NCVA eREPORTER - March 8, 2005

In this NCVA eReporter:

Events

• Conference for Women and Girls’ Funds – April 7-9, 2005

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

• Support for Women in Sport
• Funds for Social Justice
• Community Support from Wells Fargo
• Patagonia Funds Local Environmental Work
• Funds for Orphaned Children, Adoption, and Troubled Youths
• Walgreens Supports Health in Company Communities
• Entergy Community Grants
• Beaumont Foundation of America Community Grants

JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

• Greenlining Academy 2005-2006 Paid Internship and Fellowship Opportunities
• 2005 CAPAL Student Scholarships
• United for a Fair Economy Jobs
• APAICS Assistant to Executive Director

TIPS/RESOURCES

• Toolkits for Creating Successful Partnerships
• Legal - A simple game plan for charities

NEWS

• Compassion in Action:  Producing Real Results for Americans Most in Need (White House Press Release)
• In Honor of the Vietnamese New Year: Tet, 2005 – Year of the Rooster (Government Printing Office)
• APAC meets to remember hunger strike (Daily Northwestern)
• State's Asian Americans donate to tsunami causes at a high rate, report says (Sacramento Bee)
• NCVA Board Members Appear in PBS Television Program (NCVA Press Release)
• Medi-Cal fraud program draws protests by Vietnamese pharmacists (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Vietnamese kids get help through tutorial project (The Republican)

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TIPS/RESOURCES

TOOLKITS FOR CREATING SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS

The Community Tool Box website provides more than 6,000 pages of practical skill-building information on more than 250 different topics promoting community health and development. The following toolkits are roadmaps to developing successful partnerships:

Create Coalitions and Partnerships
You want to bring together a diverse group of individuals and organizations to address a common issue or goal. What preparations are necessary to successfully accomplish your vision for your community? Members need to be recruited, the problem or issue needs to be defined, and the community needs to be engaged. Where should you begin? This toolkit provides a framework and support for creating your coalition or collaborative partnership.

(http://nationalserviceresources.org/redirect/enews200502/ctb.ku.edu/tools/coalitions/create/index.jsp)

Maintain Coalitions and Partnerships
You have already assembled a diverse group of individuals and organizations in order to address an issue or accomplish a goal. However, you find that you're not growing or achieving your objective as quickly as you would like. Why? Perhaps it is time to examine your initial preparations and the current state of your coalition's membership and resources. What barriers need to be removed for your (continued) success? Additionally, how can you plan for the maintenance and renewal of the coalition as time passes and goals are met? This toolkit provides a framework and support for expanding and maintaining your coalition or collaborative partnership.

(http://nationalserviceresources.org/redirect/enews200502/ctb.ku.edu/tools/coalitions/expand/index.jsp)

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LEGAL – A SIMPLE GAME PLAN FOR CHARITIES

By Errol Copilevitz, Esq.

In this age of ever-increasing scrutiny, charitable organizations must become far more cognizant, not only of the reality of regulation, but also of public perception. A positive image, like a personal reputation, must be earned.

More often than not, a successful nonprofit must have the necessary resources to pursue its mission, as well as a professional and dedicated staff that is guided by ethical standards which meet the expectations of donors. Set forth are eleven simple steps which I would suggest that you consider as a guideline:

1. Maintenance of charitable registrations and timely filing of annual reports. Your failure to do so could interrupt your ability to continue fundraising in the states, and the adverse publicity could be embarrassing.

2. Increased oversight of content and volume of all mediums of fundraising activity. You have an obligation to ensure what is being said or written is true in fact. It is, after all, your message.

3. Dedication to the program mission. Never underestimate the necessity of constantly reminding your staff and your board as to why the organization exists.

4. Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to-wit: whistle blower protection and record retention requirements.

5. Implementation and maintenance of a conflict of interest policy. Disclosure of possible conflicts is a must. As noted above, perception is sometimes as important as reality. Why open your organization to suspicion or concern?

6. Implementation and maintenance of internal financial controls. You have a duty to your supporters to ensure that your resources are being used efficiently and effectively.

7. Use an independent outside auditor, and establish an audit committee. The audit committee has to be able to assure the board that the financials they review accurately reflect the operation of the organization.

8. Proper and regular compensation reviews.

9. Oversight of related party transactions. This is again a perception issue. Sometimes related party transactions are to the benefit of the charity, but unfortunately not always.

10. Employee handbook. This can be a key to successful day-to-day operation by staff.

11. Establishment and maintenance of an independent, active, and well informed board of directors who meet no less frequently than three times per year. When possible, board members should receive reports prior to the board meetings so that they have the opportunity to reflect upon them to be in a better position to ask questions of the staff.

Dedication to purpose and simple common sense (and good counsel) will protect an organization from disaster. The foregoing steps are not all inclusive, but are intended as a "bare bones" outline of the kind of things which charitable executives and boards can and should be thinking about as they move their organizations forward in pursuit of their programs.

Note: Errol Copilevitz is the senior partner in the law firm of Copilevitz & Canter, LLC. The firm specializes in representing nonprofit organizations and those who work with them in the appeal for public support. He can be contacted by email at: ec@cckc-law.com

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

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NEWS

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

March 1, 2005

COMPASSION IN ACTION: PRODUCING REAL RESULTS FOR AMERICANS MOST IN NEED

Today's Presidential Action

* Today, President Bush addressed the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Leadership Conference, hailing the progress being made to help Americans most in need.

* The President's Faith-Based and Community Initiative levels the playing field for some of America's most effective social service providers to compete for Federal funding to serve those most in need while retaining their religious identity.  These charities are making a real difference in the lives of our most vulnerable citizens.

* The President's Initiative is Producing Real Results for Americans in Need.  Recent data from a review of programs at the Departments of Heath and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Justice, Labor, Education, and Agriculture and the Agency for International Development showed:

          To help Americans in need, in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004, $2 billion in competitive grants across seven Federal agencies were awarded to faith-based organizations - 10.3% of the total funding awarded through 151 programs and 17 program areas.  This is up from last year when $1.17 billion was awarded in grants to faith-based groups across five agencies.  In one year, HHS, HUD, Justice, Labor, and Education saw a 20% increase in the number of grants to faith-based organizations with 334 more grants awarded, and a 14% increase in the amount awarded to faith-based organizations - an increase of $164 million.

          When given a level playing field, faith-based groups can compete successfully with other social service organizations.  The number of first-time faith-based grantees across the same five Federal agencies was 331 in FY 2004 - representing a 20% increase from FY 2003.

          Due to the President's leadership, more faith-based organizations are participating in the Federal grants process.  HHS programs represented the majority of available funding included in the report.  HHS saw an 88% increase in the number of awards to faith-based organizations since FY 2002 - from 483 to 908.  Since FY 2002, first-time HHS grants to faith-based groups have more than doubled.

* Expanding Individual Choice and Equal Treatment.  The President is committed to providing individuals choice instead of shuffling them through programs where they do not recover or find jobs or housing.  Under the President's direction, Federal agencies administering social services are working to identify programs that could be changed to expand individual choice, including in mentoring, housing counseling and transitional housing, after-school programs, and homeless services.  President Bush is also working to ensure equal treatment for faith-based and community organizations at the state and local level where social services are funded with taxpayer dollars.

* Pushing for Charitable Tax Incentives and Protection of Religious Hiring. The President has called on Congress to pass his proposals for tax incentives for charitable giving.  President Bush has also called for action from Congress to extend the charitable choice provisions that prevent discrimination against faith-based organizations, protect the religious freedom of beneficiaries, and preserve religious hiring rights.

Background on the President's Compassion in Action

In communities across the United States, faith-based and community groups have a long history of assisting people in need.  They continue to transform and change lives with their compassionate acts.  President Bush believes local community groups can best serve Americans in need, and the Federal government should not discriminate against charitable groups of any kind in awarding Federal social service funds as long as all legal requirements are met.

As a result of the President's leadership, significant progress is being made, and the results are being seen in the lives of Americans across our country.  The President's efforts to support compassion in action include:

* Protecting the Religious Hiring Rights of Faith-Based Charities.  For over 30 years, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act has protected the right of faith-based organizations to make employment decisions based on religion. The President believes a faith-based organization should not have to give up a part of its religious identity and mission in order to receive Federal funds.  President Bush has called for action from Congress to extend charitable choice provisions that prevent discrimination against faith-based organizations, protect the religious freedom of beneficiaries, and preserve religious hiring rights - provisions signed by President Clinton on four occasions.  Due to the debate over protection of religious hiring, Congress has failed to reauthorize several Federal social service programs, hampering many needed reforms.

* Ensuring Equal Treatment at the State and Local Level.  Much progress has been made at the Federal level to ensure equal treatment of all applicants; however, the majority of Federally funded social services are administered by state and local governments.  Federal agencies must ensure that state and local agencies are complying with the regulatory reforms that implement the President's Executive Order for Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-based and Community Organizations signed in December 2002 to guarantee equal treatment for faith-based and community groups.  Today, 24 governors (14 Republicans and 10 Democrats) and over 115 mayors have established faith-based and community offices.

* Tax Incentives Promoting Charitable Giving.  Since 2001, the President has proposed tax incentives to promote charitable giving in each budget, and Congress has not passed this needed legislation that would benefit Americans most in need.  The President renewed his commitment to promoting charitable giving in his FY 2006 budget, which includes food donation enhancements and provisions to permit individuals to direct a portion of their retirement accounts to a charity.

# # #

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050301-1.html)

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March 3, 2005

APAC MEETS TO REMEMBER HUNGER STRIKE
Gathering commemorates decade since fight for minor in Asian American studies

By Kristyn Schiavone
Daily Northwestern

The Asian Pacific American Coalition gathered Wednesday at the Multicultural Center to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the 1995 hunger strike when students demanded an Asian American studies program at Northwestern.

At the meeting members evaluated the program's progress and discussed ways to strengthen curricula.

Since 1991 the Asian American Advisory Board held student-organized seminars and petition drives to demand the creation of an Asian American academic program. Efforts to put pressure on university administrators culminated in a 21-day hunger strike at The Rock in 1995.

Even with media coverage from the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times and an agreement with administrators to consider requests of the students, the Asian American studies program was not officially created until 1999. Courses in the minor weren't offered until 2000.

As students at Wednesday's event munched ramen noodles -- the food that helped strikers transition from consuming only water, juice and crackers to eating regularly again -- they viewed a documentary filmed April 23, 1995.

The movie contained an interview with Charles Chun, who went 12 days without food, and speeches from students of various ethnic backgrounds on the steps of University Hall.

Several students in the video expressed discontent at the number of ethnic studies curricula offered. After the documentary ended, members of APAC and Asian American studies students discussed why the minor is important to NU, where 16.5 percent of students are Asian American.

"Initially I was skeptical," McCormick freshman Catherine Chen said, describing her first impressions of an Asian American program. "There's already so much Asian American separation -- why do we need another venue? But when I got to college, I thought about the need for a unifying organization and the importance of having diversity."

A common concern of strikers and current group members is that Asian American history is often excluded from general history courses.

"There's a need for a unified entity, but also for an academic content that creates a cohesive history and a sense of heritage for Asian Americans," said Rosa Nguyen, Weinberg junior and APAC education co-chairwoman.

Even after 10 years, Asian American studies still struggles to be taken seriously by administrators, students said.

The program grew quickly during its first two years but has since arrived at a standstill. Last year leaders of cultural groups submitted a letter outlining a proposal to improve the lack of progress within the department as well as the neglect of the administration. The Asian American studies department still is facing these issues, they said. Students also recognized that there are not programs in other ethnic studies, such as Native American studies.

"Ethnic studies is part of that complete package that you expect from a good school," said Janet Kim, Medill junior and APAC co-vice president.

Compared to other academic fields, Asian American studies constantly needs to prove itself to the administration, students said.

"Other programs have low enrollment, but when we have it, it's assumed that it's because of a lack of interest," said Weinberg senior and program coordinator Antoinette Nguyen.

The next move should be to create an Asian American studies major, instead of just a minor, said Tedd Vanadilok, director of Asian and Asian American Student Affairs. Whereas the major may attract mainly Asian Americans, students of other ethnic backgrounds can benefit from the program.

"Often the most engaged students happen to be non-Asians, because they're learning something that's different from their own experience," Vanadilok said.

Reach Kristyn Schiavone at k-schiavone@northwestern.edu.

(http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/03/03/4226c587ea579)

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
EXTENSION OF REMARKS
PAGE E337
March 2, 2005

IN HONOR OF THE VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR: TET, 2005—YEAR OF THE ROOSTER

HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH
OF OHIO
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, March 2, 2005

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Vietnamese New Year: Tet, 2005—Year of the Rooster. To celebrate the hope and promise of the New Year, the members and leaders of the Vietnamese Community in Greater Cleveland, Inc., will gather at St. Helena Catholic Church to rejoice with family and friends, enjoying Vietnamese culture and performances.

The Tet celebration will include recognition of community volunteers and leaders, and Vietnamese food, dancing and musical entertainment by the Vietnamese youth of Cleveland. Tet is the time of year to pay homage to ancestors, reconnect with family and friends, and celebrate the sense of good will and possibilities, rising like the first light of dawn.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnamese Community in Greater Cleveland, Inc. For nearly three decades, this vital coalition of culture has reflected unwavering commitment, service and community outreach to citizens of Vietnamese heritage. The Vietnamese community in Greater Cleveland is a vibrant layer within the colorful fabric of our culturally diverse city—and the Vietnamese Community of Greater Cleveland, Inc. plays a significant role in preserving and promoting the ancient cultural and historical traditions that spiral back throughout the centuries, connecting the old world to the new, spanning oceans and borders—from Vietnam to America.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Le Nguyen, President of the Vietnamese Community in Greater Cleveland, Inc., and all members and leaders, past and present, for their dedication and support of Americans of Vietnamese heritage within our Cleveland community. As they celebrate the Vietnamese New Year, the Year of the Rooster, may they hold memories of their past forever in their hearts, and find happiness and peace with the dawning of each new day.

Source: Government Printing Office

(http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2005_record&page=E337&position=all)

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March 3, 2005

RELIEF EFFORT HITS HOME
STATE’S ASIAN AMERICANS DONATE TO TSUNAMI CAUSES AT A HIGH RATE, REPORT SAYS

By Stephen Magagnini
Sacramento Bee Staff Writer

Nai Saeteurn, a Iu Mien refugee from the mountains of Laos, was grocery shopping in January when she stuffed $10 into a can for tsunami relief.

"I was thinking, what if I had been separated from my two kids?" said Saeteurn, who works as a counselor for a Sacramento nonprofit agency. "To me it doesn't matter where the disaster was. But most of my Southeast Asian friends say that because Asians are involved and we all lived there at one point, more people are donating."

Saeteurn and other Asian Americans in California have donated to tsunami relief at almost twice the rate of Americans nationwide, according to a multilingual poll released Wednesday.

The poll, commissioned by New California Media, a group of ethnic news organizations, found that 64 percent of Asian Americans in California have donated cash to tsunami relief. By contrast, about a third of Americans nationwide have donated, according to a recent USAToday/CNN/Gallup Poll.

While the average donation is smaller - $125 for Asian Americans in California, compared with $279 for Americans nationwide - nearly 1.8 million of the 2.8 million Asian American adults in the state have donated, according Sergio Bendixen, the Florida-based pollster who conducted the research.

"This is a remarkable act by California's Asian American community toward the victims of the tsunami," Bendixen said. He estimated Asian Americans in California have contributed roughly 20 percent of the $1 billion raised nationwide.

The poll also found that 28 percent of the state's Asian Americans - among them Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians - believe the tsunami was a warning from God that people have strayed too far from their faith.

"And 26 percent tell us the tsunami was predetermined by fate and could not be prevented by an early warning system," Bendixen said.

Asian immigrants who have been in the United States fewer than 10 years were more inclined to believe the tsunami was a warning or punishment from a higher power.

The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points, surveyed 706 Californians, including Americans of Indonesian, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, East Indian, Korean, Japanese, Sri Lankan and Thai descent.

About 85 percent chose to be interviewed in a language other than English.

Indonesians and East Indians were most likely to donate - about 80 percent said they gave. They were followed by Korean Americans (70 percent), Chinese Americans (67 percent), Vietnamese Americans (65 percent), Sri Lankan Americans (63 percent), Thai Americans (57 percent), Filipino Americans (55 percent) and Japanese Americans (54 percent).

Religious centers, community agencies and ethnic media all played a role in the outpouring of support, the poll showed.

Though Asian Americans tend to identify with their country of origin rather than their race, the tsunami disaster appears to have inspired stronger feelings of pan-Asian solidarity. Though only 8 percent of those polled said they knew someone who was victimized by the tsunami, half said they feel more connected to other Asian Americans as a result of the disaster.

"It's quite refreshing and surprising to me," said Jerry Chong, legal counsel for CAPITAL, a Sacramento group representing 98 Asian American organizations.

"We're talking about (affected) countries that constitute a small minority of Asian Americans, and yet Asian Americans have risen up to contribute rather than saying it's not our problem."

Chong donated $250 to the Sacramento Chinese of Indo-China Friendship Association, which raised $74,000 for the Red Cross relief effort.

Linda Lui, an ethnic Chinese from Vietnam who organized the association's fund-raising dinner, said the organization raised $130,000 for the victims of 9/11.

"I don't think it has to do with Asia," she said. "As a human being, if you watched the news after December 26, it touched you."

About the writer:
The Bee's Stephen Magagnini can be reached at (916) 321-1072 or smagagnini@sacbee.com.

(http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/12500843p-13356406c.html)

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For Immediate Release
March 3, 2005

Contact: Hung Nguyen (877) 592-4140

NCVA BOARD MEMBERS APPEAR IN PBS TELEVISION PROGRAM

NCVA Board members Nguyen Ngoc Bich and Lu Anh Thu are featured in the history of Arlington County, Virginia as they share the history of the Vietnamese American community in this region.

Washington, D.C. – On Sunday, March 13, 2005 at 7 pm on PBS/WETA Channel 26 in the Washington, DC area, the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (NCVA) Board Chair Nguyen Ngoc Bich and Board Member Lu Anh Thu will appear in the airing of Arlington: Heroes, History & Hamburgers.

This program from PBS/WETA is an 80-minute tribute to Arlington County featuring archival footage, interviews with residents and insight from local historians.  The program documents the history of Arlington starting with life on the land 10,000 years ago and concluding in recent times with a look at the county’s diversity.  In the 1970s, Arlington County neighborhoods experienced change with the arrival of Metro.

The PBS announcement on Arlington: Heroes, History & Hamburgers states, “Clarendon, which had been a shopping hub, was torn apart by the construction.  Vietnamese store owners saw opportunity in the lowered lease rates and settled in Clarendon – which became known as Little Saigon.”

For the past 30 years, community members, who later formed NCVA, have been involved in the development of the Vietnamese American community throughout the United States.  For almost 20 years, NCVA has had a tradition of advocating, leading and strengthening the Vietnamese American community.  Our signature leadership program ensures that the critical shortage of culturally aware and adept leaders is present within the community as viable resources as it matures in mainstream America.

Hung Nguyen, NCVA President/CEO, states, “For the past 30 years, Vietnamese American contributions are often forgotten because Vietnamese Americans are mostly referenced in terms of a war.  More than reminders of a war, we are a refugee community that has built new homes in a country of opportunities.  In Arlington County and in other parts of the United States, Vietnamese Americans generate over $9.1 billion in annual sales receipt.  It is important to highlight the cultural and economic contributions of the Vietnamese American community in the capital region and throughout the United States.”

The Vietnamese American community continues to contribute to this country’s cultural and economic prosperity.  We are part of the living history that makes the United States a country of every day heroes.

More information about this PBS/WETA program can be found at:

(http://www.weta.org/arlington/about.html)

-30-

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.

(www.ncvaonline.org)

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March 6, 2005

MEDI-CAL FRAUD PROGRAM DRAWS PROTESTS BY VIETNAMESE PHARMACISTS

By Daisy Nguyen, Associated Press Writer

Garden Grove, Calif. (AP) -- A new pharmacy credentialing program aimed at detecting Medi-Cal fraud and counterfeit drugs in Orange County has provoked vehement protests by a group of Vietnamese drugstore owners who are deeply suspicious of its tactics.

The owners said the one-year pilot program would require them to divulge private inform

tion about their mostly immigrant clientele, reminding them of the oppressive rules that led them to flee their home country.

They shut their doors in protest for nearly four weeks and many are still fighting the requirement.

"We're fed up with this group that's violating our rights and the rights of our patients," said Paul Hoang, spokesman for the Vietnamese American Independent Pharmacies Group, which includes 51 drugstores in the Little Saigon district.

The program is being implemented by CalOptima, a health management organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits for 290,000 people in Orange County.

The effort was launched this year to cut drug costs and escalating fraud while protecting patients' privacy, according to an executive with the HMO.

"CalOptima wouldn't implement a program where private information would be compromised," CEO Richard Chambers said.

Beginning on Jan. 1, the organization required the 425 pharmacies it works with in Orange County to contract with the Fraud Prevention Institute, a nonprofit firm that surveys shops for evidence of fraud.

Under the program, institute officials conduct half-hour audits of pharmacies, selecting a random prescription and calling the doctor who wrote it to confirm whether it was authorized.

"On the occasion that the doctor says no, then guess what? We exposed a little piece of someone doing fraud," said J. Allen Cates, chairman of the institute.

The program worries many Vietnamese pharmacists, who don't want to violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountably Act, or HIPAA, the 2003 law limiting access to health information. The pharmacy group has had previous disputes with CalOptima over cost-cutting and other issues.

"What legal authority do they have?" Hoang asked. "Would you feel comfortable if you were a patient? Would you want someone other than your doctor or pharmacist to know you're taking anti-depressant drugs, or drugs for HIV or herpes?"

CalOptima initially required pharmacies to sign program participation agreements by last Jan. 1. After 28 Vietnamese drugstores refused, the HMO barred them from receiving Medi-Cal payments for qualifying prescriptions.

The pharmacists resisted the plan then closed on Jan. 19 to protest the lost income. For many, the payments comprised the majority of their revenue.

Along with privacy, they were concerned about potential charges by the institute, particularly a $5,000 quarterly investigative fee to further explore any fraud it might discover.

"Many of us went through a lot of suffering in Vietnam, so when we came here we thought we could enjoy freedom," said pharmacist Thu-Hang Tran. "But the way they treat us ... it's not so different than in Vietnam."

Patients complained the shuttered pharmacies cut off a vital source of medication. Hundreds signed petitions and staged protests in Little Saigon. One group of Medi-Cal beneficiaries even took out ads in Vietnamese newspapers saying CalOptima couldn't be trusted.

"I'm blind and my husband is in a wheelchair. I rely on my longtime pharmacist to bring my pills to my house," said Tuyet Dang, 73. "She gives me instruction in Vietnamese. Where else am I going to get that kind of service?"

After politicians stepped in to mediate, the pharmacies reopened on Feb. 14. The HMO extended the registration deadline and drugstore owners agreed to sign a contract with the institute by March 1. Some, however, are pursuing legal action.

Hoang said signing the letter allowed the pharmacies to resume business while showing they support fraud prevention and don't fear inspections.

Under the privacy law, a contract with the institute would make it legal to grant access to patient information, according to Mark Kadzielski, a health law attorney in Los Angeles.

"If a business associate agreement is properly drafted to protect people's privacy, then there's no problem with FPI coming in and doing a review," he said. "If they breach confidentiality, then FPI is subject to criminal penalty and civil fines."

Not all Vietnamese drugstore owners oppose the program. One who asked to remain anonymous said she signed up before the deadline and Cates provided helpful advice when a customer used a stolen credit card and identification.

Assemblyman Van Tran, R-Garden Grove, has been mediating the dispute. He said the program could be improved but should be considered as a possible way to combat fraud.

"You don't necessarily throw the entire pilot program out the window if overall it's doing what it intends to do," said Tran, whose district includes Little Saigon.

"There is definitely a high level of distrust and suspicion and animosity from the independent pharmacies toward CalOptima that have made the situation more difficult to resolve," he said.

(http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2005/03/06/state/n085407S06.DTL)

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March 8, 2005

VIETNAMESE KIDS GET HELP THROUGH TUTORIAL PROJECT

By Natalia Munoz
nmunoz@repub.com
The Republican

SPRINGFIELD - Noel Nguyen and Nhi Vu, both 10 and in fourth grade, stand in the cultural crossroads of their parents' native land and their own, as born and bred next-generation Vietnamese Americans.

They write and read English but speak Vietnamese at home. Their parents write and read Vietnamese and speak little English.

When the homework gets tough, the pupils are on their own.

Dr. Lucy Nguyen, a University of Massachusetts at Amherst professor who lives in Sunderland and volunteers in Springfield, developed an after-school tutorial program to help youngsters like Nguyen and Vu. It is sponsored in part by Step Up Springfield, a community-driven initiative to help ensure that each child learns,

Now in its second week at the Vietnamese American Citizens Association in Springfield, the tutorial program is so successful that it needs more volunteer tutors and a copy machine.

According to Elizabeth Tuong Van Vo, executive director of the association, there are 17 pupils from the third and fourth grades of Sumner Avenue Elementary School. As more volunteers come on board, more pupils from other grades will be helped, she said.

Christina Dingman, 23, a nursing student at American International College, is a volunteer. Sort of.

"It's part of our curriculum," she said, "But we don't mind it."

Last year, Nguyen led a poll of 220 Vietnamese families, and discovered that the recurring theme among them was their wish for tutors. According to Nguyen, although the vast majority of Asian students will graduate from high school, "It's not 100 percent, so it's not good," she said at the time. "High school has to be 100 percent."

Noel agrees.

"We're trying to do good in the MCAS," she said, taking a welcome break from a complicated geometry question. "You don't want to get a bad score because if you do, we feel ashamed of ourselves."

"For Asian families, passing the test is very much required by the family, in the name of the family and the pride of the family," said Lucy Nguyen. "If you fail, not only do you fail, but you fail your whole family as well."

Dat Nguyen, president of the agency's board of directors, was on hand to help tutor a couple of the pupils.

In between helping them decipher math word problems, he said the tutorial program runs three days a week: Thursdays and Fridays, 3-5 p.m., and Saturdays, 10-noon.

Meanwhile, at their table, Noel and Nhi were pondering a question and a series of drawings.

"This is a right angle," said Noel, pointing to answer A.

"No, this is the right angle," Nhi said, her pencil tapping B.

"Oh. That's right," said Nguyen, then added, doubt-struck: "Really?"

(http://www.masslive.com/living/republican/index.ssf?/base/living-2/111027152391970.xml)

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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.