NCVA REPORTER - May 18, 2004

In this NCVA Reporter:

Events

• OCA Convention: College Leadership Summit – July 15-16, 2004

Funding Opportunities

• HAVA Informal Request for Proposal for Voter Education Grants
• Awards for Children Active in Community Service
• Support from Home Depot
• Funds for Prevention of Family Violence and Child Abduction
• Foundation Provides Funding for Global Issues
• Focus on Affordable Housing and K-12 Public Education

Jobs/Internships

• Federal Government Law Enforcement Job Opportunity – Dept of State

Tips/Resources

• New edition of Vietnamese-American curriculum unveiled

News

• No welcome mat for Vietnamese VIPs (Orange County Register)
• Immigrants outlive U.S.-born citizens (San Francisco Chronicle)
• College Defuses Flag Protest (Los Angeles Times)
• AAPI Initiative: Increasing Economic Opportunity and Business Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (White House Press Release)
• We Are Americans…But More Importantly, We Are Vietnamese Americans (Dan Chim Viet Magazine)
• Va. Asian-Americans seek political clout (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• Grant Honors Student Who Drew Strength From Adversity (Los Angeles Times)

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EVENTS

OCA NATIONAL CONVENTION: COLLEGE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Washington, DC – The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) will host two programs for college students at its 26th National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.  The College Leadership Summit, to be held on Thursday, July 15, and College Day, scheduled for Friday, July 16, will convene college students from across the nation.

The College Leadership Summit is an opportunity for students to come together to discuss issues and concerns relevant to students. The training will provide students with the tools to strategize on college campuses on handling campus politics and organizing events around issues of concern. Students will be trained to elevate their activism. At the end, they will have set goals and action plans to carry out their visions for their individual campuses. In addition to the leadership development, students will have the opportunity to network and build lasting working relationships. This year’s College Leadership Summit will focus on voting. Space is limited to 75 college students.

College Day is a full day of workshops and discussion groups focused on issues affecting college students. Last year’s agenda included Entertainment, Activism, Internships, Community Service and What is the PI (Pacific Islander) doing in API (Asian Pacific Islander)?. (An updated agenda will be available at the OCA website.) Additionally, college students will have an opportunity to visit the career fair and exhibit area. Space is limited to 100 college students. Ford Motor Company will sponsor College Day.

Both days are free and include lunches and opportunities to network with students from other colleges.

The events will be held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. Both events are all day from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The program is free to college students who register in advance. For College Leadership Summit and College Day registration forms please visit the OCA website at www.ocanatl.org.

Contact(s)

Vana Tran

Dir. of Programs

202-223-5500

vtran@ocanatl.org

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

HAVA INFORMAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR VOTER EDUCATION GRANTS

The HAVA Informal Request for Proposal for Voter Education Grants under HAVA is now posted on the Secretary of State's website under the HAVA link at

http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/Outreach/hava_irfp_5_12_04_draft_2.pdf.

(Note that the proposal is posted as a pdf file but it will soon be posted in Word or otherwise.)  Please help spread the word.  Note that the deadline for submitting a proposal is June 11, 2004, at 4:00 p.m.  It should be noted that the federal Title II funding has not yet been received but it expected to be received shortly for the federal fiscal year 2003. 

Tony Miller

Secretary of State's Office

Executive-Special Projects

1500 11th Street, Sixth Floor

Sacramento, CA 95814

Telephone:  916-653-0296

Cellular:  916-214-3453

tmiller@ss.ca.gov

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AWARDS FOR CHILDREN ACTIVE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE
Angel Soft Angels in Action Awards Program
(http://www.angelsoft.com/angelsinaction/entryforms.html)
The Angel Soft Angels in Action Program recognizes children ages 8 to 15 for executing exemplary acts of service to benefit their community, a charity, or a cause. One $20,000 grand prize and ten $2,500 first prizes will be awarded. Youth ages eight to fifteen throughout the United States are eligible to be nominated. The deadline for submitting nominations is June 19, 2004. Visit the above website for more information.

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SUPPORT FROM HOME DEPOT
Home Depot Foundation
(http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/)
The Home Depot Foundation supports a wide range of nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada in the communities where company associates live and work. Grants are made in the areas of affordable housing, at-risk youth ages 12-18, the environment, and disaster preparedness. Particular consideration is given to requests that impact more than one of the Foundation's areas of interest and promote community volunteerism. Nonprofit organizations in company communities throughout the United States and Canada are eligible to apply. The next deadline is July 15, 2004. Visit the above website for more information or to apply online.

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FUNDS FOR PREVENTION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABDUCTION
RadioShack Neighborhood Answers Grant Program
(http://www.radioshackcorporation.com/cc/contributions.html)
The RadioShack Neighborhood Answers Grant Program is dedicated to helping families protect their children from abduction, violence and abuse through support of projects conducted by local nonprofit organizations. The program currently focuses on the prevention of family violence/abuse and on the prevention of child abduction. Nonprofit organizations that directly impact or benefit a RadioShack community, through programs and/or services, are eligible to apply for grants of up to $500. The next application deadline is June 15, 2004. Visit the above website for more information.

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FOUNDATION PROVIDES FUNDING FOR GLOBAL ISSUES
Oak Foundation
(http://www.oakfnd.org/)
The Oak Foundation, an international philanthropy, commits its resources to address issues of global, social, and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged. The Foundation has a variety of priority areas including the environment, with emphasis placed on conservation of the marine environment and reducing the threat of global warming; and international human rights, especially the administration of justice, the prevention of torture, the protection of human rights defenders, and support for refugees and indigenous peoples. Other priority areas include issues affecting women, especially domestic violence, the challenges faced by single mothers, and trafficking of women; prevention of child abuse, in particular sexual abuse; housing and homelessness; and learning disabilities, especially dyslexia. Applications are accepted year-round from nonprofit organizations throughout the world. Visit the above website for more information.

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FOCUS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATION
Washington Mutual Foundation
(http://www.wamu.com/foundation)
The Washington Mutual Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in communities where Washington Mutual, Inc. does business, including communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington. The Foundation focuses its funding on affordable housing and community development and K-12 public education in low- to moderate-income communities. In addition to affordable housing and education, the Foundation supports a very limited number of community involvement, volunteer leadership development, and community service programs. Applications are accepted throughout the year from nonprofit organizations with programs serving communities where the company does business. Visit the website for more information.

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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT JOB OPPORTUNITY – DEPT OF STATE

Special Agents
Diplomatic Security special agents are federal law enforcement officers who serve worldwide. Overseas, our special agents advise ambassadors on all security issues and coordinate all of a mission's security programs. In the United States, agents investigate passport and visa fraud and protect the Secretary of State and visiting foreign dignitaries.

They are looking for Asian Pacific American candidates.

(http://www.state.gov/m/ds/)

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TIPS/RESOURCES

NEW EDITION OF VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN CURRICULUM UNVEILED

Friday, May 14, 2004

By Duc Nguyen

"Vietnam. One word that evokes so many emotions: a war, a homeland, an exodus, a past, a foreign place. Vietnamese American. Two words that evoke just as much, if not more. Not only Vietnamese. Not only American. Not one or the other, but both Vietnamese and American. Two worlds connected. Two worlds intertwined."

These words open the introduction to the first educational curriculum guide in the United States on the Vietnamese American experience, Vietnamese Americans: New Lessons in American History. The Vietnamese American Curriculum committee unveiled the second edition of the curriculum at a news conference, held at the Nguoi Viet Daily News offices, to educators and public officials.

The curriculum, designed for grades seven and above, currently is taught by many teachers throughout California. It includes lesson plans, resources, timelines, demographic data and oral histories designed to facilitate the introduction to, and instruction of, Vietnamese American experiences.

"The Vietnamese American experience is a crucial part of the U.S. immigration history and should be included in all teaching credential programs," said Linda Vo, a faculty member of the Asian studies department at the University of California at Irvine. "This innovative curriculum project provides a comprehensive overview of the social, cultural, economic and political experiences of Vietnamese Americans that teachers can easily incorporate in their
classes."

It's a teaching plan that is receiving widespread support.

In 2001, the Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA), a nonprofit group in Garden Grove, Calif., developed the curriculum with a grant from the Orange County Human Relations Council. OCAPICA then convened a volunteer committee of staff, board members, teachers and professors, charging them with the task of writing the first-ever Vietnamese American-related curriculum.

Other Vietnamese organizations have also stepped forward with support. The Union of Vietnamese Student Associations has provided multiple grants to aid in the printing and publishing of the curriculum. The Vietnamese American Public Affairs Committee has pledged to introduce the curriculum at various locations where its chapters are located throughout the U. S.

Recently, OCAPICA partnered with Teaching Tolerance, a national teachers organization, to promote this curriculum to its members. Since then, many teachers statewide and nationwide have said they want to be trained and incorporate the curriculum into their classrooms.

"The California Department of Education will include this curriculum as a resource in their annual catalog, which will be sent to all 300,000 teachers in the state," said Michael Matsuda, co-author of the curriculum and member of the California State Curriculum Commission.

In addition, Matsuda states that out-of-state training is scheduled, with 150 teachers in Virginia scheduled for two-day seminars.

Nguyen Lam Kim Oanh, a faculty member in the teacher-education program at California State University, Long Beach, is one of the professors who uses the curriculum in her classes. She said her non-Vietnamese students told her that they now have better understanding of what the Vietnamese refugees went through.

That's important to California Assemblyman Lou Correa, who has introduced an assembly bill encouraging the teaching of the Southeast Asian experience in the Vietnam War era." This legislation encourages districts to integrate resources like the Vietnamese American curriculum into classrooms," he said. "I hope that it signals the beginning of significant action on this issue."

For more information about the curriculum, call Diep Tran at OCAPICA at (714) 636-9095. The curriculum can also be viewed at:

http://www.tolerance.org/teach/expand/vietnamese/

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NEWS

May 12, 2004

NO WELCOME MAT FOR VIETNAMESE VIPS
Garden Grove makes it official, requiring two weeks' notice of any entourages.

By PATRICK VUONG
The Orange County Register

GARDEN GROVE – The City Council on Tuesday night received a standing ovation after adopting a policy that discourages visits to their town by Vietnam's government and trade officials because of the potential for protests and the financial burden of providing police services.

The policy requires any government or organization to give at least 14 days' notice of a proposed visit so that police have time to prepare. The city would bill them if advance notice is not given.

Westminster leaders will consider adopting a similar policy next week.

Having fled the communist regime 29 years ago after the Vietnam War, the 120 Vietnamese Americans at the meeting cheered throughout and waved South Vietnamese flags and anti-communist signs.

"I'm so ecstatic. I knew for certain they'd pass the resolution," said Ann Lam, who lost three relatives during the war.

Chien Ngoc Bach, a Vietnam Embassy spokesman in Washington, D.C., disagreed with Garden Grove's policy, saying the anti-communist sentiment being expressed is not representative of all Vietnamese-Americans.

"They are making a desperate attempt to prevent the current trend of more exchanges and contact between the Vietnam community here and people back in Vietnam," Bach said. "In fact, there are more and more people who go to visit or to do business, so it's a common trend."

City officials said they will send the official policy to the State Department and the Vietnam Embassy and ask them to adhere to it. State Department officials have declined comment, saying they had not seen the resolution.

Councilman Van Tran said the policy doesn't prevent Vietnamese officials from visiting the city privately but is meant to discourage public displays like motorcades or processions that could incite protests.

CONTACT US: (714) 445-6685 or pvuong@ocregister.com

(http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=94600&section=LOCAL&subsection=LOCAL&year=2004&month=5&day=12)

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May 12, 2004

IMMIGRANTS OUTLIVE U.S.-BORN CITIZENS
Healthier lifestyles get credit

Tyche Hendricks, Chronicle Staff Writer

Immigrants in California live longer than the state's U.S.-born residents, according to a study released today by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Immigrants have a life expectancy of more than 81 years, on average, compared to 77 years for Californians born in the United States, according to the study, which used data from the U.S. Census and the state Department of Health Services.

"When people hear that, they're surprised," said Hans Johnson, the lead author of the report, "because immigrants tend to have lower socio-economic status, less access to health care and often come from countries that have high mortality rates."

Johnson speculated that immigrants may be living longer because they have healthier diets and are less likely to smoke. He added that a kind of self-selection may also contribute to the results.

"People with chronic diseases or terminal diseases aren't likely to migrate internationally," he said. "Coming here means you're healthy."

Bay Area health professionals who work with immigrants said their clientele may live somewhat healthier lifestyles, but they still face obstacles to good health.

"If immigrants had better access to health care here, that life span would be even greater than what it is," said Kent Woo, director of NICOS, a coalition of groups providing health care in San Francisco's Chinese community. "We found a lot of people tend not to take advantage of preventive care like cancer screenings. For example, Chinese women get breast exams and pap smears at about half the rate of white women. The same with prostate exams for men."

In a 1997 survey of Chinese and Chinese Americans in San Francisco, NICOS found that 22 percent of the respondents did not have health care -- for noncitizens, the number was 40 percent -- much higher than the national average of 14 percent uninsured.

But Woo also found that more than half of the people surveyed took a Chinese herbal remedy as a way to stay healthy.

Though Chinese immigrants had a life expectancy of 83.7 years, Chinese Americans born in the United States lived even longer -- 86.6 years, on average -- the Public Policy Institute found.

For Mexicans, the trend was reversed. Foreign-born Mexicans lived an average of 81.1 years, longer than those born in this country, whose life expectancy was 78 years, just below the average for all major Californian ethnic groups.

Lupe Alonzo-Diaz, director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California in Sacramento, said Latin American immigrants tend to arrive with healthy eating habits.

"But healthy foods tend to be more expensive here than in the mother country. Supermarkets aren't located in poor communities, and they have more access to McDonald's," she said.

Another less tangible factor that contributes to health is the close-knit community fabric immigrants create, experts said.

"There are strong social support networks that definitely would have a link to increasing longevity," said Patricia Erwin, manager of San Francisco's Newcomers Health Program, which serves refugees. "People who are more social, no matter where they're born, have a longer life expectancy."

Immigrants from India and their descendants have the highest life expectancy, 84.3 years, of all ethnic groups in California, the study found.

Healthy habits and a strong community are key, said Anil Godhwani, president of the India Community Center in Milpitas.

"We've got a lot more people eating vegetarian diets, a lot practicing yoga," said Godhwani. "People need a connection back to the place they came from. In Silicon Valley, with 200,000 Indians, there are over 150 nonprofit associations helping provide that link."

The longevity report can be found on the Web at www.ppic.org.

E-mail Tyche Hendricks at thendricks@sfchronicle.com.

(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/05/12/BAGBL6JOKB1.DTL)

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May 12, 2004

COLLEGE DEFUSES FLAG PROTEST

CSUF won't fly banners of students' homelands at graduation, averting a demonstration by anti-communist Vietnamese.

By Jeff Gottlieb, Times Staff Writer

To avert protests over the flying of the Vietnamese flag at this month's graduation, the president of Cal State Fullerton has decided that none of the 79 international banners representing students' homelands will be displayed.

Instead, students' home countries will be listed in the graduation program, said university President Milton A. Gordon.

The university avoided another controversy by deciding not to use Vietnam's official name, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which would inflame the staunchly anti-communist community in nearby Little Saigon. Instead, the university will use the names listed on a U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which lists the nation simply as Vietnam. That is acceptable to student and community leaders.

Students had threatened to walk out of graduation ceremonies if the Socialist Republic flag were flown. Phu Ngoc Nguyen, a staff member for the Vietnamese Student Assn. at the university, called the no-flag policy a "satisfactory compromise," but he said he felt bad that other countries' banners would not be displayed.

Nguyen and other Vietnamese leaders had suggested that the communist flag fly along with the banner of the defeated South Vietnam, which has three red stripes on a yellow background.

Nguyen said his group hopes that the new policy will be permanent.

Gordon said he made the no-flag decision after meeting Monday with a committee of eight campus administrators and staff members. Graduation, he said, "is a very joyous day…. So I don't want to do anything to spoil that activity."

He also said he didn't want anyone to be endangered if a protest got out of hand.

More than 8,000 students and about 40,000 relatives and friends are expected to attend on-campus graduation ceremonies May 29 and 30.

The flag controversy erupted just as anti-Vietnam feelings in Little Saigon have boiled over again. Council members in Garden Grove and Westminster, home to the largest Vietnamese populations outside Vietnam, proposed laws to prevent visits by trade delegations and officials from the communist country.

Cal State Fullerton started displaying international flags at graduation in 1997. The Vietnamese flag, a gold star on a red background, made its first appearance last year. It upset one man so much that after graduation he climbed a fence and pulled it down.

Chien Ngoc Bach, spokesman for the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, said the flags, including the banner of his country, should be flown. "When you talk about a country's national flag, you talk about a country in existence, especially a country that has been recognized by other nations and the U.S.," he said. "It's a basic question of what is a country."

The U.S. and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1995.

Cal State Fullerton may have more students of Vietnamese descent, about 2,000, than any university in the country. Among them are 31 students from Vietnam.

(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-flags12may12,1,5611908.story)

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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 13, 2004

Executive Order
INCREASING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND BUSINESS PARTICIPATION OF ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and for the purpose of providing equal economic opportunities for full participation of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses in our free market economy where they may be underserved and thus improving the quality of life for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. (a) There is established in the Department of Commerce the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Commission). The Commission shall consist of not more than 15 members appointed by the President, one of whom shall be designated by the President as Chair. The Commission shall include members who: (i) have a history of involvement with the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; (ii) are from the business enterprise sector; (iii) are from civic associations representing one or more of the diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; (iv) are from the fields of economic, social, and community development; or (v) have such other experience as the President deems appropriate.

(b) The Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) shall designate an Executive Director for the Commission.

Sec. 2. The Commission shall provide advice to the President, through the Secretary, on:

(a) the development, monitoring, and coordination of executive branch efforts to improve the economic and community development of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses through ensuring equal opportunity to participate in Federal programs, and public-sector, private-sector partnerships, and through the collection of data related to Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses; and

(b) ways to increase the business diversification of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, including ways to foster research and data on Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses including their level of participation in the national economy and their economic and community development.

Sec. 3. (a) The Secretary shall establish within the Department of Commerce an office known as the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Office). The Office shall provide support for the Commission and the interagency working group created in section 3(b) of this order.

(b) The Secretary shall also create an interagency working group (Working Group) whose activities shall be coordinated by the Department of Commerce. The Secretary shall designate the executive departments and agencies that shall serve on the Working Group (executive departments and agencies) and the heads of those departments and agencies shall select the officials that shall serve as their respective representatives on the Working Group. The Executive Director of the Commission shall also serve as the Director of the Office and the Working Group, and shall report to the Secretary or the Secretary's designee. The Director of the Working Group shall advise the Secretary or the Secretary's designee on efforts by the Federal Government to improve access to economic opportunities, through equal access to such opportunities, for Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses where they may be underserved and thus to improve the quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Sec. 4. The head of each executive department and agency on the Working Group shall designate a senior Federal official responsible for management or program administration to report directly to the agency head on activities implementing this order and to serve as a liaison to, and representative on, the Working Group. The Secretary may designate additional Federal officials, with the concurrence of the head of the designated executive department or agency, to carry out functions of the Working Group. To the extent permitted by law and to the extent practicable, each designated executive department and agency shall provide appropriate information requested by the Working Group, including data relating to the eligibility for and participation of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses in Federal programs. Where adequate data are not available, the Working Group shall suggest the means of collecting such data.

Sec. 5. Each designated executive department and agency shall prepare a plan for, and shall document, its efforts to support economic opportunities for Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses. This plan shall address, among other things, executive branch efforts to:

(a) increase participation in Federal programs for Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses through equal access to such programs;

(b) ensure nondiscrimination in Federal contracts and procurement opportunities;

(c) provide equal opportunity for public-sector, private-sector partnerships for the community and economic development of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses; and

(d) foster research and data collection on Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses. Each plan shall be submitted through the working group and the Commission to the Secretary at a date to be established by the Secretary.

Sec. 6. The Secretary shall review the plans of the designated executive departments and agencies and develop for submission to the President for his approval an integrated Federal plan (Federal Plan) to increase the participation of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses in executive branch programs through equal access to such programs where such organizations may be underserved. Actions described in the Federal Plan shall address improving access by Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses to Federal programs and fostering advances in relevant research and data as it pertains to community economic development. The Secretary shall disseminate the Federal Plan, to the extent the Plan is approved by the President, to appropriate members of the executive branch. The findings and recommendations in the Federal Plan shall be followed by the designated executive departments and agencies in their policies and activities, to the extent permitted by law and as practicable.

Sec. 7. Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.) (the "Act"), may apply to the administration of any portion of this order, any functions of the President under the Act, except that of reporting to the Congress, shall be performed by the Secretary in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Administrator of General Services.

Sec. 8. Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in the Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707). To the extent permitted by law and appropriations, and where practicable, executive departments and agencies shall, upon request by the Secretary, provide assistance to the Commission and to the Working Group, and the Department of Commerce shall provide administrative support and funding for the Commission.

Sec. 9. The Commission shall terminate 2 years from the date of this order, unless renewed by the President.

Sec. 10. For the purposes of this order, the term: (a) "Asian" includes persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent; and the term (b) "Pacific Islander" includes persons having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Sec. 11. The Secretary of Commerce shall consult the Attorney General as appropriate on the implementation of this order to ensure that such implementation affords the equal protection of the laws required by the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

Sec. 12. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies, entities, officers, employees or agents, or any other person.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 13, 2004.

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040513-2.html)

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May 15, 2004

WE ARE AMERICANS...

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE VIETNAMESE AMERICANS

By Que Son, Editor

Dan Chim Viet Magazine

Washington DC. May 10, 2004. About four hundred party goers stood at attention while the entertainer Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen sang America’s national anthem, behind her was a series of tall American flags, and the official language here was English. The theme of this gathering was clear: Vietnamese Americans identify themselves with their adopted country and want recognition and respect. Such was the driving idea behind the Vietnamese American National Gala (VANG), held on this sultry May day at Washington DC’s Capital Hilton Hotel, marking the 30-year presence of Vietnamese in America.

Under the VANG banner, this is the first occasion for successful Americans of Vietnamese ancestry from across the country to come together to pat one another on the backs and celebrate the achievements of their American dreams. All were there for a good time but only a few would be singled out for praises and honors.

“It should have been done four years ago,” said Ryan Nguyen Hubris, VANG ’s executive director, “at the twenty fifth anniversary. But I think the timing is right.” Mr. Hubris talked about waiting for the right “climate,” the length of time it took to mobilize sponsors and to secure financial backing in order to make the event possible.

According to the organizers, the Gala’s purpose was to commemorate Vietnamese Americans’ impact not only on the community but on the larger American society. The Gala delivered an unambiguous statement: We are Americans, but more importantly, we are Vietnamese-Americans, and the hyphenation is seen as a dash of pride. The purpose was well served by the spirited black-tie party, attended mostly by people in their twenties and thirties who each paid 1,000 dollars for a seat at the tables, a sign that said the American dream is perhaps still alive and well.

Preceding this evening’s sold-out event, which was hosted by the Viet Heritage Society and embedded in the context of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, were a morning briefing at the White House and a tribute at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial the day before.

VANG had many awards to give out during the celebration. The US Secretary of Transportation, Norman Mineta, was bestowed the title of Honorary Vietnamese American for helping make the lives of Asian Americans better. While in Congress, Mr. Mineta, himself of Japanese descent, played a pivotal role in making the US government apologize and compensate for the unjustified and unconstitutional detention of Japanese American citizens during the Second World War. He had also successfully pushed through a legislation that designated May the Asian Pacific Americans Heritage Month and helped make Asian Americans a less ignored minority in the US.

Mr. Mineta delivered the keynote address of the Gala. He recounted his unyielding faith in America despite the racial discrimination he and his people suffered in the second World war. Mr. Mineta also emphasized the need for Asian Americans to "help each other out," and acknowledged the reality that unity among Asians in this country remains a challenge because of the great diversities and cultural differences among the Asian ethnic groups.

The Gala also recognized Catholic Charities USA, a national network of charitable agencies, with the National Leadership Award for its work over the years in the resettlement of millions of refugees and immigrants in America, Vietnamese among them.

The main event, however, was VANG’s presentation of the Golden Torch Awards to six distinguished Vietnamese Americans who have had it made in fields ranging from sport to government.

One of the Golden Torch honorees, the NASA astronaut and scientist Trinh Huu Chau, told about the emotions he felt when he saw the coastline of Vietnam through the windows of the space shuttle he was flying in and reminded himself that he was looking at the land of his birth. “That’s where my wandering soul wants to come back to rest,” he said, despite having lived his life outside of Vietnam since age two.

While English appeared to be the language of the Gala, honoree Tran Dinh Truong’s acceptance speech was the only Vietnamese heard in the official conversation of the Gala. Mr. Tran, a New York real estate owner, recounted the sadness and anger he felt on 9/11 that motivated him to donate $2 millions to the American Red Cross. Appeared to be choked with emotions, Mr. Tran expressed deep gratitude for America and reserved special thanks for “Bush the Father” and “Bush the Son.”

Another Golden Torch honoree was Trung Dung, CEO of Fogbreak Software. He is an entrepreneur and a pioneer well-known in the information technology circles who, before Fogbreak, built a software firm called OnDisplay that was worth nearly two billion dollars.

Among the six honorees was Nguyen Dat, perhaps the Vietnamese most known to the American public due to his exalted status as a football player for “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. Mr. Nguyen acknowledged the trailblazing nature of his career choice in the Asian American community. His presence in the NFL helps debunk the stereotype of Asian Americans as “bookish,” and hopefully serves as an inspiration for young Asian Americans who might choose sport as a career path, according to the football player. When asked about how he’s treated by his teammates and opponents, being one of the very few Asian Americans in a field dominated totally by Caucasian and African Americans, Mr. Nguyen laughed and said he received “racial slurs all the times” but dismissed them as harmless “jokes,” “not serious.”

A significant absentee honoree was Do Ngoc Yen, a community leader and the publisher of Nguoi Viet Daily News, the largest Vietnamese language newspapers in the country. Based in Orange County, California, and in circulation continuously for 25 years, Mr. Do’s papers continue to be the voice of America’s largest Vietnamese community. He was represented at the Gala by his daughter Do Anh who received the award on his behalf.

The Special Assistant to the Mayor of Chicago, Ms Le Ngoan, expressed amazement at being the only woman to be awarded with a Golden Torch. The only Vietnamese American from a small Vietnamese population in Illinois to serve in the highest office of a major US city, she challenged, in her speech, the much larger community of her own people in California to produce more public officials. Her remarks drew wild applause from the audience.

When the Gala organizer Mr. Nguyen Hubris was asked if Vietnamese Americans in particular and Asian Americans in general are underrepresented in government, he held up the examples of Tony Lam and Nguyen Minh Chau, the first Vietnamese Americans to be elected to public offices, as the “first step in a thousand-mile journey.“ He also mentioned Dinh Viet, the former US Assistant Attorney General, as a Vietnamese who has made significant impact on public policy. Dinh was the principal author of the controversial anti-terrorist USA Patriot Act that gave law enforcement much amplified surveillance power but caused significant protests from civil liberties advocates. Mr. Nguyen Hubris, however, acknowledged that as far as Vietnamese American representation in the political arena is concerned, “there is room to grow and more to do.”

Among the party-goers were many well-known Vietnamese Americans, including Kieu Chinh, an actress whose fame is legendary among older generations. Kieu Chinh has appeared in the TV series MASH and in a few Hollywood films including Hamburger Hill and The Joy Luck Club. In addition to actively maintaining her movie career which includes a yet-to-be-released mainstream film called Face and two independent movies currently in production, Kieu Chinh was enthusiastic about her work with the Vietnam Children’s Fund, a private American philanthropic organization that has built 28 schools for poor children in Vietnam and is continuing to build more. The Fund, whose mission is to acknowledge and compensate for the sufferings of the Vietnamese people during the war, was founded by an American Vietnam Veteran who lost both of his legs in the war.

In between speeches, slide shows depicted scenes from the daily life of Vietnamese Americans were shown on two screens on both sides of the stage. Party goers burst out laughing when a caption on the screen stated, “Vietnamese Americans own more than just nail salons.” A large number of recent Vietnamese immigrants choose the nail business as the first choice of work because there are money to be made there. In fact, so many nail salons are currently owned by Vietnamese in non-Vietnamese areas that this kind of work may form a stereotyped perception about the community.

After a series of scenes showing people eating beef noodle soups, another round of laughter was heard when the caption read, “What the Pho?” Given the increasing popularity of this Vietnamese specialty in the American food culture, “pho” might enter the everyday English vocabulary sooner rather than later.

The evening ended almost on schedule when Mr. Nguyen Hubris promised “the best is yet to come” and when the door to the dessert reception room swung open for people to mingle and to allow attendees to interact and take pictures with the honorees. 

The morning after a sleepy Mr. Nguyen Hubris described the event’s success as “exceeded expectation,” and already the date for the next Gala had been set: May 5, 2005.

It was a respectable coming-out party. And there are reasons to believe this was just the beginning.

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May 16, 2004

VA. ASIAN-AMERICANS SEEK POLITICAL CLOUT

Coalition aims to raise the fast-growing population's concerns

By Paul Bradley

Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

ARLINGTON - Virginia's rapidly growing Asian-American population is struggling to make its collective voice heard as it strives to overcome persistent cultural and language barriers.

That was the message heard yesterday by the Virginia Asian Advisory Board, which held a its first public forum as part of its effort to develop recommendations for Gov. Mark R. Warner.

"This is a historic occasion," said Eric Liang Jansen, president of the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia. "It has never happened before in the state of Virginia, with various Asian-Pacific-Americans coming together. The state of Virginia will be listening."

Liu-Jen Chu, a Richmond woman who leads the advisory board, said, "This is the first time the commonwealth has held a forum to hear from the state's Asian-American communities about their issues and concerns."

Residents of Asian descent are Virginia's fastest-growing minority group, according to the Census Bureau. Between 1990 and 2000, the Asian population increased 62 percent, to more than 261,000 people. Over the same time, Virginia's non-Asian population increased by 14 percent.

Asians now make up about 4.3 percent of the state's population, according to census figures. In some areas of the state, the percentage is much greater. In Fairfax County, for example, Asians are 13 percent of the population. In Arlington County, the figure is nearly 9 percent.

But those numbers have been slow to translate into political clout. If that is to change, the varied groups - including those whose members trace their roots to China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, India and elsewhere - need to work together, said Francey Lim Youngberg, who runs a consulting firm in Washington.

"You have to demand a place at the table," she said. "No one is going to give it to you. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. That is the reality."

Paul M. Igasaki, a former member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said persistent stereotypes about Asian-Americans as brainy achievers undermine efforts to capture the attention of political leaders.

"One of the most frustrating and damaging realities is the stereotype of the model minority," he said.

"We are seen as technocrats and nerds rather than managers and leaders," he said. "Some do very well in our community, but some don't. The greater needs get lost in the stereotype."

Igasaki cited statistics that show 10.7 percent of Asian-Americans live in poverty. The poverty rate for Vietnamese-Americans and Laotian-Americans is 16 percent. In places across Northern Virginia, low-income Asian-Americans are being squeezed out of their homes as inexpensive apartments convert to pricey condominiums, said Kim Cook, director of the Vietnamese Resettlement Association.

Asian-Americans also face barriers because they do not share a common language, as do Hispanics, another fast-growing minority group. Within the overall category of Asian-Pacific-Americans, there are nearly 50 ethnic subgroups.

The language barriers mean that Asian-Americans often live in isolation and do not become part of the larger American culture or take advantage of available public services, the board was told. Nationwide, more than 40 percent of Asian-Americans struggle with the English language. Among some groups, the percentage of those who do not speak English is much higher.

Kim Miller, a Korean-American activist, said many newcomers avoid politics because they are unfamiliar with the American system and are too busy earning a living to get involved. Only aggressive outreach will change that, she said.

"It takes time, energy and a lot of effort to improve civic participation of Asian-Americans," she said. "We need leaders from each community to put the necessary emphasis on this important issue. . . . We must learn to speak up and be noticed."

Contact Paul Bradley at (703) 768-4478 or pbradley@timesdispatch.com

(http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031775478205&path=%21news&s=1045855934842)

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May 16, 2004

GRANT HONORS STUDENT WHO DREW STRENGTH FROM ADVERSITY

UC Irvine senior was abused as a girl and now counsels others who faced a similar trauma. She and 14 others get $20,000 fellowships.

By Arlene Martínez, Times Staff Writer

Most people can't pinpoint the moment when their life changed, but for Jennifer Ma-Pham, it happened during a freshman sociology seminar at UC Irvine. A guest speaker addressing the topic of sexual abuse told her class of several hundred: "If you know someone, or you yourself were abused, remember that it's not your fault."

It was the first time that Ma-Pham, 21 and now a senior, had heard that. As a child, she said, she was abused for several years at the hands of a relative. Though years later she told her parents, it wasn't until college that she sought help. As a peer counselor, she has since helped others recover from similar types of trauma.

It is that work, along with her stellar academic performance, that made the Fountain Valley resident one of 15 recent recipients of the inaugural fellowship from the Merage Institute for the American Dream, based in Orange County.

The fellowship, granted nationwide and providing $20,000 over two years, will be used to help offset Ma-Pham's costs at Columbia University, where she will pursue a master's in social work. The Fountain Valley High School graduate will get her bachelor's degree in social ecology in June.

The fellowships, established by Southern California businessman Paul Merage, are designed to highlight the academic and social achievements of immigrant students. Merage, an immigrant from Iran, founded Hot Pockets frozen sandwiches in 1977.

"Because he was able to achieve his American dream, he wants to provide other immigrants" that same opportunity, said Tim Bolin, an associate at the Merage Foundation. "The idea is to … leverage the immigrant community to better their odds of success."

Donna Norris supervised Ma-Pham's service work for two years at the Campus Assault Resource Program and the UCI Center for Women and Men. Ma-Pham's experience has "given her an [added] level of understanding and awareness," said Norris, coordinator of the resource program. "She's remarkable all the way around."

Ma-Pham and her Chinese Vietnamese parents left her native Hong Kong when she was 6 months old to move to a small apartment in Westminster. She has recently been asked to join Phi Beta Kappa and has a 3.76 grade-point average.

She said she hopes to one day open a nonprofit organization to work with children who have been sexually abused. "It was really a blessing [to be] recognized for a cause that's hardly ever recognized," she said.

This year's other fellowship recipients include Armenian immigrant Ani Martikyan, a biology major at UCLA; Elizabeth Kwo, a Taiwanese immigrant majoring in biology at Stanford University; and India-born Nandini Chattopadhyay, an anthropology major at San Francisco State.

(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fellow16may16,1,6181103.story)

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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.