NCVA eREPORTER
- February 8, 2005
In this NCVA eReporter:
Events
Funding Opportunities
Jobs/Internships
Tips/Resources
News
******************
EVENTS
SIXTH ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT FOR VIETNAM YOUTH
The Amador Theater will host an afternoon of music at the annual
Children's Benefit Concert on
March 6, 2005. This will be the sixth consecutive year that this
benefit concert has been held, and all proceeds will support
children in need in Vietnam. The concert features classical,
Vietnamese traditional, and jazz performances by clarinetist and
former Cal State Hayward music department head Bill Wohlmacher,
pianist Priscilla Granger, members of the Viet Spring Folk
Ensemble, and the Just Friends jazz band. David Louie from ABC7
will be emceeing the event.
In October 1998 at the age of ten, Chi Nguyen began raising
money with her sister Truc for her parents' homeland, Vietnam,
by organizing five benefit concerts and by selling homemade
almond toffee and Chi's personal collection of Beanie Babies.
These events have attracted wide support from Bay Area
residents. In both her first trip to Vietnam in 1999 and her
most recent trip last summer, Chi visited a street children's
shelter in Can Tho, where her funds have been sent to help
provide clothing, meals, literacy classes, and basic medical
needs for more than 100 street children. The children's
resilience and strength touched her very deeply and inspired her
to work harder to promote Vietnamese children's welfare. Chi's
ongoing effort for children in Vietnam has been recognized by
several organizations, including Target, the Tiger Woods
Foundation, and NetAid. Together with Tiger Woods, Chi has been
featured on national television and newspaper advertisements
promoting her cause and Target's programs. Chi has also been
interviewed by CNN, CNN International, NBC11, National Public
Radio (KQED), the New York Times Upfront, and KCBS.
Chi's goal with this concert is to continue helping the street
children in Can Tho and to extend her efforts to children in
other locations in Vietnam.
What: Sixth Annual Children's Benefit Concert
Who: Chi and Truc Nguyen; professional musicians:
clarinetist Bill Wohlmacher and pianist Priscilla Granger;
members of the Viet Spring Folk Ensemble: My-Thuan Tran, Song-My
Tran, Thuy-An Tran, and Audry Quynh-An Ngo; Just Friends jazz
band musicians; and emcee David Louie from ABC7
When:
March 6, 2005, at
2:00 pm
Where: Amador Theater (on the Amador Valley High School
campus) 1155 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton
Why: To raise money for the street children of the city
of Can Tho, Vietnam. All proceeds will be donated to VNHELP
(Viet Nam Health Education and Literature Projects at
www.vnhelp.org), a non-profit organization helping children
and communities in Vietnam
Tickets: Admission $9, available at Towne Center Books
(Pleasanton,
925-846-8826), Camerata Music (Dublin,
925-828-1011),
House of Woodwinds (San Ramon, 925-831-8341), VNHELP office (San
Jose, 408-885-1791), and at the door.
For more information: Contact (925) 275-9250
Email:
worldinterchange@gmail.com
Website:
www.worldinterchange.net
It all started in October 1998, when 10-year-old Chi Nguyen held
a sale of her personal collection of Beanie Babies and homemade
almond toffee to help children in her parents' home country of
Vietnam. Expecting to raise just $200 from her Bay Area
neighbors, she ended the day with more than five times that
amount.
Capitalizing on her talent as a pianist and the musical skills
of her older sister and friends, Chi organized full-scale
concerts that garnered support and attention, and raised funds
to help the street children of Can Tho. Working with the
organization Viet Nam Health Education and Literature Projects (VNHELP),
her efforts have raised $31,000 to provide clothing, meals,
literacy classes and basic medical needs for more than 100
orphans.
At the age of 16, Chi is already a veteran of promoting
children's rights, but her drive to do more to help children in
Vietnam won't let her rest. "I now have a dream of organizing a
very large benefit gala event to raise (more money) for Vietnam
next year," she explains. "I know that each of these children
deserves an opportunity for a better life, and I firmly believe
that education will broaden their possibilities."
Contact:
Chi Nguyen
Tel:
(925)
275-9250
Email:
worldinterchange@gmail.com
******************
GRANTWRITING WORKSHOP
OFFERED
Great Grant Proposals Workshop
In this two-session class, co-sponsored by Writing for Community
Success and Media Alliance, participants will learn to sell
their organizations and programs to foundation and corporate
funders with a well-crafted grant proposal. The class includes
extensive handouts, discussions, hands-on exercises, homework,
and personalized feedback, plus an optional email follow-up
review. Other important tips for getting proposals funded will
also be discussed. The workshop sessions will be held on
Wednesday, March 23 and Thursday, March 31, in San Francisco,
CA. Visit the above website to register.
(http://store.yahoo.com/media-alliance/adcoa.html)
******************
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
DOLLAR GENERAL LITERACY FOUNDATION OFFERS SUPPORT FOR ADULT
AND FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAMS
Deadline: April 8, 2005
Since 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has increased
the functional literacy of adults by providing grants to
nonprofit organizations dedicated to the advancement of
literacy. The foundation funds nonprofit programs designed to
serve adults or families in need of literacy services.
Nonprofit organizations are invited to submit applications in
one of the two following program areas: 1) Literacy instruction
for adults, including Adult Basic Education, GED preparation,
and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); or 2) Family
literacy. Note: Organizations can only submit an application in
one program area.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards grants in the
amount of $15,000 or less (with $15,000 as the exception). The
funds available through the foundation are dispersed throughout
Dollar General's thirty-state market area based on the quality
of proposals submitted. For fiscal year 2005-06, the foundation
will award a minimum of $1 million in grants through its annual
RFP process to qualifying nonprofit literacy providers.
The program is open to organizations that are recognized as
nonprofit charitable entities with 501(c)(3) status from the
Internal Revenue Service; provide literacy-based programs and
services to adults or families in the thirty states where Dollar
General stores are located; have not received a grant from the
Dollar General Literacy Foundation more than once in the last
two years; and have met all reporting requirements from their
most recent Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant.
(http://www.dollargeneral.com/community/dgliteracy.aspx)
******************
NELLIE MAE FOUNDATION SEEKS
NEW ENGLAND APPLICANTS FOR PARTNERSHIPS FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS
GRANT PROGRAM
Deadline: March 1, 2005
The Nellie Mae Foundation (
http://nelliemaefoundation.org ) has announced a Request for
Applications for the second cycle of the College Prep
initiative's Partnerships for College Success program.
The College Prep initiative focuses on increasing the number of
underserved students in New England who, through effective
university-school partnerships, are prepared for admission and
success in college. Beacuse three Massachusetts partnerships are
already participating in the program, applications for this
cycle are invited from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Applications are invited from existing college/university and
high school partnerships that are designed to improve student
achievement, college preparation, access, and attainment for all
students. Partnerships for College Success is focused on
college/university-school partnerships that serve low-income,
minority, and potential first-generation college-going students.
Eligible applicants must be four-year colleges or universities
in a highly collaborative partnership with a school serving
grades 7-12 or 9-12.
The foundation plans to invite two additional college-school
partnerships to join the program in 2005. Grants are for up to
$150,000. Annual grants will be renewable for up to five years.
(http://www.nmefdn.org/initiatives/collegeprep/index.htm?i=2)
******************
ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR
INVESTIGATOR AWARDS IN HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH PROGRAM
Deadline: April 1, 2005 (Letters of Intent)
The Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research, a program of
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (
http://www.rwjf.org/ ), funds highly qualified individuals
ready to undertake broad studies of America's most challenging
policy issues in health and healthcare.
Grants of up to $275,000 are awarded to investigators from a
variety of disciplines. Up to ten awards will be made in this
grant cycle. Successful proposals combine creative and
conceptual thinking with innovative approaches to critical
health problems and policy issues. Previously funded projects
have explored a range of topics, including health risk and
disease prevention, the determinants of health and disparities
among population groups, adolescent violence, firearms and
tobacco policies, the effects of managed care, the
patient-provider relationship, medical technology, patient
safety, the policy-making process, and public and private
financing programs.
Applicants must be affiliated either with educational
institutions or with 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations located
in the United States. Applications are welcomed from
investigators in fields such as anthropology, business,
demography, economics, engineering, ethics, genetics, health and
social policy, history, journalism, law, medicine, nursing,
political science, public health, psychology, science policy,
social work, and sociology. The program seeks a diverse group of
applicants, including members of minority groups and individuals
in nonacademic settings.
(http://www.rwjf.org/applying/cfpDetail.jsp?cfpCode=IHP&type=open)
******************
SERVICE GRANTS TO BE AWARDED TO NEW ENGLAND NONPROFIT BY AXON
DESIGN AND MARKETING
Deadline: Rolling, until September 15, 2005
Axon Design and Marketing (
http://www.axondm.com/ ), a graphic design and marketing
firm based in Portland, Maine, is offering $20,000 in pro bono
service grants to New England nonprofits over the next year.
One $5,000 grant per quarter will be awarded to a non-profit
organization.
Axon services include marketing and design consulting, Web and
print design, and Web development. In 2004, five grants were
awarded to the following: Camp Sunshine, Hartford Food System,
the New Haven Manufacturers Association, the Maine Math and
Science Alliance, and Dress for Success New Hampshire. Projects
included an endowment campaign brochure, a database-driven Web
site, corporate identity and brand development consulting, and a
brochure.
Applications will be accepted from February 1 through September
15. Grants will be awarded on a rolling quarterly basis.
(http://www.axondm.com/npgrant/)
******************
AWARDS SOCIAL SERVICE COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN FAITH-BASED AND
SECULAR ORGANIZATIONS
Faith and Service Technical Education Network: Partners in
Transformation Awards Program
The Faith and Service Technical Education Network (FASTEN)
offers informational resources and networking opportunities to
faith-based practitioners, private philanthropies, and public
administrators who seek to collaborate effectively to renew
urban communities. FASTEN's Partners in Transformation Awards
Program provides awards to faith-based nonprofits and houses of
worship operating effective social service programs in
collaboration with organizations outside the faith community
such as schools, police, government agencies, Chambers of
Commerce, secular foundations or nonprofits. Eligible social
service programs include, but are not limited to, educational
programs, mentoring programs, job training and placement,
substance abuse treatment, homeless services, affordable
housing, criminal justice programs, and teen pregnancy
prevention efforts. Faith-based nonprofit organizations or
houses of worship/congregations with annual budgets of less than
$5 million throughout Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho,
Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas are eligible to
apply. Round one applications are due April 1, 2005. Five to ten
semi-finalists from each of the ten states will each be awarded
$100 and each state winner will receive a $5,000 cash award.
(http://www.fastennetwork.org)
******************
SUPPORT FOR
FINANCIAL EDUCATION
ING Foundation
The ING Foundation's primary goal is to educate the public on
becoming financially independent through increased understanding
and comfort with financial services products. Grants are made to
assist nonprofit organizations in motivating individuals to
assume personal responsibility for their financial well-being.
Limited grants are also made in the categories of health and
wellness and arts and culture. Contributions are primarily
focused on nonprofit organizations in the areas where employees
are based and customers live.
For a list of ING affiliates and their locations go to:
http://www.ing-usa.com/about/affiliate/index.html.
The next application deadline is April 2, 2005.
(http://www.ing-usa.com/us/about/connect/community/index.html)
******************
INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS RECOGNIZED
MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnerships Award Program
The Community-Police Partnerships Award program, co-sponsored by
the MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support
Corporation, will recognize the work of innovative partnerships
between community groups and police to promote neighborhood
safety and revitalization. Through this awards program,
partnerships are honored that exhibit tangible accomplishments
in their efforts to advance the process, outcome, and/or
evaluation of potent community-police collaborations. Six to
eight monetary awards totaling ranging from $10,000 to $35,000
each will be made. Visit the website listed above for more
information.
(http://www.lisc.org/whatwedo/programs/csi/MetLifeAwards.shtml)
******************
APRIL 1 DEADLINE FOR GRANTS TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
AND GIRLS
Ms. Foundation for Women: Safety Program
The Ms. Foundation for Women supports the efforts of women and
girls to govern their own lives and influence the world around
them. The Foundation's Safety Program aims to end violence
against all women and girls by supporting community-centered
strategies that engage survivors and marginalized communities to
actively change the conditions that give rise to violence, in
order to prevent violence before it starts. Support is provided
for community-centered strategies with a violence prevention
agenda connected with an analysis of race, class, gender, age,
and sexual orientation; and program activities that actively
work to transform traditional gender roles for both women and
men. Nonprofit organizations working in the U.S., Puerto Rico,
and the U.S. territories are eligible to apply. The application
deadline is April 1, 2005.
(http://www.ms.foundation.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5)
******************
EMPOWERING YOUNG ADULTS TO SAVE FOR RETIREMENT
The NASD Investor Education Foundation invites eligible
organizations to submit grant proposals for research projects
and/or educational programs that empower young adults, ages
18-24, who are about to enter the workforce to better prepare
for initial investment decisions and for investing goals,
including retirement. Grant proposals must be postmarked by
April 13, 2005.
(http://www.nasd.com/web/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&ssDocName=NASDW_013226&ssSourceNodeId=13)
******************
LIBRARIES FOR THE FUTURE
Libraries for the Future, with support from MetLife Foundation,
is sponsoring a national book and film discussion series for
teenagers and families, especially immigrant families, that will
take place in public libraries. Public libraries are invited to
submit proposals to receive a $5,000 grant. The deadline for
proposals is March 4, 2005.
(http://www.lff.org/news/RA05_rfp.html)
******************
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
OCA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM
Important Dates
Applications: Postmarked by March 15
Offers: Announced by 1st week of May
Acceptance Deadline : Received by 2nd week of May
Requirements
* Undergraduate (If graduate students are interested in
volunteering or working as fellows if funds are available,
please contact the OCA office at 202-223-5500.)
* Demonstrated interest in public affairs
* Oral and written communication skills
* Commitment to work for a minimum of 10 weeks (Internship term
start and end dates are flexible and may work around intern's
schedule.)
About the Program
OCA's program is largest internship program for APIA college
students in Washington, D.C. and it is the oldest program. We
have produced many interns who have continued their careers in
the public sector or have remained active within the APIA
community.
The OCA Summer Internship Program recruits approximately 24
undergraduate or graduate students from an applicant pool of
over 200 applications. Decisions are often based on complete,
written applications, and interviews are not necessarily given.
The position compensates $2000 for 10 weeks of full time work
and, based on available funding. In addition, OCA sets aside
funds for each intern's travel expenses to the OCA Convention,
held in Las Vegas this year. OCA also assists interns in finding
affordable and local housing resources for out-of-town interns'
transitions into the Washington, DC area.
Each year OCA recruits 20-25 interns to participate in the
Summer Internship Program. Some past placements include: Capitol
Hill offices of Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL),
Representative Nancy Pelosi (CA), Representative Susan Davis
(CA) and Representative Diane Watson (CA); the Joint Center for
Political and Economic Studies; Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation; Department of Commerce; U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Health and
Human Services; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development; National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People; National Education Association; and within the OCA
National Office.
In addition to the interns' placements, OCA's Summer Internship
Program provides unique supplementary experiences, incorporating
the Brown Bag Luncheon Series (the Brown Bag Luncheon Series is
coordinated by OCA with the help of the various national APA
organizations. Weekly sessions address issues commonly focused
on), leadership training, Conference on Asian Pacific American
Leadership (CAPAL) events, visits with Hill staffers and federal
agency workers, meetings with Senators and Representatives, OCA
Convention planning, and staff and other meetings.
Some of the projects that intern classes have completed as a
group include the creation and production of the OCA 30th
Anniversary video and the summer intern class PowerPoint
presentation; White Papers on affirmative action, HR 333 (AAPI
Serving Institutions), hate crimes, post 911 civil liberties and
the USA Patriot Act, immigration, election reform, and
Proposition 54; writing and editing articles for OCA's quarterly
publication, Image; and writing letters in response to issues
such as hate crimes and HR 333 and media incidents; the annual
OCA Convention; and the OCA Building Campaign.
Application
Please see our Internship Program section of our website (www.ocanatl.org
) for an application.
Special thanks to this program's past sponsors including
PepsiCo, Ford Motor Company, OCA chapters and individual donors,
the FF Fraternity, and special trust funds of Mary Anne & Paul
Yu Internship Fund and the Ken & Karen Lee Foundation.
Organization of Chinese Americans,
oca@ocanatl.org
******************
FANNIE MAE FOUNDATION OFFERS AFFORDABLE HOUSING FELLOWSHIPS FOR
SUMMER PROGRAM AT KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
Deadline: April 1, 2005
The Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship Program supports the
professional development of senior public and nonprofit
officials committed to affordable housing in the United States.
The Fannie Mae Foundation partners with the John F. Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard University (
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/ ) to offer the program. Since
1996, the foundation has annually sponsored up to thirty-five
fellowships for elected and appointed officials, as well as
senior managers in the Program for Senior Executives in State
and Local Government
(
http://www.execprog.com/programs.asp?programid=29&displaymode=view
).
The three-week (June 12-July 1, 2005) summer program is intended
to enhance the management and decision-making skills of
accomplished leaders experienced in managing housing and
community development programs. The program curriculum focuses
on organizational strategy; political management; policy
development; management control and operations; and management
of human resources.
The program is taught by Kennedy School faculty. In addition to
participation in the Program for Senior Executives, Fannie Mae
Foundation Fellows attend special sessions that address housing
issues, trends, policies, and successful models of
public/private housing partnership.
Fellowship funds cover the cost of the admission deposit,
program tuition, and room and board for the session.
(http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/grants/kennedy_school.shtml)
******************
TIPS/RESOURCES
IRS CLARIFIES POSITION ON FOUNDATION FUNDING OF NONPROFITS THAT
LOBBY
According to a press release issued by Charity Lobbying in the
Public Interest (
http://clpi.org/ ), a D.C.-based nonprofit that works to
promote and protect nonprofit advocacy and lobbying, a recent
letter of clarification from the Internal Revenue Service to the
organization dispels the notion that foundation funding of
nonprofits that lobby is illegal or inappropriate.
The IRS letter specifies the circumstances under which private
foundations may engage in activities designed to influence
public policy and describes the conditions under which a
foundation can make a grant to a nonprofit for a specific
project that includes lobbying. In addition, the letter makes
clear the latitude permitted community foundations both to lobby
and to earmark funds for lobbying, giving them greater
flexibility than private foundations.
"This letter makes abundantly clear that foundations may fund
nonprofits that lobby. It also provides suggested language which
foundations may safely use in their grant letters to nonprofits
to facilitate that funding," said CLPI chairperson Thomas A.
Troyer. "Lobbying is particularly important for small, local,
community-based nonprofits because it can greatly expand the
impact of their limited resources."
For the complete text of the letter and/or additional
information about the issue, visit:
(http://clpi.org/lobby_law_hm.html#LOBBYING%20AND%20FUNDING)
"IRS Letter Clarifying Foundation Funding of Nonprofits That
Lobby Provides New Flexibility for Grantmakers."
(http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/437/CLPI)
******************
NEWS
January 25, 2005
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Asian Pacific American Program, Smithsonian Institution
Marci Xiong, 202.786.2409
Francey Youngberg, 202.487.8160
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program announces
THE VIETNAMESE AMERICAN HISTORY
AND HERITAGE PROJECT IN 2006
The first significant movement of Vietnamese peoples to the
United States began three decades ago, following the Vietnam-U.S.
War. Now Vietnamese Americans are among the largest ethnic
groups of Asian descent in the United States, with substantial
communities established throughout the nation.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Vietnamese
immigration, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program (APA
Program) embarks on an ambitious project to bring the first
Vietnamese American history and culture exhibit to the
Smithsonian Institution. Gallery space has been secured at the
Smithsonian for the planned opening of the Vietnamese American
History and Heritage Project in 2006. If sufficient funds are
available, the exhibit will travel to several venues around the
country.
Other related events will include public programming at the
Smithsonian, a dedicated website for the Vietnamese American
commemoration, as well as a middle school curriculum guide.
Last November when the APA Program announced its plans for a
Vietnamese American commemoration, local leaders in the
Washington D.C. metropolitan area's Vietnamese American
community initiated a fundraising campaign to raise $60,000. The
response was astonishing, with responses from all over the
country, resulting in a total of $107,000 raised by the end of
2004 towards commemoration efforts, almost double the original
target.
Moreover, as a result of the unprecedented grassroots support in
less than two months, the APA Program has set a new goal to
raise $1 million to create a permanent legacy at the
Smithsonian, under the direction of Program Director Dr.
Franklin Odo. Such an endowment would secure a permanent
position for a Vietnamese American scholar in the APA Program
and ensure that Vietnamese American perspectives are included in
the research, public programs, collections and exhibits
throughout the Smithsonian. Alternatively, the endowment could
also be used to present three or four public programs each year
dedicated to Vietnamese American issues. With such an endowment,
either of these two options would continue in perpetuity without
any need for additional funding.
The 2006 Vietnamese American History and Heritage Project is the
latest endeavor in the APA Program’s ongoing mission to create a
more expansive and inclusive definition of what it means to be
American today.
The APA Program works to better reflect the Asian Pacific
American experience throughout Smithsonian exhibitions, programs
and research. It therefore improves the public’s appreciation of
the crucial roles that Asian Pacific Americans have played in
American history and, simultaneously, empowers APA communities
in their sense of inclusion within our national culture.
(http://www.ncvaonline.org/archive/prj_VAExhibit.shtml)
******************
February 2, 2005
WHAT IS TET?
By Nguyen Huy Vu
The Orange County Register
Tet, or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is one of the most
important holidays for Orange County’s 135,000 Vietnamese
Americans. Also known as Tet Nguyen Dan, the three-day
celebration commemorates the beginning of spring and is a time
to reunite with family, exchange gifts and pray for a prosperous
year.
Tet is also a time when Vietnamese American families take time
to honor their ancestors. They visit graves and decorate family
altars with flowers, incense sticks, bowls of fruit and plates
of traditional foods.
Celebrating the Lunar New Year began in China and later was
adopted by other Asian communities. On the Chinese calendar,
time is measured by the moon and each year is named after one of
12 animals. Feb. 12 will mark the year of the Rooster. According
to Chinese astrology, humans assume the qualities of the animal
representing their birth year.
Tet’s rituals include:
• Children wish their elders good health and a long life. In
return they receive, li xi, or lucky money in golden-etched red
envelopes. Red symbolizes good fortune and gold represents
prosperity.
• Having dragon dancers slithering to the rhythm of a nearby
drum to ward away evil spirits.
• Cleaning the home on the eve of the Lunar New Year to throw
out last year’s "bad" luck. If you clean your house on new
year’s day you’ll sweep all the good luck from your home.
• Eating traditional Tet holiday foods such as banh chung or
banh tet cakes made of sticky rice with a mung bean paste and
pork filling and wrapped in a banana leaf.
• Giving brightly-colored pastries, trays of candies and dried
fruits.
• Lighting firecrackers to drive off ghosts and evil spirits,
leaving good luck in their place.
• The first person to enter a home after the new year will
dictate the family’s well-being and happiness for the rest of
the year.
CONTACT US: (714) 445-6685 or
vnguyen@ocregister.com
(http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/02/02/sections/local/local/article_395631.php)
******************
February 4, 2005
ASIAN-AMERICANS IN VA. SEEK MORE POLITICAL CLOUT
Coalition meets with legislators at Capitol to discuss
their concerns
By Kiran Krishnamurthy
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
The evening's buffet reception bespoke the day's purpose: Indian
chicken tikka was served with Chinese General Tso's chicken.
State legislators filled their plates alongside Virginians of
Korean, Mongolian, Indian and Chinese descent.
There was talk of politics, business and travel.
Building political clout doesn't happen overnight. And so Asian-
Americans from across Virginia convened at the state Capitol
yesterday to meet with General Assembly members, to discuss
their concerns and to learn how to effect political change.
"We have numbers. We have economic clout. But Asians, as a
group, we don't know the structure, the political process," said
Eric Liang Jensen, chairman of the Coalition of Asian and
Pacific Americans of Virginia. "If we want input, we must
involve ourselves in the process."
Yesterday marked the coalition's first legislative day, which
organizers hope to make an annual event.
At noon, coalition members were seated in the House of
Delegates' gallery, where Del. H. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem,
introduced the group as "vital citizens of our commonwealth."
After lunch, some group members toured the Capitol.
The group then spent the afternoon hearing from a variety of
state officials, legislators and coalition members on topics
ranging from education and health care to immigration and fair
housing.
A pending bill (HB 1625) that would prohibit
non-English-speaking people from getting driver's licenses or
renewals drew gasps from the group. Some wondered how the state
would measure proficiency in English.
"This will kill my parents," Michael Kwon of McLean said of the
bill sponsored by Del. Daniel W. Marshall III, R-Danville.
The day's events built on the recent work of the Virginia Asian
Advisory Board, created in 2001 during Republican Gov. Jim
Gilmore's administration but which was not appointed until 2003
by Gov. Mark R. Warner, a Democrat.
Liu-Jen C. Chu, the board's chairman, said the state's Asian
community shares many of the same concerns as other racial
groups. But the state's ability to deliver services to the Asian
community is made more difficult, she said, because of the wide
range of languages and cultures that are considered Asian.
"Every country speaks a different language," she said, "but it
is time for us to unite as one voice."
The 17-member advisory board is currently seeking at least
$200,000 to fund outreach to Asian communities. Del. Lionell
Spruill Sr., D- Chesapeake, and Sens. Janet D. Howell, D-Fairfax
and Patricia S. Ticer, D-Alexandria, have introduced budget
amendments seeking to secure the money.
Representatives of the Asian community also are seeking the
establishment of an office for Asian-American affairs.
The advisory board cites, in part, the explosive growth of
Virginia's Asian population, which nearly doubled -- from about
156,000 to 304,560 -- between 1990 and 2000, according to census
figures cited by board.
Jensen said that while many Asian-Americans are prosperous -- he
says Asian companies in Fairfax County alone generate $1.6
billion in business annually -- many in the Asian community are
at the low end of the economic and educational spectrum.
Del. Robert F. McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach, spoke to the group
about the art of lobbying for their causes.
"You have to be visible," he said. "There's nothing like a phone
call or a visit to the office to say, 'This is important to me
and why.'"
The governor, who plans to travel to Japan and India this year,
and several legislators attended last night's reception at
Peking restaurant in Shockoe Slip.
"This truly is the new face of Virginia," said Warner, who
appointed an Asian-American, Eugene J. Huang, as his Cabinet
secretary for technology.
Jensen said he would one day like to see an Asian-American in
the General Assembly.
"There is a lot of talent out there," he said. "This is an
important first step."
Contact Kiran Krishnamurthy at (540) 371-4792 or
kkrishnamurthy@timesdispatch.com
(http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031780634307&path=%21news&s=1045855934842)
******************
February 6, 2005
TRAN IS FIRST AND DOESN’T FORGET IT FOR A SECOND
O.C. assemblyman is mindful of his unique role as a trailblazing
Vietnamese legislator.
By Mai Tran, Times Staff Writer
Running late, Van Tran hustled out of his office, quickly turned
the corner and passed up a row of office doors before realizing
he was headed the wrong way.
Red floor? Wrong chamber.
The red, he reminded himself, belonged to senators. Tran, the
new Assembly member from Garden Grove, made his way around the
Capitol until he found the green tiles, which would lead to the
Assembly chamber.
But familiarizing himself with his new surroundings is the
least of his worries. As a Republican, he is a minority among
Asian representatives. And as the first Vietnamese American
legislator in the state, he knows he is forging a path.
"I have to work doubly hard," said Tran, who represents a
district with the largest Vietnamese population in the United
States. "I realize and fully appreciate my unique sense of
responsibility that being the first of anything carries extra
responsibility and burdens, but it is also an honor."
To help him navigate this unfamiliar territory, he has sought
out the veteran politicians, community leaders and mentors he
has known since his days on the Garden Grove City Council, where
he was a touchstone for the community.
The demand for his time will be extraordinary and Tran will work
harder because his district has different needs, some said.
"They call the office constantly because government is a mystery
to them and they don't have anyone to turn to," said
Assemblywoman Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), who also has a
predominately Asian district. "They don't speak English. They're
so hungry for people who speak the same language."
Tran has even stepped into his first controversy, albeit a small
one. Tran, Assemblywoman Shirley Horton (R-Chula Vista), whose
mother is Japanese, and Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi (R-Lodi) have
asked to become members of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, a
move that the Democratic membership is mulling over.
Since he arrived 10 weeks ago, most of Tran's days have begun at
8 a.m. with coffee and a stack of papers from Orange County, Los
Angeles and Sacramento. He looks for stories affecting his
district and Vietnamese Americans.
Then the 40-year-old rushes through hallways looking for the
green tiles that will lead him to the Assembly session. While
others mingle, Tran, seated in the front, is the only member to
say "here" during roll call.
On a recent day, he listened to Assemblyman Keith Richman
(R-Northridge) criticize the slow, grueling budget process. Tran
admits he can't speak with authority quite yet. He has chosen to
speak on the floor only twice, adjourning a meeting in memory of
his brother, Henry Tran, who died this month from cancer, and in
support of a resolution to honor Korean Americans for their
contributions in America.
"I have to wait my turn to speak because first impressions are
important and I don't want to say anything controversial or out
of line," he said.
During back-to-back meetings on a recent afternoon, he
introduced himself as a former aide to then-state Sen. Ed Royce
"way back when," to reassure them he was not new to this
political landscape.
Still, Sacramento has been a crash course. Named to the
Committee on Business and Professions, he had to learn what it
did. Ditto the Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic
Materials (a subject he admitted wasn't his strongest). He was
also appointed this week as an alternate to the Joint
Legislative Audit Committee, which is investigating Secretary of
State Kevin Shelley for alleged misuse of election funds.
"I'm not sure how I got selected," he told Assemblyman Ira
Ruskin (D-San Mateo), chairman of the toxic materials committee.
"But I'm a quick study."
In other meetings, two lobbyists from Orange County wanted to
work with Tran to promote a drug education program. A Republican
consultant offered to help him analyze bills. And a Vietnamese
language newspaper reporter wanted to know his stance on the
issues relating to the Vietnamese American community, including
a recent flap between Cal-Optima, which administers Medi-Cal
payments in Orange County, and Little Saigon pharmacists over
releasing patient information.
"We're very interested in him because he reflects his community
politically," said Thien-Giao Pham, 34, of Westminster, a
reporter for Nguoi Viet Daily News, the largest Vietnamese
publication in the United States. "His swearing-in was just the
beginning. The real test is to see what he can do and what
direction he will take us in."
Aside from learning his way around the building, his first month
at the Capitol is all about relationship building, he said.
"My job is to build relationships so our bills survive, so I
need the bills ahead of time so I can carry water on it," he
said during a recent staff meeting. "We'll use saliva power."
Tran defeated Al Snook, a businessman and perennial candidate,
61% to 39% in November, replacing Ken Maddox, who was termed
out.
The 68th district is made up of about 475,000 residents in
Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Newport
Beach, Stanton, and Westminster.
Vietnamese American constituents see him as a native son and
have high — and at times, unrealistic — expectations of him.
Last week, he had his staff call pharmacies and local Vietnamese
American constituents to stop flooding his fax machines with
letters seeking a resolution to the Cal-Optima controversy.
In hopes of resolving the dispute quickly, he has worked with
Orange County Supervisor Lou Correa — a Democrat — and state
Sen. Joe Dunn (D-Garden Grove), keeping a campaign promise that
he would not allow partisanship to affect his district.
"Constituents, whether they are white, blue or green, have
shared issues," Tran said. "Essentially being an Assembly
representative, you're also a problem solver."
He has befriended Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto), whom he sees as a
mentor, and has sought advice from others.
"I think by virtue of being the first Vietnamese American,
coupled with his abilities, it will place him in a position to
be great for the Republican caucus," said Maddox, who lives in
Dana Point and runs a consulting business. "He's going to be a
powerhouse. He's not an empty suit."
His journey to Sacramento began in Saigon, where his father was
a professor and his mother a dentist. The second-oldest of five
children, he was 10 when the family fled the communist country.
They settled in Orange County, where he graduated from UCI with
a political science degree.
Tran worked as a staff aide to former Rep. Robert K. Dornan and
then state Sen. Ed Royce, who is now a congressman, in the
1980s.
He moved to Minnesota, where he graduated with a master's degree
in public administration and a law degree from Hamline
University School of Law.
He returned to Orange County, where he opened a law firm in
Westminster and became well-respected and well-known for his
volunteerism.
Tran founded the Vietnamese American Voters Coalition, which
educated voters on issues affecting their community. He helped
organize fundraisers and walkathons for flood victims in
Vietnam.
His reputation expanded after he worked with police to end 53
days of protests by 15,000 demonstrators in a Little Saigon
shopping strip when a merchant displayed a picture of a
communist leader and the communist flag.
As a candidate for the Garden Grove City Council in 2000, he
received the most votes, and later wrote a resolution
prohibiting Vietnam officials from visiting the city.
In November, many Vietnamese American supporters cast their
votes for Tran, hoping he'd promote a communist-free Vietnam
through government channels. He won the election, making history
as the state's highest ranking Vietnamese American.
The new year began with his move to Sacramento and his calendar
has been booked since with more than 150 speaking engagements,
meetings and receptions.
"There's a lot of wining and dining here," said Tran.
Unlike some of his colleagues' sparsely decorated offices,
Tran's oak walls are adorned with plaques — the small steps that
paved his path to the Capitol. Among them, OC Weekly's Hottest
25 in 2004, with his name highlighted in red, and appreciation
plaques from Rock N Vote, Sunny Hills Senior Center, the Korean
American Foundation and Orange County One-Stop Center.
At day's end, he returns phone calls and e-mails. Then proudly,
Tran, a mild-mannered, articulate cigar aficionado, glances out
his window where he gets a peek of the governor puffing a cigar
in the courtyard tent below.
"That guy shares the same history as I do as a former immigrant
who had literally the shirt on his back," Tran said. "And look
where he is. It's interesting that we're working in the same
building. It speaks volumes about freedom, opportunity and hard
work."
(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-vantran6feb06,1,5285659.story?coll=la-news-state)
******************
February 6, 2005
BIG
DISPARITIES AMONG ASIAN AMERICANS
By Laura Wides
Associated Press
ALHAMBRA - The patient at the Tzu Chi free clinic
urgently needed a biopsy, but while the staff spoke Mandarin,
Cantonese, Taiwanese and even Spanish, no one could explain
breast cancer to the woman in her native Vietnamese.
''We were running around like chickens with our heads cut off
trying to find someone,'' head nurse Mimi Lee said.
While the rapidly growing Asian-American and Pacific Islander
communities in California often have been viewed as ''model
minorities,'' a report released Thursday concluded that many
subgroups are linguistically isolated, live in crowded housing
and have poor high school graduation rates.
''When it comes to services like health care, police protection
or your children's education, you really need to learn English
or you need translators who can help,'' said Kimiko Kelly,
research analyst and demographer for the nonprofit Asian Pacific
American Legal Center of Southern California.
The group compiled the report using figures from the 2000 U.S.
Census.
It found that more than a third of Asian Americans in California
have limited English proficiency but the numbers differed widely
among ethnic groups.
Nearly 80 percent of Japanese Americans spoke English
proficiently. Only about half of Chinese Americans -- the
state's largest Asian group -- were proficient and fewer than
half of Koreans, Cambodians and Vietnamese spoke English well.
The report found that most East Asians and Filipinos owned their
homes but many Southeast Asian and Pacific Islanders did not,
especially Cambodians, Samoans and Laotians. Those groups also
tended to live in much more crowded housing than Chinese-, Thai-
and Indonesian-Americans, the report concluded.
Dr. Chao Shuo Huang, medical director for Tzu Chi, said he
frequently deals with patients who live in overcrowded
conditions, especially those from Vietnam's Hmong ethnic group.
Those living in overcrowded homes often ''suffer from hygiene
and lack of nutritional care,'' he said.
The report also concluded that as a whole, Asian Americans were
above the state average in terms of high school graduation
rates. However, nearly a third of Vietnamese Americans failed to
graduate and so did more than half of Hmong and Laotians.
(http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/10832374.htm)
******************
February 6, 2005
Hallmark holiday
LUNAR NEW YEAR IS POISED FOR A CULTURAL CROSSOVER
By Jon Ortiz -- Bee Staff Writer
Move over, Valentine's Day. Look out, Cinco de Mayo. The Lunar
New Year may be the next holiday to break out from its original
community and spread into wider U.S. culture.
Americans of all heritages are filling red envelopes with good
luck money; buying gift baskets of dried fruit, pumpkin seeds
and oranges; and making traditional dishes such as pho, a
Vietnamese stew.
Local celebrations began this weekend with the Sacramento Tet
Festival at Florin Road and Stockton Boulevard.
"We love to party," says Rodger Roser of the Cincinnati
marketing firm Justice & Young. "And marketing people love to
zero in on holidays as an excuse to encourage us to do that.
It's only a matter of time until you see Chinese New Year
promoted like Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick's Day."
Perhaps no one knows that better than Hallmark Cards Inc., which
this year rolled out 18 Chinese New Year greeting card lines
after meticulously testing their sales potential across the
American demographic spectrum.
Sacramento Hallmark store owner Mary Glum ordered about 250
cards for this year.
"That's twice what I ordered last year, and last year was double
the order of the year before," she says. "And you know who is
buying them? Everybody. I sold six to one Caucasian guy on
Monday. Blacks and Latinos are buying them too."
At Huong Lan Bakery on 65th Street near Stockton Boulevard in
south Sacramento, owner Vivian Pham sells traditional Lunar New
Year's Day gift baskets, wrapped in red cellophane as a symbol
of prosperity, with the greeting "Happy New Year" printed in
both Chinese and English.
Organizers at the Sacramento Tet Festival, which ends today, say
more non-Asians celebrate every year.
"We've planned on about 12,000 people attending," says festival
president Phoung Tran. "About a third of them won't be Asian."
Sacramento County, where 15 percent of residents have Asian
heritage, is positioned to benefit from a higher profile for the
Chinese New Year and Tet holidays, says Timothy Fong, director
of the social science program at California State University,
Sacramento.
In California, only the Bay Area claims a higher percentage of
Asian ancestry - about 20 percent of the population in the
nine-county region.
In communities with diverse populations like Sacramento,
economic growth in the local economy comes primarily through
small business, Fong says.
"When you're talking about diversity, you're primarily talking
about Latinos and Asians because these two groups have
historically been very entrepreneurial. The economic strength of
those groups has a ripple effect throughout the economy."
Familiarity is key to a holiday breaking ethnic boundaries,
experts say.
"Just follow the food," says Steve McKee, president of
Albuquerque, N.M.-based consultant McKee Wallwork Henderson.
"You have Chinese food, which is an increasingly mature
restaurant category. You have more chains and more promotions,
which creates more cultural contact points for consumers who
aren't Chinese."
While about 5 percent of the U.S. population has Asian American
ancestry, there are nearly 36,000 Chinese restaurants in the
United States. That's more than the number of McDonald's,
Wendy's and Burger King restaurants combined, according to
Chinese Restaurant News, a trade publication.
Businesses in tune with the growing popularity of things Asian
will take advantage of marketing opportunities presented by
Lunar New Year, says Robert Thompson, a Syracuse University pop
culture professor.
"In a diverse melting pot like the United States, people are
always looking for new real estate on the calendar to sell
decorations, greeting cards, candy and specialized foods,"
Thompson says. "In an era where we are announcing our diversity
in conspicuous ways, holidays like Chinese New Year are ripe for
commercial picking. And not just marketing to the Asian
community."
Although that's not a bad place to start. Asian Americans are
the second-fastest-growing ethnic group in America. The number
of Asian Americans will grow by 27 percent to 15.25 million over
the next five years, according to projections from Albany,
N.Y.-based MapInfo Corp.
With nearly $254 billion in annual buying power, Asian Americans
are a growing force in the U.S. consumer market and culture.
Projections from the Selig Center for Economic Growth indicate
Asian American spending will reach $528 billion by 2009.
Growth in Asian American population and economic power, along
with the Internet and cheap overseas travel, have infused Asian
holidays with new energy that is spreading into the general
consciousness, says Sanjay Varshney, dean of Sacramento State's
School of Business.
"The awareness level of these kinds of holidays is definitely
going up," Varshney says. "I think that companies will soon see
Chinese New Year as a big chance to appeal to consumers' spirit
of celebration. Once that happens, commercial interests will
capitalize on it. People love an excuse to party."
No government or private entity tracks national spending for
Lunar New Year, but more people are paying attention to the
holiday, says T.S. Peric, author of "Wacky Days: How to Get
Millions of $$$ in Free Publicity by Creating a 'Real' Holiday."
Peric groups holidays into three tiers based on what he assesses
as their impact across cultures. Christmas, for example, is a
first-tier holiday because it is celebrated nationally, most
workers take the day off and the general population spends money
on gifts, meals and travel.
"You feel the impact of Christmas, even if you don't celebrate
it," Peric says. "Even McDonald's and Burger King close. You
can't escape the day."
Peric defines the Lunar New Year as a third-tier holiday, mostly
observed within a specific culture with little impact outside
it. He says that it could become more widely observed in minor
ways by more people - his definition of a second-tier holiday -
as the economic power of the Asian community grows.
"We're not closing schools and restaurants for Chinese New
Year," he says. "What we do have today are a growing number of
ethnic celebrations on our collective radar screen. On Cinco de
Mayo, we might go for some Mexican food. Or wear green and drink
green beer on St. Patrick's Day. I could see Chinese New Year
heading in that direction."
Henry Sinclair is already there. Last week the 32-year-old
Sacramento resident shopped at SF Market, an Asian grocery store
on 65th Avenue, in search of the ingredients for pho to eat in
observance of Tet.
"I have some Vietnamese friends who turned me on to it,"
Sinclair said. "We're getting together this weekend to cook it
up."
When will the Lunar New Year become the new Cinco de Mayo?
"When someone starts tracking sales for that day," says
Thompson, the Syracuse professor. "In our society, cash
registers make culture. But understand, this phenomenon of
evolving holidays is nothing new."
For example, the Catholic Church in the first millennium grafted
Christmas onto pagan rituals, but the day drifted back to its
more secular roots and didn't regain its holy holiday status
until the 19th century. And Halloween started as a Celtic
holiday that most historians believe Christianity co-opted to
commemorate martyred saints - "All-hallows Eve."
"It's easier for people to embrace holidays with long-standing
cultural foundations," Thompson says. "Modern commercial forces
do what the church did before - find a vibrating date on the
calendar, tweak it and promote it. That's what happened with
Valentine's Day. Chinese New Year is gaining that kind of
traction now."
Might the Lunar New Year move up to Peric's first tier soon?
Maybe, says the holiday expert.
"Keep in mind that holidays come and go," Peric says. "Times
change, and holidays definitely reflect the times. We hardly pay
any attention to Armistice Day (now called Veterans Day, on Nov.
11). The reason? Virtually every World War I veteran is dead, so
no one commemorates the end of that war."
CELEBRATING LUNAR
NEW YEAR
What: Final day of the Sacramento Tet Festival Where:
Florin Road and Stockton Boulevard
When: Today, 10 a.m. -9 p.m.
Cost: Admission is $4
Highlights: Firecrackers and lion dancing, 11:30
a.m.-noon; New Year's songs, performances, traditional dances
and skits, noon-1:30 p.m.; traditional long dress (ao dai)
fashion show, 1:30 p.m.; Vietnamese music and dancing, 1:45-5
p.m.; concert, 7 p.m.
Source: Sacramento Tet Festival
About the writer:
The Bee's Jon Ortiz can be reached at (916) 321-1043 or
jortiz@sacbee.com.
(http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/12257975p-13122058c.html)
******************
February 7, 2005
VIETNAMESE
AWARD RESURRECTS THE PAST
Two `boat people' honoured for work
Gala marks end of Vietnam War in 1975
Sharda Prashad
Staff Reporter
Dat Nguyen remembers fleeing Saigon 30 years ago, towed out into
the South China Sea in a motorless boat with nine relatives as
the family made good its escape from Vietnam.
Once at sea, the family was picked up by another "boat" — a U.S.
navy ship that took Nguyen and his family to a refugee camp on
Guam and then, finally, to Canada.
When they arrived in Halifax, Nguyen and his family became part
of the Vietnamese-Canadian diaspora that history's come to know
as the "boat people."
"It's OK," Nguyen said, referring to the sometimes-contentious
phrase that some in the Vietnamese community here think has
become outdated. "It keeps the history and reminds us what we
went through."
Arguments over semantics took a back seat yesterday as Nguyen
and Etobicoke cardiologist Dr. Toan Bao To were honoured with
outstanding achievement awards at a gala celebrating the lunar
New Year and the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
In an interview, Nguyen recalled the difficult years after his
family arrived here in 1975 with an ounce of gold and the
clothing on their backs.
Despite their poverty, all of Nguyen's seven siblings finished
their education. Nguyen obtained a chemical engineering degree
at Dalhousie University.
Nguyen's award recognized his contributions to the Canadian
community.
In 1987, he started a monthly newspaper called Thoi Bao.
He now employs 25 staff and helped found the Thoi Bao Community
Fund that makes donations to the Hospital for Sick Children and
sponsors children in Vietnam.
To, who trained as a cardiologist in Vietnam before coming to
Canada, is now director of planning of the coronary care unit at
the William Osler Health Centre in Etobicoke.
An active member of the board of directors of the Parkdale
Community Health Centre, To said he still considers himself a
"boat person," adding the suffering and hardship of those days
should not be forgotten.
The bravery of the Vietnamese who took on the sea to escape
Vietnam's communist system can't be forgotten, he said.
Van Thua Terry Ho, president of the Vietnamese Association of
Toronto, thinks it's time Canadians forgot about "boat people"
and thought about the contributions Vietnamese-Canadians have
made since arriving here.
"We've been in this country for more than 25 years," he said.
"We should no longer be seen as work people who have nothing. We
make a contribution to this country," Ho said.
(http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1107558613043&call_pageid=970599119419)
******************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2005
Contact: Anne Johnson, Communications Director
(202)523-3240, ext. 27
RICE REQUIRED TO ACT ON SAUDI ARABIA, VIETNAM AND ERITREA BY
MARCH 15
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commission on International Religious
Freedom (USCIRF) has written to Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice with specific recommendations for the policy actions she is
required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA)
to take by March 15 in response to the designation by the United
States, for the first time, of Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and
Eritrea as "countries of particular concern" (CPCs) for their
egregious and systematic religious freedom violations.
"As world events of the past several years have confirmed,
ensuring that governments respect freedom of thought,
conscience, and religion or belief both advances our strategic
interests and is a vital component of securing broader
freedoms. Toward that end, IRFA provides us with a flexible
policy tool," said USCIRF Chair Preeta D. Bansal. "IRFA calls
upon the U.S. government to take specific policy actions in
response to designation of countries as CPCs. The designation
of Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Eritrea provides the United States
with an opportunity to act decisively. We call upon Secretary
Rice to take bold steps in response to the designation of these
three countries and chart a new foreign policy course that
promotes freedom through both positive actions and, at the same
time, demonstrates serious U.S. concern to those governments
that fail to uphold their international commitments to human
rights and fundamental freedoms."
The full text of the letter and recommendations for specific
policy recommendations follow. An expanded text and explanation
for each of these recommendations may be found attached to the
press release of the letter on the USCIRF Web site at
www.uscirf.gov.
Dear Secretary Rice:
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
congratulates you on your recent confirmation as Secretary of
State. As in the past, the Commission looks forward to working
together with you on our mutual goal of making the promotion of
religious freedom and other human rights an integral part of our
country's foreign policy. Perhaps now more than ever, the
promotion of religious freedom and related human rights is vital
to our strategic, as well as humanitarian, interests. In a
world in which religious identity has become a profound
determinant for certain actors within our international system,
it is essential that the United States seek to foster conditions
for freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief as a
critical component of securing freedom and counteracting the
roots of terrorism worldwide.
Madame Secretary, we write to you at this critical juncture at
which the U.S. government is required to take responsive actions
for countries designated as "countries of particular concern,"
or CPCs, under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA).
In particular, we offer several specific recommendations with
respect to Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Eritrea, each of which was
designated a CPC for the first time in 2004.
As you know, IRFA provides for many positive tools for advancing
the internationally guaranteed right to freedom of thought,
conscience, and religion or belief. At the same time, IRFA also
contains a number of very specific provisions aimed at
demonstrating serious U.S. concern to those governments that
persistently perpetrate severe violations of religious freedom.
The Commission welcomed Secretary Powell's redesignation last
year of Burma, China, Iran, North Korea, and Sudan as CPCs, and
applauded the new designation of Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and
Eritrea. The Commission believes that the process of CPC
designation?and the implementation of meaningful policies in
response to such designations?are among the most serious actions
taken by the U.S. government in its human rights policy. The
Department of State should use the full range of available
policy tools to take action as outlined in IRFA with respect to
all the countries the Secretary names as CPCs.
Regrettably, the only official action taken by our government
with respect to countries that to date have been designated CPCs
has been to invoke already existing sanctions, rather than to
take additional measures pursuant to IRFA. Reliance on
pre-existing sanctions provides little incentive for CPC
governments to reduce or end egregious violations of religious
freedom. The failure to take additional action under IRFA
suggests that nothing further can, or will, be done by the U.S.
government with respect to those countries that commit severe
violations of freedom of religion or belief. The Commission has
regularly drawn attention to, and expressed strong concern
about, this failure in U.S. foreign policy.
The recent designation of Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Eritrea as
CPCs, none of which is subject to pre-existing sanctions,
provides our government with an opportunity decisively to
respond to severe religious freedom violators. According to the
statutory requirements of IRFA, for these three countries the
U.S. government must: (1) request consultations with the
government on the violations that gave rise to the designation,
and consult with humanitarian and other U.S. organizations on
the potential impact of actions that could be taken; (2) either
(a) conclude a binding agreement to cease the particularly
severe violations, or (b) take an action from one of several
options specified in the statute (or a "commensurate" action);
and (3) report to Congress on the action taken.
We understand that the consultation process is currently
underway and that the deadline for taking action with respect to
the three countries is March 15, 2005. The Commission
respectfully, and in accordance with its statutory obligations,
recommends the following actions by the U.S. government in
response to the designations of Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and
Eritrea as CPCs. In doing so, we emphasize that these actions
are initial steps that should be taken, in concert with
diplomatic efforts at all levels, to urge the governments of
these countries to abide by their international human rights
commitments and cease severe violations of freedom of religion
or belief. We also recognize that IRFA authorizes more
stringent actions that could be taken should severe violations
continue.
With regard to the three new CPC designations, the Commission
recommends that the U.S. government should:
Saudi Arabia
1) identify those Saudi agencies and officials thereof who are
responsible for particularly severe violations of religious
freedom and vigorously enforce section 604 of IRFA with respect
to Saudi Arabia, rendering inadmissible for entry into the
United States any Saudi government official who was responsible
for or directly carried out such violations;
2) issue a proclamation, under the President's authority
pursuant to section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 USC 1182(f)), to bar those Saudi government officials
from entering the United States who have been responsible for
propagating globally an ideology that explicitly promotes hate,
intolerance, and human rights violations;
3) issue a demarche urging the government of Saudi Arabia to
cease funding or other support for written materials or other
activities that explicitly promote hate, intolerance, and human
rights violations, including the distribution of such materials
in the United States and elsewhere outside of Saudi Arabia; and
4) order the heads of appropriate U.S. agencies, pursuant to
section 405(a)(13) of IRFA, not to issue any specific licenses
and not to grant any other specific authority for the export of
any item on the U.S. Commerce Control List of dual-use items
[Export Administration Regulations under part 774 of title 15]
to any agency or instrumentality of the government of Saudi
Arabia that is responsible for committing particularly severe
violations of religious freedom. In FY 2004, the Commerce
Department approved approximately $67 million worth of articles
for Saudi Arabia, including, for example, such items as
thumbcuffs, leg irons, shackles, and other items that could be
used to perpetrate human rights violations.
Vietnam
1) identify those Vietnamese agencies and officials who are
responsible for particularly severe violations of religious
freedom and vigorously enforce section 604 of IRFA with respect
to Vietnam, rendering inadmissible for entry into the United
States any Vietnamese government official who was responsible
for or directly carried out such violations; and
2) dedicate no less than $1 million for FY 2005 and FY 2006, if
discretionary funds are allocated to Vietnam above its annual
earmark, to programs that will directly promote freedom of
religion and belief and related human rights in Vietnam.
Eritrea
1) engage in vigorous advocacy on religious freedom and other
universal human rights at all levels of involvement with the
government of Eritrea and draw international attention to
religious freedom abuses in Eritrea, including in multilateral
for a such as the United Nations Commission on Human Rights; and
2) conduct a review of U.S. development assistance to Eritrea
with the aim of redirecting such assistance to programs that
contribute directly to democracy, human rights, and the rule of
law. Increases in other forms of development assistance should
depend on measurable improvements in religious freedom.
With regard to Eritrea, the Commission notes its disappointment
that the government of Eritrea has not yet registered any of the
religious groups whose places of worship were closed and public
religious activities prohibited in 2002 pending compliance with
registration requirements. The Commission also notes with
concern continued reports of the arrest and detention without
charge of clergy and others engaged in the practice of their
faith.
Please find attached to this letter an expanded description of
and explanation for each of these recommendations.
Madame Secretary, although it is the case that the IRFA
legislation allows the President to waive the taking of any
action in response to the CPC designations, the Commission
firmly believes that to do so would effectively render
meaningless the IRFA process and undermine our nation's
commitment to the promotion of freedom of religion or belief
throughout the world. To maintain the integrity of the process
and the principle, a stronger response, as outlined in IRFA, is
essential.
The Commission looks forward to being of assistance to you and
your staff in formulating actions by the U.S. government to
advance freedom of religion or belief in Eritrea, Saudi Arabia,
and Vietnam, as well as the other countries designated as CPCs.
Respectfully,
Preeta D. Bansal
Chair
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was
created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to
monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and
religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and related international
instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to
the President, Secretary of State, and Congress.
Visit our Web site at
www.uscirf.gov
Preeta D. Bansal, Chair Felice D. Gaer, Vice Chair, Nina Shea,
Vice Chair, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, Michael Cromartie,
Khaled Abou El Fadl, Elizabeth H. Prodromou, Bishop Ricardo
Ramirez, Michael K. Young, Ambassador John V. Hanford III,
Ex-Officio, Joseph R. Crapa, Executive Director
800 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, NW SUITE 790 WASHINGTON, DC 20002
202-523-3240 * 202-523-5020 (FAX)
(http://www.uscirf.gov/prPages/pr0263.php3)
******************
HEFLIN CONCEDES
ELECTION TO VO
Recount upholds Democrat's victory by at least 16 votes
By Kristen Mack
Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
AUSTIN - Former Republican state Rep. Talmadge Heflin withdrew
his election challenge Monday after a fellow Republican who
investigated the matter concluded that Heflin narrowly lost to
Democrat Hubert Vo.
Vo joined Heflin after an afternoon news conference at which
Heflin announced his decision. The two shook hands, and Vo said
he would seek the veteran lawmaker's counsel on issues in the
southwest Houston district.
Heflin's challenge is still scheduled to go to a special House
committee today, but the proceedings will be a formality with
the outcome certain.
Heflin conceded hours after state Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas,
issued a report to the committee saying Vo won the election by
at least 16 votes. Hartnett served as "master of discovery" to
investigate the election contest.
Hartnett concluded Heflin produced "no evidence of any
intentional voter fraud" that would have affected his Nov. 2
loss to Vo in Dist. 149. Vo won then by 52 votes, a margin that
narrowed to 33 with an official recount including mail-in
ballots.
"It became obvious that we didn't have the data to meet the
hurdle," Heflin said of his effort to convince Hartnett and the
House that the participation of ineligible voters put the result
of the election in doubt. "When you see that you can't meet a
criteria that is thrust upon you, it makes no sense to move
ahead."
Had Heflin pursued his challenge, the House could have upheld
Vo's election, seated Heflin or required Gov. Rick Perry to call
another election.
Heflin, who served 11 terms in the House and was chairman of the
powerful House Appropriations Committee, said it was "highly
likely" that he would run again to regain the House seat or
another public office.
Vo said he looks forward to serving, and that the residents of
the district will "have a say again in two years."
During the campaign, Vo said Heflin had lost touch with the
increasingly diverse district.
Heflin wouldn't address that Monday, saying he was not going to
dwell on the past and that in the election challenge, he only
wanted to seek the truth.
"It's not something I was in because I couldn't let go of (the
seat)," he said. Heflin alleged that illegal votes were counted
and legal votes were discarded, costing him the election.
To overturn an election, Heflin would have had to prove, by
clear and convincing evidence, that voting irregularities
affected the election results. Hartnett said Heflin failed to
meet that burden of proof.
He produced no evidence of intentional voter fraud "which
affected the final vote tally to his detriment. (Heflin's)
challenge to the vast bulk of the votes in question is based on
technical, and apparently unintentional, violations of election
law," said Hartnett, who examined 259 questionable votes.
Hartnett said illegal votes were cast in the election, as they
are in most elections. They included ballots by voters who did
not live in the district or were not registered. In some cases
election judges gave them incorrect information about their
eligibility. He had said, however, that he would discount
ballots only from voters who were ineligible, voted in the
Heflin-Vo race and would say how they voted. That process
reduced Vo's margin of victory, but didn't change the outcome.
Hartnett was praised by partisans on both sides of the aisle for
being even-handed.
After reviewing Hartnett's report, Heflin decided it was time to
move on, said his lawyer, Andy Taylor.
"We made a political decision not to ask for the select
committee to overrule Rep. Hartnett," Taylor said. "I didn't
think that would be in the best interest of the parties or the
House."
Heflin and Taylor said they still believe that the race was
decided by ineligible voters, and said they wish they had had
more time to collect evidence.
"Even under the most critical review of our evidence, a new
election should have been ordered," Taylor said.
Heflin said he respected Hartnett's report and doesn't regret
his challenge.
"Any time you seek the truth it's worth it," Heflin said. "The
integrity of the election process is what's at risk."
House Speaker Tom Craddick said Heflin's challenge "brought to
light a number of issues with regard to the election process,
and we will be exploring these
concerns during this Legislature."
kristen.mack@chron.com
(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/05/legislature/3029168)
******************
REPRESENTATIVE HONDA FIRST APIA CANDIDATE FOR DNC VICE-CHAIR
By Ashley Mui
Representative Mike Honda is running for one of the
vice-chairman positions of the Democratic National Committee.
During the 2004 presidential campaign, Congressman Honda served
as a deputy chairman of the DNC and put together the Asian
Pacific Islander American outreach program. The program raised
over $5 million dollars for the DNC from the Asian Pacific
Islander American community. He says his interest in serving as
vice chair is based on the work he began in the previous cycle.
In the DNC, in addition to the chair, there are five
vice-chairmen. DNC rules state that these six positions must be
filled by an equal number of men and women. Congressman Honda is
the first APIA to run for a DNC vice chairman position. The late
Congressman Robert Matsui had served as DNC Treasurer from 1991
- 1995. Congressman Honda is currently running against former
Puerto Rico Secretary of the Governorship and DNC Hispanic
Caucus Chairman Alvaro Cifuentes, Former DNC Hispanic Caucus
Chairman Nelson Diaz, and DNC Deputy Chairman Ben Johnson. New
York Congressman Gregory Meeks had previously been in the
running, but Congressman Honda and Congressman Meeks decided to
form a 'Unity Ticket' when Congressman Meeks pulled out of the
race and endorsed Congressman Honda. The two will work together
to ensure that the leadership of the DNC looks like America and
reflects its values and ideals. Congressman Honda has also
gained the support of the majority of the Hispanic Members of
Congress, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and the AFL-CIO,
which has chosen not to endorse a candidate running for
chairman, but will be supporting Congressman Honda.
The DNC will hold elections at its annual winter meeting on
February 10 – 12 in Washington, DC.
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 835
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202/296-9200
Fax: 202/296-9236
Website:
www.apaics.org
******************
About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese
Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy
organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese
Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum –
by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens
engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil
liberties.
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