National Congress of Vietnamese Americans

The Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART) is a cooperative agreement between the national Cancer Institute (NCI) and the University of California, Davis. It is the first-ever national cancer awareness research and training infrastructure intended to address Asian American concerns. AANCART seeks to build partnerships to increase cancer awareness, to promote greater accrual of Asian Americans in clinical studies, to increase training opportunities for Asian Americans and to develop pilot programs in four targeted regions: Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. AANCART is based in Sacramento, California at University of California, Davis. AANCART is our response to achieve the goals of the National Cancer Institute's Special Populations Network and is the first-ever national cancer awareness, research and training infrastructure intended to address Asian American concerns. Funding began in April 2000 for a five-year period.

What are some distinctive characteristics of cancer among Asian Americans that would lead to a need for AANCART?

-- Unlike all other racial/ethnic groups for whom cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, cancer is the leading cause of death for female Asian Americans (ever since mortality rates were first published for Asian Americans in 1980). In fact, Asian American females are the first American population to experience cancer as the leading cause of death.

-- The top two leading cancers, lung and colorectal, are the same for all Americans. However, the third leading cancer among white Americans is female breast cancer, while it is liver cancer among Asian Americans. Liver cancer is usually caused by exposure to the Hepatitis B virus, which disproportionately affects Asian Americans.

-- Cervical cancer incidence rates are five times higher among Vietnamese American women than white women.

-- For other examples of the distinctive characteristics of cancer among Asian Americans, refer to The Unequal Burden.

What are AANCART's specific aims?

Phase I (years 1-5): Build a robust and sustainable infrastructure to increase cancer awareness, research and training among Asian Americans

Phase II (years 2-3): Establish partnerships between AANCART and other entities to promote greater accrual of Asian Americans in clinical and preventive trials, to increase training opportunities for Asian Americans, to develop pilot programs in four target regions (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle)

Phase III (years 4-5): Formulate and successfully implement grant-funded research to reduce the burden of cancer among Asian Americans

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

OCA LEADERSHIP 101 RECEPTION

The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) would like to extend an invitation to you for a reception that will be held in conjunction with the Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) college leadership training program "Leadership 101". This regional leadership training is one of twelve being organized nationwide by OCA and funded by State Farm ®. The purpose of this program is to engage APIA students to serve as a catalyst of change within our communities.

The reception will be held Saturday, April 17, from 6:00-7:00pm in the Cafeteria Building (CAF) on the campus of San Jose State University

driving directions at

http://www.sjsu.edu/about_sjsu/campus_maps/directions/index.jsp

campus map at

http://www.sjsu.edu/inc/content/campus_maps/map.pdf.

I hope that you or a member of your organization will be able to join us, so you can take advantage of the students’ interests in getting involved with the broader APIA community.

We look forward to seeing you at the reception. If you have any further questions, I can be reached at 202-223-5500 or at vtran@ocanatl.org.

Sincerely,

Van-Nghi Tran

Director of Programs

Organization of Chinese Americans

1001 Connecticut Ave., NW Ste. 601

Washington, D.C. 20036

202.223.5500

Fax 202.296.0540

vtran@ocanatl.org

www.ocanatl.org

Please RSVP vtran@ocanatl.org with your name, your organization and any additional guests.

http://www.ocanatl.org/bin/htmlos/00281.2.2658173772300007335

http://www.ocanatl.org/docs/oca/apiau.pdf

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

Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)

Phone: 202/667-4690

Fax: 202/667-6449

Contacts: Naomi Steinberg (naomi@searac.org) and Sophy Pich

(sophy@searac.org)

SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN VALUES, EMPOWERMENT, RESOURCES, AND BETTERMENT PROJECT (VERB) REGIONAL TRAINING

The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) and its partners in the VERB project will hold its last VERB regional training this year in Madison, WI, April 23-24, 2004. This training workshop will provide technical assistance and training to mutual assistance associations (MAAs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs).

VERB provides subgrants of $20,000, technical assistance and training, mentorship, etc. to partner FBOs and MAAs in North Carolina, Northern California, metropolitan Washington, DC, and Wisconsin.

Project Goals:

* Improve leadership, operational, and service capacity within grassroots partner FBOs/MAAs.

* Increase the ability fo FBOs/MAAs to access resources, and the ability of funders to understand FBOs/MAAs.

* Improve ability of FBOs/MAAs to stimulate and structure civic engagement among community members.

* Increase and improve collaborative efforts among all partner organizations, and others.

For more information on VERB visit: http://www.searac.org/verb.html.

Granting and partnership selections have already been made for 2004, but more partners may be welcomed next year for the last year of the project.

The public is welcome to the training workshops that are described below!

(Some sessions are reserved for current VERB partners.)

Please contact Naomi Steinberg, Project Manager for Administration and/or Sophy Pich, VERB Project Associate, for details on the trainings and to confirm attendance by April 19th. Space is extremely limited!

VERB PROJECT TRAINING DATE, LOCATION, & TOPICS:

April 23-24, 2004

Freedom, Inc.

601 Bay View

Madison, WI 53715

April 23, 2004 (12:45-5:00)

*Topics: Civic Engagement (12:45-2:15) and Fundraising (2:15-5:00)

April 24, 2004 (9:30-11:45)

*Topics: Nonprofit Administration and Accountability (9:30-11:45)

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

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING ADMINISTRATION – GRASSROOT ORGANIZATION

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announces the availability of $1,000,000 to award grants to eligible “grassroots” organizations with the ability to connect to the local One-Stop delivery system.

The selected grantees will be expected to achieve the following objectives:

* Help individuals enter employment with career opportunities or increase skills and education, both through providing services such as education, pre and post job placement, mentoring, life skills training, employability skills training, job coaching, and through utilizing the services of the One-Stop Career Center.

* Expand the access of faith-based and community-based organizations' clients and customers to the training, job and career services offered by the local One-Stops.

* Effectively maximize the dollars invested by leveraging volunteer and in-kind donations;

* Thoroughly document the impact and outcomes of these grant investments through quarterly and annual reporting; and

* Establish methods and mechanisms to ensure sustainability of these partnerships and participation levels beyond the life of the grant.

Eligible grassroots organizations must be nonprofits which:

1. Have social services as a major part of their mission;

2. Are headquartered in the local community to which they provide these services;

3. Have an annual social services budget of $350,000 or less, or

4. Have 6 or fewer full-time equivalent employees.

Neutral, nonreligious criteria that neither favor nor disfavor religion will be employed in the selection of grant recipients and must be employed by grantees or in the selection of subrecipients.

The government is prohibited from providing direct financial assistance for inherently religious activity. Therefore, as a general rule, subawards may not be used for religious instruction, worship, prayer, proselytizing or other inherently religious activities and participation in such activities must be voluntary. (If, however, an organization receives financial assistance as a result of the choice of a beneficiary, such as through a voucher, the organization may integrate religion throughout its program).

The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is May 7, 2004.

(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/04-7658.htm)

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

COMMUNITY HEALTH GRANTS TO REDUCE RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES

Aetna Foundation Regional Community Health Grants Program

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

The Aetna Foundation's Regional Community Grants Program aims to address critical health issues in communities within Aetna's six business regions. In 2004, the program will focus on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health care by accepting proposals in the areas of cultural competency and oral health. Proposals will be accepted that focus on reducing cultural and communication barriers in health delivery or reducing oral health disparities for children and adults. Nonprofit organizations in Aetna's business regions are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted by May 18, 2004 for the North Central and West regions; June 22, 2004 for the Northeast and Southwest regions; and July 20, 2004 for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Visit the above website for more information.

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

WALGREENS FOCUSES ON HEALTH AND EDUCATION

Walgreens Company Contribution Program

(http://www.walgreens.com/about/community/guidelines.jhtml)

The Walgreens Company Contribution Program primarily makes grants to nonprofit organizations in local communities where Walgreens stores are located. Support is provided in the areas of health and human services, education, civic and community, and arts and culture. The priority funding areas are health and education, with health as the company's major area of focus. A small portion of the budget is reserved for national organizations selected that focus on medical research, and treatment of specific diseases. Nonprofit organizations located in Walgreens communities throughout the country are eligible to apply. Applications are accepted year-round. Visit the above website for application guidelines.

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

JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS

New deadline is Wed, April 21, 2004!!

On behalf of the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL), I am pleased to announce that we will be awarding 5 scholarships to outstanding Asian Pacific American (APA) college undergraduates and one scholarship to a graduate student for internships in Washington, D.C. for the summer of 2004. Awarded annually since 1992, the scholarships are intended to enable outstanding APA scholars with the potential for leadership, to work full-time and learn about ways to influence public policy that benefits APA communities. Through the generous donations of its sponsors, CAPAL is able to fund 5 students with $2000 stipends.

Any students interning in Washington, D.C. with an interest in current issues facing the APA community are also encouraged to participate in CAPAL’s Washington Leadership Program (WLP), a free leadership development and education series. Through intense workshops and skill-building sessions conducted weekly in the evenings, the WLP participants develop an understanding of public policies that affect APA communities and the skills needed to bring leadership to the community.

CAPAL, a 501(c)(3) charitable and education organization, was founded in 1989 by APA professionals as a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization. Its mission is to promote Asian Pacific American interests and success in public sector careers, to provide information and education on policy issues affecting the APA community, and to serve the APA community at large.

Information and applications may be downloaded from our website at http://www.capal.org.

For questions, call (877) 892-5427 or email capal_wlp@hotmail.com.

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

NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW CENTER: GRANTS MANAGER - LOS ANGELES

POSITION AND BACKGROUND

The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is seeking a Grants Manager to work with the Executive Director and senior staff to implement NILC’s development and fundraising efforts. This position offers an unusual opportunity for the right person to join one of the country’s leading organizations working for social and economic justice for immigrants.

For the past 25 years, NILC has garnered a national reputation for its expertise on the complex interplay between immigrants' legal status and their rights under U.S. laws. NILC's policy advocacy and impact litigation have resulted in significant victories promoting the fair treatment of low-income immigrants by courts and government agencies, and protecting immigrants' access to employment, health care, and other services. NILC's trainings, publications, and technical assistance reach an unusually diverse constituency of legal aid and pro bono lawyers, nonprofit community groups, policy makers, and government officials. A Ford Foundation study highlighted NILC as one of the top providers of information to the immigration field in the U.S. NILC has strong relations with a number of major national foundations, who help support our annual budget of approximately $2 million. NILC's headquarters is based in Los Angeles with branch offices in Washington D.C. and Oakland.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary responsibility of the Grants Manager will be to work in partnership with the Executive Director and NILC’s senior staff to implement fundraising goals and strategies that sustain and expand NILC’s work; research and write foundation proposals and grant reports; and maintain the grant files and database. The job has the potential for expansion to a full Director of Development position. Specific responsibilities include:

* Work in partnership with NILC’s Executive Director and management team to implement long-term funding goals

* Work with NILC’s policy staff and attorneys to translate substantive work and research on the issues facing low income immigrants into proposal goals, objectives, strategies; research foundation prospects, and write funding proposals

* Correspond with, and respond to requests from, foundations, partners, and program officers

* Monitor the fulfillment of grant requirements by processing grant letters and obligations, preparing partner agreements, writing grant reports, and communicating obligations or changes to appropriate staff

* Maintain foundation and donor files; maintain the grants calendar and tickler system; administer the grants database

* Develop materials for staff, board, and partners on grant updates, prospective proposals, and achievements

* Assist NILC in beginning to develop a donor solicitation component for the development program

QUALIFICATIONS

* Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred.

* Two to three years experience in successful grantwriting preferably for social justice, immigrant or civil rights issues.

* Excellent research, written and oral skills; strong people skills.

* Experience with non-profit program development and/or management preferred.

* Strong research experience and familiarity with the Internet. Extensive computer knowledge required: extensive experience with advanced word processing in Microsoft Word or publishing programs and experience with Microsoft Access or similar database program required. Basic experience with a spreadsheet program (preferably Excel) preferred.

* Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Excellent salary scale DOE. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance.

TO APPLY: Please send a cover letter, resume, writing sample to: Grants Manager Search, National Immigration Law Center, 3435 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 2850, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Fax (213) 639-3911. Applications will be accepted through May 7, 2004.

NILC is an equal opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. NILC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

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

AEF SUMMER FELLOWSHIPS

The Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund (“AEF”) awards summer fellowships each year to law students from around the nation. In 2003, AEF awarded five fellowships, averaging $3,300. The primary purpose of the fellowships is to fund a student's internship with a public interest organization that benefits either the Asian Pacific American community or the metropolitan Washington, D.C. community-at-large. Such organizations include governmental organizations and other non-profits serving the public interest. The internship must be unpaid (except for nominal payment for such items as transportation), arranged by the student, extend at least ten weeks or a total of 400 hours, and be based in the Greater Washington, D.C. Area.

I. Applying for a Fellowship
Any student at an accredited law school who is enrolled at least part-time, as determined by the school, who is in good standing, who is a candidate for a law degree, and who has not previously received an AEF Fellowship, is eligible to apply for the 2004 AEF Fellowship.

Applicants must complete and submit the 2004 AEF Fellowship Application and Employer Form. The form is available on the website, at law schools, or from AEF, P.O. Box 2209 Washington, D.C. 20013-2209.

The 2004 AEF Fellowship Application and Employer Form should be faxed to Tony Lin at 202.663.8007 by April 24, 2004.

The Application and Employer Form can also be mailed to AEF, P.O. Box 2209, Washington, D.C. 20013-2209. The Application and Employer Form must be postmarked by April 24, 2004. Questions should be sent to aef@vvault.com.

For a copy of the 2004 AEF Fellowship Application and Employer Form, please visit www.aef-apaba.org. Copies of the Fellowship Application and Employer Form are also enclosed below.

II. Fellowship Selection Criteria
AEF considers all of the materials submitted by an applicant. The essay is heavily weighted and should be carefully prepared. Letters of recommendation should be from persons who can provide relevant information to AEF regarding the applicant's qualifications and experience making him or her a fit candidate for an award of a fellowship. An applicant must be in good standing at his or her law school. Whether an applicant previously has been awarded an AEF fellowship and the applicant's year of study will be considered (with applicants who have not previously received an AEF fellowship and those closer to graduation possibly receiving some preference). Although a law school transcript is required, the student's academic performance will not weigh heavily in the selection process.

Other factors AEF may consider include, but are not limited to:

§       Evidence of the applicant's maturity and responsibility;
§       Placement of fellowship recipients in diverse employment settings;
§       Preference may be given to those applicants interning at direct service organizations.

www.aef-apaba.org

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

ASIAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING INTERNSHIP - SUMMER 2004

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy, and community education.

AALDEF Immigrant Access to Justice Project:

Since September 11, 2001, AALDEF has challenged the unfair enforcement of post-9.11 immigration laws and represented hundreds of immigrants who came forward to register with immigration officials under the Department of Homeland Security's "Special Registration" program, only to find themselves facing detention and deportation. In addition, AALDEF has organized legal clinics, community education forums on new and pending immigration laws and legislation, "Know Your Rights" trainings, and helps facilitate and provide legal support to community organizing groups working to end discriminatory immigration policies.

Job Title: Community Organizing Intern

Responsibilities:

* Organize community forums to educate immigrants about their legal rights and recent changes to immigration policies

* Develop and conduct outreach efforts, including outdoor events such as tabling and flyering, and informing local community groups about upcoming community forums

* Organize meetings to facilitate information sharing among members of the Special Registrants Action Network, which advocates for the rights of special registrants

* Assist with the development and implementation of concrete organizing strategies, such as letter writing campaigns and identifying key targets to effect change

* Assist in planning and coordinating press conferences around key immigration issues affecting New York City's immigrant communities

Stipend: Full-time ($400/week), June 14 to August 20

Requirements/Qualifications:

* Applicants must be between 18 to 24 years old and a resident of NYC

* Ability to work independently and with groups, and manage time effectively

* Interest in immigrant rights and social justice

* Proficiency in speaking Bangla or Urdu is preferred

* Willingness to travel to neighborhoods in all boroughs of New York City

Application:

Community Organizing Intern Search

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)

99 Hudson Street, 12th floor

New York, New York 10013-2815

fax: 212-966-4303

Email: info@aaldef.org

Deadline: May 15, 2004

For more information, contact Samuel Quiah at 212-966-5932 x215 or squiah@aaldef.org

Sam Quiah

AALDEF-Community Organizer

(212)966-5932 x215

squiah@aaldef.org

ASIAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND

99 Hudson Street, 12/F New York, NY 10013-2815

Defending the civil rights of Asian Americans since 1974

t: 212.966.5932 f: 212.966.4303 website: www.aaldef.org

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

ASSOCIATE PROGRAM OFFICER, YOUTHNET PROJECT, FAMILY HEALTH INTERNATIONAL

BASIC FUNCTION:

Provides support to develop, approve, administer, and monitor subagreements and technical assistance at the global and country-level activities of the YOUTHNET Program.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Coordinates the development, review, approval and administration of subproject documents, including subproject amendments and Task Orders. Assures adherence of subproject documents to Program norms and helps develop and maintain system for tracking such information.

2. Assists Program staff in responding to administrative and programmatic requests from country-level colleagues, other Coordinating Agencies, and in the exchange of Program information between YOUTHNET and other FHI projects.

3. Assists in the preparation and coordinates the compilation of reports and applications, including annual and interim reports, work plans, strategies.

4. Assists Program staff to track the status of Global Technical Leadership and country-level activities and handling queries from field.

5. Assists technical staff in the development of country or technical strategies, including conducting literature searches and gathering information on work done by other organizations.

6. Performs other duties as assigned.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

* Excellent administrative, interpersonal and organizational skills, with special attention to detail.

* Considerable ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with all levels of staff and with the public and to support relationships among USAID, Program staff, and Partners.

* Ability to work independently on several activities with minimal supervision.

* Working knowledge of the current literature related to youth reproductive health, including family planning, HIV/AIDS, contraception, and maternal and child health.

* Demonstrated writing and budgeting skills.

* Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Access, PowerPoint, Excel).

MINIMUM RECRUITMENT STANDARDS:

BA/BS in public health or related major and three to five years relevant experience or Masters degree in public health or related field and one to three years relevant experience. Experience in program support and in the field preferred. International experience and experience in public health preferred. Experience working with USAID cooperating agencies preferred. Strong writing skills. Experience must reflect the knowledge, skills and abilities noted above. Fluency in French, Spanish or Portuguese preferred.

CLASSIFICATION:

FHI Grade 6. This position is exempt from the Fair Labors Standards Act and incumbent employees are not eligible to earn overtime compensation.

www.fhi.org/youthnet

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

FAMILY HEALTH INTERNATIONAL – COUNTRY DIRECTOR – VIETNAM

Department/Division: Field Programs Asia and Pacific

Position Location: International

Position Description:

Responsible for providing leadership to and overseeing the management of FHI's Institute for HIV/AIDS country program in Vietnam. Ensures the achievement of results through high quality program implementation that conforms to the requirements and expectations of donor agencies. In addition, oversees other technical and management support and collaboration to the Government of Vietnam, USAID, UN, NGOs and other donors and stakeholders.

Minimum Requirements:

Requires Master's or doctoral level degree with six to eight years in public health or related field, and at least four years experience in the management of public health or development programs. Experience in technical assistance in HIV/AIDS or STD programs. Ability to speak and write in Vietnamese preferred. Good cross-cultural skills.

Salary Grade:

FHI Grade 9

(http://www.fhi.org/en/AboutFHI/Employment/International/IN-FPAP-0402.htm)

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

LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN’S HEALTH, PALO ALTO

Job Opening:

Associate Director, Lucile Packard Children's Fund - Circles of Leadership Program

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health invites applications for the position of Associate Director of the Lucile Packard Children's Fund, the annual giving program benefiting Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health is a public charity addressing the special health needs of our region's children. Of primary but not exclusive interest are the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford and the pediatric programs at Stanford School of Medicine.

The Foundation will pursue its goals through direct fundraising for children's health research, training, and patient care at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford and pediatric programs at Stanford School of Medicine, as well as strategic grantmaking in the Bay Area. The Foundation also seeks to promote the well being of children by serving as a source of neutral, timely, evidence-based information.

Position Summary

The Associate Director is one of four members of the annual giving team, reporting to the Director of annual giving, and is responsible for securing annual gifts between $1,000 and $10,000. Such gifts will be sought primarily for the Lucile Packard Children's Fund, which supports three essential aspects of the Hospital's mission: a commitment to provide medical care for any local child in need; funding for cutting-edge research in childhood diseases; and family and community services programs.

Essential Duties

The Associate Director will work closely with the Director of annual giving to develop effective solicitation strategies for high-end annual donors. The Associate Director will be responsible for annually stewarding, renewing, and upgrading current donors at the $1,000-$10,000 level. In addition, he or she will work with current donors and volunteers to identify, cultivate, and successfully solicit a population of prospects who have the means and interest to make charitable gifts at this level annually. The Associate Director will be evaluated based on his or her success and ability to meet specific number goals in three key areas: upgrading current donors, generating gifts from new prospects, and appropriately stewarding all donors.

In addition, the Associate Director will spend approximately 20% of his or her time generating high-end annual support from corporations. The Associate Director will be expected to develop relationships with a small number of local businesses and generate gifts of $10,000 or more for the Lucile Packard Children's Fund and specific programs at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital through personal solicitations and proposals.

This is a field fundraising position, and the Associate Director will be expected to maintain a high level of field activity each week as well as manage a large prospect list. In the process, the Associate Director will work cooperatively and strategically with development colleagues including the rest of the annual giving team as well as the large gifts, prospect research, and donor relations teams. The Associate Director will also need to become an expert representative on the various entities and activities that the Lucile Packard Children's Fund supports as well as on other programs at the Hospital for which gifts are being sought.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will be a college graduate and will have at least two years of proven and productive experience soliciting gifts from individuals. Transferable skills in sales and marketing will also be considered. He or she will demonstrate great interpersonal skill at initiating and establishing positive relationships that convert a wide variety of prospects into donors. To facilitate this, the successful candidate must be able to articulate a compelling case for annual support of the Lucile Packard Children's Fund. In addition, excellent volunteer management skills, including experience motivating diverse groups of individuals toward accomplishing goals, are a plus. The successful candidate will be a skilled writer and an articulate spokesperson.

The successful candidate must have the ability to work independently and creatively, setting priorities and completing assignments in a timely manner. He or she will also have strong self-motivation, initiative in follow up, problem solving skills, and a drive to meet set goals. He or she will show a proven ability to work effectively with a wide variety of people and to work independently and as part of a team. Finally, the successful candidate must use good judgment and treat confidential information with discretion. Willingness to be supportive and flexible is required.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate proficiency with word processing and database software on a personal computer. The successful candidate will also have a genuine interest in children and their health.

How to Apply:

Send cover letter and resume to Ms. Sarah Collins via mail, fax, or e-mail.

Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health

770 Welch Road, Suite 350

Palo Alto, CA 94304

Fax (650) 498-2619

Sarah.Collins@lpfch.org

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health hires staff without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

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

TIPS/RESOURCES

New Citizens Vote! A curriculum on voting and civic engagement

(http://www.immigrantvoice.org/ncv/index.html)

Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Korean The New Citizens Vote! curriculum (left) aims to increase the skills and self-confidence of immigrants and others new to the U.S. system about voting and other local decision-making processes.

In response to the unprecedented numbers of immigrants who have applied for U.S. citizenship in recent years, in 1998 the Northern California Citizenship Project developed New Citizens Vote!, a unique educational tool for teachers, community organizers, or anyone working with groups or individuals new to the U.S. system.

New Citizens Vote! aims to increase the skills and self-confidence of participants about voting and other local decision-making processes. The highly interactive, creative exercises educate participants about electoral politics, with an emphasis on local issues and opportunities for civic participation.

Exercises include:

a mock election to illustrate the importance of each individual's vote;
how and where to find information about political parties, issues, and candidates;
basic critical thinking and problem solving techniques;
opportunities to design solutions to community problems with classmates.

The curriculum has 14 sections and includes four hours of material. However, one of its greatest strengths is that it is highly flexible. Many of the curriculum sections can be presented on their own, as a short supplement to a related lesson. It is currently available in 5 languages.

The curriculum is available to download free in English and Spanish. If you want to order a bound copy, or for copies in Chinese, Vietnamese, or Korean, please call (415) 621-4808 ext. 101. If you would like to know more about curriculum training opportunities, contact Monica Regan, director of programs at (415) 621-4808 ext.103.

Bouapha Toommaly

Asian and Pacific Islander Outreach

National Voice

1411 K St. Suite 901

Washington, DC 20005

ph: (202) 628-7160

fax: (202) 628-7165

Email: bouapha@ruralco.org

Web: www.nationalvoice.org

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

THE NEW NEIGHBORS: A USER’S GUIDE TO DATA ON IMMIGRANTS IN U.S.

The New Neighbors: A User’s Guide to Data on Immigrants in U.S. Communities, by The Urban Institute with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a guidebook designed to help local policy makers, program implementers, and advocates use U.S. Census and other data sources to identify immigrant populations in their local communities-their characteristics, their contributions, and their needs. The guidebook lists relevant data sources, the information contained in each, and where they can be located, as well as software needed to use them effectively. This report is available online at

www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/310844_the_new_neighbors.pdf.

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

NEWS

PASSING OF TRAN KIM PHUONG, NCVA ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

Tran Kim Phuong, a member of the NCVA Advisory Board, died on Thursday, May 1, at 0:30 am in Rockville, Maryland. One of the main founders of our national organization, he was instrumental in writing the original charter and by-laws of NCVA, which have served us well since 1986.

Tran Kim Phuong was born in Ha Dong, a province outside of Hanoi, 79 years ago. Still in his teens, he already joined the Dai Viet Party in quest of national independence for Vietnam. Jailed and beaten up by the French at Hoa Lo Central Prison in Hanoi, he later went to France for studies and came back to Vietnam to serve in the Ministry of Economy. Soon thereafter he became a diplomat serving with distinction in the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry. He was ambassador of Vietnam in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, then in Canberra, Australia, before becoming Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs in Saigon. His last appointment was as Ambassador of Vietnam to the United States at a very difficult moment, from 1972 to 1975, when Washington was ready to cut and run in Vietnam.

Known for his independence and kindness, he kept his integrity and uprightness throughout a long and distinguished career as diplomat. He will be remembered by friends and associates at NCVA for his always ready broad smile.

Tran Kim Phuong is survived by his wife, Vu Thi Tin, a son and a daughter both of whom have married and built their own families.

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

April 4, 2004

Decades After First Refugees, Readying for More Hmong

By Monica Davey

ST. PAUL — As Mo Chang, an official with this city's public schools, looked out over the curious, frightened faces of Hmong refugees in a grim camp in Thailand not long ago, she tried to glimpse their futures in America.

She knew that many would learn English and go on, as she had, to find success in a place like St. Paul. Surely all would struggle — with a new language, with nightmarish memories of war in Laos decades ago, with finding jobs and building lives in the United States, a place where taking the bus, buying groceries, simply walking down the street in winter could make life feel upside down.

This summer, as many as 15,000 Hmong refugees will arrive in St. Paul and communities in California, Wisconsin and North Carolina. They have been living in limbo at Wat Tham Krabok, a camp in Thailand, after being driven from their mountain homelands in the waning days of the war in Southeast Asia. Now the United States has decided to take them in.

In many cities, even the biggest ones, this would seem a prescription for disaster: the instant arrival of thousands of immigrants, most of whom speak no English, lack skills and have little concept of this country, at a time when jobs are few and government budgets are strained.

But even worse, as Ms. Chang and other visitors learned in Thailand, these newcomers will arrive doubly damaged — first by the trauma of war, and then by years in settlements and camps like Wat Tham Krabok. Many suffer from malnutrition, post-traumatic stress, depression and suicidal thoughts. Only half of the children in the camp go to school.

The troubles are monumental. But leaders in St. Paul insist that if this mass resettlement can work anywhere, it can work here.

In the years since the Hmong began fleeing Laos, St. Paul has become home to one of the United States' largest concentrations of Hmong and, along the way, has produced its own Hmong-American leaders. They have, they say, a unique understanding of the cultural difficulties to be faced and the traumas the Hmong may have endured, and they want relatives to come here. The newcomers could begin arriving as early as June.

Ms. Chang, a special projects coordinator and charter schools liaison for the St. Paul public school system, came to the United States from a similar Thai camp at age 10. In March she visited the refugees in their fenced, primitive settlement with an unusual delegation of some of St. Paul's top officials, including the mayor, Randy Kelly. Ms. Chang's voice broke as she recalled how she gazed at the refugees — particularly the multitude of children — and thought of her own harrowing past.

"That could have been my children," said Ms. Chang, 37. "That could have been me. I felt that."

At least 25,000 people of Hmong descent live in St. Paul, a city of 300,000. They were drawn by social service agencies and church groups that helped the first arrivals nearly 30 years ago, and, later, by the tug of family who had come before. At least 20,000 more Hmong live elsewhere in Minnesota, and thousands more live around the country, in cities like Fresno, Calif., and Milwaukee.

In the Vietnam War, the Central Intelligence Agency recruited Hmong in Laos to be part of a secret war against the Pathet Lao Communists, rescuing downed American pilots and fighting North Vietnamese soldiers. As the war ended, with Communists in power in Laos, thousands of Hmong fled into the jungles, to Thailand and beyond.

They, and now their children and grandchildren, have left their imprint on St. Paul.

Block after block, in shops along University Avenue, they sell sugar cane and shiny flowered fabrics in pinks and greens for traditional Hmong skirts. Thousands of Hmong children have learned English in the public schools. And behind hushed hallways of the social service agencies, Hmong counselors listen to newer arrivals tell hauntingly familiar stories, of escaping across the Mekong River and of trying to adjust to complex lives here.

St. Paul is full of success stories: the first Hmong elected to an American state legislature, a Hmong school board member, top Hmong staff members in most political leaders' offices, Hmong lawyers, doctors, dentists, teachers, even comedians.

But the experiences are mixed. Many have struggled anonymously.

Pa Xa Vang, in his 40's, has learned little English since arriving in 1995. His brief trips into St. Paul, he said through an interpreter, only remind him of his isolation. He enters stores, makes transactions in silence and goes home. He said he was embarrassed that he could not help his nine children with homework. "The future for me is dark," he said.

His wife, Nai Yang, wept as she described fleeing Laos on a brother's back. He ran through the jungle for days, she said. Other family members were attacked, some killed, she said. The images flash in her mind daily.

Her brother is at Wat Tham Krabok.

Thai officials had tried to find other places to send the Hmong, but local and provincial leaders turned them away, the State Department said.

So as authorities in Thailand conduct drug tests and processed applications, officials and other workers in St. Paul, as well as family members here, are racing to figure out how to handle the arrivals. No one knows yet how many of the 15,000 may move here, but as many as 5,000 Hmong-Americans in St. Paul have said they hope to sponsor relatives.

Ms. Yang said she was eager to have her brother here, but worried about his adjustment. Besides, there is no room in her small house, she said. "We don't have anything, so we don't have a plan for my brother," she said through an interpreter. "We're ready for what the government is going to do. They must have a plan."

The prospect has been a shock to some in St. Paul, who say the economy is stretched to its limit. More than 4,500 families are on the city's waiting list for public housing. City officials complain of losing state revenue. And some private agencies for immigrants have had to cut staffing.

The topic has become fodder for talk radio and calls to the mayor.

Jim King, whose young daughter will start school in the fall, wrote to Mayor Kelly to inquire about how the schools will deal with more Hmong children and how his property taxes might be affected.

"I don't want to sound insensitive, I really don't," Mr. King, 34, said to a visitor. "I guess it just seems like the timing of this is tough."

Mayor Kelly agrees. "We are not very well positioned from a financial standpoint to deal with this resettlement issue, it's true," he said. "We are going to be challenged."

While federal authorities will provide $800 to each refugee through local agencies, and millions more for long-term programs meant for all 50,000 refugees who arrive this year from around the world, city officials and leaders of private agencies here said they were likely to struggle to pay for the plans they had.

Still, hundreds of counselors, grant writers, volunteers and former Hmong refugees recently packed into an auditorium here with ambitious plans.

They hoped to lead weekend fairs in which immigrants might sign up to learn English, job skills and the transit system. Others hoped to create "talking circles" for new arrivals to share their fears. And there is a proposal for mentors for parents of new students and for teenagers who might be tempted to join gangs.

To those who complain of the costs of so many big plans, Cha Vang, who was 5 when he came to America, said he wondered whether they knew how the Hmong had helped the Americans a generation ago. "This is exactly one of our fears," Mr. Vang said. "People may not remember. Politicians have retired."

Mr. Vang's father, Gen. Vang Pao, led the Hmong in the war, and many still consider him their leader. In an interview here, General Pao, now in his 70's, said he was appreciative that the United States was accepting thousands more Hmong.

But General Pao said he longed for a day when all Hmong — even those still hiding in Laos or living on their own somewhere in Thailand — might return in safety to Laos, which is still a Communist state.

"That is still our motherland," he said, "and hopefully we can go back when democracy rules."

Along University Avenue here, Song Thao, who works behind the counter of the Wung Lee Supermarket and Jewelry store, said she rarely thought of leaving St. Paul.

Ms. Thao is 16 and wears low-riding jeans. She said her friends were mostly white. She prefers rap to the Hmong songs on the cassettes her customers buy. She can speak Hmong, but not write it, and says she plans to marry in her late 20's, not far younger, as is Hmong tradition.

Ms. Thao has never lived in Laos, and at the prospect of living there some day, she scrunched up her nose and shrugged. All she remembers is right here.

(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/04/national/04REFU.html)

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

April 7, 2004

CENSUS BUREAU PROJECTS SURGE IN HISPANIC AND ASIAN POPULATIONS

By www.civilrights.org staff

A recent U.S. Census Bureau projection shows that the nation's Hispanic and Asian populations will triple in size over the next half century, while the population of white Americans will decrease by 19 percent.

The estimates, which are projected through 2050, show that as early as 2010 the minority population will have grown to 110 million out of a total 309 million. The projection shows the white and minority population eventually balancing out to an almost 50/50 status.

The Census Bureau projects that the Latino population will grow to 103 million by 2050, a threefold increase from the 2000 figure of 36 million.

"These kind of data pushes us to think about the country in different ways, and how we define America," said Sonia Perez, vice president of research for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group.

Some experts, though excited about the recent findings, have concerns about the accuracy of the projections.

According to the Census Bureau, the terms "Hispanic" and "Latino" are only in reference to ethnicity, but not race. Because of this, Hispanics have identified their race as being white in previous census data. Researchers see this as a problem down the line, where it could skew data and not promote "clear" projections.

The Asian population, much like the Latino population, looks to grow to 33 million out of the total population – three times its population of 11 million in 2000.

Despite the growth of the two minority populations, the projection shows that the black population will remain in a strong second, with 61 million out of the total population.

Projections show that by 2050 the number of baby boomers retiring will increase from 35 million to 87 million, which experts say have implications for the rising minority populations. The large number of Americans vying for Social Security will have an increased reliance on the growing Latino and Asian communities.

"Financing the old age of the baby boomers would be more difficult without a growing Hispanic population," said Roberto Suro of the Pew Hispanic Center.

Echoing Suro's remarks are those of Edward Telles, a UCLA sociologist.

"It's going to be immigrant labor supporting the aging white populations," Telles said.

These projections, though 50 years in advance, speak to a growing trend in diversity in the nation's population, as well as the growing number of minority groups that overall support the country.

(http://www.civilrights.org/issues/census/details.cfm?id=22241)

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

April 7, 2004

D.C. COUNCIL MANDATES TRANSLATORS
Agencies Will Assist Non-English Speakers

By Arthur Santana
Washington Post Staff Writer

The D.C. Council passed a bill yesterday that requires translators in nearly two dozen city agencies and the appointment of a citywide coordinator to ensure that residents who are not proficient in English are provided equal access to services.

The bill, which passed unanimously and is expected to be signed by Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), according to his spokesman, would require 22 agencies dealing with the public to designate a language-access coordinator to develop and implement a plan that includes hiring bilingual employees and translating official materials into Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese and Amharic, a language of Ethiopia, among other languages.

The bill, introduced in the fall and again in February by council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), also would require the D.C. Office of Human Rights to coordinate the effort and monitor the agencies' compliance.

"I think this is a solid step forward for the hardworking, contributing people of this city who have limited English proficiency," Graham said. "It's going to mean that there is going to be greater access to government agencies by ensuring that government services are provided in languages other than English."

If the bill becomes law, the effort to place language coordinators in each city agency will take about four years, Graham said. Among the agencies affected will be the police department, Department of Health, Department of Employment Services, D.C. Public Schools and the Department of Motor Vehicles, Graham said.

The District is the third city, after Oakland, Calif., and New York, to pass similar language-access legislation, said Sonya Schwartz, attorney with the D.C.-based Families USA, a national health care consumer organization that has supported the legislation.

"We are thrilled to see that D.C. has taken the lead on this," Schwartz said. "This means that immigrants around the city, regardless of what language they speak, can access city government benefits and services just like everyone else."

A 1976 District law requires certain city agencies to hire Hispanic program managers to translate official documents and to serve Spanish-speaking residents.

"We found it to be a dead letter law," Graham said. "It's been largely ignored."

Last year, city financial officials estimated the program would cost $7.74 million from fiscal 2003 through fiscal 2006. But Graham said that by using vacant positions already part of the city budget, he was able to keep the cost at $300,000 for the first year. That figure is expected to climb to nearly $500,000 by the third year, he said.

Graham said the new law is expected to help scores of people across the city who don't speak English and spare the city possible lawsuits. "What we are doing here is in large part complying with the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964," he said. "Right now, by not having this focused program, we are actually open to lawsuits."

Marita Etcubanez, attorney with the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center in the District, said whole segments of the community will benefit from the new law, and it is "very significant" to the city's entire Asian American community.

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55892-2004Apr6.html)

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

April 8, 2004

BAY AREA CEMETERIES BOWING TO CULTURAL NEEDS

SENSITIVITY TO DIVERSITY ALSO GOOD BUSINESS

By Kim Vo
Mercury News

For years, Stephen Lai sought the perfect spot to bury himself, his wife and his parents. One beautiful mountaintop cemetery was ``too windy, too foggy,'' he said. Another was worse: It had no mountain at all.

He found what he was looking for at Hillside Gardens in Colma, which employs the Asian practice of feng shui to place objects for optimal spiritual energy. Here a fountain gurgles out front, ancestors sleep between San Bruno Mountain and a newly constructed lake, and monuments face a setting sun. This spring Lai, 42, bought four plots.

In the Bay Area, where whites are no longer the majority, diversity is redefining communities for the dead as well as the living. From Richmond to Fremont to San Jose, funeral homes are building rooms where Indian families can wash their deceased with honey and yogurt before cremations, and supplying special pots so Vietnamese families can safely burn the paper money (artificial) their ancestors may need in the afterlife.

Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, which opened Hillside Gardens last year, doesn't stop at providing facilities to meet different cultural needs. It also hosts elaborate ceremonies for Memorial Day and Dia de los Muertos and recently welcomed thousands of people for Ching Ming, the Chinese ancestor-worshiping day.

Some cemeteries are also changing policies that once prized tidy -- and easily maintained -- lawns so visitors can leave stones on Jewish grave sites and tangerines on Chinese ones. Accommodating different cultures is a trend sprouting across America, said Bob Fells, external chief operating officer with the International Cemetery and Funeral Association.

``The cemeteries have become more sensitive and say: These aren't just rocks; they have meaning,'' Fells said.

Good for business

But celebrating diversity is not only a matter of evolving cultural sensitivities but also smart business.

White families who once preferred plots and mausoleums are increasingly opting for the simpler option of cremation, which can cost less than $2,000. Today it's families of other cultures that often choose the more lavish arrangements, which can start at $10,000.

Cypress Lawn President Kenneth Varner, who has been in the cemetery business 15 years, said white families are still the majority of his business -- 60 percent these days -- with the remainder split mainly among Latinos, Filipinos and Chinese. Cypress Lawn was mindful of that mix when it designed its new cemetery areas.

It created one space for the flat monuments preferred by Latino and Filipino families, and another for the columbariums favored by a white families who want to bury cremation urns.

However, the Chinese influence is strong at Cypress Lawn.

Because of their ancestral reverence and belief that how they treat their dead affects their own fates, Asians, especially Chinese-Americans, spend the most per burial. ``If you look at a dollar basis, they're our best customers,'' Varner said. Asians now make up 19 percent of the Bay Area population.

Other local cemeteries reflect the trend. Rolling Hills Memorial Park in Richmond, once a predominantly African-American cemetery, changed its flat-monuments-only policy to allow upright ones -- which Asians consider more traditional and respectful -- in three gardens. Managers there say those gardens are 80 percent Asian.

In Palo Alto, Alta Mesa Memorial Park offers special pots so that before Hindu families cremate a body, they can burn items the deceased may need in the afterlife. And to accommodate the South Bay's growing Asian community, Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose is building a new Asian Chapel this summer, complete with strong ventilators to whisk away incense smoke.

For whites only

The accommodations at Cypress Lawn are quite a shift for a cemetery that as recently as the 1950s buried only whites.

But legal and cultural restrictions have eased -- for schools, neighborhoods and cemeteries.

``I know a lot of Chinese people, whether new immigrants or old Chinese people here, they don't go bury in the homeland anymore,'' said Dennis Wan, president of the South Bay Historic Chinese American Cemetery Corporation.

With so many cultures coming together, cemeteries are careful to avoid clashes.

At Alta Mesa, officials have learned that often Asians bring fruit, Pacific Islanders bring pork and Russian Jews burn heavy incense throughout the cemetery. They let most tokens linger a few days before maintenance crews toss them. But once in awhile, they make an exception.

``Once someone left a pig's head with an apple in its mouth,'' said general manager Marilyn Talbot, referring to a Pacific Islander family. ``We removed it the very next day.''

Alex Zhan of Milpitas recently visited his grandmother's grave for Ching Ming and was surprised by the cemetery's elaborate ceremony.

It had hired calligraphers to write family names on yellow strips and supplied stacks of artificial paper money to burn. There was an offering table for the dead and a buffet for the living. Members of a Buddhist temple, dressed in yellow robes, held a chanting ceremony.

Zhan, 31, was impressed.

``I don't see anything outside of China or Asia that they do this,'' he said.

Contact Kim Vo at kvo@mercurynews.com or (650) 688-7571.

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/8383038.htm)

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

April 8, 2004

PUSH IS ON TO GIVE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS VOTE IN NEW YORK

By Robert F. Worth

At first glance, it may seem a long shot in an era of orange alerts and stepped-up border patrols. But quietly and carefully, elected officials, labor unions and community groups are starting to push the notion of allowing legal immigrants who are not United States citizens to vote in New York City elections.

Supporters say it is not an outlandish proposition. They point out that even without citizenship, legal immigrants pay taxes, send their children to public schools and serve in the military. Noncitizens in many states were allowed to vote in local, state and even Congressional elections as recently as the 1920's. Until New York City moved to abolish its school boards two years ago, all residents had the right to vote for and serve on them. And although a proposal to open city elections to immigrants was raised 10 years ago without success, some people believe that the time may now be right.

In the last decade, five towns in Maryland have allowed noncitizens, even illegal immigrants, to vote in local elections. Campaigns for immigrant voting rights are under way in several cities, including Hartford; Cambridge, Mass.; and Washington, where Mayor Anthony Williams has said he supports giving legal immigrants the vote in District of Columbia elections.

Those initiatives may be taken more seriously in a campaign season when politicians in both major parties are making overtures to immigrants, as President Bush has with his proposal to grant temporary legal status to millions now living here illegally.

For the moment, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has declined to express an opinion on the subject, and Gifford Miller, the speaker of the City Council, said this week that he was still studying the legal issues. Several union locals have quietly indicated their support, though only one has formally joined the coalition that is promoting the idea.

At a minimum, it is an intriguing prospect in a city with about a million legal immigrants of voting age who are not citizens — equivalent to more than a fifth of the total number of current voters. Granting those people, most of them Hispanic or Asian, the right to vote could change the electoral calculus in a number of arenas, from the races for mayor and the five borough presidents to ballot questions on city borrowing and building projects.

The new voters would be more likely to elect minority candidates, political analysts say, and could force politicians to become more responsive to issues like deportation policy and immigrant access to health care. If voting rights were extended to the state level — truly a long shot at this point — the effects would be even greater, forcing redistricting that could affect the balance of power in Congress. Although all residents are counted when district lines are redrawn, normally only eligible voters are included when the new districts are challenged in court under the Voting Rights Act.

"This would be seismic in its impact," said Roberto Ramirez, a political consultant and lawyer who has served as a state assemblyman and chairman of the Bronx Democratic Party. "Both parties would have to develop a different mindset to address policy issues for those residents who have historically not been part of the political process."

Nationally, there are more than 10 million legal immigrants who are not citizens, according to estimates based on census figures. Some are waiting to become citizens, a process that often takes as long as 10 years with the current backlog of applications. Others are not eligible for citizenship because they are here on temporary visas, or have simply not applied.

In New York City, the latest proposals are still being drafted by two council members, Bill Perkins and John C. Liu. Supporters all agree that whatever measure surfaces, it should extend the vote to legal immigrants who are eligible to become citizens. Some would prefer a broader law to include anyone who pays taxes, regardless of immigration status.

There will certainly be opponents. Critics say that giving newcomers the right to vote would undermine the very idea of citizenship.

"Extending voting rights to noncitizens eliminates the last distinction between people who have accepted permanent membership in the American people and those who have not," said Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington group that favors greater restrictions on immigration. "That distinction is important to maintain."

The political landscape affecting the proposal has changed in recent years. When the idea was first broached in New York and Washington in the early 1990's, some black community leaders opposed it, seeing immigrants as political and economic competitors. That is no longer true, at least in New York, where a number of black leaders and elected officials say they see the effort as an extension of the civil rights movement. Mr. Perkins, one of the councilmen drafting legislation, is African-American.

A stumbling block was removed this year when lawyers for the City Council reviewed state election law and decided that the city could alter its voting statutes without the approval of the State Legislature, where noncitizen voting measures were introduced without success three times during the 1990's. Nothing in New York State's Constitution forbids voting by noncitizens.

A dozen New York organizations have formally joined a coalition that is actively promoting the cause; they have organized community meetings and held a conference last month at City College in Manhattan. Half are immigrant-based groups like the Asian-American Legal Defense and Education Fund and New Immigrant Community Empowerment, and some others have links to organized labor. Immigrant sponsors have a clear self-interest: their politicians would presumably get new votes, and their communities would get more influence.

Seven or eight other organizations, including three union locals and some nonprofit political and legal groups like Common Cause, say they support the idea as well.

The groups say their optimism is based in part on the Bloomberg administration's general receptiveness to immigrant concerns.

"In the past two years New York has passed strong laws that protect immigrants and give them better access to government, and we are confident New Yorkers will support voting rights once they fully understand the issue," said Bryan Pu-Folkes, the executive director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment, based in Queens.

Noncitizen voting is sometimes dismissed as a left-wing hobbyhorse that can succeed only in overwhelmingly Democratic places, like the towns in Maryland where such laws have passed.

Still, it is not at all clear that the new voters would favor one party over the other, said John Mollenkopf, the director of the Center for Urban Research at the City University of New York. In their last elections, Mr. Bloomberg and Gov. George E. Pataki each drew more than a third of the Hispanic vote in New York City, Mr. Mollenkopf estimated, a strong showing for Republican candidates. Asian voters are even more likely than Hispanic voters to lean Republican, he said.

Whatever the political fallout, some opponents argue that noncitizen voting is bad policy and would remove an incentive to becoming a full United States citizen. The idea's proponents counter that getting the right to vote could help provide a political education for new immigrants and give them an appetite for voting in presidential elections, which is restricted to citizens by federal law.

"In many ways, this prepares people," said Gouri Sadhwani, the executive director of the New York Civic Participation Project, one of the groups pressing the issue. "They start local, and then they become citizens and vote in national elections."

All of these arguments have long histories. From the founding of the nation until the early 20th century, immigrants had a civic voice that many citizens, including blacks and women, did not. At various times, they voted in 22 states and federal territories (though New York moved early, in 1804, to restrict voting to citizens).

The practice known as "alien suffrage" was less common in the South than other parts of the country, largely because new immigrants tended to be hostile toward slavery. The first article in the Confederate Constitution banned noncitizen voting, said Jamin Raskin, a law professor at American University and a leader of the modern movement to give immigrants the vote.

State legislatures began narrowing their suffrage laws in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as huge waves of immigration from southern and eastern Europe led to greater suspicion about political radicalism among the newcomers. By 1928, voting at every level had been restricted to United States citizens.

That remained true until 1992, when the town of Takoma Park, Md., passed a measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. Since then, four other towns in Maryland have followed suit. Two communities in Massachusetts, Cambridge and Amherst, have passed similar measures, but have been blocked from implementing them by the absence of enabling state legislation.

Giving immigrants the right to vote will not be an easy sell, even in New York. Some proponents say they will be content for the moment if they can force people to rethink a fundamental issue.

"Whether or not we pass this law in the next year, this is an idea whose time has come," said Bertha Lewis, the executive director of Acorn, an advocacy group for low-income families that is planning rallies to support the move. "You cannot put this genie back in the bottle."

(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/nyregion/08VOTE.html?ex=1082404270&ei=1&en=ead8d07651929432)

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

New Monograph of the Center for the Study of Democracy

Protest and Political Incorporation: Vietnamese American Protests, 1975-2001

Nhu-Ngoc T. Ong, University of California, Irvine

David S. Meyer, University of California, Irvine

ABSTRACT:

Protest, now ubiquitous in advanced industrialized societies, has become a useful window for examining all sorts of broader political phenomena.

Using event data from newspaper reports, we trace protest by Vietnamese Americans over the past 26 years as a means to assess political incorporation. By looking at the issues, tactics, and development of protest within the Vietnamese American community, we get a sense of the development and incorporation of that community. We find that protest, particularly in the form of demonstrations, is a common form of making claims among Vietnamese-Americans, and that the issues expressed are primarily about foreign policy, directed toward the old homeland, rather than domestic political concerns. It is not clear whether mobilization on homeland issues provides a foundation for subsequent political mobilization on domestic issues, or whether it serves as a distraction from it.

SUGGESTED CITATION:

Nhu-Ngoc T. Ong and David S. Meyer, "Protest and Political Incorporation: Vietnamese American Protests, 1975-2001 " (April 1, 2004). Center for the Study of Democracy. Paper 04-08.

Full paper download: http://repositories.cdlib.org/csd/04-08

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

April 12, 2004

Reductions looming for bilingual ballots
SANTA CLARA COUNTY LOOKING TO CUT COSTS

By Jessie Mangaliman
Mercury News

At a time when many California counties are expanding services for residents with limited English skills, Santa Clara County is considering drastically reducing the number of bilingual sample ballots.

The county's registrar of voters, faced with severe budget cuts, stands to save an estimated $1 million on the cost of printing and mailing by developing English-only ballots that would replace bilingual ballots now sent to every county voter. It could then take a more targeted approach to reaching non-English speakers.

The prospect, however, threatens Santa Clara County's status as a leader in providing bilingual voting materials, a reputation it has earned by exceeding federal guidelines meant to ensure that all Americans can take part in elections. Voting-rights advocates across the state fear a change would disenfranchise a segment of voters.

``Santa Clara County recognized the value of full citizen participation, and it didn't take the narrow view of just meeting minimal requirements,'' said Robert Rubin, an attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in San Francisco. ``Our concern is that it's such a serious step back. It sends an unfortunate message to newcomers that their political participation is not valued.''

The county currently produces bilingual sample ballots in English and one of four other languages: Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Tagalog. The blanket approach is seen by some as the most effective way to ensure voters aren't left out of the process. The vast majority of voters receive English/Spanish ballots.

Registrar Jesse Durazo said the county and its Voting Rights Advisory Committee is evaluating a number of ways to save money and has not decided on a recommendation.

``I'm being blamed for moving in this direction,'' he said in an interview. ``I'm doing this to make a report of possible efficiencies.''

Alberto Carillo, a member of the advisory committee, said there are many bilingual voters, such as himself, who don't need or want a sample ballot translated into Spanish, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of voters who don't speak Spanish.

Tuesday meeting

The advisory committee, made up of 15 volunteers from throughout the community, will meet Tuesday to discuss the issue. Durazo is expected to make his recommendation in August to the board of supervisors, which will decide how to proceed.

``I'm confident that the board will do nothing that will disenfranchise any voters,'' Supervisor Blanca Alvarado said through her spokeswoman, Kristina Cunningham.

Some advisory committee members, however, believe the county has already decided to scale back bilingual ballots. If money is so tight, they ask, why did the county switch to larger sample ballots in the March primary elections at a cost of $1 million? And why did it include postcards on the back of those sample ballots that voters were asked to fill out if they wished to receive bilingual ballots in the future?

``The registrar of voters office is saying that they're going to seek community input, but they're taking steps that indicate otherwise,'' said Jackie Maruhashi, an advisory committee member and an attorney with the Asian Law Alliance in San Jose, one of the organizations that pushed the county more than a decade ago to convert to bilingual sample ballots.

Durazo said the larger ballots were necessary to avoid technical glitches as the county changed to electronic voting machines.

And the approximately 1,000 language preference postcards mailed in by voters will be used to update the county's voter data bank.

Santa Clara County in 1993 became one of the first in the United States to provide bilingual sample ballots in four languages, ahead of federal guidelines that require counties to translate voting materials when 5 percent or 10,000 of voting-age citizens speak a primary language other than English.

Tagalog added

Yet the need has continued to grow. In 2002, Santa Clara County added Tagalog to its roster, one of 15 counties in California required to add a language that year based on estimates provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The county estimates that at least 115,000, or about 15 percent, of the county's registered voters have a need for one of the four variations of bilingual sample ballots, based on information provided on voter registration cards. Currently, however, it distributes more than seven times that amount in English-Spanish sample ballots alone. And it sends out Asian-language bilingual ballots based on voters' countries of origin or language preferences.

At least one cost-cutting proposal, though, would do away with the county's blanket mailing approach and would require voters with limited English skills to request a sample ballot in their preferred language.

Voting rights advocates worry that added step would complicate voting for those who need the most help.

``It's the equivalent of providing access for communities with disabilities,'' said Kathy Feng, a voting-rights attorney with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles. ``Instead of having three poll sites with handicap-accessible ramps, you have all the polls with ramps to accommodate everyone.''

Marjory Bunyard, an advisory committee member, said there are ways to cut costs and continue to protect the rights of voters.

``We hear people gripe all the time: `Why do we need these languages?' '' she said. ``It's very important to consider this issue. But you've got to take care of people who aren't proficient in English.''

Contact Jessie Mangaliman at jmangaliman@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5794.

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/8412171.htm)

******************
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.

Advocacy
Education
Health Forums
Internships
Policy Analysis
Voter Education
Youth Leadership

Census - Vietnamese Americans
Community Organizations
Grant Writing
Nonprofit Resources
Southeast Asian American Directory
Translator: English - Vietnamese

MEDIA CENTER
NCVA in the News
Newsletters
Photo Gallery
Press Releases
Publications

Affiliates
Become a Member
Join Mailing List
Member Benefits

Advisory Board
Board of Directors
Contact Us
History
Make a Donation
Privacy Policy