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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.


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NCVA eREPORTER - March 15, 2005

In this NCVA eReporter:

Events

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

TIPS/RESOURCES

NEWS

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 EVENTS

UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA AND KCET
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration
2005 Local Hero of the Year Awards and Reception

Union Bank of California and KCET are looking for nominations for the Asian Pacific American Heritage Local Hero Awards to be held in mid May.  Please nominate Asian Pacific American men and women who have made significant contributions in the following areas: arts, business, community activism, social services and/or education.  The awards committee is looking for outstanding, unsung heroes from Southern California to recognize during this month. KCET will produce and broadcast a short video profile of each of the selected honorees.  Ideally, we are looking for unsung heroes who have not received any or much recognition for their accomplishments and contributions, and have made a significant impact to their profession and community.

Nominations are due on Thursday, March 31, 2005.

Please use the attached nomination form.  Families can be nominated as well as individuals.  We encourage you to nominate multiple candidates in each of the above five categories.  Please keep nominations confidential.  All candidate nominations should include the attached nomination form, bio/résumé, and other supporting information.

PAST HONOREES
KCET had the privilege of honoring the following leaders during last year’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration:

Community Activism
Munson Kwok/Suellen Cheng
Chinese American Museum

Arts
Linda Mabalot
Visual Communications

Social Services
Nancy Au
Western Region Asian Project

Social Services
Chanchanit Martorell
Thai Community Development Center

ABOUT THE EVENT
The Asian Pacific American Local Heroes are selected for their commitment to enrich the community and positively influence the lives of those around them. KCET recognizes their collective contributions of determination and courage, as well as the inspiration they offer others.  The event is part of a series of programs sponsored by Union Bank of California to recognize the contributions of many unsung heroes from ethnic communities across California.

CONTACT INFORMATION
For additional information, please contact KCET at 323-953-5298 or via e-mail at mrobb@kcet.org. Note, candidate nominations can be faxed, emailed or mailed to Michael Robb at KCET as indicated on the candidate nomination form.  Thank you!

NOTE
Due to the overwhelming response, KCET and Union Bank of California are under no obligation to notify individuals of receipt of nomination materials, whether nominations will be used in the selection process, or the final outcome of the nomination, if not selected as a winner.  Thank you for your understanding.

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APIA U: LEADERSHIP 101
Leadership Trainings for all Asian Pacific Islander American college students

Sponsored by the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) and Funded by State Farm®

A useful tool in organizing for campus and social change

Come join what thousands of students have already been apart of. In the coming weeks and months there will be APIA U: Leadership 101 Trainings all over the United States. We want you to be there. You can find out more information and to register online, please go to www.ocanatl.org and click on Programs.

Sign up quickly, some of our trainings already have 50 people registered – don’t miss out. The mission of these leadership trainings is to provide Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) students an environment to develop leadership and organizing skills that are relevant to APIA students on campuses and in communities.  The 1-1/2 day training will bring together students throughout the region to share experiences and develop tools to effectively serve as a catalyst for change and activism. The training is also FREE.

Here are the upcoming dates and locations…

Brown University
March 12-13, 2005
(Less than 20 slots left – sign-up today!)

University of Washington - Seattle
April 2-3, 2005

Vanderbilt University & Middle Tennessee State University
April 9-10, 2005

Michigan State University
April 16-17, 2005

University of Central Florida
April 16-17, 2005

University of California - San Diego
April 16-17, 2005

University of California – Santa Cruz
April 23-24, 2005

Washington, DC
Summer 2005 (Site to be determined)

BACKGROUND:
APIAU: Leadership 101 wants to help the students integrate the tools to address cultural and societal influences, develop effective leadership and initiate positive change and activism on campus and in the community.  The program also hopes to develop regional bonds among students and campuses as well as Asian and Pacific Islander American leaders on college campuses across the country. At each training, 60 students register to participate in this day and a half of activities. In order to achieve the goals for the weekend, two facilitators guide the student leaders through hands-on exercises, presentations and discussions, which will enhance their comprehension of the concepts. By bringing students together to share their experiences in this safe and supportive environment, they can begin to develop a broader shared vision, enabling them to move forward as a powerfully positive force. APIA U: Leadership 101 welcomes all Asian and Pacific Islander American undergraduate students who are interested in leadership development, civic responsibility, involvement with APIA student organizations and networking with other APIA student activists. The training is absolutely free. A $5 deposit is required to secure your registration; checks will be returned at the end of the training. Breakfast, lunch and a night reception are provided. Students are responsible for their own transportation and accommodations.

(www.ocanatl.org)

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NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

Men Needed to Participate in Online/Phone Focus Group

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a federal agency that is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is looking for men who are interested in reviewing and discussing a new website on cancer risk.

If you:

* Are a male of any race or ethnicity
* Have not had cancer
* Are over age 40
* Speak fluent English
* Can use the Internet through an Internet browser and the telephone at the same time
* Would like to participate in an online/telephone focus group on cancer risk on March 29 (8pm Eastern/7pm Central) or March 30 (8pm Mountain/ 7pm Pacific)

Please call us toll-free at:

1-888-249-0029

We will ask you a few questions and add you to our database with your permission. If you qualify, we will contact you at a later date for scheduling. To be eligible, you should not be a health professional. All participants in a discussion group will be paid for their time. Participating in a study involves a total of 2 hours.

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 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

WOMEN’S EDUCATIONAL EQUITY ACT PROGRAM

Department of Education

Faith-based and other organizations may apply for a grant under the Women's Educational Equity Act Program for projects that increase the number of low-income women and girls pursuing and excelling in advanced courses in mathematics or science, and entering highly skilled careers in which they have been underrepresented.

A total of $2,519,942 will be awarded for 14 to 15 grants. Individual award amounts will range from $125,000 to $250,000. *Letters of intent are due April 1, 2005 and applications are due April 18, 2005.* Complete details can be found in the program announcement at:

(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/E5-819.pdf)

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PUBLIC AWARENESS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

Department of Justice

Faith-based and other organizations that can demonstrate an understanding of victimization issues, have experience in providing victim services and advocacy, and have the needed capacity to conduct a public awareness campaign, are invited to apply for the Public Awareness in Underserved Communities Cooperative Agreement. The Office for Victims of Crime will give favorable consideration to applications that have partnerships between a victim service organization and one or more ethnic community-based or faith-based organizations with close ties to the targeted audience.

Successful applicants will plan and develop public awareness campaigns on the topic of victimization that is targeted to underserved populations with limited English proficiency. The campaign should be linguistically and culturally appropriate and include local ethnic media venues.

A total of $350,000 will be awarded to ten grants. Applications are due April 14, 2005. The solicitation for applications is at:

(http://www.ojp.gov/ovc/fund/pdftxt/solicpublicawareness.pdf)

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DC FOLK AND TRADITIONAL ARTS MINI-GRANT

Dear D.C. artists, arts and cultural supporters, and organizations,

The next deadline for submitting applications for the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities' Folk & Traditional Arts Mini-Grant is April 7th!  Help spread the word that the Commission is offering quick response small-scaled grants to D.C. based artists, dancers, musicians, scholars, and organizations practicing or supporting folk traditions.

The amount of support for the Folk & Traditional Arts Mini-Grant ranges from $500 to $1000 dollars and can be put towards a range of activities, including public programs, performances, lectures, etc.  You can obtain more information at the following link:

http://dcarts.dc.gov/dcarts/cwp/view,a,3,q,528167.asp

A workshop to assist you in preparing your application will be held on March 24, 2005 at 6:00 pm.  The workshop will be held at the DC Commission on the Arts Humanities' offices at 410 8th Street, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC. No reservation is required.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the application, the grant, or the funding potential of project ideas.  Also, if you have ideas for other people or organizations I should contact, please let me know (or feel free to forward this email).  We're eager to increase the number of applicants and lend assistance to some of the traditional artists and/or organizations showcasing folk art in D.C.

We hope to receive your grant application (postmark dates of April 7th are fine too).  Thanks in advance for your help spreading the word!

Sincerely,

Mary Eckstein
Folk & Traditional Arts Consultant
DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities
202-724-5613

(http://dcarts.dc.gov/dcarts/cwp/view,a,3,q,528167.asp)

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SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

Newman's Own Award

Newman's Own Award, administered by Fisher House Foundation, offers a challenge to volunteer organizations which support our military: Present an innovative plan supporting military families and receive a share of grant awards to carry out that plan. Grants will be awarded to volunteer organizations for developing the most innovative programs to improve the quality of life for military families. The submission judged to be the most outstanding will receive a $10,000 grant, with the remaining $40,000 apportioned to other competing organizations. The application deadline is April 30, 2005.

(http://www.fisherhouse.org/programs/newmans.shtml)

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FUNDS FOR WOMEN SEEKING JUSTICE IN THE WORKPLACE

United Methodist Church: Call to Prayer and Self-Denial Offering Fund

The United Methodist Church's Call to Prayer and Self-Denial Fund supports projects that are of special concern to women, children, and youth. In 2005, applications will be accepted from national and international groups that fit the theme of "Women Seeking Justice in the Workplace." Half of available funds will be directed towards projects in the U.S. and half will support international projects. In the U.S., the primary focus will be on improving the living wage. Internationally, the focus will be on economic justice. Small-scale, community and church-based programs and projects are supported. The application deadline is August 15, 2005.

(http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wdnews.cfm?articleid=2885)

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SUPPORT FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND JUST SOCIAL AND NATURAL WORLD

Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation

The Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation provides support to grassroots organizations and movements committed to a sustainable and just social and natural system. The Foundation's funding priorities are shaped by a view of the Earth as one community, an interconnected web of life in which human society is an integral part. Priority is placed on efforts that protect the health and environment of communities threatened by toxics, advance environmental justice, promote a sustainable agricultural and food system, ensure quality reproductive health care as a human right, and foster an environmentally sustainable New York City. Nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. are eligible to apply.  Letters of inquiry are accepted year-round.

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

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SUPPORT FOR HEALTH, FOOD SYSTEMS/RURAL DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND EDUCATION, AND PHILANTHROPY

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The mission of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is to help people help themselves through the practical application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations with projects of national and international importance in the following program areas: health, food systems and rural development, youth and education, and philanthropy and volunteerism.  Support is provided in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, and six southern Africa countries. The Foundation also provides local support in Battle Creek, MI. Pre-proposals are accepted throughout the year.

(http://www.wkkf.org)

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FUNDING FOR HUMANITIES ENDOWMENTS

National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grants

NEH challenge grants are intended to help institutions and organizations nationwide to secure long-term improvements in and support for their humanities programs and resources. Awards are made to museums, public libraries, colleges, research institutions, historical societies and historic sites, public television and radio stations, universities, scholarly associations, state humanities councils, and other nonprofit entities. Challenge grants most commonly augment or establish endowments that support humanities activities in education, public programming, scholarly research, and preservation. Because of the matching requirements, these NEH awards also strengthen the humanities by encouraging nonfederal sources of support. The 2005 application deadlines are May 2 and November 1.

(http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/challenge.html)

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FOCUS ON PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES

Target Community Giving Program

The Target Community Giving Program supports nonprofit organizations in the communities where the company's stores are located. There are currently stores in every state except Vermont, Alaska, and Hawaii. The company's grants focus on the following three areas: accessible arts for families, family violence prevention, and early childhood reading. Most grants average between $1,000 and $3,000. Applications will be accepted between March 1 and May 31, 2005, with early application encouraged.

(http://target.com/target_group/community_giving/local_giving.jhtml)

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INNOVATIONS IN MANUFACTURED HOMES (I'M HOME) CALL FOR PROPOSALS

CFED is soliciting proposals that address barriers to asset-building in the manufactured housing (MH) sector. Successful organizations will receive either implementation grants of up to $150,000 or catalyst grants of up to $50,000 to leverage additional outside funds and to directly support efforts to improve the ability of low- and moderate-income families to build wealth and attain greater financial security through ownership of manufactured homes. Concept papers are due April 15, 2005.

(http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?parentid=314&siteid=317&id=323)

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS INVITES PROPOSALS

The National Association of Secondary School Principals is inviting proposals from public middle level and high schools serving large numbers of low-income students and underrepresented minorities (greater than 40% of student body) to apply for a $5,000 mini-grant to implement a special initiative aimed at strengthening ties between their schools and their students’ neighborhoods and communities. The application deadline is April 15, 2005.

(http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec.asp?CID=568&DID=48228)

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DEMOCRACY FUNDING CIRCLE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Ms. Foundation for Women is a leading advocate for the issues that touch women’s lives, from reproductive rights and violence in our communities to gaining access to resources to care for our families’ well-being. The Foundation aims to promote a vision of an inclusive American society by strengthening women’s voices in progressive movement building through its Democracy Funding Circle. The deadline for submitting proposals is April 11, 2005.

(http://www.ms.foundation.org/)

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2005 AETNA FOUNDATION REGIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH GRANTS PROGRAM

The Aetna Foundation seeks to help build healthy communities by funding initiatives that improve the quality of life where company employees and customers work and live. The Foundation's Regional Community Grants Program aims to address critical health issues in communities within Aetna's six business regions. The program will focus on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Applications vary by region; visit the website above for regional deadlines. The next deadline is March 31, 2005 for the West region.

Grant requests ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 that address one of the following areas will be considered:

 1) Cultural Competency: Training and education for health-care professionals, including culturally appropriate End-Of-Life care training. Preference will be given to organizations that require this training and can demonstrate participation and pre-and post-training results.

2) Disease prevention, awareness, and delivery of culturally sensitive care and services related to children's oral health, community-based screening, treatment, and/or family education initiatives regarding the importance of  dental care; diabetes initiatives targeting individuals and families with prevention and healthy behavior modification messages to help combat the growing incidence of type 2 diabetes in children and adults; and screening, education, and outreach efforts to enhance early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of depression in youth and adults.

(http://www.aetna.com/foundation/communitygrants/2004_rfp.htm)

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 FOX FAMILY FOUNDATION OFFERS FUNDING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICE PROGRAMS IN LOS ANGELES AND SANTA CLARA COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA

Deadline: May 1, 2005

The Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation  ( http://www.fcfox.org/ ) has announced a Request for Proposals for children and youth-service programs in  Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties, California.

The Fox Family Foundation, which supports nonprofit organizations with programs and projects that maximize the potential of children and youth, is accepting applications and letters of inquiry from highly successful, results-oriented programs that improve and expand the learning environments of children. Special emphasis is placed on target populations from economically and socially disadvantaged families, and programs that actively promote positive interactions between children, youth, and adults through multi-faceted parent/mentor/staff involvement and embrace professional development and training for those who deal directly with children or create their learning environments.

The typical grant will range between $10,000 and $40,000.

Initial application is by a short letter of inquiry and  a one-page application form (downloadable from the foundation's Web site). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with an application deadline of May 1, 2005, for this funding cycle.

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

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CALIFORNIA WELLNESS FOUNDATION SABBATICAL PROGRAM INVITES APPLICATIONS

Deadline: April 22, 2005

Applications are being accepted for the California Wellness Foundation's ( http://www.tcwf.org/ ) Sabbatical Program.

The program offers grants of $30,000 to California non-profit health organizations to provide their executive directors with a paid leave of three to six months. The organizations will also receive up to $5,000 each for the professional development of managers and staff who assume extra responsibilities in the absence of sabbatical awardees.

(http://www.tcwf.org/press_room/sabbatical_program/index.htm)

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COMMUNITY-CAMPUS PARTNERSHIPS FOR HEALTH INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR SERVICE-LEARNING INSTITUTE

Deadline: April 15, 2005

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health ( http://www.ccph.info/ ), a nonprofit organization that promotes better health through partnerships between communities and institutions of high education is accepting applications for its 8th annual Introductory Service-Learning Institute, which will be held June 17-20, 2005, in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State.

The Summer Service-Learning Institute is designed for both new and experienced service-learning practitioners (faculty, staff, and community partners). National experts in service-learning -- health professional faculty who have incorporated community service into their courses and community leaders who have developed service-learning partnerships with health professions schools -- serve as institute presenters and mentors.

Past institutes have drawn participants from a wide variety of disciplines and professions, including medicine,  dental hygiene, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, public health,  physical therapy, pre-health professions, residency, and  social work programs, as well as those from  public health  agencies and community-based organizations  that have  service-learning partnerships with such programs.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as space is limited to twenty-three participants.

(http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/servicelearning.html)

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 JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

AADAP, INC. CURRENT JOB OPENINGS SUMMARY

AADAP, Inc. (Asian American Drug Abuse Program) Serves people throughout the Los Angeles County in substance abuse treatment.  Not only does AADAP provide substance abuse for counseling; AADAP has expanded its services to include employment services for youth and adults, HIV/AIDS outreach and education and tobacco education. We have been together since 1972 with our motto and philosophy grounded on, "People Need People," and the "Family Concept."

We currently have several positions open and we are looking for motivated people wanting to give back to our communities.  Please apply to Dean Nakanishi, Administrative Director by e-mail to (dnakanishi@aadapinc.org) or by fax to (323) 295-4075 or mail to AADAP, Inc., 5318 South Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90043.  If you are interested in a full job description, please call Jon Fukuda at (323) 293-6284 or e-mail Jon at (jfukuda@aadapinc.org).  You can also check our website at (http://www.aadapinc.org/careers/).

Intake Counselor (TC):
We currently have an Intake Counselor position open.  This position will work in our first historical program the Therapeutic Community Unit (TC Unit).  We are looking for someone with a clinical background to make appropriate assessments on bringing in new clients for the TC Unit. This position will also involve client recruitment.  We are requiring bilingual Korean skills. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Counselor (Olympic Academy):
AADAP is proud of our first Youth Residential Treatment Program that opened May of 2002.  We had a terrific first couple of years!  We are looking for a full time Counselor to direct and monitor the structure of the Youth Residential Unit, and ensure that all staff team decisions governing resident treatment needs are adequately enforced.  We prefer bilingual Asian languages to be able to communicate Asian families.  Salary is commensurate with experience.

Night Case Worker (Olympic Academy):
Our Youth Treatment Program is also in search of a Night Case Worker. The Night Case Worker directs and monitors the evening structure of the Youth Residential Unit, and ensures that all staff team decisions governing resident treatment needs are adequately enforced.  Bilingual Asian language skills needed.  Salary is commensurate with experience.

Counselor (Outpatient Drug Free):
We currently have a Counselor in Outpatient Drug Free Program.  The Outpatient Drug Free Program has been in existence with our agency for the past twenty years. This job is hands on with facilitating drug and alcohol issues on a Outpatient basis.  The position involves case management, advocacy, conduct crises intervention and to provide support services. We are requiring bilingual Korean skills. The starting salary range is from $26,400 to 42,905.

Counselor (Drug Court):
We currently have a full-time and part-time bilingual Spanish Counselor in our Drug Court Program.  This program was created through State Proposition 36.  Counselors will work through the Inglewood Municipal Courts.  This is a challenging position facilitating clients treatment and being responsible to give recommendations to local judges. The position involves case management, advocacy, conduct crises intervention and to provide support services. The starting salary range is from $26,400 to 42,905.

Clinical Supervisor:
AADAP has been approved for a new grant to serve youth for substance abuse treatment on an outpatient basis in the South Bay area.  We are seeking a Clinical Supervisor to coordinate day-to-day operations for clinical case management for a youth substance and mental health outpatient treatment facility.  Salary is commensurate with experience.

Clinical Social Worker (PT):
We are also seeking a Clinical Social Worker on a part-time basis.  We are seeking someone with a minimum of a Masters in Social Work.  The Clinical Social Worker will be responsible to conduct case management, outreach, intake, direct service, and case management services to youth and their families with the SPA 8 Adolescent Intervention and Treatment Program. Salary is commensurate with experience

Intake Worker (Bridges):
This position is in one of our units that deal directly with youth in the inner city.  The goal of this unit is a prevention program from substance abuse, gang violence and other negative behaviors.  We currently have an Intake Worker on a part-time basis for our Bridges program.  The Intake Worker conducts outreach, screening and intake, and provides administrative support to program staff.  Salary is commensurate with experience

AADAP INC IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND ADHERES TO HIRING PRACTICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL AND STATE REGULATIONS.

(http://www.aadapinc.org/careers/)

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CHHAYA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION

Chhaya Community Development Corporation (Chhaya CDC) is a four year old community-based organization based in Queens, NY dedicated to meeting the housing and community development needs of South Asian Americans.  Chhaya CDC (www.chhayacdc.org) was established in October of 2000 as an affiliate organization of Asian Americans for Equality; As of December 2004, Chhaya CDC is an independent 501(c) 3.

Chhaya CDC, specifically, seeks to meet the urgent need for housing assistance and social services in the New York metropolitan area by means of strategic partnerships, legal assistance, tenant advocacy, education and outreach on housing rights and opportunities.  Currently, Chhaya programs are primarily focused in the areas of predatory lending, and lead poisoning awareness.

Having established a solid organizational foundation, Chhaya CDC now plans to establish new offices in the Jackson Heights area of Queens, NY, refine our programs and add additional staff in the next year.  We are seeking a new Executive Director with strong program, fundraising and interpersonal skills to grow the organization.  The position is available immediately.

Responsibilities include:

* Work with Board of Directors to raise funds through individual donors, foundations, public support, and corporate foundations
* Define organizational direction, policy agenda and program strategies in collaboration with board of directors and staff
* Act as spokesperson for the organization
* Generate community support through the building of relationships with community and religious leaders.
* Build relationships with community leaders and partner agencies throughout New York City.
* Raise awareness and support around community issues through organizing of conferences; bringing together community leaders, policy makers, elected officials, funding institutions, and mainstream and ethnic press.

* Develop and implement programs, prepare budget projections and supervise staff.

Qualifications:
* A minimum of 5 years of experience in community development or related field; Masters in Public Policy, Public Administration, or related area a plus
* Familiarity with issues related tenant rights, homeownership, predatory lending, and immigrant and South Asian Community
* Strong Management Skills
* Strong communication and fundraising skills
* Ability to work with diverse groups
* Ability to speak a South Asian Language a plus

Salary: $50,000 - $70,000; Commensurate with experience

Please send inquiries, resume and cover letters to chhaya_edsearch@yahoo.com or call (917) 306-8033.

Chhaya CDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer

(www.chhayacdc.org)

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 DOL SECRETARY’S INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

 

The Student Internship Program provides students with the opportunity to learn about how federal government agencies operate and to interact with the leaders of various agencies within DOL.

Students can participate in weekly brown bag lunch discussions, attend agency presentations, and work on projects assigned to them by their agency. Previous interns have had opportunities to work in a variety of areas including public affairs, speechwriting, and outreach programs. Students will also be delegated general administrative duties, and should have strong writing and research skills.

“I started this intern program at the Department to provide young Americans with unique opportunities to serve their country by learning about the federal government.”
— U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao

For more information about the program and the application process, please visit http://www.dol.gov/_sec/media/internprogram.htm

Please contact:
Melissa Naudin
Internship Coordinator
naudin.melissa@dol.gov
202-693-6490 — Phone
202-693-6144 — Fax.

(http://www.dol.gov/_sec/media/internprogram.htm)

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APAPA's FIRST ANNUAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM is requesting your help to spread the words out!

This Internship is vital to API American's future because it will provide API Americans with a pool of potential great future leaders.  These leaders will be interned at our Capitol, in Federal, State and Local legislators' offices, then mentored and trained by APAPA to become great leaders to represent us in our Government and Public Affairs offices.  In order to merge API Americans into the main stream of America and to be recognized by our legislators as the main source for internship right here in the Capitol, we must make this program a success.  So, please help us to spread the news.

What:
APAPA Internship / Scholarship Program - 10 college or high-school senior students for $1,000 each for 6-week intern of 15 hours minimum per week at one of the Capitol offices.

Application (Visit website for application)

Deadline 4/1/05.  Fill out attached forms and mail in, or fill out online at www.apapa.org.

Any questions please write info@apapa.org, or mayue@comcast.net .  Thank you for your support and participation.

C. C. Yin
APAPA Founder / Chair

Mayue Carlson
APAPA-CEF President
Internship Program Chair

(www.apapa.org)

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ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

Program Coordinator

The mission of the Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program (API SBP) is to assist the development of small- and micro-businesses in Los Angeles, especially those of low income immigrants, with particular focus on: Chinatown, Thai Town, Koreatown, Historic Filipino Town, and Little Tokyo business communities.

API SBP is a five year old collaboration of Chinatown Service Center, Little Tokyo Service Center CDC, Thai CDC, Koreatown Youth and Community Center, and Search to Involve Pilipino Americans.

Position: Program Coordinator
Main responsibilities: Work with Director in writing proposals and managing grants from government, corporate and foundation funding sources, managing staff team of professionals, coordinating events such as the Asian Small Business Expo. Oversee program data collection and preparation of monthly and annual reports. Analyze program performance. Prepare general PR and marketing materials. Assist Director in other aspects of the program.

Qualifications:
Requirements: Undergraduate degree and minimum 2 years solid work experience in a professional environment; strong writing skills; dedication to micro and small business development / community economic development; strong interpersonal skills; strong computer skills MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, graphics lay-out programs (i.e. PageMaker, Publisher, Quark). Sense of humor!

Experience in the following areas a Big Plus: Grantsmanship; event coordination including sponsorship recruitment and relationship management, planning and execution; management experience in a team environment; familiarity with domestic microenterprise industry; creative problem solving; solid marketing skills.

Compensation:
Salary Low to mid-thirties, benefits include full medical, 12 paid holidays, paid vacation etc.

Hiring Schedule:
Resumes are being accepted now in anticipation of filling position by mid-April, 2005. Selected candidate will become an employee of the Little Tokyo Service Center CDC.

Send resume and cover letter by email or mail. No phone calls, please.

Cooke Sunoo, Director
Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program
C/o Little Tokyo Service Center CDC
231 East Third Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
csunoo@ltsc.org

(www.apisbp.org)

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For Immediate Release

March 11, 2005

For More Information

Contact: Daphne Kwok 202/296-9200

APAICS ANNOUNCES SODEXHO USA HEALTH POLICY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Applications are now available for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) 2005-2006 Sodexho USA Health Policy Fellowship Program.  The Fellowship Program is designed to provide an opportunity to an individual committed to the Asian Pacific Islander American community and health policy, and who plans to pursue a career in health policy.  The Fellowship has been generously funded by Sodexho USA.

Applications can be downloaded from the APAICS website, www.apaics.org. Candidates can also request an application by e-mail by sending a message to apaics@apaics.org. Applications must be postmarked by April 1, 2005.

The fellowship is for nine months, from September 2005 to May 2006.  APAICS will provide a stipend of $20,000 to cover travel arrangements, housing and personal expenses.  A separate stipend will be provided for basic health insurance coverage.  In order to receive the full-stipend, the fellow will be required to participate in mandatory APAICS events, submit a report of activities, and complete an evaluation at the end of the program.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:
*  Hold a graduate or bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).  A minimum of 3.5 in major coursework is preferred.
*  U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency by September 1, 2005.
*  One year of relevant work experience.

Candidates will be evaluated by the following criteria:
*  Demonstrated interest in the political process.
*  Demonstrated commitment to public policy health issues and Asian Pacific Islander American community affairs.
*  Demonstrated leadership abilities.
*  Excellent oral and written communication skills.

For further information, please contact the APAICS office by e-mail at apaics@apaics.org, or call our office at 202/296-9200.

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The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) is dedicated to increasing participation of individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage at all levels of the political process, from community service to elected office.  For more information, http://www.apaics.org/.

(www.apaics.org)

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 TIPS/RESOURCES

THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY-BASED AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

A place to find resources, share ideas, strengthen connections, and be strategically creative.

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

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 NEWS

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT – ASSOCIATION OF VIET ARTS
A Quarterly Publication of the Arts Council of Silicon Valley

In 1991, a small group of individuals came together and created an organization dedicated to cultivating, nurturing and promoting Vietnamese American arts. In 1992, the Association for Viet Arts (AVA) was created and became the first nonprofit Vietnamese organization in the Bay Area. Now nearly 15 years strong, AVA’s goals are to provide opportunities for Vietnamese American arts to present their work, open dialogues for cultural understanding, bridge Vietnamese and American cultures, and sustain the arts through arts education for children and youth in the community.

AVA also provides a forum for Vietnamese American performing, visual and literary artists and coordinates arts education programs for children and youth. In addition, AVA presents two to three major programs each year: a performance event and/or visual arts exhibition and art workshops for community children and youth.

A grantee of ACSV for over 11 years, Hoa Glassey, Treasurer and Co-Founder of AVA discusses the impact the grants from Arts Council Silicon Valley have provided, “Fundings from the Arts Council has permitted AVA to continue our art workshops and maintain the quality of our programs. This is especially true for the last few years when we have seen our fundings decreased by 50%. Without the fundings from the Arts Council, we would have to cut the free art workshops for children and youth.”

The Vietnamese American community that AVA serves numbers more than 120,000 people, nearly 10% of the total Bay Area population. With the rise of second generation Vietnamese Americans, the arts have become an important consideration for the community. Many Vietnamese American parents have an interest in making art a part of their children’s education and development, but are not able to afford arts education or are not aware of the available resources.

As AVA continues to build upon momentum, Hoa envisions that “AVA will take further steps to provide long term, meaningful art education to young people and to nurture well-rounded individuals who in turn will help to enrich the community around them.”

AVA is an important part of the South Bay community, serving as the first and only nonprofit tax-exempt Vietnamese arts organization in the Bay Area. Over the past 12 years, AVA has produced more than 30 events with a combined audience of more than 3,500 people.

To learn more about Association of Viet Arts, you can visit them on the web at: http://www.vietarts.org/

(http://www.enewsbuilder.net/artscouncilsv/e_article000362627.cfm?)

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March 2, 2005

THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965: 40 YEARS AFTER “BLOODY SUNDAY,” A PROMISE STILL UNFULFILLED

By Wade Henderson
civilrights.org

The Right to Vote With No 'Ifs,' 'Ands' or 'Buts.'

Forty years ago this coming Sunday, on March 7, 1965, Americans were stunned by the spectacle of law enforcement officers brutally assaulting more than 500 non-violent civil rights marchers attempting to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The protesters had set off on a 54 mile trek to the state capitol in Montgomery to dramatize the call for voting rights and highlight the deadly police shooting of 26-year-old Jimmy Lee Jackson two weeks earlier. It all ended suddenly in a cloud of tear gas and a swarm of billy clubs when state troopers and mounted sheriffs' deputies descended furiously on the marchers. That night, ABC television interrupted their premier broadcast of Judgement at Nuremberg, a film about Nazi racism, to air the images from Selma nationwide.

The events of "Bloody Sunday" repelled the nation, energized the civil rights movement, and advanced President Lyndon B. Johnson's demand for "the goddamnedest toughest voting rights act" that his Attorney General, Nicholas Katzenbach, could devise. Speaking of his commitment to push desegregation, Johnson told then Vice President Hubert Humphrey, "I want all those other things - buses, restaurants, all of that - but the right to vote with no ifs, ands or buts, that's the key." Five months after Selma, a bipartisan Congress passed the Voting Rights Act and President Johnson signed it into law on August 6, 1965.

The Voting Rights Act at 40 Years

The VRA has become one of the most successful civil rights laws in American history. In the 40 years since its passage, it has guaranteed millions of minority voters the equal opportunity to participate in elections and have their voices heard. It ended literacy tests, poll taxes and other purposefully prejudiced mechanisms that had long poisoned the well of our democracy. The right to bilingual election materials has been established in language minority communities across the country. And the end of deliberately discriminatory at-large elections, as well as the creation of majority minority legislative districts, has created tremendous opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities to elect candidates of choice to thousands of federal, state, and local offices in all parts of the country.

In 1964, there were only approximately 300 African Americans in public office nationwide, including just three in Congress. There are now more than 9,100 black elected officials, including 43 members of Congress, the largest number ever. The VRA also has opened the political process for many of the more than 6,000 Latino public officials that have been elected and appointed nationwide, including approximately 260 elected at the state or federal level, 27 of whom serve in Congress. And Native Americans, Asians and others who have historically encountered harsh barriers to full political participation also have benefited greatly.

The Voting Rights Act: America's Continued Need

While considerable progress has been made since Bloody Sunday 40 years ago, violations of the VRA are still a persistent feature of the American political landscape. Sadly, the nation has yet to achieve the constitutional goal of equality of political opportunity and the ideal of "one person, one vote," is still just that - an ideal:

* For many decades, African American voters in Louisiana have faced an unbroken pattern of hostility to their political participation. Since passage of the VRA, no Louisiana state House of Representatives redistricting plan submitted to the Justice Department for review has been precleared. Undaunted by this tradition of noncompliance, Louisiana officials controlling redistricting in 2003 deleted those provisions in the state redistricting guidelines that set out Louisiana's obligations under the VRA. Next, the State chose to spend taxpayer money to protect a redistricting plan that was designed to diminish the political opportunities of African-American voters.

* The efforts of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and minority voter advocates resulted in favorable pre-trial rulings from the federal court, which caused Louisiana to withdraw its original plan and restore a district where African Americans had an opportunity to elect a candidate of choice. While there are indeed many African American elected officials in Louisiana, this example clearly demonstrates how attempts to undermine minority voting power in Louisiana continue to the present day.

* Statewide redistricting plans also have been used to drastically reduce Latino political influence. In Texas, for example, the legislature redistricted the State House of Representatives in 2003 to eliminate one Latino-majority district and reconfigure three others so that Latinos could no longer elect their candidate of choice. Using the special provisions of the VRA, and aided by federal opposition to the new legislative plan, Latino advocates were able to restore the districts and maintain political opportunity for the Latino voters of Texas.

* Latino and Asian American voters in Texas have faced other forms of discriminatory treatment which have been remedied using the Voting Rights Act. In 2003, Bexar County officials tried to undermine Latino voting strength by deliberately failing to put polling places in areas that were accessible to Latino voters. Using the Voting Rights Act, advocates won important relief in federal court which enabled Latino voters to more easily get to the polls. That same year in Harris County election officials violated the Voting Rights Act when they failed to provide bilingual voting materials in Vietnamese. It wasn't until community leaders and the Department of Justice intervened that election officials agreed to follow the law. A Vietnamese-American candidate later won a local legislative seat.

* Supporters of an incumbent on the city council of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, challenged Asian-American voters during a primary contest as part of a concerted effort to racially target and intimidate supporters of a Vietnamese-American candidate. The Department of Justice launched an investigation and barred challengers from interfering in the general election. The first Asian-American was then elected to city council.

* In 2004, a federal court determined that South Dakota discriminated against Native American voters by adopting a redistricting plan three years earlier that packed Indians into a single district in order to remove their ability to elect a representative of their choice to the state legislature. The illegal plan altered the boundaries of two counties, Shannon and Todd, thereby "packing," or over concentrating, Indian voters so they comprised fully 90 percent of District 27. In the process, the District was made one of the most overpopulated in the state. South Dakota also refused to submit the redistricting plan to the U.S. Justice Department for preclearance, as required by law. After four Native American voters sued the state, the U.S. District Court invalidated the 2001 legislative plan on the grounds that it illegally diluted Indian voting strength. In its detailed 144-page opinion issued in 2004 the court also found that there was "substantial evidence that South Dakota officially excluded Indians from voting and holding office."

The 2007 Reauthorization:

The Voting Rights Act was never meant to be a quick fix. As President Johnson foretold: "the battle [is] not over." In 2007, three crucial sections of the Voting Rights Act will expire unless Congress votes to renew them. These include:

* A requirement that states and local jurisdictions with a documented history of discriminatory voting practices submit planned changes in their election laws or procedures to the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. for preclearance. A bipartisan Congressional report in 1982 warned that without this provision, discrimination would reappear "overnight."

* Requirements that communities with concentrations of voters who are Limited English Proficient provide them with bilingual election assistance including bilingual ballots, election materials, and pollworkers.

* The authority to send federal examiners and observers to monitor elections.

The expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act remain essential to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for minorities in American politics. Notably, four Republican Presidents – Nixon, Ford, Reagan and George H.W. Bush – have supported reauthorization of key parts of the law in the past: 1970, 1975, 1982 and 1992, respectively. The Act has also consistently won the bi-partisan support of federal lawmakers, with Congress voting 389 to 24 to pass the 1982 extension.

In one sense, the Voting Rights Act stands as a model of democratic inclusion, bridging the gap between our foundational ideal of political equality and the continued persistence of exclusion. On a more basic level, the VRA also stands as a powerful tool to check the persistent impulse to discriminate that has plagued our nation since its founding.

At a time when America is vigorously engaged in promoting the ideal of multi-ethnic democracy in Iraq and across the globe, we need to ensure that lawmakers preserve and strengthen the necessary tools to ensure the continued success of democracy here at home. Reauthorization of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is a first step.

(http://www.civilrights.org/issues/voting/details.cfm?id=28738)

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March 8, 2005

THE DIVERSE FACE OF ASIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN CALIFORNIA

Last Friday's event launching The Diverse Face of Asians and Pacific Islanders in California in San Francisco was a resounding success! Over 150 people attended this free event at the PG&E auditorium to learn about the tremendous growth and diversity of the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities and to hear the perspectives of some of the most distinguished Asian and Pacific Islander community leaders in California and the nation.

In addition to an informative presentation on API demographics in the Bay Area by the report's co-author, Kimiko Kelly, the event featured Assembly Member Judy Chu - who spoke eloquently about the usefulness of the report to policy makers and how it can be a tool for community empowerment. Dr. Chu's inspiring speech was followed by a lively panel discussion with Bill Tamayo of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Karen Narasaki of the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and Sandip Roy of New California Media. These engaging panelists shared their cutting-edge local, statewide and national perspectives on the changing demographic and policy landscape of the API community.

The Asian Law Caucus hosted the San Francisco launch event with our affiliates, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California and the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium. There are three more report launch events to come - March 10 in Fresno, March 16 in San Diego and March 23 in Orange County. If you would like more information on these events, please e-mail us at alc@asianlawcaucus.org. You can also download a copy of The Diverse Face of Asians and Pacific Islanders in California from our web site -

http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=23034674&u=209375.

It's easy for you to stay informed of community advocacy alerts and Asian Law Caucus events. If you have not already, please sign up for our mailing list by going to --

http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=23034674&u=209376.

Thanks to supporters like you, the Asian Law Caucus can be a strong voice for the issues and concerns of the diverse API communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. We hope to see you at our 33rd Annual Dinner celebration in April, which will feature Professor David Cole of Georgetown University speaking on human rights. Please plan to join us and make a generous donation so that we can continue to make our voices heard.

Sincerely,

Phil Ting
Executive Director
939 Market Street, Suite 201
San Francisco, California 94103-1730

(www.asianlawcaucus.org)

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Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 8, 2005

CONTACT: GEM P. DAUS
(202) 466-7772

SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES, MEDICAID CUTS IMPERIL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS

Asian Pacific American community leaders and health providers today warned that President Bush's 2006 Budget, which contains serious cuts to Medicaid and other programs relied upon by many in the community, would leave many in serious health risk.  They called upon Congress to protect these programs at a time when the most vulnerable among us-low income, immigrants, refugees, children, seniors, parents and pregnant women-are increasingly reliant on these programs to protect their health.

The Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) explained these risks at a briefing on March 8, 2005 in Washington, D.C.

*"The stereotype of Asian Pacific Americans as being a 'model minority' without serious needs has led to very serious problems being ignored, especially in the health care field," said Dr. Ho Tran, CEO and President of APIAHF, "There are 1.2 million Asian Pacific Americans that need Medicaid to take care of their health needs and any cut in that program will threaten their health and their well being."

Community health centers and other institutions that help APAs overcome the lack of health insurance, trained bilingual service providers, trained interpreters and laws isolating many immigrants will also be compromised if Medicaid funds are reduced.

*"2.5 million APAs are without health insurance," added Dr. Tran, "Even a relatively small health crisis may be beyond their means or could place them in poverty if they are not already there.  They need the protection that these programs provide or the costs to our country will be much greater later on."

While not yet included in the federal budget, Social Security changes will also have a disproportionate impact on APAs.  Social Security is the only source of income for 28% of APA seniors, compared to 17% for all seniors.  Any reduction in the payments provided to these seniors could be disastrous.  Average payments to APAs in 2001 was $716.  As APAs living beyond the age of 65 have higher life expectancies, any changes in Social Security must not reduce or weaken our promise to provide support in their later years.

The Department of Health and Human Services has a discretionary budget of more than 65 billion dollars, yet only 1% is devoted to eliminating health disparities in racial and ethnic populations that make up one-third of the United States.  Congress hopes to pass a budget resolution this month.  Dr. Tran had this message for them, "Don't balance the budget on the backs of APAs and immigrants."

(www.apiahf.org)

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March 9, 2005

SUING THE CIA: THE AGENCY HIDES FAR MORE THAN IT NEEDS TO HIDE, SAYS VIETNAM SCHOLAR LARRY BERMAN

By Mike McKee

The Recorder
Vol. 129; No. 46; Pg. 1

As a renowned expert on the Vietnam conflict, Larry Berman knows volumes about opposition to U.S. government policies.

Now, he's leading a fight of his own.

For more than a year, the UC Davis professor has been seeking access to president's daily briefs, or PDBs, for three scattered days during Lyndon B. Johnson's administration.

Berman says the documents would shed light on the Tet offensive and other lingering mysteries of the Johnson administration. But the feds claim the documents contain sensitive material essential to national security, and they've refused to release them.

Refusing to take no for an answer, Berman has filed suit against the Central Intelligence Agency, the guardian of all PDBs, to get the documents he wants and to try to change the agency's blanket policy of refusing to declassify the daily briefs of any presidential administration.

"I don't want to sound corny, but I really do believe that the release of these documents is a legitimate part of historical inquiry," Berman said. "Litigation in this case is the only course left open to me."

The 53-year-old political science professor filed suit in Sacramento federal court in December, and his attorneys in the San Francisco office of Davis Wright Tremaine say they're working out a briefing schedule with the CIA. They hope the case will be heard in court by early May.

"We think the CIA's policy of blanket closure needs to be challenged," said partner Duffy Carolan. "There is so much information that can provide perspective for the public's broader understanding of history."

"You can't help but repeat history," partner Thomas Burke added, "if you don't know what your history was in the first place."

Washington, D.C.-based Justice Department attorney Caroline Lewis-Wolverton, who is defending the CIA, referred calls to the agency's press office. Spokesman Charles Miller couldn't be reached for comment, despite several attempts.

PDBs became a hot issue this past year when President George W. Bush resisted the 9/11 Commission's efforts to obtain a brief from Aug. 6, 2001. That document, titled "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in U.S.," was declassified last April and included information about the Islamic terrorists' clandestine plans.

The commission also got to look at a PDB, called "Bin Ladin Preparing to Hijack U.S. Aircraft and Other Attacks," prepared for former President Bill Clinton on Dec. 4, 1998.

Presidential briefings began in 1961 as the "president's intelligence checklist," said Meredith Fuchs, general counsel for the National Security Archive, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest law firm and research agency dedicated to enforcing the Freedom of Information Act. The checklists, renamed the president's daily briefs three years later, essentially recount world activities culled through intelligence or news sources from around the globe.

"It's the one thing you can point to and say, 'The president probably read this document,'" said Fuchs, whose group is serving as co-counsel for Berman.

Berman's lawyers say they're not trying to argue that the CIA shouldn't be allowed to conceal some documents or even redact information if necessary.

"We're asking for the government to look at it on a case-by-case basis, rather than denying access across the board," Carolan said. "There may be cases where security needs to be maintained due to national security, but when you are talking about PDBs that are over 30 years old, we doubt that's the case."

Even the State Department's Historical Advisory Committee on Diplomatic Documentation has criticized the CIA policy, most recently in a 2002 report about being denied access to PDBs from the administration of former President Richard Nixon.

"The committee must continue to deplore the CIA's blanket denial of declassification of the PDBs, especially those that are 30 or more years old," the report stated. "The PDBs for the Nixon period should be included in [historical records]."

Berman, who is in his sixth year as director of the UC Washington Center - which provides students and faculty an opportunity to work and live in D.C. - first contacted the CIA by letter on March 3 of last year. He requested PDBs from four dates - Aug. 6 and 8, 1965, and March 31 and April 2, 1968. [He subsequently dropped the Aug. 8 request.]

In a letter dated April 15, Alan Tate, the acting coordinator for information and privacy, denied access, stating that the documents contained "inherently privileged, pre-decisional and deliberative material for the president." A later administrative appeal by Berman was also rebuked.

In filing suit, Berman admits, he's eager to "shatter the myth" that concealment of all PDBs is essential to national security.

As part of his case, Berman provided the court with eight redacted PDBs from the Johnson administration that had been released by the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas. Five were from June 5-9, 1967, at the height of the Six Days War between Israel and several Arab states.

The intelligence in the documents isn't shocking, but provides an interesting look at what the president was being told at a crucial time in history. Not only was the Mideast war taking place, but both the Vietnam conflict and the Cold War were in full rage.

"The Soviets are finding it hard to conceal their shock over the rapid Egyptian military collapse," one brief states, with one Russian military man allegedly wondering how they could have gotten themselves into "such a mess."

Another says the Vietnamese are trying to create the illusion of "a war no one can win," while yet another makes the almost comical report that the U.S. embassy in Cairo "was not set on fire as reported in this morning's Washington Post."

While such statements might not seem important on their own, to scholars they could shed light on other decisions.

"It may not be innocuous to someone who's in the know," said Burke.

The Vietnam era's continuing influence on current politics, he said, is reflected by last year's intense debate over Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's military service and allegations that President Bush used connections to escape the war zone.

"It is fair to say that the more current the bulletin, the more likely there is sensitive information," Burke said. "But, at some point, everybody would agree it's just history. The point is that you shouldn't have to wait 100 years."

The case is Berman v. Central Intelligence Agency, S-0402699.

(www.law.com)

******************

March 9, 2005

HOUSTON Oi! OH, IT’S SOUTH VIETNAM

Kevin Southwick,
Nha Magazine

“I’m a born-again Texan.” - Lan Cao

The aroma of pho ga, the murmuring of a pop song from Viet Nam, the comings and goings of Vietnamese families in and out of stores and restaurants chattering in Vietnamese. A sultry, shifty, humid sky, rice fields and oceans not an hour away…No, my friend, you’re not in Sai Gon. You’re in Houston, Texas! Make yourself at home with the thousands of Vietnamese Houstonians!

And what a home: the oil and gas capital of the U.S., the largest medical center in the world, the NASA Space Center, a thriving arts culture, and the second largest population of Vietnamese people in America outside of Los Angeles. The unofficial count is now over 100,000 in a metropolitan area of five million, the population of Sai Gon.

It has three Vietnamese radio stations and one cable TV station, several bookstores, uncountable restaurants, and two major international airports from which you can hop back to Viet Nam on almost any day of the year. Many here do.

And most recently, plans are brewing for an official designation of part of Midtown as “Little Saigon.” Yes, the Vietnamese have indeed arrived.

Just how did this come to be?

The Cradle of Midtown

“I’m a born-again Texan,” says Nicole Cao, a banking officer who arrived here in 1976 with bittersweet memories of her homeland.

“I did not just lose a country and scores of relatives. I lost my identity.” But with hard work, she made a new one. In 1979, she and her new husband, a budding pharmacist, managed to buy a large, old, vacant building and open a pharmacy. The deserted area of town was largely abandoned by businesses. Asian gangs were a problem.

To create a customer base, she and her husband gave free office space to doctors whose customers then began to buy from Cao’s Milam Pharmacy. Meanwhile, the first Midtown Vietnamese grocery store attracted more Vietnamese from outside the area. Holy Rosary Catholic Church had already begun offering two Vietnamese masses every Sunday, drawing many to the area.

“I went to the owners of nearby properties and they laughed when I told them we should work together to fight crime.” They underestimated Nicole Cao. She joined efforts with several business owners who also wanted security. And with Steve Bancroft, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church on Main Street, she formed the Midtown Redevelopment Association, which helped raise money and awareness in the community.

Several small Vietnamese shopping centers sprung up. The city council took notice and had Vietnamese street signs put up in the area: Nguyen Hue, Hai Ba Trung, Tu Do, Phan Thanh Gian. A huge real estate revival took off in 1999 and trendy town homes soon popped up all around Midtown.

But Cao isn’t stopping there. Based on a remake of Kelly Park in San Jose, California, she’s promoting a redesign of Elizabeth Baldwin Park. “It’ll have jogging and walking trails,” she says, pointing to an artistic rendering, “and a small focal point of Vietnamese interest.” Parts of the park will pay tribute to other ethnic groups as well.

And of being a Viet-Houstonian, Cao says, “Houstonians welcome you as someone interesting. They’re accustomed to seeing and living near people from different cultures.”

Down the Southwest Corridor

But Midtown was just the beginning. The Vietnamese population began following many of the Chinese businesses to the southwest along a corridor defined by Bellaire Boulevard and the Southwest Freeway which lead 25 miles out towards Sugarland, a middle-class enclave with a 23 percent Asian population.

“This is a big city and it’s getting bigger,” says Pierre Nguyen, who owns two video rental stores catering to Vietnamese-only speakers. Customers come and go from his store with not one or two, but whole bags of rented videos. He opened the first store in Mekong Center, a small Midtown shopping center, then followed the Vietnamese market to Bellaire Boulevard with a second store across from the landmark Hong Kong Mall. The Vietnamese center of gravity was shifting dramatically to the southwest.

Pierre says that Vietnamese investments have cycled upwards from convenience stores, cleaners, and small shops to real estate, shopping centers, and pharmaceuticals. “Vietnamese people are moving here from the northern U.S. and California. Houston is still affordable, but who knows what real estate values will be in five years. It’s a good place to invest. In the next five years the Vietnamese community will be huge,” says Nguyen proudly.

“Here, the new Vietnamese immigrants can follow the same path as us: work, save, start a business, study English.”

“My family received no government help at all. Now we own office buildings, a pharmaceutical products company, an immigration service company, and other small businesses.”

And the culture is being preserved. “The older generation was thinking ahead by teaching their children Vietnamese language and culture at home, at churches and temples. I speak Vietnamese to my six-year-old son. He’ll pick up English at school,” says Nguyen.

Woman Warrior

“I have no fear,” says business owner Pamela Ngo Tranpark. Her dauntless spunk and business acumen are the modern equivalent of those women warriors of Vietnamese folklore.

“I was six when my family left Viet Nam and I remember the boat trip where we almost didn’t make it.” At the depths of the ordeal, she said, her father prayed and pledged to build a temple in the U.S. if they survived.

“When we came to Houston, my parents worked at menial jobs in a dangerous part of town to support six children. I organized my siblings to run the household. When our parents came home we would have them sit, massage their feet, feed them and clean up after dinner. And they said our job was to make straight A’s. Our family valued education.”

That was years ago. Now Tranpark’s parents own a shopping center in Midtown. She’s a thirty-something successful realtor and mortgage broker and Midtown booster. Tranpark is instrumental in the current push for an official “Little Saigon” designation of part of Midtown. “I want a tangible community symbol of our culture, the Vietnamese culture I know and grew up in. That was the only thing I could hold on to. It’s my roots. And I want it to continue for my children.”

Tranpark’s business is a family effort. Her father and siblings work with her. “My father has always reminded us of our family motto: If we’re one chopstick, anybody can break us, but if we’re two chopsticks nobody can break us.”

And that temple? It’s one of the largest Buddhist temples in the U.S.

The Object of Academia

Steve Kleinberg, a prominent sociologist at Houston’s Rice University, has been tracking Houston demographics for several years with a special eye on the growing Asian community and its interesting effect on the city.

“Houston’s Anglos are now a minority population. The city has become a land of immigrants for the first time since 1914.”

He recognizes the challenges of Vietnamese in Houston in a high-tech economy.

“The Greeks, Polish and Italians who came with fifth-grade educations could follow a path to a professional job, though it may have taken three generations. Today the Vietnamese don’t have an (national) economy that allows them to step up. It’s a tremendous challenge in education and they know it. Not all of them make it.”

“Now in the second generation you see successful hardworking Vietnamese with all the pressure and sacrifices from the first generation.”

Are Vietnamese accepted more today among Americans? “There are positive stereotypes that Americans have that the Vietnamese are a model minority. That can be a hindrance.”

“The Vietnamese today come into a Vietnamese community that can help them. They’ve all come from battling communism, just like the Cubans. They reach out to each other, pay attention to each other’s kids. Now there are many social economic resources available, a lot of social capital.”

Cultural Survival

While making slow but steady economic progress, there is also a pointed effort on many fronts to preserve Vietnamese culture by providing social, educational, and community services: the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association (see the March/April 2004 issue of NHA Magazine) Research Development Institute and several budding political action committees.

The Asian Pacific American Heritage Association addresses the same concerns for a wider group of Asians and has within it a Vietnamese group.

Home is Where the Heart is

The Vietnamese came to the U.S. with much the same disposition as that fabled Thy Kieu, in search not only of home but of heart and soul. Houston Vietnamese have not merely survived but have prospered. The city feels their cultural and economic impact, their love for homeland, freedom, and their American brethren.

Quintessentially American, yet still Vietnamese in language, manner and pride, in Houston they have reached a critical mass where a collective heart abounds, tying each to each, sister to brother, parent to child, to make Houston more than just a mere place of refuge, more than a home. It’s a staging ground for bringing the future to the thriving new generations in their homeland.

For this is Houston. In the future, anything can happen.

(http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=8959a76f696e63b7926b689020738747)

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March 11, 2005

PROFESSOR JOHN TSU - EDUCATOR, ADVOCATE FOR ASIAN AMERICANS

By Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer

A funeral will be held Saturday for John Bosco Tsu, a Millbrae resident who was a lifelong educator, national leader in the Asian American community, presidential appointee and mentor to many generations.

Professor Tsu died Feb. 26 at Seton Medical Center in Daly City of heart failure. He was 80.

Professor Tsu was born in China's Jilin province in 1924. After studying in Japan in his youth, he received his law degree from the University of Tokyo Law School in 1946.

Soon after graduating, he immigrated to the United States, where he received a master's in political science from Georgetown University in 1949 and a doctorate in political science from Fordham University in 1954.

While a professor at Seton Hall University in the late 1950s and 1960s, he helped pioneer teaching the Chinese and Japanese languages in elementary and secondary schools in the United States.

In 1965, he married Susan Fu, an accomplished artist.

In the early 1970s, he met future President George H.W. Bush at the United Nations, and the two became friends. Professor Tsu would later become a presidential appointee of Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. In 2001, President George W. Bush named him chairman of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

"Dr. Tsu was one of the great leaders of the Asian Pacific American community, and a tireless advocate for our inclusion in government, in education, and in American society as a whole," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta, who knew Professor Tsu for decades, dating back to Mineta's political career in California.

In a speech in July honoring Professor Tsu with a Special Tribute Award at the International Leadership Foundation in Washington, U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao detailed his accomplishments in helping others.

When President George H.W. Bush appointed him as co-chair of the Presidential Personnel Advisory Committee, Chao said, Professor Tsu recommended more than 150 Asian Pacific Americans for appointment. In 2001, Chao said President George W. Bush asked Professor Tsu to help with appointments of more than 210 Asian Pacific Americans to positions in his administration.

In response to Professor Tsu's death, Chao said: "Always a champion of education and the power of ideas, Dr. Tsu constantly looked for ways to provide greater opportunities and access to mainstream America for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community."

That spirit continued after he moved to the Bay Area in 1977 to direct the Multicultural and Bilingual Program at the University of San Francisco. He became a tireless advocate for Asian Americans, friends said, attending events not just of Chinese American community groups, but of Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese and other nationalities.

"Any Asian American in the Bush administrations was either recommended by Dr. Tsu, or he pushed hard to get them there," said Albert Chang, a friend of 30 years.

Partially in response to the Communist takeover of China, friends said, Professor Tsu became an avid supporter of the Republican Party once he moved to the United States. "Dr. Tsu was the elder statesman, the guiding light of the Republican Party in the Asian American community," said Donald Casper, former chair of the San Francisco Republican Party.

More than anything, friends and colleagues say, Professor Tsu was a lifelong educator. He served as a regent at John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill and was a professor, department head and visiting scholar at such institutions as Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Professor Tsu is survived by his wife.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Duggan's Serra Mortuary, 500 Westlake Ave. in Daly City. A burial service will follow at Holy Cross Memorial Park.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. April 9 at Cathedral St. Mary of the Assumption, 1111 Gough St., San Francisco.

(http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/11/BAG8OBNF671.DTL)

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March 11, 2005

 'The children were unarmed' -- Human rights violations continue against Hmong in Laos

By Marion Lang, Correspondent
The Dunn County News

No translator was needed to understand the sorrow and grief expressed by a Hmong-American woman from Menomonie struggling to maintain control as she spoke about the continued killing of the Hmong in Laos. She pleaded for the United States government to intervene and save the lives of thousands of Hmong soldiers and their families still living in the remote jungles of Laos.

The speaker was one of 60 people, including representatives of Senator Herb Kohl and Congressman Ron Kind, participating in a conference called "Genocide Against Hmong People," held March 5 at the Menomonie Public Library. Conferences have also been held in Green Bay, Appleton and Madison.
Organized by Lao Human Rights Council, the conference presented disturbing information about human rights violations and war crimes against the Hmong in Laos and the killing, since 1975, of 300,000 Hmong by the Laotian and Vietnamese governments.

A joint statement on Laos, written by the Lao Human Rights Council and the Wisconsin Lao Veterans of America, was issued, urging the United Nations and the United States to find solutions to the problems faced by Hmong still living in Laos.

Dr. Pobzeb Vang, executive director of the Lao Human Rights Council, labeled the killing as "genocide and ethnic cleansing like that of the Nazis against the Jews." He accused the Lao and Vietnamese of using chemical weapons, stated that the White House, State Department, United Nations, and American Red Cross must be pressured to address violations of human rights against over 20,000 Hmong soldiers and their families still living in the jungles of Laos.

Vang said there is an immediate and pressing need for medical assistance, food and basic human aid. He suggested that additional actions include one or more of the following:

* Create a safe zone within Laos
* Establish refugee camps in Thailand
* Allow resettlement of these Hmong to the United States
* Hold the Lao government accountable for human rights violations.

Filmed on May 19, 2004, a videotape recently smuggled out of Laos was presented as evidence of atrocities committed by Lao soldiers against Hmong children. The graphic tape depicts the effects of a horrific crime allegedly committed by a group of Laotian soldiers who attacked, raped, tortured and killed five young people, four girls and a boy, ranging in ages from 13 to 16.

According to witnesses, several groups of people were searching for food, among them a photographer who was visiting the encampment of Hmong, when the incident occurred. Several other young people were seriously injured but escaped. Others hid until the shooting stopped and a Laotian army helicopter photographed by the video camera, flew from the scene.

Amnesty International, an international human rights organization, has issued a report about the incident, calling the attacks "war crimes," and stating that the "attacks violate the most fundamental principals of international human rights and humanitarian law."

The statement also notes that the "children were unarmed."

In the report Amnesty states, "The Lao authorities must, as a matter of utmost urgency, permit U.N. agencies and independent monitors unfettered access to those rebels who have recently reported to have surrendered. They must also permit humanitarian agencies to provide medical and food assistance to those injured as a result of this and other military actions against the rebels."

Vang, who has worked for more than 18 years on behalf of Lao human rights issues, has met with both the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. He has also presented evidence of human rights abuse to the Thai ambassador to the U.N.

Vang cited recent support from the mayors of Appleton, Madison and Green Bay, who issued proclamations supporting efforts to bring "these remaining Hmong to freedom." He also praised Wisconsin's Congressional delegation, saying they had shown strong support, but added that without broader support from a majority of senators and representatives -- and particularly without the support of the White House -- the dire situation for the Hmong remaining in Laos will not change.

According to a statement issued by Senator Kohl and read at the conference by his representative Marjorie Bunce, "the State Department is taking the evidence on the video tape very seriously."

Kohl also cites the Lao government as an obstacle, stating, "restrictions put in place by the Lao government prevent policy makers, journalists, and humanitarian groups [from having] access to the situation on the ground, making it very difficult to determine the facts surrounding the treatment of the Hmong."

After many years reporting human rights violations and war crimes, however, neither the While House, State Department nor the U.N. has condemned the Lao government or taken action to help the Hmong in the jungle region, Vang said.

The soldiers and their families, about whom Vang and the Hmong-American community are concerned, are the remaining Hmong, who, from the 1960s through 1975, fought for the CIA alongside American soldiers against the Communists in a "secret war" in Laos.

Pang Blia Vang, president of the Wisconsin Lao Veterans of American explained, "Along with American soldiers, we worked side by side, like brothers."

When the war in Laos and Vietnam ended in 1975 and the Communists won, thousands of Hmong realized they could no longer live safely in Laos and fled to refugee camps in Thailand. Since that time, the Hmong resettled in the U.S., Australia , France and other nations.

Presently Wisconsin, along with Minnesota, is home to one of the country's largest Hmong populations. Most recently, under a special State Department program, 20,000 Hmong who had been living for many years on the grounds of a Buddhist monastery in Thailand began the process of resettling in the United States.

Menomonie resident Kong Vang explained, "There was an oral agreement between the Hmong and the Americans. We would support the Americans in the war and the Americans agreed if the war was lost to help us leave Laos. I am beyond frustration. I feel helpless. I feel that because we have no money or power, my voice has been marginalized."

Pobzeb Vang asked, "Why, after 30 years, hasn't the United States intervened in Laos? Why has the United States done nothing to stop the killing or condemn the human right violations occurring in Laos? I want to know when. Today? Tomorrow? The next 30 days? The next 30 years? It cannot be soon enough. Time is running out."

(http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2005/03/11/news/news03.txt)

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March 13, 2005

US TRAVEL BAN PROPOSED FOR VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS BEHIND RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Bush administration is being urged to impose a travel ban on government officials in Vietnam who commit religious persecution as among sanctions to punish the country for its dismal religious rights record.

The State Department for the first time last year blacklisted Vietnam as a "country of particular concern for egregious, ongoing, and systematic abuses of the freedom of religion and belief."

The designation carries with it the possibility of sanctions if the Vietnamese government fails to address concerns about religious freedom abuses.

Following consultations with Hanoi, the State Department will recommend actions against Vietnam to Congress and President George W. Bush this week, officials said.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a 10-member panel jointly appointed by Bush and Congress, has proposed "rendering inadmissible for entry into the United States any Vietnamese government official who was responsible for or directly carried out such violations."

The commission did not identify them but they could include Cabinet and other high ranking officials.

In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the commission also called for up to one million dollars in US allocations for programs that will directly promote freedom of religion and belief and related human rights in Vietnam.

Although Bush has the authority to waive any action against Vietnam, the Commission "firmly believes that to do so would effectively render meaningless" the US legal process, said the letter, a copy of which was made available to AFP.

It would also "undermine our nation's commitment to the promotion of freedom of religion or belief throughout the world," the commission said.

"These are not economic sanctions, but targeted responses that directly address the problem," said Binh Vo, president of the non-partisan Vietnamese-American Public Affairs Committee, which promotes involvement of Vietnamese-Americans in the political system.

The Vietnamese communist government imposes strict controls over religious organizations and treats leaders of unauthorized religious groups with intense suspicion, branding many of them as subversives, US-based Human Rights Watch charged.

Targeted in particular are ethnic minority Christians, Mennonites, and members of the independent Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam. There are hundreds of religious prisoners in the country, Human Rights Watch said.

While relations between the Vatican and Vietnam have warmed in recent years, at least three Roman Catholics remain in prison.

They include 64-year-old Father Pham Minh Tri, who has been imprisoned for the last 18 years, despite suffering dementia for most of the past decade.

"The Bush Administration needs to send a strong message to the Vietnamese government that the US will not tolerate this kind of persecution," said Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, in an "open" letter to Rice.

Those behind violence against religious believers, including by civilians acting in concert with government officials, should be investigated and punished, he said.

Such incidents include the violent suppression of the April 2004 protests by Montagnards in Vietnam's Central Highlands, and reports of torture, beatings and killings of ethnic minority Protestants in both the Central and Northern Highlands, he said.

The US blacklisting had made the Vietnamese authorities more sensitive to the appearance of the regimes policies on religion, but has not significantly altered its repressive policies, Vo said.

Many religious leaders such as Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and Buddhist leader Thich Quang Do remain in jail or under virtual house arrest.

According to a Vietnamese Catholic priest, Chan Tin, a few dissidents released by the government as part of the Lunar New Year amnesty this year were only "released" but are not truly "free," Vo said.

 (http://asia.news.designerz.com/us-travel-ban-proposed-for-vietnamese-officials-behind-religious-persecution.html?d20050313)

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