NCVA REPORTER - April 20, 2004

In this NCVA Reporter:

Events

• Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund Announcement– May 6, 2004
• APAICS “In Celebration: A Decade of Firsts” – May 6, 2004

Funding Opportunities

• Youth Transition into the Workplace Grants (YIW Grants)
• NPower and AT&T Wireless Launch Wireless Technology Grants Program
• Target Stores Offers Funding Through Community Giving Program
• Retirement Research Foundation - Grants for Chicago-Area Houses of Worship Through Accessible Faith Grant Program
• JP Morgan Chase - Arizona Community Builders Grant Program
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Active Living Research Program

Jobs/Internships

• Paid Summer Internship: H Street Community Development Corporation and State Farm Insurance Companies
• U.S. Postal Service 2004 Summer Intern Program
• AALEAD Office Manager

Tips/Resources

• Independent Sector Releases Guidelines for Funding of Nonprofits

News                                               

• Support Single Parent Families and SingleMom.com (Press Release)
• U.S., Philippines, agree on plan for remaining Vietnamese boat people (Associated Press)
• The Man Behind the Mustang (Associated Press)
• Loyalty to U.S. Finally Paying Off for Hmong (Los Angeles Times)
• Court upholds dismissal of Vietnam War lawsuit (Los Angeles Times)

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EVENTS

Please join us in collaboration with the Congressional Asian and Pacific American Caucus at the announcement of the establishment of the

ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Established by a coalition of corporate and national community leaders, this new organization will be devoted solely to the financial scholarship needs of Asian and Pacific Islander American students.

Thursday, May 6, 2004

8:00am - 9:00am

US Capitol, Room HC5

Washington, DC

Supporting Organizations:

Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies

Organization of Chinese Americans

Southeast Asia Resource Action Center

Co-Sponsors:

Asian McDonald's Owner/Operators Association

The Coca-Cola Company

McDonald's Corporation

RSVP by Monday, May 3, 2004:

Vicki Shu: vshu@ocanatl.org; 202-270-2715

Please enter through the Visitor's entrance of the House Side at the Capitol (near Independence Avenue).  Arrive early for security clearance with government-issued ID.  State that the meeting room is HC5 that the host is Leader Pelosi's Office.

For any questions, contact Victoria Tung:  202-225-2631

APIASF's website address is http://www.apiasf.org/.  To visit APIASF's factsheet, visit http://www.searac.org/apiasffactsheet.pdf.  In the near future, also look for Southeast Asian-language versions of the APIASF factsheet at http://www.searac.org/new.html.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 19, 2004

For More Information: Daphne Kwok 202-296-9200

"IN CELEBRATION: A DECADE OF FIRSTS"

Washington, D.C. - "In Celebration:  A Decade of Firsts" is the theme for the 10th Annual Gala Dinner for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), to take place on Thursday, May 6 in Washington, D.C.  To be honored at the gala will be:

The Honorable Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor

The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of Transportation

The Honorable Gary Locke, Governor of Washington

"APAICS is celebrating our 10th year by recognizing and honoring political milestones at the top of the political ladder attained by members of the Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) community in the last ten years.  For the first time in history, we have two APIA Cabinet Secretaries serving in an Administration.  We also have the first APIA governor in the continental U.S," stated Clayton S. Fong, APAICS Chair.

"Helping to celebrate with us will be APIA elected officials and community leaders from throughout the country including the eight APIA elected officials selected to participate in the APAICS Leadership Academy.  Almost every single one of these APIA elected officials are also 'firsts" having been the "first" APIA elected to their school board, city council or state legislature", commented Daphne Kwok, APAICS Executive Director.

The Gala will take place at the Capital Hilton at 16th & K Streets, NW in Washington, DC.  Tickets are available for $150.00/person or $175.00/corporate ticket.  Table sponsorship levels are available on our website at www.apaics.org.  Ticket sale deadline is May 3.

For more information, please call APAICS at 202-296-9200 or via email at apaics@apaics.org.

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

YOUTH TRANSITION INTO THE WORKPLACE GRANTS (YIW GRANTS)

WHO: Non-profits, for profits, city and state governments, institutions of higher education, Tribal organizations, faith-based and community organizations.

WHAT: To broaden prior workplace prevention initiatives related to prevention and early intervention, as well as related co-morbidity issues for employees and their families.  Examples of well-researched interventions are: NREP workplace programs, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs); drug-free workplace programs; peer to peer; health and wellness programs; health risk assessments and health care prevention initiatives.  Grantees will be expected to document, implement, and evaluate workplace prevention/early intervention programs tailored for young adult employees ages 16-24. Specific attention should be paid to gender, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and occupational variations.

WHEN: Applications due May 27, 2004.

AWARD AMOUNT: Approximately $2 Million is available for funding.

CONTACT: For further information, contact, Deborah Galvin Ph.D. at 301-443-6780 or email dgalvin@samhsa.gov. For a link to the full announcement, head to our website at www.hhs.gov/fbci under Current Funding Opportunities, or head to

http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2004/nofa/sp04006_YIW.htm.

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NPOWER AND AT&T WIRELESS LAUNCH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY GRANTS PROGRAM

Deadline: May 28, 2004

(http://www.attwscommunityconnectionsaward.org)

NPower ( http://www.npower.org/ ), a national network of local nonprofits that help other nonprofits use technology to better serve their communities, and AT&T Wireless have  launched a new partnership aimed at educating and  inspiring nonprofits on how to put the power of wireless  technology to work to enhance community services.

As part of their partnership, NPower and AT&T Wireless are introducing the AT&T Wireless Community Connections Award, a nationally competitive grant program designed to give nonprofits the resources to apply wireless technology in ways that help them improve their effectiveness.  AT&T Wireless has committed grant funding for individual nonprofits who plan to implement innovative wireless initiatives that would serve as models for other nonprofits across the United States.

The AT&T Wireless Community Connections Award has three main goals: to improve public safety or enhance communications among family members through creative uses of wireless technology; to support nonprofits using wireless technology to expand the reach and impact of their services; and to highlight how AT&T Wireless' technology, where appropriate, can be used by the nonprofit sector to positively impact its work.

The program seeks to reach these goals by providing the tools and resources to improve or implement innovative projects to a small group of nonprofit organizations from a diverse cross-section of communities across the country.  AT&T Wireless is interested in supporting well-planned projects that have the power to be models for other nonprofits, contributing new knowledge and understanding to the sector about how to use wireless technology or wireless devices effectively in community work.

In order to be eligible for this award, an organization must be classified as a 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service. Organizations must also be nonsectarian and nondenominational to receive support, except when funding a program within an educational institution or a community social service agency.  Priority consideration will be given to projects in areas where AT&T Wireless operates.

For more information, visit the program's Web site.

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Target Stores Offers Funding Through Community Giving Program

Deadline: May 31, 2004

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

A philanthropic program of the Target Corporation (http://www.target.com/), the Target Community Giving Grant program provides funding for local programs in the arts, reading, and family violence prevention.

The company's support for the arts includes grants to make art exhibitions, classes, and performances more affordable and accessible for families. Programs that bring arts to schools or schoolchildren to the arts are of particular interest.

In education, Target funds programs that promote a love of reading or encourage children to read together with their families, with a particular focus on programs that inspire young readers (birth through third grade).

The company's support for family violence prevention includes funding for parenting education, crisis nurseries, family counseling, after-school programs, support groups, and abuse shelters.

The average grant amount is between $1,000 and $3,000.

To be eligible, applicant organizations must have 501(c)(3)  tax-exempt status, or be a school or unit of government. 

Grant applications can be printed out from the Target Web site and submitted to a neighborhood Target store team leader, who will review the application and make funding recommendations.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received; applicants are therefore encouraged to apply early. See the Target Web site for complete program information, geographic restrictions, and application procedures. 

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RETIREMENT RESEARCH FOUNDATION OFFERS GRANTS FOR CHICAGO-AREA HOUSES OF WORSHIP THROUGH ACCESSIBLE FAITH GRANT PROGRAM

Deadline: May 3, 2004; and August 2, 2004

(http://www.rrf.org/forapplicants/accessiblefaith.html)

The Retirement Research Foundation ( http://www.rrf.org/) supports programs that provide new and expanded  opportunities for older adults to engage in meaningful  roles in society. Through the Accessible Faith Grant  program, the foundation will make funds available to  Chicago-area houses of worship for accessibility  improvements to their facilities. Such improvements should allow increased participation of elderly persons and people with disabilities in the programs, services, and activities held in those facilities.

A total of $250,000 in Accessible Faith Grants is available from the foundation in 2004. Grants will be awarded for up to 50 percent of a project's total cost, with the maximum grant amount $25,000.

To be eligible for a grant, the facility and congregation must meet the following criteria: be registered as a certified 501(c)(3) religious organization; be located within Cook, Lake, or DuPage counties in Illinois; provide programs beyond worship services that benefit elderly  persons and people with disabilities; demonstrate a need for financial assistance to carry out the accessibility  project; and own the facility where improvements would be made.

Accessible Faith Grants may be used for the following purposes: planning/scoping/design projects involving design consultation with a licensed architect or engineer; construction projects; and purchase and installation of program-related equipment.

See the RRF Web site for complete program guidelines, restrictions, and application materials.

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JP MORGAN CHASE INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR ARIZONA COMMUNITY BUILDERS GRANT PROGRAM

Deadline: September 30, 2004

(http://jpmorganchase.com/pages/jpmc/community/grants/programs/cdhs/arizona)

The JP Morgan Chase Arizona Community Builders program supports nonprofit organizations that work to create self-sustaining low and moderate-income (LMI) communities by developing their physical, economic, and social infrastructure and/or by helping individuals and families who face special challenges in achieving a better quality of life.

Eligible organizations may apply for either general operating support (GOS) or project support (PS) grants.

The program supports organizations that are committed to  improving communities in the areas of housing, hunger, human services, and economic development. Applications will be considered if they support programs and/or projects in the following areas: development and/or management of permanent housing (rental or homeownership) that is affordable to LMI families and individuals; creation or management of special needs or emergency housing or shelters; hunger alleviation programs (food  banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens); workforce development and employment training; commercial and industrial redevelopment; microenterprise and small  business assistance organizations; childcare services, including family childcare networks, the creation of new center-based programs, and policy advocacy; and domestic violence prevention and protection programs.

To be eligible, applicants must have 501(c)(3) designation under the Internal Revenue Service Code. See the JP Morgan Chase Web site for complete guidelines, eligibility information, and application procedures.

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ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION INVITES PROPOSALS FOR ACTIVE LIVING RESEARCH PROGRAM

Deadline: September 1, 2004 (Cycle Two)

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

Active Living Research (formerly Active Living Policy and Environmental Studies), a $12.5 million program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was created to stimulate and support research that identifies environmental factors and policies that influence physical activity. Findings are expected to inform environmental and policy changes that will promote active living among Americans. 

The program seeks proposals that describe research designed to improve understanding of the environmental and policy correlates of physical activity in one or more of the following population subgroups: children and adolescents; low-income and ethnic minority groups; older adults; people with physical challenges; and residents of rural areas.

Proposals must address one of the following topics: environmental characteristics and physical activity in under-studied populations; or the impact of changes in community environments or policies on physical activity.

Proposals for cycle two funding may request up to $150,000 over two years, and Applicants may apply as a new investigator for this round of funding. In addition, funds are available for Dissertation Awards.

Preference will be given to applicants who are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

All proposals other than those requesting dissertation funding must be submitted through the RWJF Grantmaking Online system:

http://activelivingresearch.org/index.php/Using%20the%20Online%20System/159

For detailed program information and submission guidelines, see the Active Living program's Web site.

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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

H STREET COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANIES

Paid Summer Internship Available 

Duration: 8 weeks, anytime from June to August 2004 but intern should start by June 14

Stipend:  $2,500

Qualifications: You have to  be a college student graduating in summer 2004, winter 2004 or summer 2005. This internship is designed to provide you with valuable experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors in preparation for a job placement. Preference will be given to those who are majoring in Business, English, Communications, or other non-technical degree. Those interested in a permanent job placement at State Farm Insurance Companies are strongly encouraged to apply.

You will be  equired to take a pre-qualification test with State Farm Insurance Companies  prior to the interview process if you are selected for an interview.

Responsibilities: 2 days at  the H Street Community Development Corporation (HSCDC) working with Francey Youngberg, Project Manager of the Diversity Project to provide educational outreach to Asian Pacific American small businesses and improve relations  between African American residents and Asian American businesses. Duties will include door-to-door visits to merchants, attending community meetings, creating a merchant database and assisting with the High School Summer Internship program at HSCDC. Korean language skills are preferred but not required.

3 days at a State Farm Insurance branch office (positions are available in the Silver  Spring, Greenbelt, Baltimore area and Frederick offices). Location will be determined upon hiring.  None of the State Farm branch office locations are metro-accessible so applicant should have access to a car.

To Apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to Francey L. Youngberg at Francey.youngberg@verizon.net, fax it to 215-895-9853 or mail it to H Street Community Development Corporation, 501 H Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 ATTN: Francey Youngberg.

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS 5 P.M., MAY 14, 2004.

If you have questions, kindly email Francey.youngberg@verizon.net.

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U.S. POSTAL SERVICE 2004 SUMMER INTERN PROGRAM

SALARY RANGE:

Freshmen/Sophomores - $10 per hour

Juniors/Seniors - $12 per hour

Graduate Students - $14 per hour

PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY: U.S. Postal Service Headquarters is announcing a 2004 Summer Intern Program (SIP) for college level freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students. This program does not include high school graduates.

HIRING/PLACEMENT: The positions to be filled will be non-career, and the interns will not receive benefits or promotional opportunities. Positions will be filled based on area of preference and position availability. The number of positions available will be determined by each functional area.

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: The SIP is being offered at headquarters and headquarters field units.

FUNCTIONAL PURPOSE: Provide students with an opportunity to gain meaningful experience in their field of study along with financial support for continuing their education, and allows the Postal Service to benefit from each student's educational and academic skills.

REQUIREMENTS: Students must be enrolled full-time in a degree program at an accredited college or university with the intent to continue their education. A letter from your college or university advisor stating your good standing, current level (i.e., freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, etc.), and the number of completed full-time semester hours expected by spring of 2004 must be submitted. Qualified candidates must successfully pass a pre-employment drug screening to meet the U.S. Postal Service requirement to be drug free. You must be a U.S. citizen or have permanent resident alien status.

DURATION: The program will be offered from May 3, 2004 through September 24, 2004. All students hired must commit to work a minimum of six (6) continuous weeks. Students must be available to enter on duty no later than June 7, and will be terminated no later than September 24.

APPLICATION ADDRESS:

ATTENTION SIP

CORPORATE PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

475 L'ENFANT PLAZA SW ROOM 1831

ASHINGTON DC 20260-4261

HOW TO APPLY:

Applicants must complete and submit PS Form 2591, Application for Employment; PS Form 2181-A, Supplement to Application for Employment; and Pre-employment screening/authorization and release, to the application address for receipt on or before the closing date. Applicants are encouraged to include the ZIP + 4 in their mailing address. The United States Postal Service is an equal opportunity employer. The United States Postal Service provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application, interview, and/or selection process, please contact the office identified on the vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

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AALEAD OFFICE MANAGER

Job Description

The Office Manager executes and oversees the administrative operations of AALEAD's 10 person office.  The Office Manager reports to the Deputy Director and will have the primary responsibility of providing administrative support to AALEAD daily operations, programs, staff, special events and facilities.  This is a "catch all" position with a wide range of responsibilities that will require interactions with staff, students, vendors, community partners and Board members.

Duties include office systems management (phones, computers, copiers, etc.), human resources/benefits coordination, facilities management, supporting tasks for financial operations, filing, faxing, office supply ordering and various additional tasks as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

The Office Manager must have the following skills and qualifications:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office Suite)

• Ability to multi-task

• Working knowledge of accounting and human resources practices

• Requires Bachelor's degree, advanced degree a plus 2 to 4 years of prior relevant work experience.

Salary range is $28,000-$32,000, depending on qualifications. AALEAD has an excellent benefits package that includes 3 weeks vacation, medical insurance, short and long-term disability insurance and retirement plan after 6 months.  This position is in Columbia Heights.

Application Process:

Send resume and cover letter to:

Tony Yih

ASIAN AMERICAN LEAD

1323 Girard Street, NW

Washington, DC 20009 Phone: 202-884-0322 Fax: 202-884-0012

Email: tyih@aalead.org

ABOUT US

Asian American LEAD (AALEAD) is a child- and family-centered organization that seeks to promote the well-being of Asian American youth and families through education, leadership development, and community-building.  We help our children and families develop the skills and confidence necessary to succeed in life and contribute to their communities.  Our programs include after school enrichment, mentoring, educational advocacy, and family support.  These programs work in close coordination to improve students’ academic performance and to increase parental participation in school activities and educational planning. At present, AALEAD provides educational and family services to over 130 children and their families.

Founded in 1998, AALEAD has recently moved to a new facility and is at an exciting stage of growth.  As we increase our capacity to reach more youth and families in the Washington area, we have the critical need for a highly responsible and committed Office Manager to support our administrative and program operations and help the organization reach the next stage of growth.  For more information, please read our web site www.aalead.org

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TIPS/RESOURCES

INDEPENDENT SECTOR RELEASES GUIDELINES FOR FUNDING OF NONPROFITS

Independent Sector, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition of nonprofits, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, has endorsed recommendations that encourage grantmakers to give general operating support grants in order to provide the most flexible funding to their nonprofit partners.

Guidelines for the Funding of Nonprofit Organizations calls on funders to provide general operating support over project support whenever it is appropriate, feasible, and the goals of the foundation and nonprofit are closely aligned.  The statement also recommends that grantmakers pay the fair proportion of administrative and fundraising costs when they do give project support, and calls for a reciprocal commitment from nonprofit organizations to deliver high performance in strategic planning, financial management, evaluation, development, and program results.

"Both foundations and nonprofit foundations have a  responsibility to seek ways to use their resources most  effectively," said Diana Aviv, president and CEO of  Independent Sector. "We hope that our endorsement of this statement will encourage more funders to provide general operating support and recognize its value in helping organizations achieve their objectives."

The full statement (4 pages, HTML) can be downloaded from the Independent Sector Web site:  http://independentsector.org/issues/buildingvalue/opsupport.html

"Independent Sector Endorses General Operating Support Grants as a Preferred Funding Mechanism." Independent Sector Press Release 04/08/04.

(http://independentsector.org/media/opsupportPR.html)

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NEWS

April 12, 2004

SUPPORTING SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES AND SINGLEMOM.COM

Dear Friends:

Even in today's sophisticated society, single parent families are often stigmatized and thoughtlessly perceived as not entirely as functional as two parent families.  Most single moms can verify how such a stigma seems to linger over their heads like a dark, ominous cloud.  Men assume because they have children, they are desperate for husbands, schools believe these women to be operating with a disability and very few churches have created ministries exclusively for single moms.

Everyday I receive many emails from single moms from all walks of life.  All these amazing true life stories tell of the struggles and desperation these women have; from, she doesn’t have a job to raise her children, to not be able to afford child care; from her husband committed suicide while incarcerated, to on the verge of loosing her place to live.

I could go on.

Many of their stories broke my heart. Reading these emails leaves me feeling like there is nothing much that I can do.  These women are suffering but feeling powerless to do something as they don’t have a second chance to make it, feeding on ignorance and prejudices.  These desperate single mom cases led my colleagues and me to form SingleMom.com over four years ago.  The website is aimed at helping single mothers and their children to get back on their feet by providing many available information and resources to them.  As the economy turned sour over the past few years, the project was neglected because we ran out of financial resources to keep this site going.  However, my colleagues & I have recently regrouped and proudly decided to take the project to the next level.  We are not-for-profit organization and now in the process of forming it into a non-profit organization.

First, through education and awareness from our monthly E-Newsletter; and second, to provide resources and useful information to guide them toward the right direction of where to seek help; and finally, through financial aid via our “Financial Gifting Programs”; The purpose of our monthly "Financial Gifting Program" is to serve as support assistance to single mothers nationwide.  The more donations we receive at SingleMom.com, the larger the gifting fund becomes, making more gifts available to single mothers.

By some, these families are viewed as abnormal, incomplete or fragmented. Undoubtedly, their family structure does have its fair share of challenges, but none of them are fatal. Yes, ideally a child should have two healthy, well-balanced parents. That's the way God intended it, but it doesn't always work out that way. So we must accentuate the positive and go on to excel as mothers, flourish as women, and produce healthy young people despite being single and despite the prejudices against our family types. These Single Moms and children need our help not our judgment or prejudices.

So, I tell them to hold their head high and embrace who they are and where they are during this "single parent" season in their life."

"If we fail to respond, we forfeit the right to call ourselves a civilized society" - Dr Lester Brown, Chairman of the World Watch Institute.

For those of us that have children and those that plan to, I hope that God in His infinite mercy will spare us the pain of having to watch our children suffer this life with no choice one after the other, which in great sadness, I have seen happening in America now.

Being raised by a single mother as a child, I know what it likes to be isolated from the rest.  I didn’t feel like I belonged and always wondered how my friends got so lucky to have both parents.  I still vividly remember how difficult it was for my mother.  It wasn’t easy then and it’s not easy now for these Single Moms who come to us to ask for help.

I personally ask for your help!  Please become a Friend of SingleMom.com and help us save another family.  You can donate with money, or gift vouchers for items such as gasoline, grocery store gift certificates, colleges, bookstores, children’s department stores, or utilities.

On behalf of all the Single Moms and SingleMom.com staff, THANK YOU so much in advance for your support and generosity.  I’m looking forward to speak with you soon.

If you have any questions regarding our organization, please contact me at your convenience.  I can be reached at the information provided.

Sincerely, 

Amanda Bach
Co-Founder
Email: Amanda@SingleMom.com

www.SingleMom.com

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April 15, 2004

U.S., PHILIPPINES, AGREE ON PLAN FOR REMAINING VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

The United States and the Philippines announced a joint plan Thursday to offer resettlement to 1,855 Vietnamese asylum seekers living in the Philippines since 1989.

Officials said Washington will offer resettlement interviews to most of the group, many of whom have relatives living in the United States. The Philippines will make its best effort to offer residency to those whom Washington is unable to interview or approve, a statement said.

"Both governments recognize that this is an extraordinary and important measure to finding a comprehensive humanitarian solution," said a joint statement from Philippine Justice Secretary Merceditas Gutierrez and U.S. State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Kelly Ryan.

It said Washington "will apply generous refugee-screening standards when conducting interviews," but that spouses and children of Filipino citizens will not be considered for resettlement in the United States.

Gutierrez told The Associated Press the asylum seekers, most living in southwestern Palawan province, are the last Vietnamese boat people in the Philippines.

"They are given now the opportunity to be interviewed for possible resettlement in the United States... that's a breakthrough," Gutierrez said.

Thousands of Vietnamese, risking high seas and pirates, have sought and been granted refuge in the Philippines following the communist victory in Vietnam in 1975.

The bulk of the boat people have been resettled in the United States and other countries. Others have been sent back to Vietnam.

The asylum seekers covered by the joint plan are those who have "been screened out" or have been determined as economic, not political, refugees, officials said.

(http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040415/ap/d81v7gbg0.html)

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April 16, 2004

The Man Behind the Mustang

CHIEF ENGINEER FACES TASK OF MEETING WIDE EXPECTATIONS WITH 2005 MODEL

By John Porretto

Associated Press

DETROIT - As a boy growing up in war-torn South Vietnam, Hau Thai-Tang peered in awe at the all-American muscle car known as the Ford Mustang, which at times was part of the setting at USO shows for homesick GIs.

The car embodied much of what Thai-Tang had come to associate with America. It was bold and powerful, meant for open spaces, very different from the small, French-made Citroen his family drove on the crowded streets of Saigon.

``We'd never seen anything with the proportions of the Mustang, the long hood and short deck, the big V-8 engine,'' he said.

Thai-Tang could barely imagine driving such a car, much less building one. Yet 30 years later he finds himself steering production of Mustang's fifth generation, the latest version of the iconic sports car that turns 40 this month.

Ford marked the milestone this week in New York, where the Mustang made its debut April 17, 1964, at the World's Fair. The automaker threw a party at the New York International Auto Show, as well as introduced a 440-horsepower Mustang racing concept GT-R.

Another, larger celebration featuring Mustang owners from around the country is taking place this weekend in Nashville. On May 4, the Great American Pony Drive II, a driving tour of classic Mustangs, visits San Jose and San Francisco. It includes a special exhibit trailer containing both an original and a 2005 Mustang. Exact details of the visit are forthcoming.

The Mustang has become perhaps the industry's best-known nameplate. These days, as Ford tries to increase profits and stem declining market share, it's also a critical element of the company's ongoing turnaround bid.

Ford, the world's second-largest automaker behind General Motors, made $495 million in 2003 after losing $980 million in 2002 and more than $5 billion in 2001. The next-generation Mustang is one of five new or redesigned cars that Ford plans to launch this year, the largest such launch in company history.

Some analysts have criticized Ford for having a soft car lineup in recent years. The aging Mustang was the only one of Ford's six cars to post positive sales numbers in 2003, up 1.4 percent, Autodata reports.

``Ford is almost defined by how good the Mustang is,'' said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore. ``You've got the Explorer and F-150 on the truck side, the Mustang on the car side. It's their halo vehicle.''

Thai-Tang, Mustang's chief engineer, certainly understands the car's importance to Ford's revival. ``I don't know that I feel as much pressure as excitement,'' he said. ``This car has been around for 40 years. Eight million people have owned one. It's going to spearhead our `Year of the Car' push. I think the greatest pressure for us collectively at Team Mustang is delivering on those expectations.''

Ford executives and observers say Thai-Tang, whose family fled Saigon before its fall in 1975 and eventually settled in New York, was a logical choice to oversee the new Mustang's production.

Since joining Ford as a trainee in 1988, the mechanical engineering graduate from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh has helped develop and launch Mustang GT, V-6, Cobra and Bullitt models.

Engineering stints with Ford Racing, he said, taught him important lessons he has employed in his latest endeavor: data-driven decision making, meticulous preparation, adhering to tight deadlines.

``You have races every weekend,'' said Thai-Tang, 37. ``Deadlines don't move. You learn to be quick and nimble. I've been able to relay that mind-set back to the production environment.''

Chairman and Chief Executive Bill Ford unveiled the new Mustang in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Production is scheduled to begin this year in Flat Rock at a plant jointly owned by Ford and its Mazda affiliate. The base price is expected to start at less than $20,000.

The new car's design has received accolades from analysts and Mustang enthusiasts for effectively marrying design cues from the 1960s with modern enhancements. The three-element tail lights, for example, harken back four decades. But the new 4.6-liter, 300-horsepower engine has more than 50 percent more power than the V-8 in the classic 1964 model.

``It has enough retro to make it retro without looking bizarre,'' Spinella said.

Jack Roush, the legendary racer and NASCAR team owner whose first car was a 1965 Mustang, said a great deal of Mustang's success stems from the automaker's aim of creating an affordable performance car and then marketing it properly.

The car was the brainchild of then-Ford division chief Lee Iacocca and product manager Donald Frey. The first editions sold for roughly $2,400.

``The early Mustang was nothing more than a Ford Falcon in different sheet metal, and no self-respecting, red-blooded male would have been caught within a hundred yards of a Falcon,'' said Roush, a Ford engineer from 1964 to 1969. ``Yet when they created the image, they made it appealing not only to performance enthusiasts but also to young girls who worked in secretarial jobs.''

Ford hopes to create and sustain a similar buzz when the first 2005 models roll off the assembly line. There has probably been only one person more eager than Thai-Tang to get behind the wheel.

``Mr. Ford sent out a note asking for the first one,'' Thai-Tang said. ``But I've got my order in.''

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/industries/automotive/8445588.htm)

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April 18, 2004

Loyalty to U.S. Finally Paying Off for Hmong
Nearly three decades after they last fought communists in their native Laos, refugees at a Thai camp are to get American citizenship.

By David Lamb, Times Staff Writer

SARABURI, Thailand — The reward for helping the Americans during the Vietnam War took 29 years to materialize, but for the 15,000 Laotian Hmong in this sun-baked refugee camp, it was a payout beyond their wildest dreams: U.S. citizenship.

"I can't believe we'll be Americans," said Sui Yang, 60, who fought with CIA-backed Hmong guerrillas against the communist Pathet Lao in the mountains of Laos. "We heard rumors for years this was going to happen, but they were always only rumors. Most of us gave up hoping. I thought we were going nowhere."

Yang, a soldier in America's "secret" war in Laos in the 1960s and '70s, rolled up his trousers to show scars from deep bullet wounds. He spoke of U.S. choppers that supplied his guerrilla band in the jungles, and of downed U.S. pilots the Hmong rescued. He remembered his shock when the U.S. abandoned Indochina in 1975, and when Laos fell to the communists.

He and his friends fled to Thailand, and for years the Hmong languished here in Tham Krabok camp as the last major group of refugees from the Vietnam War era.

In the mid-1990s, the United Nations closed its refugee office in Laos, and the United States said it had no plans to resettle additional Hmong. Stranded and largely forgotten, they eked out a living making handicrafts and taking dangerous rock quarry jobs that Thais shunned.

Then, in December, the future brightened: U.S. Ambassador Darryl Johnson came to Tham Krabok and announced, "We will take everyone who is eligible and wants to go." (Drug users and criminals are ineligible.) The airlift is expected to begin in July.

The State Department's turnabout came after Thailand said it intended to close Tham Krabok, 60 miles north of Bangkok, the capital, and move the refugees to isolated military camps or forcibly repatriate them to still-communist Laos.

Thailand wants improved relations with Laos, which believes that the camp is a source of funding for the low-level resistance war that Hmong fighters continue to wage against the Laotian government.

"I would be killed for sure if I went back to Laos," Heroula Leng, 60, said. "All us old soldiers would."

Among the groups influential in persuading the Bush administration to take the Hmong is Refugees International. Its president emeritus, Lionel Rosenblatt, was one of the young Turks at the State Department who helped evacuate 130,000 Vietnamese from Saigon in April 1975, ignoring original U.S. plans to bring along only a handful of Vietnamese with the 6,000 departing Americans.

Rosenblatt flew into Saigon as the city was falling to North Vietnam's army. He and his colleagues pilfered a consular stamp and, working on their own through the nights in a bowling alley — the only place they could find that had electricity — issued thousands of exit visas to Vietnamese who had been allies but were not on the U.S. Embassy's list of people who might be killed in a communist takeover.

"The Hmong have a unique record in association with the United States," Rosenblatt said in his Washington office recently. "They fought with us, and they paid the highest price.

"They're deserving as the last human element in terms of us taking care of our allies. If the Hmong were good enough to fight and die for us, they have to be good enough to resettle."

When Chue Xiong, 68, learned that the United States had offered to repay an old debt, he called together his two wives and eight children. What should they do? He and his wives were hesitant: How could they survive in a place where they didn't speak the language and had no skills to offer?

But Xiong's son Toua, 32, argued, "There is more openness to get knowledge in the U.S.," and the decision was made.

They would move and become Americans. Because the issue of polygamy has caused some friction with Americans, Xiong would take one wife; the other would go as part of another family.

So now the Xiongs, like thousands of others in Tham Krabok, have given urine samples, undergone X-ray screenings for tuberculosis and been interviewed by a State Department official.

They are studying English from a textbook that offers phrases such as "I want pancakes for breakfast" and "The TV is broken." And they wonder aloud whether the American people will consider them a burden and make them feel unwelcome.

"No one can get a proper education here," Yang Chue, principal of Tham Krabok's elementary school, said through an interpreter. "And that means no one has a future. Children get married at 14 or 15. They have nothing else to do. Then their life is sort of over. The adjustment to the United States may be difficult, but it's hard to believe our lives won't be better there than here."

Nearly 200,000 Hmong Americans live in the United States, mostly in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina and California's Central Valley, as a result of resettlement programs in the 1980s and '90s. Many of the Tham Krabok refugees turned down earlier opportunities to migrate but have decided to go this time, apparently understanding that, as one U.S. official put it, "this window of opportunity isn't going to open again."

"Some stayed in Thailand in the past because, even in a refugee camp, it kept them a step closer to home, Laos," said Mee Moua, a Minnesota state senator and a Hmong American. "To this day, my mother-in-law, when she dreams, still only dreams of life back in Laos. She has never dreamed about taking the bus to downtown St. Paul to shop at Marshall Field's. Many older Hmong like her are here physically, but emotionally and psychologically, they're still back home in Laos."

Like most of the Vietnamese who settled in the United States, the Hmong arrived with virtually nothing, their worldly possessions often packed in a single suitcase or cardboard box. They are among the poorest and least educated of the United States' migrant populations, a distinct ethnic minority that until the early 1950s had no written language and has long used small amounts of opium for ritual and medicinal purposes.

"The community faces challenges in the United States, but I think we've accomplished a lot," said Bo Thao, executive director of Hmong National Development, an advocacy group in Washington. "We've moved into many fields, from medicine to the commercial sector. The community's poverty rate went from 67% in 1990 to 38% in the 2000 census. We still have a long way to go, but the people are very motivated to realize the American dream."

Unless the Department of Homeland Security rejects her application, Yeng Thao, 60, soon will have the opportunity to test the limits of that dream. From behind her pushcart, from which she sells tapioca and coconut-milk desserts for the equivalent of 5 cents a dish, she glanced across the camp: To her right, a line of shacks with corrugated tin roofs stretched down an unpaved road; to her left, in a large shed, friends were packing herbs and locally made handicrafts for export to the United States.

"I don't know much about America, except Wisconsin is cold and California is not cold," she said. "If the communists were gone, my choice would be to go back to Laos and be a farmer again. But for the children, the best thing is to get the education and opportunities in America. So for their future, we will go."

(http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-hmong18apr18,1,6281459.story)

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April 20, 2004

COLORADO

Court upholds dismissal of Vietnam War lawsuit

A federal appeals court refused to resurrect a lawsuit against U.S. soldiers who allegedly committed war crimes during the Vietnam War.

The suit was filed by seven Vietnamese citizens on behalf of victims and survivors of the 1968 My Lai Massacre. A Utah district court dismissed the suit in 2002, because the 10-year statute of limitations under the Torture Victim Protection Act had expired.

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling Friday in an opinion made available Monday. The Denver-based court agreed that sufficient arguments were not made to waive the 10-year time limitation by almost 30 years.

(http://www.ck10.uscourts.gov/)

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/8473047.htm)

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About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum – by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil liberties.