NCVA REPORTER - May 25, 2004

In this NCVA Reporter:

Events

• Asian Pacific American Community Summit – May 29, 2004

• CA Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Summit – Speaking in One Voice – June 7, 2004

• Washington Leadership Program 2004

• Southeast Asian American National Leadership-Advocacy Training – Sept 18-21, 2004

Funding Opportunities

• SAMHSA Grants Promote Strategic Prevention Framework

• 20 Million Loud Grants Available

• Skoll Foundation Offers Awards for Innovation in Silicon Valley

• American Association of People with Disabilities to Recognize Emerging Leaders

• Mercedes-Benz USA Launches Scholarship Program

• BRICK Awards to Recognize Community Work of Young People

• Presidential Freedom Scholarships Available to Honor High School Students for Outstanding Service

• California Wellness Foundation Offers Nonprofit Health Sector Sabbatical Grants

• Youth Athletic and Wellness Programs Supported

• Funds for Art Museums

• Funds for Economic, Environmental, and Social Justice

Jobs/Internships

• OCA Extends Deadline for KFC National Essay Contest to June 5

• CGNET Services International: Global Marketing Intern

• Job Announcement: State Directors and Field Organizers

Tips/Resources

• Graphic Images Can Change Children's Attitudes

• Guide Offers Lessons on Working with Start-Up Organizations

News

• National AAPI Leaders Denounce Gutting of Historic Executive Order (Press Release)

• Parties court Little Saigon (Orange County Register)

• Human Smuggling Targeted (Los Angeles Times)

• America has human trafficking crisis (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

• OCA Praises Congress for Introducing Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation (Press Release)

• Hmong open to amnesty (Pioneer Press)

• Statement of NCVA on Nguyen Vu Binh’s Incarceration (NCVA Press Release)

 

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EVENTS

 

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITY SUMMIT – WASHINGTON

 

On Saturday, May 29, 2004, API associations, groups and organization throughout Washington State will be holding an historic Asian Pacific American (APA) Community Summit celebrating unity and civic involvement at the Tacoma Dome Arena in Tacoma, Washington. This free one-day event will promote greater civic participation of APAs in the democratic process and celebrate unity of the APA community in Washington State.  There will be multi-lingual workshops on becoming a U.S. citizen, voting, developing political leadership skills, governor candidate’s forum and voter registration.  This event is being held to better educate the APA community on the basic democratic process so as to increase participation as well as to influence public policy, and to protect APA civil rights and basic services.

 

For more information on the Asian Pacific American Community Summit, please visit http://students.washington.edu/vasd/apasummit/ or contact these regional contacts:

 

King County: Diane Narasaki or Karen Herndon at 206-695-7582,

karenh@acrs.org

 

Pierce County: Lua Pritchard at 253-535-4204 x 12, luaprkwa@nwlink.com

 

Snohomish County: Alan Alabastro at avacaa@msn.com

 

South Puget Sound: Lin Crowley at lincrowley@comcast.net and Brian Lock at

brianloc@msn.com

 

Southwest Washington: Kim Le at kimle1949@yahoo.com and Tanya Tran at

womenofvietnam@yahoo.com

 

Spokane: Vang Xiong at vxiong@esd.wa.gov

 

(http://students.washington.edu/vasd/apasummit/)

 

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CALIFORNIA ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS SUMMIT – SPEAKING IN ONE VOICE

 

The California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (CAPILC) will hold the first API policy summit and dinner, “Speaking in one Voice” on June 7, 2004 at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento California, bringing together API leaders to assess the state of API affairs and develop an agenda for the future of the API community.  At the summit, CAPILC will develop a plan on how to effectively change policy in key areas, analyze API representation in the different levels of government, examine the appointments process and discuss how to build leadership within the API community, as well as an opportunity for interested APIs and organizations to let their voices be heard on what issues they are working on or are concerned about.

 

The policy summit will end with the Community Legislative Heroes dinner.  All proceeds from the dinner will provide seed funding for the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the participation of APIs in government and the democratic process through education and leadership development in California.  The dinner will also provide funding for the California Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs, which is charged with advising the Governor and Legislature on issues of importance to the API community, and is currently unfunded.

 

For more information regarding the California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus policy summit and dinner, please contact Ms. Pam Chueh at (916)-319-3686 or apisummit@yahoo.com

 

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Every summer the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) hosts the Washington Leadership Program on Capitol Hill for young professionals and interns in Washington DC.  Please forward this information to your networks.  We'd love to see you and your interns there!  For more information, please call (877) 892-5427.

 

WASHINGTON LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 2004

 

CAPAL's Washington Leadership Program (WLP) aims to engage summer interns, professionals and elected officials on issues critical to the concerns of the APA community through eight exciting sessions and workshops.

 

Join us every Wednesday from 6 pm - 8 pm. FREE food and beverage provided!

 

Rayburn House Office Bldg Room 2325 - Committee on Science

 

Located at South Capitol Street and Independence Avenue S.W. (take the Capitol South Metro Station on the Orange/Blue line)

 

June 2^nd - KICK-OFF RECEPTION

"SPEAKING UP AND SPEAKING OUT"

This is the opening event for the WLP. It provides an opportunity for student interns to meet with members of Congress, federal agencies and non-profit organizations.

 

June 9^th - GET OUT THE VOTE

"APAthetic? Find your voice"

Make your mark in 2004! This interactive workshop will allow participants to find out how to mobilize peers and the APA community this election cycle.

 

June 16^th - MEDIA AND THE APA COMMUNITY

"Image management: the power of shaping perceptions"

Come listen to the insiders talk about the role of media and the influence upon voting patterns.

 

June 23^rd - PUBLIC SECTOR CAREERS

 

"THE CALL TO SERVICE"

Interested in a career in the Public Sector, but have no idea of how to begin? Come hear experiences of and get advice from government officials, public leaders and executive directors of national organizations.

 

June 30^th - COALITION BUILDING

"Minority Communities in Coalition"

The Asian Pacific Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) and CAPAL will discuss current issues of concern to our communities and the importance of outreaching  to other organizations.

 

July 7^th - INSIDER'S VIEW OF CONGRESS

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SEE ON C-SPAN: The Inside Workings of the Hill"

Come listen to the insiders talk about how policy and legislation are made.  Hill staffers and lobbyists will give you the straight talk about how the legislative branch of our government works.

 

July 14^th - INFLUENCING GOVERNMENT

"THE IMPORTANCE OF GRASSROOTS ACTION"

Come participate in our interactive session to learn how to get elected officials to listen to your issues!

 

July 21st - CLOSING DINNER

"Continuing the Journey"

Join us as we close out the 2004 WLP at a local Asian  restaurant. CAPAL scholarship interns will present their community action plans in hopes of inspiring other student interns to do the same in their communities.

 

www.capal.org

 

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL LEADERSHIP-ADVOCACY TRAINING

 

WHAT:  This 6th Annual Training will gather together 50 Southeast Asian American activists and community leaders to: (a) learn about national trends affecting their communities; (b) network; (c) learn how to become more effective advocates; and (d) educate members of congress and federal government representatives about their communities.

 

WHO:  People Active with Southeast Asian American Mutual Assistance Associations (MAAs) and Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) Such as Temples and Churches

 

WHEN:  September 18-21, 2004  (The program will begin on a Saturday afternoon and end at noon on the following Tuesday.)

 

WHERE:  Washington, DC

 

FUNDER:  State Farm

 

TRAVEL & LODGING: All travel, lodging, and meal expenses will be provided as our limited budget allows, on a first-come, first-served basis. (Only out-of-town participants will be granted lodging.  All out-of-town participants will be required to share sleeping rooms.)

 

REGISTRATION FEE: $75 per person, which will include travel, food, and lodging as described above.  (Some need-based scholarships will be available.)

 

REQUIRED COMMITMENT:  All participants will be expected to commit to continued involvement with SEARAC or another national-level organization serving Southeast Asian Americans for at least one year.

 

APPLICATION:  If you are interested in participating in this program, please go to http://www.searac.org/comempld.html for the application form.  Along with the application form, please send a letter of interest and a copy of your resume.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact TC Duong, SEARAC's Advocacy Initiative Project Manager, if you have any questions about this event or would like a copy of the application sent to you.  Tel: 202/667-4690.

E-mail: tcduong@searac.org.

 

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

SAMHSA GRANTS PROMOTE STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (http://www.samhsa.gov/) will award $45 million in grants to support cooperative agreements with states to implement a new Strategic Prevention Framework, aimed at advancing community-based programs for addiction and mental-health prevention.

The five-steps of the framework include profiling the needs and response capacity of the community; mobilizing and building needed capacity; developing a comprehensive strategic plan; implementing evidence-based prevention programs, policies and strategies; and evaluating program effectiveness and sustaining what has worked well.

Grants will be awarded through each state governor's office. Funding can be used for programs that prevent the onset or reduce progression of addiction, including childhood and underage drinking; reduce drug-related problems in communities; and build prevention capacity and infrastructure in states and communities.

July 2 is the deadline for applications, which are available online or by calling the SAMHSA Clearinghouse at 1-800-729-6686.

(http://www.samhsa.gov/hottopics/click_spf.html)

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20 MILLION LOUD GRANTS AVAILABLE

Get $1,000 and Get Out the VOTE!  Prove that young people can be a deciding factor in the coming election.

Start a voter registration project and receive MTV-Youth Venture grants of up to $1,000 each for your initiative.

As part of the "20 Million Loud" Campaign, MTV and Youth Venture are challenging young people to launch their own new, sustainable organizations to register young people to vote and influence the election of 2004.  The organizations must be youth led, engage a team, and not endorse a specific party or candidate.

Youth Venture is a national nonprofit that invests in young people who want to create, launch and lead their own organizations, businesses or clubs to benefit the community. Check us out at www.youthventure.org to learn more.

MTV's "20 Million Loud" is a national campaign of organizations mobilizing young adults age 18-30 to vote and be a deciding factor in the 2004 presidential election. Go to www.chooseorlose.com and find out how you can be part of this exciting initiative.

To be eligible for a 20 Million Loud Grant, one must complete the grant application and mail it in. Then, get out there and prove that young people can make a difference in the election!  The application, a complete list of official rules and criteria guidelines can be found at:

http://www.mtv.com/chooseorlose/headlines/news.jhtml?id=1484708

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SKOLL FOUNDATION OFFERS AWARDS FOR INNOVATION IN SILICON VALLEY

Deadline: July 2, 2004

(http://www.skollfoundation.org/siliconvalleyawards/)

The Skoll Foundation (http://skollfoundation.org/ ), which works to advance systemic social change through social innovation and entrepreneurship, has posted application guidelines for its Skoll Awards for Innovation in Silicon Valley (SAISV).

The awards are made annually to nonprofit organizations that demonstrate exceptional creativity, sustained commitment, and a clear record of accomplishment in addressing Silicon Valley's most significant challenges.  Through the program, the foundation supports organizations with existing work or core program services focused on empowering socioeconomically disadvantaged populations in Silicon Valley.

Award amounts will range from $100,000 to $400,000 over two years, but in no case will funding exceed 20 percent of an organization's current-year operating budget. In addition to grant support, the foundation provides grantees with the opportunity for participation in an ongoing learning community with expert facilitation and the possibility of additional resources for organizational capacity building during the course of the grant period.

In order to be considered for an SAISV, an organization must be able to demonstrate that it is a registered nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status, or that it works under the fiscal and legal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit; has autonomous offices, staff, volunteers, and a board of directors based in Silicon Valley; operates programs and/or services focused on the needs of the  Silicon Valley community, with an emphasis on socioeconomically is advantaged populations; is an  established program or organization with a minimum two-year track record or program and service delivery;  and has identified and is implementing an innovative program or approach that addresses one or more of the  critical needs or challenges facing the Silicon Valley  community.

The foundation will post a letter of intent application form on its Web site on June 7 for prospective grantees to fill out no later than July 2.

See the Skoll Foundation Web site for complete program guidelines, eligibility requirements, and a list of 2003 winners.

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AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO RECOGNIZE EMERGING LEADERS

Deadline: September 10, 2004

(http://www.aapd-dc.org/awards/awards04/hearne_app04.html)

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), a national nonprofit cross-disability member organization, invites applications for the 2004 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards program.

Up to three people with disabilities who are emerging as leaders in their respective fields will be awarded $10,000 each through the program to help them continue their progress and development as a leader. They also will have an opportunity to meet and network with national disability leaders at the AAPD Leadership Gala in Washington, D.C., in early 2005.

An "emerging leader" is defined as someone who has demonstrated leadership qualities in his/her personal and/or professional life, and who is just starting to be recognized at a local, regional, or national level.

Winners of the 2004 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards must demonstrate all of the following: leadership achievements that show a positive impact on the broad community of people with disabilities, or within their area of disability interest; connections they have made  between individuals with disabilities and others in their communities; a positive vision for the disability community and a continuing commitment to their leadership activities; and potential to contribute at a national level.

U.S. residents with any type of disability are eligible to apply. AAPD encourages applications from emerging leaders with disabilities of any age.

For complete application instructions and information on past awardees, see the AAPD Web site.

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MERCEDS-BENZ USA LAUNCHES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Deadline: June 11, 2004

(http://www.mbusa.com/drivefuture)

Mercedes-Benz USA has launched a national scholarship program to provide educational assistance to students who will be the first in their families to attend college. The program, Drive Your Future: The Mercedes-Benz USA Scholarship Program, will make $500,000 in funding available to students through support from MBUSA and the fundraising activities of its dealers.

Graduating high school seniors who will be the first in their families to attend college or vocational school are invited to apply for one-time, $2,000 scholarships. Three students in each state will receive scholarships in addition to students from various youth organizations.  More than 250 scholarships will be awarded in 2004.

Scholarship applicants will be evaluated based on academic  achievement (a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher), financial need, demonstrated leadership, and participation  in school and community activities. Honors, work experience, goals and aspirations, and unusual personal or family circumstances will also be considered.

Detailed program information and application forms are available from the Mercedes-Benz USA Web site.

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BRICK AWARDS TO RECOGNIZE COMMUNITY WORK OF YOUNG PEOPLE

Deadline: November 1, 2004

(http://dosomething.org/brick-awards.htm)

A program of Do Something ( http://dosomething.org/ ), the BRICK Awards were created to recognize and financially support outstanding young people, to create a network of  young community leaders across the United States, and to  inspire other young people to become active in their  communities.

The program honors and funds the efforts of dynamic leaders age 18 and under who have devised and implemented  innovative solutions to problems in their local communities in the areas of community building, health, and the environment. Each BRICK winner receives a $5,000 higher education scholarship, a $5,000 grant for continued community work, pro bono services, and other support and recognition.

Applicants must be 18 years old or younger on April 14, 2005, to be eligible.

For more information and to download an application form, visit the Do Something Web site.

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PRESIDENTIAL FREEDOM SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE TO HONOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE

Deadline: July 16, 2004

(http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships)

Two students from every high school in the United States are eligible to receive $1,000 Presidential Freedom  Scholarships in recognition of their outstanding service to the community. The annual college scholarship program, which will award up to eight thousand scholarships, is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service's Learn and Serve America ( http://learnandserve.org/ ) program.

The program itself provides half of the award, which must be matched with $500 from a community organization, civic group, or business and secured for the student by his or her high school.

Students must meet the following eligibility requirements: be a high school junior or senior during the 2003-2004 academic year; have contributed at least one hundred hours of community service within the twelve months prior to applying; be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; attend a public, private, charter, or parochial school located within one of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, tribal unit, or Department of Defense school; and plan to attend an eligible institution of higher education in the U.S.

See the Corporation for National and Community Service Web site for complete program details and student selection information.

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CALIFORNIA WELLNESS FOUNDATION OFFERS NONPROFIT HEALTH SECTOR SABBATICAL GRANTS

Deadline: June 11, 2004

(http://www4.compasspoint.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=692)

Applications are invited for the California Wellness Foundation ( http://www.tcwf.org/ ) Sabbatical Program, Program to reward leaders of the California nonprofit health sector with sabbatical grants. The program is administered by CompassPoint.

In the fall of 2004, six nonprofit health service organizations will receive grants of $30,000 each to provide their executive directors with the rest and rejuvenation needed to return to their organizations replenished and prepared to continue to direct their missions. In addition, awards of up to $5,000 will be given to each selected organization for the professional development of managers and staff required to take on additional responsibility in the absence of the sabbatical recipients.

To be eligible for the program, sabbatical candidates must hold the executive director or equivalent top executive position at a nonprofit health services organization; have served in the executive role (though not necessarily for one organization) for the past six consecutive years or more without a significant leave;  have served in their current executive leadership role for a minimum of three years; and be employed full time at the applicant organization.

In addition, a candidate's organization must be located in California and provide health services that directly benefit California residents, in particular the health needs of historically underserved populations, including low-income individuals, people of color, youth, and residents of rural areas; and be a nonprofit health organization that is exempt under section 501(c)(3) of  the Internal Revenue Code, as well as defined as "not a  private foundation" under section 509(a).

Complete program guidelines and applications for the 2004 TCWF Sabbatical Program are available at the CompassPoint Web site.

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YOUTH ATHLETIC AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS SUPPORTED

Finish Line Youth Foundation

http://www.finishline.com/store/corporate_info/youthfoundation.jsp

The Finish Line Youth Foundation provides funding to organizations in the communities in which company stores are located, or communities where donations to the Foundation are raised. (Finish Line operates over 510 stores in 46 states. To find out if there's a store in your community visit http://www.finishline.com/store/corporate_info/storelocator.jsp.) The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations primarily focused on assisting children and young adults 18 and under in the areas of athletics or wellness. Applications are accepted year-round and are reviewed quarterly. Visit the above website for more information.

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FUNDS FOR ART MUSEUMS

Metlife Foundation's Museum Connections Program

http://www.metlife.com/Applications/Corporate/WPS/CDA/PageGenerator/0,1674,P2309,00.html

The Metlife Foundation's Museum Connections Program provides grants to art museums throughout the U.S. to develop creative approaches to community outreach. Grants are provided to support creative and innovative projects that expose a broader segment of society to the rich collections and cultural resources found in museums; increase dialogue between museums and the community; encourage creativity and innovation in community outreach; and build new audiences for the arts. Grants support initiatives including, but not limited to, collaborations, artist residencies, exhibits, off-site programming, and acquisitions. U.S. art museums that have been in existence over five years are eligible to apply. In 2004, applications will be accepted from art museums in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. The application deadline is July 30, 2004. Visit the above website for more information and contact the Foundation for current application forms.

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FUNDS FOR ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Common Counsel Foundation

http://www.commoncounsel.org/

The Common Counsel Foundation is a consortium of family foundations and individual donors committed to funding economic, environmental, and social justice initiatives. While each member fund guides its own grantmaking program, all members seek to give voice to the needs of low-income people, women, youth, people of color, and others working for justice, equity, and a healthy, sustainable environment. Organizations that are committed to grassroots community organizing, policy reform, and positive social change are of particular interest to the Counsel. Specific areas of interest, geographic focus, and application deadlines vary with each individual member fund. Visit the above website for more information.

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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

For Immediate Release

 

Date: 05/18/2004

Contact: Vana Tran (202) 223-5500

 

OCA EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR KFC NATIONAL ESSAY CONTEST TO JUNE 5

 

Washington, DC – The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) is pleased to announce that it is extending its deadline its nationally recognized essay contest, sponsored by KFC Corporation (formerly sponsored by Yum! Brands) to June 5, 2004. “We hope this contest sparks in Asian Pacific American (APA) high school students a visualization of their very important roles as emerging leaders for their communities,” states Raymond Wong, OCA National President. The OCA-KFC National Essay Contest is the only contest of this sort—sponsored by a corporation (KFC) in conjunction with a national APA organization (OCA). This year’s essay topic is “With the changing demographics in the U.S., how do you see your community contributing to U.S. society in the next 20 years?”

 

Last year, the contest’s first year, OCA and KFC presented award checks to three contest winners who provided organized, thorough, and effective essays. By submitting ideas that bring relevance and insight into the essay topic, students are provided the opportunity to win $1000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $300 for third place. Last year, nearly 200 students participated in this national contest.

 

“The essay topic gives students an opportunity to increase their awareness of the contributions made by APAs to the past growth of the U.S. economy and to project the significant positive impact APAs will have on the economy in the next two decades,” states Jean Chang, OCA Vice President of Education and Cultural Affairs.

 

Students’ essays will be judged according to a four-part criterion. The largest percentage will be based on the theme and content of the essay, which will include thoroughness of presentation, validity of ideas, and significance to the topic. Other criteria include the organization, development, grammar, mechanics, and style of the essays.

 

This year, OCA is pleased to work with the sponsorship from KFC Corporation to select the three winners. "KFC continues to seek opportunities to support the communities we serve, and we believe one of the best ways is through education", says Bonnie Warschauer, KFC Director of Public Relations. "We are proud to partner with the Organization of Chinese Americans because they are helping to shape the future of our emerging leaders."

 

KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain, specializing in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™, Twister® and Colonel's Crispy Strips® chicken with homestyle sides. KFC has more than 11,000 restaurants in more than 80 countries and territories around the world. For more information on KFC Corporation, please visit www.kfc.com.

For more information on the essay contest and application, interested students may go to OCA’s website at www.ocanatl.org. The deadline for applying to the 2004 OCA-KFC National Essay Contest is June 5, 2004. About OCA The Organization of Chinese Americans, a national civil rights organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates across the country, was founded in 1973 to ensure the civil rights of the Asian Pacific American community. It maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

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GLOBAL MARKETING INTERN

CGNET SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

 

The candidate will serve as a summer intern in CGNET's marketing department, assisting the vice president of marketing and client service with product promotions, long-term strategic research and related tasks. The promotions will involve producing collateral, distributing it by direct mail and electronically, and possible follow-up by telephone. The long-term research will involve evaluating the potential of new data communications products, collaboration software and other products to satisfy emerging needs of international non-profit organizations and NGOs. Data collection may involve customer interviews, discussions with vendors, Web research and library research.

 

The internship is a contract position for between 20 and 40 hours a week for 12 weeks at CGNET's Menlo Park, California, headquarters.

 

Qualifications

We seek a mostly serious, hard-working graduate student or upper-division undergraduate with a keen interest in non-profit organizations, particularly those involved in global sustainable economic development, relief activities and improving the natural environment.

 

The candidate should have good communications skills, both verbal and written, and good research skills. Knowledge of data communications technologies is a definite plus, as is experience and coursework in marketing.

 

About CGNET

CGNET Services International helps organizations address global human needs by providing them with comprehensive and reliable communications, anywhere in the world. CGNET does this by designing, implementing, maintaining and evaluating communications networks.

 

CGNET is a privately held, profitable company with its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, and people on the ground on four continents. Since its founding in 1983, CGNET has interconnected international organizations at more than 300 locations in over 100 different countries, including some of the most difficult-to-network locations on Earth. Customers include the Packard Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Bank, Save the Children, Conservation International and many more.

 

More information about the company is available on our Website at http://www.cgnet.com.

 

Application Process

Applicants should email resumes to t.haight@cgnet.com. If we wish you to come in for an interview, we will notify you within a week of receiving your resume. We are accepting applications until approximately June 15.

 

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JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: STATE DIRECTORS AND FIELD ORGANIZERS

 

The Young Voter Alliance is seeking State Directors and Field Organizers in the following states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Wisconsin & Florida. The Young Voter Alliance is a 527 targeting progressive young voters 18-35 in an effort to get young people more involved in the political process and turn them out on Election Day, founded by The League of Independent Voters (hello -that's us!), The Hip Hop Political Action Committee, Stonewall Democrats, Young Democrats of America, and USSA. Positions are available immediately.

 

State Director: State Directors will build a statewide field campaign that will focus on targeted precincts and areas of the state, both urban and rural centers, as well as on youth of color. The State Director will work with National Field Staff on a state field strategy and oversee the implementation of a state voter contact plan as well as the state and local staff implementing the plan. The State Director will also represent the Young Voter Alliance at the state America Votes table and be responsible for building coalitions on the ground in states.  This is an incredible opportunity to be a part of the creation of a new model of youth voter outreach using both traditional and non-traditional models of campaign organizing.

 

Campaign experience is required.

 

Salary Range: $3000-4000 a month, plus health care

 

Field Organizers: Field Organizers will implement an aggressive voter contact plan in targeted communities that includes: organizing door-to-door canvasses; running phone banks; crowd-building for community events; working with street teams, radio stations and other non traditional methods to reach the hard to reach voters; recruiting and managing volunteers; supporting a nationwide voter file; and get out the vote on Election Day. Campaign or grass roots experience is helpful but not required.

 

Salary Range: $1,800-2,200 a month

 

Send resumes to: info@youngvoteralliance.org

 

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TIPS/RESOURCES

 

May 18, 2004

 

GRAPHIC IMAGES CAN CHANGE CHILDREN’S ATTITUDES

 

A study of at-risk young children found that exposure to graphic videos and photos showing the consequences of violence can significantly change beliefs about aggression.

The study, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins Injury Prevention and Community Outreach Collaborative (HIPCOC), tracked 97 boys and girls ages 7 to 17. The youngsters participated in activities at two Police Athletic League centers in East Baltimore, Md.

Researchers examined the youths' attitudes about interpersonal conflict, including their likelihood to act violently. The researchers then showed each participant explicit photos of trauma patients treated for gunshot wounds. They were also shown rap videos that glamorized violence.

A follow-up survey found a significant decline in the youths' original beliefs supporting aggression. In addition, the researchers found that the youths would be less likely to use violence to settle conflicts.

"Our study suggests that the kind of romanticized version of violence shown on television can be countered by more frank and open discussions and displays of what violence really does to the body," said David Chang, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., a co-author of the study. "If you give at-risk youth a true picture of violence, it does change their attitudes, beliefs, and intentions regarding aggressive behavior."

The study's findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, held recently in Washington. Researchers continue to follow the study participants informally.

(http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/504969/?sc=wire)

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GUIDE OFFERS LESSONS ON WORKING WITH START-UP ORGANIZATIONS

Grant CraftGuides: Working with Start-Ups

http://www.grantcraft.org/catalog/guides/startups/key_startups.html

GrantCraft, a project of the Ford Foundation, provides an online source of information for grantmakers on the tools and techniques of effective grantmaking. A new guide, available through the GrantCraft website, offers key lessons on working with start-up organizations. In the guide, grantmakers from a wide range of funding organizations describe their experiences as supporters of new nonprofits and reveal how they negotiated the path from idea to organization and what they learned along the way. Visit the above website to read the guide.

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NEWS

May 14, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Christine Chen, cchen@ocanatl.org (202) 223-5500
Lisa Hasegawa, lisa@nationalcapacd.org (202)223-2442
Andrew Rice, arice@napalc.org (202)296-2300

NATIONAL AAPI LEADERS DENOUNCE GUTTING OF HISTORIC EXECUTIVE ORDER

Community Leaders Call on President Bush to Retain Focus on Improving the Quality of Life of Underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Washington, D.C.---Today national leaders in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community criticized the “Increasing Economic Opportunity and Business Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders” Executive Order issued by President Bush on Thursday, May 13th.  Fully one year late, the Executive Order renews the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, but drastically reframes and restricts the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, both originally established under Executive Order 13125, issued in 1999.

 

The original Executive Order issued by President Clinton and renewed for two years at the beginning of President Bush’s term, had a broad mandate to “improve the quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through increased participation in Federal programs where they may be underserved (e.g., health, human services, education, housing, labor, transportation, and economic and community development).”  The White House let that Executive Order expire a year ago, terminating the Commission then chaired by Dr. John Tsu, a well respected educator from California.

 

The May 13th Executive Order moves the Initiative from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Commerce and drastically narrows the mission of the Initiative and the Commission from broadly helping underserved AAPI communities to solely focusing on the development of AAPI small businesses.  Specifically the new Executive Order instructs the Commission 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 “increase the business diversification of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, in cluding 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.”

 

“The quality of life of the AAPI community cannot be adequately improved by limiting the improvements of one facet of AAPI policy priorities,” said Christine Chen, Executive Director of the Organization of Chinese Americans.  “Limiting the purpose of the Executive Order ends any advances in education policy, for example.”

 

“The Initiative has been seriously under-funded over the past few years,” said Karen K. Narasaki, President and Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium.  “The changes make it likely that even fewer resources will be made available.  Narrowing the focus of the Initiative signals a lack of commitment to support important efforts to ensure the federal government is adequately addressing the needs of the most vulnerable and underserved in the AAPI community.”

 

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) sent a letter to the President in march raising concerns about the direction the White House was taking the Initiative but received no response before the new Executive Order was issued.  After the new Order was issued and the new White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Director, Eddy Badrina, was announced, AAPI leaders spoke to him and he offered to set up a meeting.

 

“The severe economic disparity in the AAPI community is in peril of being overlooked,” said Gloria T. Caoile, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance.  “To truly empower AAPI communities, the White House must commit to health care, children, community development, and civil rights protections, not just small businesses.”

 

“The White House Initiative must continue coordinating outreach and education efforts to the AAPI community,” said Jeff Caballero, Executive Director of Association of Community Health Organizations.  “Productive solutions can only be found when addressing all the issues facing the AAPI community.”

 

EunSook Lee, Executive Director of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium said, “We are disappointed that President Bush has chosen to reintroduce an executive order that does not appropriately reflect the specific and critical needs of the diverse AAPI community. Korean Americans for example, have one of the highest rates of uninsured in the nation at 54% and a recent HUD study showed they suffer from the highest rate of housing discrimination among all ethnic groups in Los Angeles.”

 

“While we appreciate the focus on economic and community development, efforts to improve the quality of life for AAPIs needs to involve all sectors, not only businesses and will require policy and programmatic changes in multiple federal agencies such as HHS and HUD,” said Lisa Hasegawa, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development.   “National CAPACD urges the administration to maintain an equal focus on increasing participation of non-profit community based organizations serving underserved AAPI communities.

 

“Within our community, there are APA women and children who struggle in poverty, whether on welfare, working in garment factories or as domestic workers, or limited by lack of language access or limited English skills.  The original intent of the Initiative was to bring to light the various social welfare and economic well-being issues that affect the APA community and to address those issues in a comprehensive manner.  The reintroduction of this Initiative falls far short of addressing the real needs in our community and how they impact APA women and children,” said Kiran Ahuja, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum.

 

“The move to Commerce seems to be motivated by the belief that health needs have been addressed,” stated Gem P. Daus, Director of Policy for the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum.  “The previous commission wrote a health report that barely skimmed the surface.  Now is not the time to lose momentum in the effort to address disparities in health in AAPI communities.”

 

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The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium is a national civil rights organization dedicated to advancing and defending the civil rights of Asian Pacific Americans. NAPALC is affiliated with the Asian Law Caucus of San Francisco, the oldest Asian Pacific American legal group in the nation and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the only organization in Southern California dedicated to providing the Asian Pacific American community with multilingual, culturally sensitive legal services and civic education.

 

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May 18, 2004

 

PARTIES COURT LITTLE SAIGON

Vietnamese community has become a sought-after political bloc in Orange County

 

By Martin Wisckol

The Orange County Register

 

When Democratic Party boss Frank Barbaro surveys an Orange County map,

his gaze settles firmly on Little Saigon.

 

Barbaro's Democrats control the predominantly Latino center of the county and Republicans reign almost everywhere else. But the growing Vietnamese-American electorate - once staunchly Republican - is up for grabs.

 

"It is the one true political battleground in Orange County," said Barbaro, chairman of the county party. "It's pivotal in terms of one party or the other gaining ground."

 

Already, Barbaro has established a Vietnamese outreach committee for the John Kerry campaign, complete with separate strategies for college campuses and for neighborhoods. His Republican counterpart, Scott Baugh, is also preparing an all-out wooing of the same electorate.

 

No wonder.

 

With 75,000 voters registered countywide, the Vietnamese community can determine the outcome of key elections. It helped ensure Garden Grove Councilman Van Tran's easy victory in his Assembly primary against a high-profile GOP opponent. Tran's anticipated win in November will make him the first Vietnamese-American state legislator.

 

The Vietnamese community makes up more than 40,000 of the 227,000 voters in the upcoming 1st District county supervisor's race, and movement is under way to establish a voting bloc that could determine whether Assemblyman Lou x Correa or Garden Grove Mayor Bruce Broadwater - both Democrats - becomes the next supervisor.

 

The three state legislators who represent most of Little Saigon each have Vietnamese-speaking aides who work in the area, which straddles Garden Grove and Westminster and is home to the county's highest concentration of those with Vietnamese blood. Long ignored by local government, the community now has two Vietnamese-American council members and one school board member.

 

And the community can now demand action from the officials. The most recent instance came last month, when both the Garden Grove and Westminster councils responded to community pressure by announcing plans to discourage visits by communist Vietnam's government and trade officials.

 

"People are starting to pay attention," Tran said.

 

"And in five or 10 years, I see the community even more engaged in the political process, with more voting power and with more of its own candidates ... from all political parties."

 

In the meantime, there is a growing political competition, Tran says, that can only benefit the community.

 

FLEEING THE GOP

Like most first-generation Vietnamese immigrants who gained citizenship after the 1975 fall of South Vietnam to communist North Vietnam, Tammy Tran's parents registered as Republicans. By 1992, there were 24,000 Vietnamese-American voters in Orange County, and 62 percent were Republican - three times the number for Democrats, according to Christian Collet's Pacific Opinions research group.

 

Many were attracted by the strong anti-Communist posture of the GOP and by Ronald Reagan's popularity. Tran - not related to Van Tran - said she first registered as a Republican, too, because of her parents' influence and because of Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton.

 

"I really respected his record supporting human rights in Vietnam," said Tran, 23.

 

But her outlook changed. She saw that Democrats were also anti-Communist. Her mother, who owned a pharmacy, complained about Republicans threatening to cut health programs that her customers needed. There was a stirring resentment in the community over a perceived anti-immigrant posture by Republicans, a perception that dates to 1994's Proposition 187 and its attempted ban on services for illegal immigrants.

 

At the same time, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, hired Xuan Vu, a woman well-known in Little Saigon who then helped many there with government-aid issues. Sanchez herself became active in the community and with issues relating to Vietnam.

 

"She became a star in the community," said Tran, who re-registered as a Democrat and is now an aide herself - for Correa.

 

State Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana, became popular in the district because of constituent outreach, and Bill Clinton was embraced thanks to a healthy economy and his support for social programs.

 

"They felt like Uncle Clinton was on their side," said Lan Nguyen, a Garden Grove school board member and former Republican now unaffiliated with either party.

 

By 2002, Republican registration among Vietnamese-Americans had dropped from 62 percent to 38 percent. Democrats were up to 32 percent, while independent voters were up to 26 percent.

 

"When you look at the parties, you don't see much difference," said Fountain Valley's Tri Tran, 25, an independent voter who works at EZ Lube. "One may say they're more for health care, but there's not really much difference. It's just party rhetoric."

 

'SHOW US'

Party lines are highly permeable in Little Saigon. Party loyalty comes a distant second to loyalty to the community. Republican Van Tran teamed up with Democrat Chuyen Nguyen in the mid-1990s to form the Vietnamese American Voters Coalition, a nonpartisan effort to register and educate voters. In Van Tran's primary win, independent Lan Nguyen was among his top supporters.

 

"I don't think party affiliation means that much," said Janet Nguyen, an aide to GOP Assemblyman Ken Maddox, who represents part of Little Saigon. "Instead, the message from the community is, 'Show us. Come to the community. Get involved. We don't care what party you are.'."

 

Van Tran and Lan Nguyen led a massive voter-registration effort in the months leading up to the primary. Working almost exclusively in Little Saigon, they signed up 4,200 new Republicans, including re-registering more than 1,000 Democrats who changed parties so they could vote for Tran. The drive reversed the trend away from the GOP, although Democratic boss Barbaro said it was a conscious decision by his party not to compete for voters in the primary because of Tran's huge popularity.

 

"We don't perceive those as true Republican votes and we intend to win them back," he said.

 

With Tran expected to coast to victory in November, he and Nguyen are focusing on the supervisorial race between two Democrats.

 

"The Vietnamese community will decide that race," said Tran in a rare display of braggadocio. He has not announced who he'll be backing, but many expect it'll be his colleague on the Garden Grove council, Broadwater, who is the underdog and has half the money of Correa.

 

In the meantime, both parties will be deepening their roots in the community.

 

"We can't just go in at election time - that's seen as insincere," said county GOP boss Baugh. "We need to be there all year long, year-in and year-out, participating in the community."

 

CONTACT US: (714) 285-2867 or mwisckol@ocregister.com

 

(http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=95562&section=LOCAL&subsection=LOCAL&year=2004&month=5&day=19)

 

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May 19, 2004

 

HUMAN SMUGGLING TARGETED

A day after a bust in Canoga Park, officials plan a crackdown on those sneaking illegal immigrants into Southern California.

 

By Solomon Moore and Hector Becerra, Times Staff Writers

 

A day after authorities discovered 90 illegal immigrants held in a Canoga Park bungalow, federal officials announced Tuesday that they were planning tougher measures to combat human smuggling in Southern California, including increased monitoring at Los Angeles International Airport.

The region has seen more immigrant smuggling cases in recent months as federal officials have cracked down on the practice in Arizona.

 

The Arizona campaign has focused in part on Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport, once a key transport center for illegal immigrants smuggled by land through Latin America and to the East Coast by air.

Officials have posted agents around the airport on the lookout for illegal immigrants.

The federal government hopes to replicate that effort in Los Angeles.

Additionally, agents want to better track where the money paid to smugglers ends up and identify those running the operations, said Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The new initiative comes after authorities discovered the second large "drop house" for illegal immigrants in the Los Angeles area in a month.

A relative of an undocumented immigrant being held at the Canoga Park site called Los Angeles police Monday night after alleged smugglers demanded additional transport fees.

Prices for smuggling someone across the border range from $1,500 for a person from Mexico to $10,000 for people coming from Central America.

And smugglers often raise the price after bringing illegal immigrants into the U.S., confining their cargo in clandestine locations until their relatives pay a ransom.

Police and federal agents discovered the roughly 90 illegal immigrants Monday night in a squalid structure behind a house on Loma Verde Avenue.

Authorities recovered lists of the immigrants' names along with phone numbers of relatives in New York and other U.S. cities, piles of new clothes, and cellphones.

They also found mounds of shoes, which often are taken from the immigrants by smugglers to prevent them from escaping.

Immigration agents said that the people found in Canoga Park came from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, but that officials were still trying to determine precise numbers.

Most of the immigrants crossed the border three days ago in Nogales, Ariz., or near El Paso, officials said. The majority appeared to be heading for the East Coast.

The scene was similar to one last month at a drop house in Watts, where 110 illegal immigrants were crammed into a tiny bungalow that had just one broken toilet.

Senior immigration officials from several Western states and Washington, D.C., met Tuesday in Phoenix to discuss how to strengthen enforcement measures on a regional basis, including in the Los Angeles area.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is using its experience in Phoenix as a model.

There, the federal government has increased the number of Border Patrol agents at the airport and employed "behavioral profiling" to identify illegal immigrants.

Border Patrol and customs agents keep an eye out for behaviors that they say are hallmarks of those being smuggled. These include people walking together — "the baby duck phenomenon" — who often carry no luggage and follow guides who buy one-way tickets with cash.

Many suspected illegal immigrants are "practically hand-carried to board the flight because they've never been on a plane," said Arizona customs spokesman Russell Ahr.

By contrast, Kevin Jeffery, an immigration agent based in Los Angeles, acknowledged: "We don't have a big presence at LAX right now."

Immigration officials in Arizona have also worked more closely with local police to locate smuggling rings than has traditionally been the case in Los Angeles, where the LAPD has a long-standing policy of avoiding involvement in immigration enforcement.

Immigration authorities in Phoenix intensified their efforts after a spike in violence associated with immigrant smuggling. During the last two years, the area has seen carjackings of smuggling vans, kidnappings of illegal immigrants and shootings between rival smuggling gangs. The crimes have outraged community leaders and prompted calls for more action against smugglers.

Since September, immigration agents in Arizona have confiscated 100 weapons and $5.2 million in proceeds from the alleged smuggling of people. In addition, they have charged more than 200 people with crimes related to such smuggling.

It's unclear whether immigrant-rights groups in Los Angeles would support the type of profiling used in Phoenix.

Jose Robles, an official with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, said he generally had a good impression of the way authorities there treated illegal immigrants. However, he said the airport enforcement seemed ripe for problems.

"The potential for abuse and profiling will always be there," Robles said. "I'm waiting for them to stop me."

Despite successes in Phoenix, immigrant smuggling continues to be a booming trade.

According to congressional testimony presented Tuesday by John P. Torres, deputy assistant director of smuggling and public safety for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, trafficking in people has reached global proportions with estimated profits of $9.5 billion a year.

Torres also testified that such operations have a symbiotic relationship with other criminal enterprises, with smuggling proceeds used to finance trafficking in arms and drugs, or laundered and invested in legitimate businesses.

Agents complain that smuggling networks have been highly mobile, quickly shifting their operations from "hot zones" like Arizona to regions with lighter immigration enforcement, such as California and Colorado.

Authorities say their response to smuggling is also complicated by policies such as the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Order 40, which prohibits officers from informing federal immigration officials about any undocumented immigrants they discover during the course of their duties.

The purpose of the order is to ease fears that illegal immigrants might be detained or deported if they sought assistance from police.

Times staff writer Andrew Blankstein contributed to this report.

 

(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immig19may19,0,1791317.story?coll=la-headlines-california)

 

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May 19, 2004

 

AMERICA HAS HUMAN TRAFFICKING CRISIS

 

By Curt Anderson
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

 

WASHINGTON -- As many as 17,500 people each year are brought to the United States by human traffickers who trap them in slavery-like conditions for forced sex, sweatshop labor and domestic servitude, the Justice Department reported Tuesday.

 

"In the United States, where slavery was outlawed nationally more than 130 years ago, this tragic phenomenon should no longer exist. Yet it does," the Justice Department said in a report to Congress.

 

In separate testimony on Capitol Hill, a top Homeland Security Department official estimated that human smuggling and trafficking generate some $9.5 billion worldwide each year for criminal organizations that also deal in illicit drugs, weapons and money laundering.

"These untraced profits feed organized crime activities," John Torres, of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told a House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration.

 

Torres also said that terrorists could use the same smuggling networks "to gain entry to the United States to carry out their own destructive schemes."

 

A law passed by Congress in 2000 created a range of new crimes prosecutors could use to bring charges against human traffickers. Using that law, the Justice Department as of April 2004 had 153 open investigations, double the number as the same point in 2001.

 

From January 2001 through mid-May of this year, prosecutors have charged 149 individuals in trafficking cases and won 94 convictions or guilty pleas, about twice the number recorded over the previous three years, according to the report. The number of prosecutions since 2001 represents a threefold increase over the three previous years.

 

R. Alexander Acosta, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said the Justice Department hoped to increase prosecutions in the coming months by focusing resources on selected cities and joining forces with state and local police. Philadelphia, Phoenix, Atlanta and Tampa, Fla., are the first four cities getting intensified anti-trafficking attention.

 

"While we're gratified that we've tripled prosecutions, we need to do more. And we are doing more," Acosta said.

 

Some recent examples:

-Seven people pleaded guilty in 2003 in south Texas to charges they brought women across the Mexican border to trailer homes where they were forced to cook, clean and submit to rape. The ringleader, Juan Carlos Soto, was sentenced to 23 years in prison and the women were paid restitution.

 

-Two people pleaded guilty and one was convicted of illegally bringing more than 250 Vietnamese and Chinese women to work as sewing machine operators in an American Samoa garment factory. The women experienced food deprivation, beatings, physical restraint and were forced to live in guarded barracks. The main defendant, Kil Soo Lee, faces a June sentencing date.

 

-Ramiro Ramos was sentenced in March to 180 months in prison for illegally transporting Mexican workers to fruit harvesting fields in Florida, where the victims were threatened with beating and death if they tried to leave and were kept under constant surveillance.

 

The Justice Department report estimated that between 14,500 and 17,500 people are victims of human trafficking each year in the United States. About two-thirds of the cases prosecuted involve prostitution or sex slavery, with most of the rest involving forced labor.

The report also says that more than $8 million in Health and Human Services Department grants have been awarded to provide victims' services such as temporary housing, transportation, legal assistance and education. The agency also has certified 448 victims since 2000 for its refugee resettlement program.

 

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On the Net:

Justice Department: http://www.usdoj.gov

Immigration and Customs Enforcement: http://www.ice.gov

(http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1152&slug=Human%20Trafficking&searchdiff=0&searchpagefrom=1)

 

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For Immediate Release

May 20, 2004

 

Contact: Janelle Hu, 202-223-5500

 

OCA PRAISES CONGRESS FOR INTRODUCING COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM LEGISLATION

 

Washington, DC - The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a national Asian Pacific American (APA) civil rights advocacy and educational organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates nationwide, thanks Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Representative Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) for their leadership and introduction of the Safe, Orderly, Legal Visas and Enforcement Act of 2004 (SOLVE).

 

In February, OCA passed a resolution in support of comprehensive immigration reform that included significantly reducing the backlog of family-based immigration, creating a path for legalization of undocumented immigrants, and creating additional programs for individuals to enter legally into the United States to work temporarily or permanently.

 

As a result of the increasing pressure by the APA community, Congress introduced the SOLVE act on May 4th, 2004, which speaks to three areas that have an overwhelming impact on the APA community: 1) Family reunification; 2) Citizenship; and 3) Legal work visas.  As a major contributing labor and political force within the American ethos, SOLVE will begin the steps needed to improve legal hurdles APA communities face.

 

Family Reunification - There are currently 3.5 million people waiting in the backlog for family based immigration and 1.5 million of these individuals are from Asian countries.  Currently, families must wait five years (for permanent residents) or three and a half years (for US Citizens) before they can begin reuniting family members.  We need SOLVE's procedural reform in order to reduce the number of years our community has waited.

 

Citizenship - Undocumented immigrants continue to fuel sectors of our economy, education system, and civic participation.  We need to move our country forward by giving voice to those who labor and live amongst us.  SOLVE will allow undocumented workers to apply for permanent residence after meeting labor and physical presence requirements within a five year period.

 

Legal Work Visas - SOLVE will create a regulated worker visa program to establish legal visas for workers and their family members, full labor rights, labor mobility and visa portability.  In addition, a number of migrants will be allowed to come to the United States in order to work in sectored labor markets where the US has demonstrated a clear demand.

 

"As our social and physical surroundings continue to improve, we need immigration reform that offers a comprehensive overview to ensure the most efficient, safe, and family conducive society the United States promises to all," stated OCA National President, Raymond Wong.  "The key to fixing the immigration is avoiding piecemeal efforts.  This bill is comprehensive, balanced, and serious.  OCA hopes Congress and the White House will seriously consider SOLVE as it reflects the principles of immigration we support."

 

"Here we are, celebrating APA Heritage Month and celebrating the contributions of APAs.  At the same time, we need to recognize the contributions of the Asian immigrants who work hard, pay taxes, and make sacrifices for our families," stated Christine Chen, OCA Executive Director.  "Election year rhetoric will ring hollow if Congress and the White House fail to enact existing legislation, like the DREAM Act.  If Congress and the White House are serious about fixing the nation's immigration system, they will immediately pass these measures."

 

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The Organization of Chinese Americans, a national civil rights organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates across the country, was founded in 1973 to ensure the civil rights of the Asian Pacific American community.  It maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

 

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May 21, 2004

 

HMONG OPEN TO AMNESTY

BY TODD NELSON
Pioneer Press

A U.S. State Department official said this week in St. Paul that up to 700 Hmong insurgents and civilians have turned themselves into Laotian officials in recent months.

The Hmong apparently came down from the mountains under what the communist Lao government has described as an amnesty program, Yvonne Thayer, a senior State Department adviser, said during a resettlement forum Wednesday at Concordia College in St. Paul.

A number of Hmong in Minnesota have raised concerns about the fate of relatives in Southeast Asia since the State Department announced in December that it would resettle up to 15,550 Hmong refugees living in a makeshift camp on the grounds of Wat Tham Krabok, a Buddhist temple north of Bangkok. Hmong advocates have called for the resettlement of all Hmong in Laos and Thailand, though the current resettlement is open only to refugees registered last year at the temple.

In Laos, most of the Hmong who have left the jungle have emerged in family groups of 100 or so members, Thayer said. Some of them reportedly have been mistreated.

"We have sought to be able to have access to some of those families," Thayer said. "The Lao government has not been supportive of that. We've offered to provide humanitarian assistance and to provide some monitoring. They have not acknowledged our offer."

The government instead gave $50,000 to an organization that provides food and other relief in the region, Thayer said.

The CIA recruited the Hmong, an ethnic minority in Laos, to join a secret army that battled the communist Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese communists during the Vietnam War. Tens of thousands of those Hmong fighters and their families fled after the communists took control of the country in 1975. But many were trapped inside the country, and some have maintained a low-level resistance over the years.

A person who answered the phone Thursday at the Lao People's Democratic Republic embassy in Washington said no one would be available to answer questions until next week.

Pobzeb Vang of the Lao Human Rights Council of Eau Claire, Wis., said he had received reports as recently as Wednesday from Hmong groups inside Laos who question whether the Lao government is offering amnesty. Most of those who left the mountains, he said, were captives of Lao or Vietnamese soldiers.

The State Department recently released a report citing Laos' poor human rights record and documenting serious abuses. According to the report, the Lao government established the amnesty program in part in response to charges that it was trying to kill all insurgents. The program, the State Department report said, offers amnesty to insurgents and family members who leave the forest and turn in their weapons.

"We've heard there's been some internecine differences between some who came out who have been confronted by others who felt they shouldn't do that because of pledges they may have made," Thayer said. "There are these rumors that go back and forth about whether it's government activity or whether it's something within the clans themselves."

Todd Nelson can be reached at toddnelson@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5575.

(http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/8717687.htm?1c)

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May 22, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2004

CONTACT: Nguyen Ngoc Bich, 877-592-4140

JOINT STATEMENT OF NCVA AND THE VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK

The National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (NCVA) joins its voice with the Vietnam Human Rights Network to:

1 - Vehemently protest the refusal by the Hanoi Supreme People's Court on May 5, 2004, to hear journalist Nguyen Vu Binh's appeal on his sentence to seven years in prison, followed by three years of house arrest upon his release, illegally meted out to him by the Hanoi People's Court on December 31, 2003.  (The very first illegality of this court's sentencing resides in the fact that Nguyen Vu Binh was arrested on September 25, 2002, and was not brought to court until more than a year and three months later in flagrant contravention of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's very criminal procedural law.)

2 - Cite Nguyen Vu Binh's shining example in heroism when he declared upon the stay of his sentencing May 5: "Freedom or Death.  I will go on a hunger strike starting this moment until such time as I am free or dead."

3 - Protest the physical removal of Nguyen Vu Binh in his weakened state (because of the hunger strike, now in its 18th day) from Hoa Lo Moi Prison in Hanoi to the Ba Sao Prison Camp in Nam Ha Province, in an obvious attempt to get him away from the attention of the world press whose representatives must get permission to get out of Hanoi and visit Ba Sao and to make it more difficult for his family to bring him any help or medicine in emergency situations.

4 - Appeal to all the major governments of the world and international NGOs to intervene with the utmost urgency on behalf of Nguyen Vu Binh to save him from almost certain death in the very near future should he be allowed to go on with his hunger strike.  And,

5 - Finally, join the chorus of governments and NGOs around the world who have already spoken up and demanded that Nguyen Vu Binh "be immediately and unconditionally released from prison and given the medical attention that he urgently needs."

Washington, DC and Orange County, CA

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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.