NCVA REPORTER - May 4, 2004

In this NCVA Reporter:

Events

• Amnesty International – Birthday Party Demonstration for Father Ly – May 5, 2004

Funding Opportunities

• Steps to a HealthierUS: National Organization Partnerships
• FedEx Focuses on Community
• Grants to Strengthen Publicly Financed Managed Care
• Community Support from Lands' End
• Funds for Feeding the Poor, Healthy Lifestyles, and Access to the Arts
• Software Product Donations for Organizations Throughout the World
• 90 Day Countdown to November 2 Grants

Jobs/Internships

• NAVASA National Young Community Leaders Recognition (NYCLR)
• United Vietnamese Americans – 2004 Scholarship Program
• Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates – Organizer
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – Scholars Class of 2005

News

• CAPAVA to Host Virginia Asian Advisory Board’s Public Forum (CAPAVA Press Release)
• Non-citizen refugees face loss of disability aid (Mercury News)
• Welcome to Our Cities, Unless You're Communist (Los Angeles Times)
• Not the “Model Minority" (SEARAC Press Release)

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EVENTS

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – BIRTHDAY PARTY DEMONSTRATION FOR FATHER LY

On behalf of FREEDOM NOW, I am writing to urge you to join AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S birthday party and protest demonstration in front of the Vietnamese Embassy (1233 20th St. NW) on Wednesday, May 5th from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Amnesty International is providing cake and birthday party decorations to honor Father Ly even while peacefully picketing and protesting his harsh treatment in a prison near Hanoi.  Please tell the members of your organization -- and any reporters you know who cover Southeast Asia issues -- to join us as we raise our voices -- and a slice of birthday cake -- on behalf of Father Ly. Although this is not a Freedom Now-organized event, we fully support Amnesty International's welcome efforts to make other aware of the intolerable punishment and injustice faced by Father Ly.

Thomas Lauria

Media Relations Consultant to Piper Rudnick

for FREEDOM NOW

Washington, D.C.

direct line: (202) 689-7814

cell: (703) 887-4056

direct fax: (202) 689-8528

Piper Rudnick main fax:  (202) 223-2085

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

STEPS TO A HEALTHIERUS: NATIONAL ORGANIZATION PARTNERSHIPS

WHO: Organizations with a national reach, such as nonprofit organizations, Private community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations.

WHAT: To fund one or more national organizations to develop and implement strategies for effective collaborative action, program development and policy education to supplement the President of the United States' Initiative for Americans entitled HealthierUS and the Secretary of Health and Human Services' initiative for Americans entitled Steps to a HealthierUS.

WHEN: Letter of Intent due May 14, 2004.

Applications due June 8, 2004.

AWARD AMOUNT: Approximately $500,000 will fund 1-2 awards.

CONTACT: To read the full program announcement, head to

http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/04134.htm.

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FedEx Focuses on Community
FedEx Global Corporate Contributions Program

(http://www.fedex.com/us/about/responsibility/community/?link=4)
FedEx strives to improve the quality of life in the communities the company serves when financial and human resources are available, and the donations reflect the FedEx philanthropic philosophy. In keeping with this commitment, FedEx offers support for charities that promote disaster relief, pedestrian and child safety, education, health and humanitarian assistance. The FedEx Global Community Relations department administers the Corporate Contributions program to ensure that evaluations are performed uniformly, and that corporate resources are distributed with consistency and balance. Corporate resources include financial contributions, in-kind shipping services, and volunteer services of company employees. Nonprofit organizations in communities served by FedEx throughout the United States are eligible to apply, and emphasis is given to organizations with which company employees are involved. Applications are accepted throughout the year. Visit the website listed above for more information.

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Grants to Strengthen Publicly Financed Managed Care
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The Medicaid Managed Care Program

(http://www.chcs.org/info-url3964/info-url_list.htm?cat_id=151)
The Robert Wood Johnson Medicaid Managed Care Program, directed by the Center for Health Care Strategies, provides training, technical assistance, and a limited amount of grant funding to help strengthen publicly financed managed care. Grants of up to $100,000 are available to develop and promote best practices to build organizational capacity and improve the quality of health care for individuals enrolled in Medicaid or SCHIP managed care programs. Support is provided for best practice that address one or more of the following areas: improving clinical quality for chronic conditions, especially in the areas of asthma, diabetes, and obesity; improving care coordination for children and adults with multiple chronic illnesses, including mental health and substance abuse; decreasing health disparities for minority populations; building new models of long-term care for Medicaid and dual eligible consumers; and creating performance-based purchasing strategies. State Medicaid and SCHIP agencies, health plans, consumer organizations, health services researchers, and policy analysts across the United States are eligible to apply. The next deadline is July 1, 2004. Visit the above website for more information.

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Community Support from Lands' End
Lands' End Corporate Giving Program

(http://www.landsend.com/cd/fp/help/0,,1_36877_36883_37029_,00.html?sid=6840026050938193170)
Lands' End primarily provides support to nonprofit organizations in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York, with preference placed on the communities where company headquarters, distribution, phone operations, and retail stores are located. Remaining donations are awarded to charities across the United States. Lands' End provides support in the categories of education, community development, environment, health, and human services. Preference is given to organizations that interest Lands' End employees, customers and shareholders, or are actively supported by Lands' End employees through volunteer participation. Also, organizations that demonstrate the importance of the Lands' End contribution to the program's effectiveness, show efficient use of any past donations, use a majority of their funds for programming, and generate positive exposure for Lands' End will be given priority. Visit the above website for more information or to apply online.

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Funds for Feeding the Poor, Healthy Lifestyles, and Access to the Arts
Kraft Food Corporate Giving Program

(http://www.kraft.com/profile/cares.html)
The Kraft Food Corporate Giving Program supports nonprofit organizations throughout the world. In the United States, the emphasis is on organizations located in areas of company facilities, and programs that have national scope. Key company communities include Chicago, IL; East Hanover, NJ; Westchester County, NY; and Madison, WI. A number of smaller facilities throughout the U.S also provide support to local nonprofit organizations. In the U.S., the majority of the company's national grants are concentrated in three focus areas - hunger, health lifestyles, and access to the arts. Support is also provided in Canada, where the focus areas are hunger, healthy lifestyles, and community, and other parts of the world, where the focus is on hunger and other areas of need including culture, domestic violence, education, and AIDS. Deadlines vary by program. Visit the above website for more information.

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Software Product Donations for Organizations Throughout the World
Macromedia Product Donation Program

(http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/community_affairs/)
Macromedia Inc. provides software that empowers developers and designers to create effective user experiences on the Internet, fixed media, wireless, and digital devices. The company donates software to nonprofit organizations in the United States, Canada, and other international locations. The company supports organizations that focus on disadvantaged youth, the elderly, the homeless, people with disabilities, minorities, victims of abuse, disaster relief, meal service, medical and hospice care, education and literacy programs, human and animal rights, the arts, and the environment. Nonprofit organizations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa are eligible to apply. Requests will be accepted throughout the year. Visit the website listed above for more information.

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[NOTE: NCVA IS PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION AS A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY. NCVA IS NOT ENDORSING ANY CANDIDATES OR PARTIES FOR ANY ELECTED POSITIONS.]

GRANTS AVAILABLE

FOR LOCAL VOTER ORGANIZERS!

SHOW US YOUR "90 DAY COUNTDOWN TO NOVEMBER 2" PLAN!

$500 to $2000 GRANTS

Deadline:   Friday May 28th

The League of PISSED OFF Voters is offering CASH GRANTS of $500 to $2000 to groups organizing progressive voters.  We want to help support the work YOU're doing on the ground.

We want to see the hottest " 90 Day Countdown to N2 " plans you can come up with to organize and turn out the vote in your communities!  We are particularly interested in plans to organize voters in presidential and congressional swing states:

ME ** NH ** PA ** OH ** IL ** MI ** MN ** WI ** WV ** MO ** AR ** IA ** TN ** GA ** LA ** NC ** SC ** FL ** NM ** AZ ** NV ** CO **

And we like to hear about people working in towns and suburban areas as well as big cities.

Please answer all the questions as comprehensively as possible.  Feel free to attach extra pages or documentation as needed.  We are interested in hearing EVERYTHING you're doing!

We understand that many of you are still early in the planning process - that's ok! What we want to see is your best stab at it right now!  Even if we are unable to fund you, we may be able to help you in other ways - providing trainings, connecting you with allies, sending you free copies of the book that you can use to raise your own funds locally, etc.

We especially encourage new and informal groups of people who get together in homes, cafes and barber shops -outside of the restrictions of non-profit organizations. It's okay if you've never done electoral work before, as long as you're committed to learning, getting help, and collaborating with local allies.

If you work with more than one group and wish to apply for both a 501(c)3, and another non-c3 organization, we strongly recommend that you fill out the application twice to keep your c3 separate and safe!!

Applicants will be informed the first week of July and checks will be processed shortly thereafter. We currently have a total of $5000 to grant but we are planning to pass on promising applications to other interested donors and foundations. For that reason, we encourage you to get your application in early so we can begin looking out for opportunities right away.

Note that we will not process any applications without complete contact information.

Let's swing some elections!!!

Click here for the complete application form (in Microsoft Word format).

Feel free to call or write Naina Khanna, Program Director, League of Pissed Off Voters with any questions.  naina@indyvoter.org / 212.283.8879

Send completed applications via email to naina@indyvoter.org or to:

League of Pissed Off Voters "90 Day Plan", 226 W. 135th Street, 4th floor, New York NY 10030

www.indyvoter.org

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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

NAVASA NATIONAL YOUNG COMMUNITY LEADERS RECOGNITION (NYCLR)

DESCRIPTION

Since 1995, the National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies (NAVASA) holds the tradition of being the first independent and only national consortium of Vietnamese American service agencies that provides support and technical assistance to its affiliate members by strengthening its national advocacy capability and promoting the integration of the younger and older generations of the Vietnamese-American community into mainstream American society.

To continue this tradition, NAVASA will launch the second National Young Community Leaders Recognition to individuals from ages of 18 to 35. NAVASA aims to nationally recognize young Vietnamese Americans who have been taking part in empowering and developing their community in many different ways.

NAVASA calls on friends, members, and supporters of the Vietnamese-American community to encourage and support individuals whom they know have worked or have been working in the community to apply to this Leader Recognition. 

The Recognition is made possible and generously funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in Washington D.C through the National Ethnic Community Self Help Project.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this recognition is to nationally recognize young and upcoming professional Vietnamese leaders who have worked, and continue to work, endlessly in various sectors on behalf of the community in which they live.

Through this recognition, NAVASA will create the nation’s first Leadership Institute specifically for young Vietnamese-Americans, who have strongly demonstrated an indefinite commitment, passion, and a clear vision toward building and bridging the Vietnamese-American communities across the country. NAVASA’s Leadership Institute will mentor, network, and nurture the recipients throughout their public services careers and to ensure that they continue to contribute to the community in many different ways.

RECOGNITION

The Recipient (s) will have his/her travel and accommodation expenses paid by NAVASA to attend the 2004 National Recognition Ceremony to be held in September 29 to October 2, 2004 in Houston, Texas. Recognition will take place at the National Conference Reception on October 2. This includes free leadership training workshops and opportunities to meet and network with distinguished leaders from across the country.

This Recognition is a stepping stone for Vietnamese American mutual assistance associations and a call to action and training for young Vietnamese American activists and leaders. Selected recipients will become members of NAVASA Leadership Institute and the group cohort to the Institute. This is one component of NAVASA’s extended invitations for recipients to attend future development, training, mentorship and networking sessions provided and/or recommended by NAVASA.  In addition, recipients are expected to work closely with NAVASA and other cohort fellows at creating future recognitions, conferences, and national programs to continue empowering and developing young Vietnamese-American lives and communities across the United States.

ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION PROCESS

You are eligible to apply to this Recognition if you are:

1. Between the age of 18-35.
2. A U.S Citizen or U.S. permanent resident.
3. Attended/Attending (private, public, or vocational) school.  Please indicate highest level of education completion.
4. Contributing to the community through various past and present activities.

Application Process:

Complete applications must be received by NAVASA office by Friday June 25, 2004 5PM EST.

FAX and LATE applications will not be accepted.

Call the office or email thanh.tran@navasa.org only if there are questions prior submitting the application.

Send your application to:

NAVASA

National Recognition Review Committee

1010 Wayne Avenue

Suite 310

Silver Spring, MD. 20910

NAVASA will notify the winners no later than July 26, 2004.

(www.navasa.org)

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UNITED VIETNAMESE AMERICANS – 2004 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

United Vietnamese Americans ("UVA") is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) volunteer and social organization with two distinct goals: (i) to help better our community through service projects and (ii) to provide a forum for our community to come together. Through a sense of civic duty, UVA members are dedicated to making a positive change in our community by improving and enriching the lives of others. Giving assistance to those in need, we are making a difference, one person at a time. Our purpose is clear and our goals are noble.

UVA members share in the belief that our journey through life is given more meaning and purpose by helping others along the way. It is through compassion and kindness that we achieve a better sense of our own humanity, which is our reward for doing good. In addition to volunteer service projects, UVA provides a venue for our members to develop and cultivate friendships, fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie.

Through a friendly environment of openness and acceptance, UVA members discuss and address the pressing issues of the day, enabling our community to come together to achieve a common good – helping others.

UVA is seeking applicants for the 2004 UVA Scholarship Awards. UVA scholarships will be awarded to high school (grades 9-12) and college students from underprivileged backgrounds who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership qualities, and the ability to overcome adversity.

Applications for the 2004 UVA Scholarship Awards are now being accepted from high school and college students. The following items are required and must be submitted together:

• Completed UVA scholarship application form

• Copy of parents’ W-2 Form and tax return

• Most recent transcript

• Two letters of recommendation in sealed envelopes with author’s signature across the seal

• For high school juniors and seniors, proof of standardized test scores (PSAT, SAT, Advanced Placement)

Please return your completed UVA scholarship application form, along with your completed application package to:

United Vietnamese American

P.O. Box 974

San Jose, California, 95108

All applications must be postmarked by June 28th, 2004.

We recommend that applicants send their applications in advance of the deadline to avoid any delay in mail delivery.

Finalists in the selection process may be contacted for an interview. Scholarship recipients will be honored at an awards ceremony at the beginning of the school year. All recipients agree to participate in at least two (2) UVA-designated volunteer projects within one year of receiving a UVA scholarship. Please contact UVA at the above address or e-mail us at info@uvaus.com for more information regarding the scholarship application process.

www.uvaus.com

 

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Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT - ORGANIZER

Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates (KIWA) is seeking a full time Worker Organizer to educate, assist and organize Korean supermarket  workers in Los Angeles' Koreatown.  Focus of work will be on the Koreatown Supermarket Workers Justice Campaign, a multi-ethnic organizing drive to improve working condition for Korean workers. KIWA is a non-profit, community based organization whose mission is to organize and empower low wage immigrant workers in the greater Los Angeles area.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

-Leadership development- Identify, recruit and train Korean worker leaders.

- Communicate with workers at home, on the job and at meetings.

- Mobilize workers to actions.

- Lead and assist with demonstrations, actions, pickets and other events.

- Help provide consultation to workers about workplace problems.

- Planning- Understand and contribute to planning strategy and campaign tactics.

- Assist with media coordination and community supporter organizing.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

- Korean and/ English verbal proficiency.

- Strong writing and verbal communication skills.

- Ability to work independently with initiative and creativity.

- Ability to work evenings and/or weekends.

- Ability to work in a team & process decision-making collectively

- Commitment to organizing and empowering low-wage immigrant workers.

- Commitment to multicultural organizing among diverse ethnic groups.

- Minimum 2 years community and/or labor organizing experience.

- Able to work in a multi-lingual/ cultural environment.

- An insured and registered vehicle with valid drivers license.

PREFERED BUT NOT REQUIRED

- Bilingual Korean and English proficiency.

- Knowledge of basic word processing and spreadsheet/database programs.

- Prior union organizing experience.

SALARY:  Negotiable depending on experience.  Benefits package provided.

To Apply:  Please send resume, cover letter (2 pages maximum), 2 references to:

KIWA

3465 W. 8th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90005

Phone 213-738-9050, Fax 213-738-9919, dannypark@kiwa.org

ATTN: Danny Park

Position open until filled.

KIWA is an equal opportunity employer.

www.kiwa.org

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HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA) SCHOLARS CLASS OF 2005

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is seeking dynamic, driven and achievement-oriented individuals for the HRSA Scholars Class of 2005. The program was established to attract the best and brightest Bachelor and Masters level graduates to combine scholastic achievement and professional experience.

The HRSA Scholars Program offers entrance into a government career with an agency on the cutting edge of health care delivery to all Americans. During the year-long program, participants will rotate through HRSA's Bureaus and Offices, becoming familiar with all of HRSA's health care access programs.  Scholars will learn skills such as management and program analysis, public health analysis, grants management, financial administration, budgeting and procurement.

HRSA Scholars will also participate in distance-learning activities to strengthen their public health knowledge base and job skills.  Mentors will provide advice and guidance to scholars to help them become oriented to HRSA and to public service.

The HRSA Scholars Program has openings for Public Health Analysts and Administrative Associates at the GS-7 and GS-9 levels.  Applications will be accepted until May 21, 2004.  The projected start date for individuals selected for the program is September 20, 2004.

To Apply for:

*      Public Health Analyst, GS-7

https://jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/hhs.exe/runjobinfo?aOrg=1&aJob=2146&aUser

*      Public Health Analyst, GS-9

https://jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/hhs.exe/runjobinfo?aOrg=1&aJob=2073&aUser

*      Administrative Associate, GS-7

https://jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/hhs.exe/runjobinfo?aOrg=1&aJob=2157&aUser

*      Administrative Associate, GS-9

https://jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/hhs.exe/runjobinfo?aOrg=1&aJob=2158&aUser

Additional information on the HRSA Scholars Program is available on HRSA's Web site at http://www.hrsa.gov/.

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NEWS

PRESS NOTICE

For Immediate Release

April 22, 2004

Contact:

Eric Jensen, (703) 868-8325, eric.jensen@capava.org

COALITION OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS OF VIRGINIA TO HOST VIRGINIA ASIAN ADVISORY BOARD'S PUBLIC FORUM IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA DURING ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH

The Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia (CAPAVA) announced today that it is cosponsoring an historic public forum in northern Virginia on Saturday, May 15th, 2004 with the Commonwealth's Virginia Asian Advisory Board (VAAB) to hear public testimonies from Asian Pacific American community representatives.

The public forum will be held Saturday, May 15th at the George Mason University Arlington campus at 3401 North Fairfax Drive, room 244, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. * (Lunch will be served.)

The Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans, CAPAVA, is a non-partisan pan-Asian statewide organization created to help advocate the grassroots issues of Virginia's Asian Pacific American (APA) communities.

Eric Liang Jensen, President of CAPAVA, announced "This is the first time that the Commonwealth has held a public forum to hear from the Commonwealth's Asian Pacific American communities about their issues and concerns." "There will be witnesses from the various Asian Pacific American communities that will address health, social service, citizenship service, voter registration, business assistance, international trade, education and criminal justice issues," Mr. Jensen said.

The Virginia Asian Advisory Board is a citizens' body created by state legislation to provide advice and guidance on the Commonwealth's policy affecting Asian Pacific American communities and on commerce between the Commonwealth and Asian nations. VAAB is comprised of 18 advisory board members and is chaired by Liu-Jen Chu of Richmond, with Robert Colorina of Chesapeake as Vice Chairman.

CAPAVA Chairman Toa Do said: "We are very excited that VAAB will be coming to northern Virginia for its first-ever field hearing. Our APA communities are looking forward to dialoguing with the Governor's appointed board to tell them what our issues and concerns are."

Rose Chu, CAPAVA Vice Chairperson, said we are very pleased that CAPAVA is able to bring its resources to help the VAAB produce data and information necessary to assess the state of the Commonwealth's APA communities. CAPAVA is doing its best to help out all the APA communities statewide."

At the May 15th public forum, VAAB will receive information from two panels of witnesses and comments from the public from 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. A VAAB public business meeting will follow the hearing. In the evening, CAPAVA will sponsor a reception from 5:30-7:30 at Café Asia, located at 1550 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia.**

Governor Mark Warner, Lt. Governor Tim Kaine, the northern Virginia delegation of elected members, and state and local officials have been invited to attend the public forum as well as to celebrate Asian Heritage Month at the evening reception.

For updated information on the public forum or reception, go to:

www.capava.org.

*Nearest metro stop: Virginia Square on Orange line. Parking on street and on campus. For directions to and map of campus, click on http://www.arlingtonsbdc.org/contact_us.asp.

**Reception cost is $25. The public and press are invited. Contact C.M. Liu, cmliu98@yahoo.com, and (202) 274-7615 or (703) 846-9628 to rsvp.

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April 27, 2004

NON-CITIZEN REFUGEES FACE LOSS OF DISABILITY AID

FEDERAL PROGRAM HINGES ON PASSING CITIZENSHIP TEST IN NEXT FEW MONTHS

By Jessie Mangaliman
Mercury News

Hundreds of disabled and sick elderly refugees in Santa Clara County will lose their monthly disability paychecks in the coming months for failing to become U.S. citizens.

The refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Bosnia were given seven years by the federal government to get their citizenship or be cut off from Supplemental Security Income, a federal assistance program for the disabled and sick.

The federal government imposed the deadline in 1996 as part of welfare reform. But hobbled by war trauma, illness and old age, many elderly refugees said they've tried in vain to become citizens. Their biggest obstacle: learning English.

``I really feel bad that I try so hard, and I'm not succeeding,'' said Sefica Suljanovic, 63, a refugee from Bosnia, who, along with her husband, has twice failed her citizenship interview in less than five months.

The Suljanovics will lose a combined monthly SSI check of $1,250 beginning in June. Both suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and depression related to witnessing war atrocities before coming to the United States in 1997. Sefica, a former manager of a bakery in Bosnia, is diabetic. Her husband, Nijaz, 63, owned two coffee shops in Prijedor, Bosnia.

Neither is able to work, and their monthly federal check, out of which they pay $850 for rent, is their only means of support.

Three years of English classes at the Eastern European Service Agency in San Jose has helped the couple little during the crucial citizenship interview in English with an immigration officer.

In her most recent interview earlier this month, Sefica Suljanovic said she shook nervously and uncontrollably when the immigration officer began asking questions. Upset, she was unable to answer.

``My priority, and my warmest wish is to become a citizen,'' Sefica Suljanovic said through an interpreter.

Seniors who are 55 or older and have been permanent residents for at least 15 years can apply for waivers to take the citizenship exam and interview in their own language.

The challenges

To policy-makers, the seven-year deadline imposed in 1996 may have seemed a reasonable time to expect refugees like the Suljanovics to learn English and become citizens. But social workers, case managers and refugee advocates say the hurdles are sometimes insurmountable for many elderly refugees who have come ``with so much baggage.''

Some refugees are not literate in their native language. Many fled political persecution, torture, jail and to this day are coping with the emotional trauma of those experiences, said Sonja Cvitanich, executive director of Eastern European Service Agency, a non-profit group that serves Bosnian refugees in San Jose.

Hundreds of elderly refugees in Santa Clara County are facing the loss of SSI, said Mylinh Pham, a member of the Santa Clara County Council on Aging. Nationwide, advocates estimate that more 8,000 seniors will lose their benefits this year. Refugees who arrived before Aug. 22, 1996, are not affected by the federal deadline.

In California, refugees like the Suljanovics would have been able to enroll in a similar state disability program, CAPI, or Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, once their federal benefits expired. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed to stop accepting new seniors into the program because of budget cuts.

Lobbying efforts

Immigrant advocacy groups are campaigning in Sacramento to prevent cuts that would stop future enrollment on CAPI. They're also lobbying the federal government and Congress to end the seven-year rule.

``We all say we don't have enough money for this and that,'' said Cary Sanders, policy director for Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, a San Jose advocacy group. ``But if you look at people who are getting tax cuts and subsidies -- farmers who are being paid not to grow crops, corporations getting tax breaks -- you have to ask, `Why are we picking on people who don't have any money?' ''

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a national group that supports a crackdown on illegal immigration, said the SSI cuts unfairly affect legal immigrants.

``When we admit people lawfully, the idea of applying different welfare rules to them just doesn't make sense to me,'' he said. ``We let in elderly people, who are refugees, and you've got to expect they're going to have a hard time fitting in their new society.''

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

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/8537567.htm)

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April 28, 2004

WELCOME TO OUR CITIES, UNLESS YOU’RE COMMUNIST

By Mai Tran and Monte Morin, Times Staff Writers

Memories of the Red Menace may be fading in much of America, but they are very much alive in Orange County's Little Saigon.

In a gesture that says a lot about the uncompromising anger that many Vietnamese emigres feel toward the regime they fled, leaders want to declare a no-Communist zone.

Officials in Garden Grove and Westminster, two cities that share the sprawling district that is the hub of the world's largest Vietnamese population outside Vietnam, plan to propose today identical city measures that would effectively prohibit visits by trade or government representatives from Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital.

An outgrowth of a successful campaign to recognize the flag of the former nation of South Vietnam in many U.S. cities with large Vietnamese populations, it's the latest salvo in an enduring hatred of communism that rivals that of Miami's Cuban exiles for Fidel Castro.

"We don't accept the communists anywhere," said Garden Grove activist Ky Ngo. "When we fled our homeland, we risked our lives to escape communism…. We want nothing to do with them."

Noting that the mere display of a Vietnamese flag in a video store in 1999 was enough to prompt a months-long demonstration, city officials say they hope to effectively deny sponsors of a Hanoi delegation any city cooperation — including police protection for visiting dignitaries, which would be necessary in a community where political friction often turns physical.

The ordinance, to be proposed for both cities today by officials who include Garden Grove City Council member Van Tran and Westminster City Councilman Andy Quach, would discourage city employees from initiating or participating in visits. It also would require any government or trade groups to notify the cities of a visit 14 days in advance — giving opponents plenty of time to raise objections and plan protests.

The proposal comes at an emotional time for the community: Saigon fell 29 years ago Friday.

It also follows by days the State Department's announcement that it was canceling a visit to Little Saigon by Vietnamese leaders after Westminster officials said that they could not guarantee their safety. The trip was planned by the Vietnamese government as a gesture of goodwill.

Proponents of the proposed city measures initially planned to take an even harder line by denying police protection to visiting delegations of communist governments. Such a ban, however, posed potential legal problems, and proponents of the measure redrafted the document with an eye to locking the city gates in a way that would not violate the Constitution or run afoul of state laws.

"We can't prevent the communists from coming to town," Garden Grove Mayor Bruce Broadwater said. "I would like to say, 'Hey, don't come.' But we don't have that authority — so we're going to make it tougher for them."

But even the toned-down measure may be unconstitutional, said USC law professor David B. Cruz. Courts have ruled that governments, for example, cannot charge unpopular speakers higher fees to pay for extra police protection, he said.

"The basic idea is: You can't suppress speech because it's unpopular," Cruz said.

A spokesman for the government of Vietnam urged the cities to reject the measure.

"The government of Vietnam and the majority of the Vietnamese communities in the United States favor more contacts and exchanges," said Chien Ngoc Bach, spokesman for the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington. "If someone wants to declare Westminster and Garden Grove anticommunist zones, they are making a desperate effort to hinder that trend."

The two primary proponents of the measure are running for higher office this fall. Garden Grove Mayor Broadwater, a Democrat, is in a runoff for a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Garden Grove Councilman Tran is the GOP nominee for 68th District Assembly seat.

Tran has been involved in the anticommunist campaigns of Little Saigon. He recently spearheaded a flag resolution that calls for the display of the South Vietnamese flag at city-sponsored functions.

Broadwater and Tran insist that the measure isn't solely a matter of international politics; they say it's aimed at saving taxpayers' money as well. They say that mass demonstrations drain resources in both cities, and that keeping communists out of town will help keep the peace.

In 1999, the Vietnamese community demonstrated for 53 days after a Westminster video shop owner hung a picture of communist leader Ho Chi Minh and the communist flag. Several Orange County police departments helped control the demonstration, which attracted about 15,000 demonstrators to the streets and parking lots in Little Saigon.

Officers and deputies in riot gear made dozens of arrests after protesters threw bottles. The Orange County Sheriff's Department and the city of Westminster argued over who would pay the $357,000 tab for police overtime. Eventually, Westminster paid half the bill.

"We don't want the protests to happen in our city," Broadwater said. "That was just a guy who hung up the flag. Imagine a guy who is a member of the national assembly in Vietnam, who is a high-ranking official."

Local police say the notification requirement would allow them to better deploy their forces should a visit occur.

"We can plan accordingly and move our assets around and cover the event at less cost to the city and taxpayers," said Westminster Police Capt. Mitch Waller.

But some observers say the measure is misguided and does more harm than good.

"Vietnam is not a nice society," said Zachary Abuza, a professor at Simmons College in Boston who studies Southeast Asian politics. "But the community needs to understand they are operating in a new social, legal and political environment. They just have to get that — and they don't.

"There's nothing we can do to stop the representatives of the communist government from traveling there. That's like saying that you're going to make Orange County, a predominantly Republican county, an anti-Democratic zone. It's absurd."

(http://www.latimes.com/la-me-nocommies28apr28,1,5841729.story)

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PRESS RELEASE: MAY 4, 2004 

NOT THE “MODEL MINORITY”: 2000 CENSUS REVEALS ACHIEVEMENT GAPS, AND SIGNS OF HOPE, FOR AMERICANS FROM CAMBODIA, LAOS, AND VIETNAM

Contact:  TC Duong or Max Niedzwiecki, Ph.D.

Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)

Tel: 202/667-4690

E-mail: searac@searac.org

WASHINGTON, DC - According to the 2000 Census, Americans from some Asian backgrounds - for example, people from Cambodia and Laos – are significantly less likely than most other Americans to hold college degrees, more likely to have had no formal education, and more likely to live in poverty.  However, the communities are quickly progressing in these and other areas.

Most Americans from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam arrived in the U.S. as refugees after the Vietnam War, or are the children of refugees.  They number over 1.8 million, and people in most of their communities have become U.S. citizens at rates higher than the national average.

The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC, www.searac.org), a national organization for Americans from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, has just released statistics from the 2000 Census and other sources detailing its community's profile.  Some of their most striking findings are in the fields of education and income:

Attainment of Bachelor's Degrees: Over half of Hmong-American women - members of a group renowned for their partnership with the U.S. during the Vietnam War - have had no formal education at all, compared to a national average for all Americans at just over one percent.  Only about seven percent of women in that community have college degrees, compared to nearly a quarter of Americans overall who are aged twenty-five and over.  On the opposite ends of the spectrum among Southeast Asian Americans, nearly twenty percent of Vietnamese adults hold bachelor's degrees, and only eight percent of them have had no formal education.  Cambodian and Laotian Americans tend to fall between the two extremes.  Just over nine percent of Cambodian adults hold bachelor's degrees or higher, as do over seven and a half percent of Laotian Americans.

"A lot of the differences between the Southeast Asian groups in terms of education can be explained by looking at their histories," according to Bouy Te, Board Chair of SEARAC.  "Some people came here as refugees without any access to formal education.  Some came here after several years of educational interruptions.  It takes time, effort, and support for people to move from that kind of situation to the kind of success we hope for in America.  SEARAC is putting a lot of resources and energy into this very important issue."

Bo Thao of Hmong National Development adds that between the 1990 and 2000 Census, the percentage of Hmong Americans aged twenty-five and over holding bachelor's degrees jumped from three percent to over 7 percent.  "We have a lot to be proud of, a lot to celebrate, but also a lot of work ahead of us," says Ms. Thao.  "There are thousands of success stories hiding in those census numbers."

School Enrollment: Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese American communities show especially high levels of school enrollment, when compared to the overall national average.  For example, approximately 36 percent of Americans overall aged 20 to 24 are enrolled in school, compared with 44 percent of Cambodian, 38 percent of Hmong, 38 percent of Laotian, and 58 percent of Vietnamese Americans.

Per Capita Income: Three Southeast Asian American groups (Cambodian, Hmong, and Laotian) had average per-person incomes below $12,000, and Hmong Americans had the lowest average per-person income of any ethnic group described by the 2000 Census: $6,613.  Vietnamese Americans had an average per-person income of just over $15,000, compared with over $21,000 for the U.S. population considered overall.

Poverty Rates: In 1999, over 29 percent of Cambodian Americans, 37 percent of Hmong Americans, 19 percent of Laotian Americans, and 16 percent of Vietnamese Americans lived under the poverty line, compared with just over 12 percent of the U.S. population overall.  Although clear challenges remain for the communities, their economic status improved dramatically between 1989 and 1999.  In 1989, 47 percent of Cambodians, 66 percent of Hmong, 67 percent of Laotians, and 34 percent of Vietnamese in the U.S. lived in poverty, according to the Census Bureau.

Poverty and educational status are clearly related, according to Vilay Chaleunrath of the Laotian American National Alliance.  "Many Southeast Asian communities are still more likely to be in poverty, and we know that poor kids are less likely to have the best educational options. Because of their gifts, luck, family support or other unusual circumstances some can rise above poverty, but they're at an unfair disadvantage."

"Community groups and others need more help to address those remaining needs," according to Huy Bui of the National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies.  "Hundreds of ethnic associations, temples, churches, and other groups across the country have made great progress with their communities, and we all need to find better ways to help them develop and to support them.  Many of those groups are real treasures."

"There are so many hopeful signs for the progress of Southeast Asian American communities - economically and educationally," according to Vi Houi of the Cambodian American National Council.  "Just to take one example, college enrollment in our communities has never been higher."

"We need to magnify that energy to support Southeast Asian Americans, along with Pacific Islanders and other underrepresented groups who still face hurdles to getting college degrees," according to Kamuela Chun, who serves with SEARAC on the Working Group to establish the new Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund.  "Our new scholarship fund is being set up to help students, especially the ones from communities that are underrepresented or disadvantaged for one reason or another."

The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) has compiled extensive statistics from the 2000 Census on Southeast Asian Americans and education - as well as other topics such as income, immigration, economic achievement, and housing - and released them in a report titled Southeast Asian American Statistical Profile, accessible on the Internet at http://www.searac.org/new.html.  Copies in book form can be ordered by contacting 202/667-4690 or searac@searac.org.  Production of the report was supported by the Ford Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, and Washington Mutual.

The APIA Scholarship Fund can be visited at http://www.apiasf.org/.

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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.