion efforts with activities such as coalition strengthening, better defining the target population's needs, and/or developing an implementation plan ($25,000 - $50,000 each); 2) implementation grants will provide funding for specific unmet needs associated with launching a local coverage program in 2006 ($100,000 - $200,000 each).

Grants will be awarded through a competitive Request for Proposals process. Funding will be provided early in 2006 for periods of up to one year. The RFP is scheduled for release in late August.

To automatically receive the RFP announcement when it is published, potential applicants can sign up at the CHCF Web site, where they can also choose one of two dates for an optional briefing to learn more about the initiative and the proposal process. More information about the briefings will be announced in the RFP.

(http://www.chcf.org)

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APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR LEXISNEXIS MARTINDALE-HUBBELL LEGAL FELLOWSHIP

Deadline: December 31, 2005

Applications are invited for the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Legal Fellowship, a new program to promote education, the practice of public interest law, and diversity in the legal profession. The award is sponsored by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell (http://martindale.com/), a client development company for the legal profession.

The program awards two $15,000 grants each year -- one in the summer and one in the winter -- to individuals or associations whose applications are selected by the company's Legal Fellowship committee. The deadline for the second fellowship of the year is December 31, 2005, with the winner to be announced in January 2006.

To be eligible for a fellowship grant, an organization must hold nonprofit 501(c)(3) status.

(http://martindale.com/)

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OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE’S U.S. JUSTICE FUND ANNOUNCES NEW FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS

Deadline: October 14, 2005

In 2006, the Open Society Institute's U.S. Justice Fund (http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/) will support individuals through two programs: the Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowships and the Soros Justice Media Fellowships.

Similar in many respects to the previous initiative, the newly launched program will fund outstanding lawyers, advocates, grassroots organizers, activist academics, journalists, and filmmakers interested in implementing innovative projects that address one or more of the fund's criminal justice priorities.

Projects should seek to accomplish one or more of the following: advance death penalty reform and abolition efforts; improve public defense services; combat racial profiling; promote leadership in progressive justice reform efforts among people who are or have been imprisoned; encourage systemic reforms that create incentives for community-based solutions over parole and probation revocation; challenge unreasonable civil and legal barriers to the reintegration of people returning from prison; redirect criminal justice monies to strengthen community resources and responsibility for public safety and justice; advance sentencing reform efforts; curtail prison expansion; and empower communities most affected by mass incarceration to develop and advocate for alternative policies that address underlying social, racial, and economic inequality.

Advocacy Fellowships have two distinct tracks. Track I supports new and emerging advocates with two to five years of advocacy experience. Track II supports seasoned leaders with a minimum of ten years' experience in their fields and five years of advocacy experience. Both tracks are eighteen months in duration and may be implemented in conjunction with large or small not-for-profit organizations.

The Media Fellowships support mid-career and veteran print journalists, filmmakers, and individuals with unique voices who are proposing writing projects, and are twelve months in duration.

(http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/)

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TIPS/RESOURCES

MODELING – HOW TO PREPARE YOUR DATABASE FOR STATISTICAL MODELING

If you are interested in using statistical modeling to grow donations at your organization. According to Lawrence Henze, managing director, Blackbaud Analytics, Blackbaud, Inc., here are some tips to help you get started.

* Pick the right model.
Custom modeling is a powerful tool to help you identify and rank the best prospects in your organization's database. Whenever possible, you should choose to develop a custom model. If you do not have enough giving history to build a custom model, then you can develop a prescriptive model to segment your database and better understand who's likely to give to an organization like yours. You should never waste time and money on a generic model; it will not tell you anything useful about whether the people in your database are inclined to give to your organization.

* Prepare your data.
Getting started is easy. Because most nonprofits have their data stored in some form of electronic database, it is just a matter of pulling together three-to-six years of historical data. A good vendor should be able to accept most electronic database formats. The vendor will then go through the files and clean them, perhaps appending other data if required, such as the prospect's age or the value of his or her home. Then the vendor will start to build your custom model.

Once the model is complete, the vendor should place the results into a software format that you can use. A good vendor will also check back with you to make sure your organization understands how to use the results and is, in fact, applying them.

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

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ONLINE – PLACEMENT ON SEARCH ENGINES

Many Internet surfers resort to search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN, even to find nonprofit organizations. In his chapter on Online Community Building in the book Nonprofit Internet Strategies, George Irish of HJC New Media in Toronto, recommends a basic approach to search engine registration.

The first item is placement review, which means making a list of five or six key words or phrases associated with your organization. Then check them on one of the engines and see where your organization appears.

Optimization is a crucial consideration, and it involves making subtle changes to improve an organization's ranking. The following may involve the assistance of your Webmaster, but they are important:

* Look at the <TITLE> tag on your homepage and other significant pages on your site. The tag should contain the full name of the organization, along with a three-word phrase that contains one or two keywords.

* There is a key set of words on your Web pages called <META> tags, including one called "keywords" that should contain your most important keywords. A second one will be called "description." This should have a one- or two-sentence description of your organization.

* On the visible page itself, make sure that every image has a text description attached in the "ALT" part of the <IMAGE> tag. Search engines cannot read images, but they can read the ALT content.

* Have some regular text on your page that repeats the keywords as often as possible.

Finally, submit your optimized Web page to be re-examined by the major search engines.

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

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ANNUAL GIVING – MANY WAYS OF MAKING THE “ASK”

Although the concept of an annual giving program is familiar to most nonprofit managers, it is possible to lose sight of just what is involved.

At a recent conference on fundraising, the elements of an annual giving program were aired, including a basic understanding of what it is and what the component parts of an annual fund are.

An annual giving program is any planned activity that seeks to generate revenue from donors or prospects on a recurring basis.

An annual giving program should be started first, followed by a major gifts program and then by a planned gift program. The annual fund is the building block for all fundraising. It serves to establish a base of donors that can serve as an effective device to involve, inform and bond a constituency to an organization.

With these ideas in mind, look at the components of the annual fund. They can be divided by the "Hard Asks" and the "Soft Asks."

Under the Hard Ask:
* A year-end appeal
* Year-end follow-ups
* Special appeals, such as programmatic or hot issues and seasonal giving
* Telemarketing
* Event invitation (annual)
* Acquisition appeals
* Under the Soft Ask:
* Newsletters
* The annual report
* Holiday cards
* Donor surveys
* Planned giving information
* Event invitations (other than annual)
* Major donor society invitations

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

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NEWS

August 5, 2005

VA APAS FLEX MUSCLE WITH 2005 CANDIDATES’ FORUM

By Jackie Bong-Wright

A Historic Event

With the heat of summer rising, a growing alliance of Asian Pacific American (APA) groups is trying to put the finishing details on the first-ever all-APA sponsored Candidates’ Forum in Northern Virginia.  Twelve initial participant groups include the Asian Pacific American Bar Association – DC Chapter (APABA), Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA), Federal Asian Pacific American Coalition (FAPAC), Indian Political Educational Forum (IPEF), Korean American Coalition - DC (KAC-DC), Korean American Association of Northern Virginia (KAA-NOVA), Korean American Association of Washington Metropolitan Area (KAA-Washington), National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (NCVA), National Association of Korean Americans - Washington (NAKA-Washington), Organization of Chinese Americans - Northern Virginia Chapter (OCA-NOVA), and the Vietnamese American Voters Association (VAVA).

This year, 13 incumbent Delegates and 5 new candidates from the Democratic party as well as 7 incumbent and 8 new Republican candidates are competing for the House of Delegates, in addition to the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General positions. 

“The importance of having an all-APA Candidates’ Forum is to have the political candidates be aware of the growing size of Virginia’s APA community,” said Eric Jensen, Chairman of the Coalition  of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia, one of the groups involved.

  “This is the first time the entire non-partisan alliance of APA groups are joining together to hear from candidates running for these important state offices,” said Satish Korpe, President of the Indian Political Education Forum.

APAs’ Strength in Virginia

The APA community in Virginia is gaining momentum in numbers and in economic power.  The 2000 Census showed that Virginia was one of the ten states which had the fastest growing and the largest Asian population.  There are between 315,000 and 360,000 (4.2%) APA residents in the state, 47% of whom hold a Bachelor degree or higher.  Around 22,500 APA-owned firms generate $4.4 billion in gross revenues and provide 47,000 jobs to the economy of Virginia.  The 2004 Census affirmed that the median APA income was approximately $55,700 versus $43,300 for all households, and 70% were homeowners.  

Yet 14% of APA families still live in poverty and do not get fair access to state services, language assistance or inclusion in policy decisions.  APA suffer higher rates of hepatitis B, diabetes, cancer and tuberculosis than the general population.  APA gang violence is increasing in the Commonwealth in the extortion of APA businesses.

Yet, there are no APA elected state officials, accounting for a huge disparity of political under-representation.  For this reason, APA groups, led by CAPAVA, feel they have the responsibility to ask elected officials to budget a state APA outreach office to help APA communities gain access to state services.  At the same time, APAs help the state reach APA communities and also extend and increase trade with APAs’ home countries.

Intense Planning Effort

Because of the chaotic nature of political campaigns, organizers have found it difficult to pin down a Saturday afternoon in the coming months when most candidates will be available.  The alliance has set September 10 for the event, and a venue holding 300 to 500 is being sought. 

There has been a steady stream of communications to Democrat, Republican and Independent candidates and among organizing committee members.  A Steering Committee has been set up and alliance members have been meeting on a bi-weekly basis since early February. 

“We can use all the help from community groups we can get,” said Ting-Yi Oei, President of CAPAVA, “particularly as we try to get as many APA constituents as possible to turn out and demonstrate our community’s interest.”

APA Unity is Stressed

A more subtle but arguably more important by-product of the planning effort for the Forum is the first-time cooperation among APA groups of different political orientations in Virginia. 

In early November 2004, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), with the help of several co-sponsoring organizations, conducted the nation’s largest exit poll of almost 11,000 Asian American voters, a third of whom were first-time voters.  The questionnaire was written in 8 languages and Asian Americans were surveyed in 23 cities in 8 states including Virginia.

The survey showed that 47% of Asian Americans were registered Democrats in Northern Virginia, and 53% of Southeast Asians registered Republicans.  35% were first-time voters, over a third of whom were limited English-proficient and needed some form of language assistance to vote.  They depended on their ethinic press to learn about politics and community issues to make their voting decisions.  Civil liberties and security, followed by affirmative action and racial profiling, were among the top issues on which these voters cast their ballots.

“By sponsoring an APA alliance event, the groups hope to educate APA constituents about the state political and elections process,” said Julie Park of the Korean American Coalition-DC.

“By hosting this important APA event, we hope also to inform the candidates about our community’s issues in Virginia,” said Hung Nguyen, President of the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans. 

Rose Chu, a member of the Organization of Chinese Americans, said, “In this year’s state elections, our alliance groups think it is important to increase the number of APA votes, especially by students and younger voters.”

Jackie Bong-Wright of the Vietnamese American Voters’ Association is calling on all APAs to speed up their voter registration drives and motivate APAs to go to the polls.

“This is another benchmark -- APA communities are working together to bring  APA issues to state elected officials, while helping our communities understand the political process and the importance of participating in it,” said Ben Bahn, a Forum Steering Committee official. 

For that reason, the Forum’s organizers are making an effort to reach up to 20 APA groups to co-sponsor this historic occasion and ask APA businesses to underwrite some of the costs.

Wide Support Expected

Invitations are being sent to political candidates and their respective political parties.  “Candidates who have learned of the event have enthusiastically asked to participate,” said Manshik Kim, President of the National Association of Korean Americans. “Candidates and political parties are responding positively.”

Media attention is also being sought.  A press conference to reach APA and mainstream media will be held in the afternoon of August 23 at China Garden restaurant in Rosslyn.  A press release focusing on key issues and talking points will be sent out, and flyers of the event will be disseminated to APA stores, malls, restaurants, and churches.  An APA media celebrity will be invited to be the Moderator of the Candidates’ Forum.

Alex Chan, a Steering Committee member and former President of the Federal Asian Pacific American Coalition, and Jun Koo of the Korean American Coalition of Washington, DC, will spearhead efforts to contact Asian-language newspapers and other media about the Forum.  Jackie Bong-Wright, President of the Vietnamese American Voters Association, and Julie Park of the Korean American Coalition will work on advertising and publicity.

For more information about the APA Candidates’ Forum, contact Ting-Yi Obi, ting.oei@verizon.net; Julie Park, Julie.park@gmsp.org; or Eric Jensen, eljensen@comcast.net.

(http://www.asianfortune.com/aug05/Articles/va-apa%20candidates%20forum%20-%20body.htm)

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August 5, 2005

HOME OWNERSHIP STILL DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN FOR MANY AAPIS

Teresa Lewi

Lack of information on the home-buying process constitutes a major obstacle to home ownership in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, according to a recent Congressional briefing on Asian American housing and home ownership trends.

The U.S. Census data provided by the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) shows that the median household income for AAPIs is $51,045, which is significantly higher than the national average of $41,994.

Yet, the home ownership percentage among AAPI households is just 53%, compared to the national average of 66%.

The low home ownership rate can be attributed partly to AAPIs being unable to afford to purchase their own homes, some being forced to live in substandard housing conditions instead.

Other Asian Americans, who have the means to owning a home, choose not to because of their unfamiliarity with the home-buying process.

Preliminary findings by Freddie Mac on Asian American home-buying trends note “a confluence of forces that contribute to the Asian American home ownership gap. These forces delay the timeline for home purchase by years or discourage eligible low to moderate-income buyers from entering the market.”

Such “forces” cited by the findings include Asian Americans’ general aversion to acquiring debt, their belief that securing a decent job and raising a family has priority over owning a home and their lack of understanding of home ownership issues.

Congressman Mike Honda, Chairman of CAPAC, spoke in support of the sponsor organizations’ efforts, saying that “home ownership is critical” and that AAPIs need assistance in home ownership attainment.

One of the panelists for the briefing was Sandy Dang, Executive Director of Asian American Leadership Empowerment and Development (AALEAD), which promotes the well-being of Asian American youth through education and community services.

Based on her experiences in AALEAD, Dang noted the importance of providing children with adequate housing, which leads to better performances in their daily life activities.

“It’s really important to look at the community we live in,” she said, citing D.C. as the home to some Asian immigrants who reside in poor housing conditions.

Asian American households also endure overcrowding in their homes at greater rates than the total white population. According to statistics drawn from the Asian Pacific American Community Development Data Center, the rate of overcrowded homes for Asians is 14%, four times the rate of 3% for housing units throughout the nation.

Demographic trends revealed by the census, such as overcrowded homes, high household incomes combined with low per capita income and the large average household size within AAPI populations, can be attributed to Asian Americans generally having larger families and multiple family members working to contribute to housing costs.

The briefing on July 25 in Washington D.C., was sponsored by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), National Coalition for Asian American Community Development (National CAPACD) and Freddie Mac.

Other community meetings on Asian American housing are scheduled on the first week of August in various locations around the U.S. More information can be found at www.nationalcapacd.org.

(http://www.asianfortune.com/aug05/Articles/apa%20housing.htm)

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August 16, 2005

UH CLASSES FOCUS ON VIETNAMESE

In response to Houston's growing Vietnamese-American population, the University of Houston is offering four new classes this fall: two Vietnamese language classes, a class on Vietnamese culture, and a course on the history of Vietnamese-Americans. For additional information, call Angie Joe at 713-743-8153 or e-mail ajoe@uh.edu, namcocomo@hotmail.com or longle_us@yahoo.com.

(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/education/3313837)

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PROJECT SEEKS TO PRESERVE HISTORY
Public asked to help raise $80,000 for Vietnamese heritage exhibit.

By NGUYEN HUY VU
The Orange County Register

FOUNTAIN VALLEY – It's been more than three decades since the fall of Saigon, and UC Irvine researcher Vu Pham worries that younger Vietnamese-Americans are forgetting how their parents and grandparents arrived in the United States.

"They are not talking to their children about the war and their experiences," said Pham, who also works as the director of the Smithsonian Institution's Vietnamese American Heritage Project. "Our stories are not being told."

Pham and Smithsonian officials at a press conference Tuesday asked for the community's help in raising about $80,000 by Oct. 1 for a traveling cultural and historical exhibit that documents the mass migration of Vietnamese refugees to the United States.

The proposed project, which could debut in late 2006, would become the Smithsonian's first national exhibit focusing on the Vietnamese-American community. The Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Program, coordinating the effort, has raised $120,000 since last year and will need a total of $200,000 to pay for the exhibit. Plans include a traveling 2,500-square-foot exhibit showing photographs and artifacts of the community's presence from 1975 to 2005, an educational Web site, a curriculum for middle school students and sponsoring public programs around the country. Smithsonian officials also hope to establish a $1 million endowment to make the exhibit a permanent fixture.

Pham said the project will give Vietnamese-Americans an opportunity to let people know that they are not just refugees of war but one of many immigrant communities ingrained in the fabric of America.

"It's been 30 years and we are losing so many people as the generations pass," said Pham, who took over the helm of the project in the spring.

"We are losing their voices and if we don't do it now who knows when it will happen."

CONTACT US: (714) 445-6685 or vnguyen@ocregister.com

MORE INFORMATION 
•The Vietnamese American Heritage Project can be reached at (202) 786-2409 or http://www.vietam.org.

•Donations can be sent by check to: Asian Pacific American Program/ Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Arts and Industries Building Room 2467, MRC 440, 900 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, DC 20013-7012

(http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/08/17/sections/local/local/article_637334.php)

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August 17, 2005

ACT SCORES HOLD STEADY FOR CLASS OF 2005

(AP) -- Average scores on the ACT college entrance exam held steady across all subjects for the high school class of 2005 compared with last year's seniors, an indication that schools are treading water in their efforts to prepare students for college-level work.

Administrators noted that the average national composite score of 20.9, unchanged from 2004, represents slight progress in the sense that scores kept up even though more students -- particularly Hispanics -- are taking the ACT. Yet the test scores also suggest that many students remain severely under-prepared for college work, they said.

ACT scores range from 1 to 36.

Nearly three in four test-takers failed to reach a benchmark indicating they are likely to succeed in a college biology course, and only 41 percent hit a similar benchmark in math. Barely one in five hit the benchmark in all four measured subject areas: math, science, English and social science.

"Hundreds of thousands are going to have a hard time because of the disconnect between their plans for college and the cold reality of their readiness for college," said Richard Ferguson, CEO of the independent, not-for-profit ACT, based in Iowa City, Iowa.

Nearly 1.2 million members of the class of 2005 took the ACT, or 40 percent of all graduates. The number rose slightly from last year to an all-time high. In Illinois and Colorado, the exam is taken by almost all 11th-graders under a state-mandated program.

The ACT exam is the predominant college entrance exam in about half the states, mostly in the middle part of the country, while the SAT is more popular on the East and West Coasts. Most colleges accept either exam.

The results come amid some renewed focus, including from the National Governors Association, on getting more students to take a core curriculum. In February, a coalition of 13 states agreed on a plan to toughen high school courses and graduation requirements. A survey out last week found nine in 10 students said they would work harder if their high school expected more of them.

But for now, only 56 percent of last year's seniors who took the ACT said they were taking the recommended core curriculum for college prep: four years of English, and three each of math, science, and social studies. That figure has changed little over the last decade despite research indicating students who take the core do better in college, the ACT said.

"Somehow the message doesn't seem to be getting through to students -- they will have to work in high school and take some of these core courses," Ferguson said.

Other tests the ACT administers to 10th- and eighth-graders indicate the high school classes of 2007 and 2009 are on track to fare no better in college preparation. But Ferguson said there is some hope down the line. The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, released last month, gave 9-year-olds their highest ever scores in math and science since tests were first given in the early 1970s.

Results will not be released until next year for the new optional essay section the ACT began offering this year.

Among other ACT results for the class of 2005:

* The number of Hispanic test-takers is up 40 percent since 2001, to 83,447, and minorities comprise 27 percent of all ACT test-takers, up from 24 percent in 2001.

* Average scores for Asian-Americans rose 0.2 points to 22.1, while white students' scores rose 0.1 to 21.9. Hispanics' scores rose 0.1 to 18.7, while blacks' fell 0.1 to 17.0.

* Girls accounted for 56 percent of test-takers, unchanged for four years. Average boys' scores rose 0.1 from last year to 21.1; girls' scores were unchanged at 20.9.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

(http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/08/17/act.scores.ap/)

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August 17, 2005

ASIAN AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT BELIES INVISIBILITY

Sing Tao Daily, Editorial, Joseph Leung, Translated by Yvonne Lee

The California Department of Education released its high school Exit Exam and STAR results this week. Chinese American parents have always paid close attention to education news. Yet, the news report only mentioned gains made by California students as a group and the differences between white and African American and Latino students. As if Asian Americans are invisible, the release did not contain one word on results for Asian Americans. Asian Americans were only covered in a column in a small graph accompanying the story.

News coverage that treats Asian Americans as the invisible group is not confined to just this one. There are often news reports on health that contain data for African American and Latinos omitting mention of Asian Americans. There is a long history of mainstream media rendering Asian American invisible in news coverage. When Asian Americans are covered, it usually involves crime.

This year, out of all ethnic groups including whites, Asian Americans attained the best test scores in STAR and Exit Exam. This was not included in this week’s news coverage. Instead coverage centered on the gap between white and minority students other than Asian American.

We do not intend to force the media to praise Asian Americans but only ask them to report the entire outcome. Asian American students collectively have performed well in the testing. Why did this not arouse any interest from reporters and editors? If one must compare results of students from different groups, then why not analyze the causes of Asian American achievement?

Asian Americans may be a silent group, but it will not remain invisible. Take the area of education in particular. There are many Chinese Americans who are members of school boards. The South Bay public school district where Chinese American students concentrate is a model school district for the Bay Area. In the Bay Area’s coverage of education news, why are there so few mainstream media who want to interview educators from this district? This intentional-un-intentional subtle and not so subtle manner of displacing Asian Americans from the public view ought to receive attention from the proper authorities.

(http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=1427078ce5088176c8695ee481003698)

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August 21, 2005

VIETNAMESE HOPE FOR CULTURAL CENTER
New facility would be first of its kind in Metro Detroit and help educate others, aid immigrants.

By Maureen Feighan
The Detroit News

MADISON HEIGHTS -- Sitting in a black vinyl booth of a Madison Heights restaurant with a plaid shirt and a smile that makes his eyes crinkle at the corner, Hao Pham passes around dishes of Vietnamese-style catfish, cabbage salad and chicken stir-fry with lemongrass.

A lot has changed for the 48-year-old father of two since he fled Vietnam in 1979. One of the thousands of "boat people," Pham, of Ann Arbor, endured a cramped three-day journey across the South China Sea with little food and a Thai pirate attack to make it to Malaysia and later the United States.

Today, Pham hasn't forgotten his desperate past. He's working with a group of friends to bring other Vietnamese immigrants together, teach Americans about the Vietnam War and provide resources to other new immigrants through a Vietnamese-American cultural center.

"A cultural center would benefit everybody," said Pham, who works at Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn. "It'll be a place for our people, it'll enrich others and expand their knowledge base."

Conceived by older Vietnamese immigrants years ago but never acted upon, the center will be the first of its kind in Metro Detroit and is being spearheaded by Pham and three Vietnamese friends and co-workers whom he met through the Ford Vietnamese Association.

Fund raising kicked off last month with a special program in Royal Oak featuring Vietnamese singing, dancing and food that raised more than $7,000.

Milon Hoang, another member of Vietnamese-American Future Generations spearheading the drive, said the goal is to raise roughly $500,000 during the next five years to build the center or renovate a building.

The center may be in Madison Heights, Sterling Heights or north Warren, where many Vietnamese-Americans live.

"There's community centers for just about every ethnic group," said Hoang, 40, of West Bloomfield.

"Why not a Vietnamese center? It would add to the cultural enrichment of Metro Detroit."

According to U.S. Census figures, Michigan's Vietnamese represent one of the smallest Asian subgroups in the state, with 0.1 percent of the population in 2000. But their ranks are growing, up 124 percent between 1990 and 2000.

Hoang said there is no place where the Vietnamese in Metro Detroit can come together.

Hoang, who fled Vietnam with her family two days before the fall of Saigon in 1976 because her father was a South Vietnamese Army colonel, said many Vietnamese turn to their churches or temples for traditional celebrations or classes to teach their children Vietnamese.

But she hopes the center will be a place where Vietnamese can come together regardless of faith and Westerners can learn about the history and aftermath of a devastating war.

The center will include a historical exhibit with artifacts, letters and testimony. Roughly 6 million Vietnamese lost their lives during the 30-yearlong civil war, along with 58,000 American soldiers.

"Between 1954 and 1975, 2.5 million people died," Hoang said.

"You're talking about almost 10 percent of the (North Vietnam and South Vietnam) population. ... People don't see that. For the Vietnamese, it was a huge toll we paid."

You can reach Maureen Feighan at (248) 647-7416 or mfeighan@detnews.com.

Organizers of the Vietnamese-American Heritage & Cultural Center will hold another fund-raiser for the center in November. Details are still being arranged. Send donations to Vietnamese Heritage & Cultural Center, P.O. Box 52086, Livonia, MI 48152.

(http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0508/21/D01-287405.htm)

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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.

Copyright material is distributed without profit or payment for research and educational purposes only, in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107