NCVA Reporter - July 30, 2004

In this NCVA Reporter:

Events

bullet White House AAPI and EPA Nail Salon Booklet Roll-Out – Aug 1, 2004
bullet Camp Wellstone in Tallahassee, Florida – Aug 13-15, 2004
bullet FDIC Money Smart Train the Trainer Workshop – Aug 26, 2004
bullet National Med Week 2004 – Sept 7-10, 2004
bullet NAVASA Builds Community Leaders at National Conference in Houston – Sept 30 – Oct 2, 2004


Funding Opportunities

bullet Mini-Grants to Encourage Literacy and Creativity in Children
bullet Funds to Protect Women’s Human Rights Internationally
bullet Support for Company Communities
bullet Funds to Implement Tobacco Policy Initiatives
bullet RadioShack Neighborhood Answers Grant Program
bullet AmeriCorps Professional Corps Grants
bullet Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative
bullet Blakemore Foundation Asian Art Grants
bullet Nickelodeon Let's Just Play Grants Program

Jobs/Internships

bullet Congressional Internship
bullet Rockefeller Brothers Fund Fellowship in Nonprofit Law

News

bullet Captive Nations Week (Press Release)
bullet US House OKs Linking Vietnam Aid To Human Rights (Associated Press)
bullet Vietnam can't escape China's large shadow (Mercury News)
bullet Election 2004: The Latino and Asian Vote (Urban Institute)
bullet Program teaches young Asian-Americans about culture, struggles (Mercury News)
bullet Training Tables (Mercury News)
bullet Closer Look at Care for Asians (Houston Chronicle)

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EVENTS

WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE ON ASIAN AMERICANS & PACIFIC ISLANDERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY NAIL SALON BOOKLET ROLL-OUT

On May 13, 2004, President Bush signed a new Executive Order entitled "Increasing Economic Opportunity And Business Participation Of Asian Americans And Pacific Islanders." This Executive Order renewed the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and also the Office of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, housed at the Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency. Additionally, the President has appointed Eddy R. Badrina as the new Director of the Initiative and fourteen (14) new members to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Commission will advise the President on ways to provide equal economic opportunities for full participation of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses in our free market economy where they may be underserved.

In 2001, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated the Nail Salon project in Houston in response to concerns raised by Asian American communities regarding the potential health, safety, and environmental issues facing workers, the community, and the environment. This project has received strong supports from many federal, state, local government agencies, and non-profit organizations in the Houston area and nationwide. This summer, EPA has released a booklet titled Pollution Prevention Practices for Nail Salons - A Guide to Protect the Health of Nail Salon Workers and their Working Environment. This document, available in both English and Vietnamese, provides information on chemicals found in nail products and their potential health effects and recommends best shop practices that nail salon owners and workers should adopt for a better and safer work place.

You're invited to attend the roll-out of the EPA's Nail salon booklet and to meet Mr. Eddy Badrina, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and some Commissioners on the President's Advisory Commission on AAPI at

Ocean Palace Restaurant
11215 Bellaire Boulevard
281-988-8898
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
7:00 p.m.

RSVP by August 1 to Lisa Pham at 214-665-8326 or e-mail to pham.lisa@epa.gov

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Wellstone Action Fund in partnership with People for the America Way Foundation

CAMP WELLSTONE IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA!

You are invited to attend the upcoming Camp Wellstone non-profit training program in Tallahassee, Florida the weekend of August 13 -15, 2004. This Camp Wellstone training is designed specifically for individuals and non-profit organizations interested in non-partisan voter registration, education and mobilization, as well as protecting the voting rights of citizens.

The late Senator Paul Wellstone was deeply committed to citizen activism and engagement in the political process. He believed that ordinary people need to organize and to develop the skills necessary to be effective participants in the life of their community and nation. This training program draws heavily from the lessons passed on to us from Paul Wellstone.

The training program will cover the following:

*        Voter Registration: Effectively reaching and registering new voters.

*        Voter Education: Educating people about voting rights and responsibilities, as well as educating public officials about issues.

*        Voter Mobilization: Moving constituents into action, including how to carry out an effective get-out-the-vote effort.

*        Election Protection: Insuring the rights of citizens to vote through education, information and legal support.

To sign up online, click on the link below, or visit www.wellstone.org.

Camp Wellstone - Tallahassee: August 13-15, 2004

(https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/114501c3)

If you have questions about the training, contact Amber Goodwin at    amber@grassrootssolutions.com, or call 202.546.6752.

We are expecting the Camp to fill quickly, so save your spot today!

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FDIC MONEY SMART TRAIN THE TRAINER WORKSHOP

The workshop will be held on Thursday, August 26, 2004, from 9 am to 4 pm

FDIC Seidman Training Center
3501 Fairfax Drive, Room 211, Arlington, Virginia
(Metro Orange line, Virginia Square/GMU stop.  The building is right across the Metro entrance.  We have constructions going on in front of the building.)

The workshop is free and is open to volunteers who would be instructors/ trainers to deliver the FDIC Money Smart financial education program to their community.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) developed a financial literacy curriculum called Money Smart. It contains 10 modules covering basic banking and financial management. The education program is designed to help adults outside the financial mainstream enhance their money skills and create positive banking relationships. The curriculum is available in five different languages including three Asian ones: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Here are the links to Money Smart information on our web site.

http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/index.html

Money Smart program is a helpful tool to increase the financial literacy of everyone. An educated customer is a better customer for financial products and services. Delivering financial literacy to people in need of financial literacy knowledge may also help fulfill a financial institution's obligation to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).

The Money Smart Train the Trainer workshop introduces the participants to the Money Smart financial literacy education program, including its structure, organization and content. The training session includes a "model" class during which part of a Money Smart training module is presented. Participants will learn teaching tips and best practices for delivering Money Smart seminars, and the session contains interactive exercises and group activities to prepare participants as instructors for Money Smart classes in their community. Here is a sample agenda:

I. Welcoming Remarks including Icebreakers

II. Overview of FDIC Money Smart Education Program

III. Break

IV. Modeling: "To Your Credit" - how to order your credit report, what is in it, how to read it...etc

V. Money Smart Training Tips

VI. Lunch

VII. Learning Style Assessment

VIII. Role Playing including Break

IX. Concluding Remarks

Please register early due to limited space availability.  Please bring a photo ID with you as it is required for entrance to the building.

Thank you for your interest in the FDIC Money Smart Program.

Joan M. Lok
Community Affairs Specialist
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
New York Region - Baltimore Field Office
8825 Stanford Boulevard, Suite 210
Columbia, MD 21045
Direct Line: 410-953-0451
Main Line: 410-872-9024
Fax: 410-953-0465
E-mail: jlok@fdic.gov

(http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/index.html)

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(NOTE: This conference is a great opportunity for Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses to learn, network, and meet with federal contractors and private sector suppliers.)

Join Us!
At the largest federally sponsored event held on behalf of minority businesses.

NATIONAL MED WEEK 2004

SEPTEMBER 7-10, 2004
OMNI SHOREHAM HOTEL
WASHINGTON, D.C.


To be successful in today's business world, you must obtain reliable information, recognize opportunity, and forge ahead with the changing times. If you want to become a major player in today's high-paced world-wide economy, don't miss this year’s National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference (http://www.medweek.gov).

EMPOWERING MINORITY ENTERPRISES TO SUCCEED

The theme for National MED Week 2004 is "Forward to the Future, Minority Business Enterprise: The National Priority.”

This year’s Conference features speakers from the U.S. business community, discussing the ways in which minority business enterprises can participate in the world-wide economy more effectively and in greater numbers. The substance of the Conference will provide critical information for the minority business community, and for corporate America, which increasingly recognizes that minorities are the fastest growing segment of the Nation’s population, and a significant economic force.

Many important decision-makers from various business sectors interested in minority business development and the world-wide economy will attend. Find out more by visiting
http://www.medweek.gov.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
- Minority entrepreneurs determined to develop successful businesses;
- Public and private-sector officials seeking qualified and successful minority suppliers;
- Corporate and government administrators addressing ways to develop more effective minority business purchasing programs;
- Anyone interested in minority business development and strengthening the U.S. economy.

REACH A CRITICAL AUDIENCE. BECOME A NATIONAL MED WEEK 2004 EXHIBITOR
The National MED Week 2004 Business Expo is an unparalleled opportunity for minority business enterprises and government and corporate exhibitors to network with potential business partners.

Participants will share information on their goods and services, and define their procurement needs.

REGISTER NOW
http://www.medweek.gov

National MED Week 2004 is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency, in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Government Contracting and Business Development and their public and private sector partners.

(www.medweek.gov)

(www.mbda.gov)

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NAVASA BUILDS COMMUNITY LEADERS AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN HOUSTON

Washington D.C.—The National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies (NAVASA) will host its annual National Conference to honor Vietnamese American community leaders and develop future leaders in the nonprofit sector. The Conference will be held from September 30 to October 2, 2004 at the DoubleTree Hotel Allen Center in Houston, Texas.

The national conference, with “Building a Community of Leaders” as its theme, will highlight different leadership styles, recognize leaders and their contributions to the community, and promote young Vietnamese American leaders. The three-days event will feature training workshops and seminars to a diverse audience that includes current and potential leaders, as well as activists and staff members from the ethnic community-based and faith-based organizations across the country.

“After a series of conferences in the West Coast and East Coast, we felt a tremendous demand to organize one in Texas, where the second largest Vietnamese Americans population resides,” said NAVASA’s Executive Director, Huy Bui. This will mark the first time NAVASA conducts its national conference in the South.

In addition to the training workshops, NAVASA will nationally recognize pioneers and emerging leaders from the Vietnamese American community at the Recognition Banquet.

Among notable conference partners are the Southeast Resource Action Center, Vietnamese Culture and Science Association, Research and Development Institute, United Refugee and Community Services, Alliance of Multicultural Community Services, Linh Son Buddhist Temple, and Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

The annual conference and the featured banquet are supported by federal agencies as well as national and local partners. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) and the Substance Abuse of Mental Health Services Administration are the primary funders of the three-days training workshops that provide in-depth technical assistance to ethnic CBOs and FBOs.

“Our staff is thrilled with the overwhelming support from organizations and individuals and we look forward to working with our partners in making this conference another memorable and successful one,” Mr. Bui said.

Further information on conference registration and banquet sponsorship can be obtained from www.navasa.org.

***
NAVASA is a national advocacy agency currently comprised of 37 ethnic community-based organizations. Since its incorporation in 1995 as a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, NAVASA has promoted economic self-sufficiency and active citizenship for Vietnamese-Americans through full participation in the socio-political system. Located in metropolitan Washington D.C., NAVASA is fully committed to assisting its affiliate organizations to address the civic, economic, linguistic, and social needs facing community members in their specific localities.

NAVASA
1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 310, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: 301/587-2781* Fax: 301-587-2783
Email: navasa@navasa.org

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

MINI-GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE LITERACY AND CREATIVITY IN CHILDREN
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation: Mini-Grants Program

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation offers mini-grants of $350 to school and public libraries for programs that encourage literacy and creativity in children. Mini-grants have been used in a number of successful programs, including: programs featuring guest authors/illustrators or storytellers; activity programs, including bookmaking, quilt-making, and painting; presenting a puppet show or play based on a favorite book; displays of children’s book illustrations from galleries or museums; parents as partners workshops; and other programs. Programs relating to the work of Ezra Jack Keats are welcome, but not required. Public libraries and public school libraries across the country are eligible to apply. The application deadline is September 15, 2004. Visit the above website for more information.

(http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/programs/minigrants.htm)

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FUNDS TO PROTECT WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNATIONALLY
Urgent Action Fund

Urgent Action Fund (UAF) provides small grants to women's human rights organizations worldwide in support of strategic interventions. The Fund supports opportunities that arise when an unexpected event, positive or negative, creates a situation in which rapid intervention can have a significant impact. Grants are made in the following categories: response to situations of armed conflict, escalating violence or politically volatile environments; protection of women human rights defenders; and precedent-setting legal or legislative actions. All project proposals must demonstrate that the group is supported, sustainable, strategic and that the proposed action is in response to unanticipated events and must be carried out immediately in order to be effective. UAF does not provide humanitarian or development aid and cannot support organizations that are not led by women. Please visit the above website for eligibility requirements. The Fund responds to most urgent requests within 72 hours.

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

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SUPPORT FOR COMPANY COMMUNITIES
U.S. Bancorp Foundation

The U.S. Bancorp Foundation seeks to build strong partnerships in communities with a U.S. Bank office by supporting organizations that improve the educational and economic opportunities of low- and moderate-income individuals and families and enhance the cultural and artistic life of communities. Grants are made in the areas of economic opportunity, including affordable housing, self-sufficiency, and economic development; education, including financial literacy programs and programs to help low-income and at-risk students succeed in school; cultural and artistic enrichment; and human services. Nonprofit organizations in communities with U.S. Bank offices in the 23 states served by the bank are eligible to apply. Application deadlines vary by geographic region. Visit the above website for more information.

(http://www.usbank.com/about/community_relations/charit_giving.html)

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FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT TOBACCO POLICY INITIATIVES
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Tobacco Policy Change

Tobacco Policy Change: A Collaborative for Healthier Communities and States is a national initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that provides resources and technical assistance for local, regional and nationally-based organizations and tribal groups to implement effective tobacco prevention and cessation policy initiatives. Emphasis is given to proposals that focus on people living in communities most affected by tobacco-related disease and exposure, including communities with low-socioeconomic status, communities of color, and other groups that suffer disproportionately from tobacco-related diseases. Selected applicants will have demonstrated success in policy advocacy and grassroots organizing to promote positive social change. Nonprofit organizations and tribal groups recognized by municipal, state, or federal government entities are eligible to apply. The application deadline is September 1, 2004. Visit the above website for more information.

(http://www.rwjf.org/programs/npoDetail.jsp?id=PAD)

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RADIOSHACK NEIGHBORHOOD ANSWERS GRANT PROGRAM

RadioShack Corporation is the nation's most trusted consumer electronics specialty retailer. We are dedicated to strengthening the American way of life by helping families protect their children from abduction, violence and abuse. Through the power of prevention education and the use of technology, RadioShack helps improve the quality of life for America's families.

The RadioShack Neighborhood Answers Grant program is designed to offer answers – answers that bring community impact through programs or projects conducted by local nonprofit organizations. Our program currently focuses on two areas: prevention of family violence/abuse and/or child abduction.

(http://www.radioshackcorporation.com/cc/contributions.html)

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AMERICORPS PROFESSIONAL CORPS GRANTS

The federal Corporation for National Service will award $2.9 million in grants to nonprofits and other groups that tap professionals as volunteers to meet critical community needs.

Up to 60 AmeriCorps Professional Corps grants, ranging from $30,000 to $100,000, will be awarded to groups that engage professionals to address health, public safety, homeland security, education, and human services needs in underserved communities. Nonprofits, schools, and government entities that operate in two or more states may apply for funding.

Employers must pay Professional Corps members' salary and benefits; grant applicants can seek up to $1,000 per full-time AmeriCorps member for program and administration costs. AmeriCorps education awards of $4,725 for members who successfully complete their full term of service will also be supported. Awards will cover a period of up to three years.

Application deadline is Aug. 17

For more information, see the AmeriCorps website.

(http://www.cns.gov/)

(http://nationalservice.org/whatshot/notices.html)

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BANK OF AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE

The Neighborhood Excellence initiative consists of three distinct programs in select markets: Neighborhood Builders, Local Heroes, and Student Leaders. View a list of select markets Call to Action

Neighborhood Builders. The Neighborhood Builders program is designed to strengthen the capacity and infrastructure of select nonprofit groups and to promote the professional development of their leaders.

In addition to $200,000 in grant funding for operational support—$100,000 annually over two years—each selected organization will be invited to send its senior executive and one of its emerging leaders to participate in specially designed leadership development program. Senior executives will gather for three 3-day workshops focusing on topics such as strategic thinking and business planning, leadership development and succession planning, leading high performing organizations and building a diverse funding base. Emerging leaders will gather for two 3-day workshops focusing on topics such as developing organizational management skills, managing strategic opportunities, forging alliances and building communities.

Local Heroes. Every neighborhood has its heroes—people who make a remarkable difference in their communities by serving neighborhood needs.

We want to honor the contributions of these heroes, celebrate them as role models for others, and urge people to follow in their path. Bank of America will recognize these role models and their efforts by making a $5,000 contribution in their name to an eligible nonprofit organization of their choice. Outstanding community leaders selected as Local Heroes will be recognized at a public ceremony.

Student Leaders. Bank of America is committed to supporting the development of the next generation of neighborhood leaders. We believe investing in and cultivating future leaders is a crucial part of supporting and sustaining the growth of vibrant neighborhoods.

As part of our Student Leaders program, we will arrange paid summer internships with community organizations and nonprofits to experience first-hand how they can help shape their communities—now and in the future. To maximize the experience for participants, each student will be assigned a mentor from Bank of America who will provide guidance and support over the course of the program.

(www.bankofamerica.com/foundation)

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BLAKEMORE FOUNDATION ASIAN ART GRANTS

Deadline: November 1, 2004

Established by Thomas and Frances Blakemore in 1990 to encourage the advanced study of Asian languages and to improve the understanding of Asian fine arts in the United States, the Seattle-based Blakemore Foundation ( http://www.blakemorefoundation.org/ ) is currently accepting applications for its Frances Blakemore Asian Art Grants program.

Grants will be made only to tax-exempt organizations in the United States such as museums, universities, and other educational or art-related institutions for programs, exhibits, or publications that improve the understanding of Asian fine arts in the U.S.

For the purposes of the program, Asia is limited to the countries of China, Japan, Korea, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Mongolia, and Tibet. The term "fine arts" refers to paintings, graphic arts, ceramics, sculpture, and textiles.

(http://www.blakemorefoundation.org/art.htm)

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NICKELODEON LET’S JUST PLAY GRANTS PROGRAM

Deadline: November 1, 2004

Cable television channel Nickelodeon has announced the first call for entries for its Let's Just Play grants program. The program will offer awards to schools and after-school programs to help provide resources to create and expand opportunities for physical play.

Elementary schools, middle schools, and after-school programs across the United States are eligible to enter the program by participating in the Worldwide Day of Play, October 2, 2004, which Nickelodeon has designated a day to draw attention to the importance of play. An organization's day of play can be anything from an hour of games in the gym to a school-wide field day to a city-wide play day in the park.

Approximately twenty-five to fifty grants will be distributed by the program annually, with grant awards ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.

Public and not-for-profit private elementary and middle schools (grades K through 9) and after-school community- based organizations with 501(c)(3) status are eligible to apply. However, grant applications will not be considered unless the applicant institution participates in a Worldwide Day of Play activity and provides tangible documentation of the activity undertaken.

(http://www.everythingnick.com/)

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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

CONGRESSIONAL INTERNSHIP

Congressman Mike Turner (OH-3) is seeking unpaid interns. Interns will be responsible for a variety of duties including but not limited to research, general office administrative duties, giving tours of the Capitol, and responding to constituent concerns.  Applicants must possess excellent communication skills and present a polished and professional appearance.  Ohio ties preferred but not mandatory.

Fax completed attached application, school transcript, and letters of recommendation to Vinh Nguyen at (202) 225-6754. If mailing documents, please allow for delay in mail being delivered: Office of Congressman Mike Turner, Attn: Intern Coordinator, 1740 Longworth Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.

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ROCKEFELLER BROTHERS FUND FELLOWSHIP IN NONPROFIT LAW

Deadline: December 3, 2004

Funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund ( http://www.rbf.org/ ) and administered by the National Center on Philanthropy and the Law at New York University School of Law ( http://www.law.nyu.edu/ncpl/ ), the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Fellowship in Nonprofit Law selects one fellow annually to spend a year in residence at the Vera Institute of Justice ( http://www.vera.org/ ), a nonprofit organization dedicated to making government policies and practices more fair, humane, and efficient for all people.

The fellowship at Vera is designed to provide a law school graduate with exposure to a wide variety of legal and organizational issues encountered by nonprofit organizations. The fellowship also provides the opportunity to identify an emerging or changing area of law with particular significance for nonprofits, and to explore that area in depth, examining it in the real-life context of a complex, legally sophisticated organization.

The fellowship is awarded annually to a law school graduate. Fellows are selected for their scholarship, leadership, and commitment to practicing in the field of nonprofit law.

The 2005 fellow will receive a salary of $43,300 plus benefits.

(http://www.law.nyu.edu/ncpl/carrframe.html)

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NEWS

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 17, 2004

CAPTIVE NATIONS WEEK, 2004
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Each year during Captive Nations Week, the United States reaffirms our commitment to building a world where human rights, democracy, and freedom are respected and protected by the rule of law. As Americans, we believe the nonnegotiable demands of human dignity must be upheld without regard to race, gender, creed, or nationality. We stand in solidarity with those living under repressive regimes who seek democracy and peaceful changes in their homelands.

Throughout our Nation's history, our brave men and women in uniform have fought for the freedom of those suffering under authoritarian governments. From Nazi Germany to Bosnia, and Afghanistan to Iraq, American service members have fought to remove brutal leaders. The American people and their generous contributions have helped to rebuild traumatized nations and given the oppressed hope for the future. More than a year ago, American service members and our coalition partners freed the Iraqi people from a dictatorship that routinely tortured and executed innocent civilians. Since then, Americans have helped the Iraqi people establish institutions for the protection of human rights, based on democratic principles, to ensure that freedom will endure in the new Iraq.

Earlier this summer, as our Nation paid respect to President Ronald Reagan, we recognized his contributions to ending the Cold War and advancing freedom around the world. In his first Inaugural Address, President Reagan said: "Above all, we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. It is a weapon that we as Americans do have." These words carry forward today as we continue to push for democratic freedoms and human rights around the world.

The Congress, by Joint Resolution approved July 17, 1959 (73 Stat. 212), has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week in July of each year as "Captive Nations Week."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 18 through July 24, 2004, as Captive Nations Week. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities and to reaffirm their commitment to all those seeking liberty, justice, and self-determination.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

(
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/07/20040717-2.html)

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July 19, 2004

US HOUSE OKS LINKING VIETNAM AID TO HUMAN RIGHTS

By Jim Abrams

WASHINGTON (Associated Press)--The House voted Monday to restrict U.S. aid to Vietnam if that country fails to improve what lawmakers said was a deplorable human rights record.

"Vietnam needs to come out of the dark ages of repression, brutality and abuse and embrace freedom, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights," said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., sponsor of the legislation that passed 323-45.

Under the measure, U.S. nonhumanitarian aid to Vietnam would be capped at levels of the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, unless the president certified substantial progress by Vietnam in releasing political and religious prisoners and respecting religious freedom. Certification would be renewable annually.

Total U.S. aid to Vietnam in 2004 is almost $40 million, with money going to projects including removal of land mines left from the Vietnam War, disaster relief and food and health programs.

The bill also approved money for nongovernmental organizations that promote democracy in Vietnam and for work toward overcoming Vietnamese jamming of Radio Free Asia.

The House approved a similar Vietnam human rights bill in 2001, coinciding with passage of legislation promoting trade with the communist nation. The Senate never voted on the human rights bill.

Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill., said he opposed Smith's bill because it "will only embolden hard-liners within Vietnam."

He said Vietnam has cooperated fully toward recovering soldiers' remains from the war and is working hard to protect intellectual property rights better. He noted President Bush also named Vietnam last month as a focus country for the U.S. HIV/AIDS initiative. These efforts, he said, "would be endangered by the shift in relations under this legislation."

Smith said money to fight AIDS in Vietnam would not be reduced by the legislation.

The bill is H.R. 1587.

On the Net: Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62596-2004Jul19.html)

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July 25, 2004

VIETNAM CAN’T ESCAPE CHINA’S LARGE SHADOW

TRADE HEALS WOUNDS BETWEEN FORMER ENEMIES

By Daniel Sneider

LANG SON, Vietnam - If you want to get the measure of how large China is looming over the rest of Asia these days, there's no better place to visit than Vietnam. The Vietnamese have been living uneasily in the shadow of their giant neighbor to the north for centuries.

The best window into how these two Asian nations get along is at their border, in the picturesque limestone mountains of Lang Son province. Back in 1979 things weren't too friendly here. This was the main front in a brief but bloody border war sparked by the Chinese.

Less than two years after the war officially ended, Vietnamese officials had escorted me here, eager to show evidence of the depredations of the Chinese. The provincial capital was still heavily damaged from the Chinese army's advance, finally halted at that city. At the borderline, the Vietnamese army jeep I was riding in had to be hidden for fear of drawing Chinese fire from positions seized along the ridgeline above.

Now, returning to the same spots more than two decades later, I found a very different scene. Lang Son is bustling, no sign of its battlefront past, not even a monument. Up on the border, the Chinese are no longer lobbing mortar rounds.

Instead the Chinese are dropping DVD players, bedding and jugs of soy sauce into the hot hands of Vietnamese consumers. Traders lug huge loads in carts through the border crossing, the passage anchored on both ends by sprawling markets. Vietnamese ship fruit to China while the endless output of Chinese factories stacks up in warehouses on the Vietnamese side.

Vietnamese officials claim to be happy with the current state of affairs. ``Vietnam-China relations are at a time of fine development,'' Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien told me in a written response to my questions. He cited the recent settlement of longstanding border problems, annual meetings between Vietnamese and Chinese leaders and booming trade, up 40 percent in the last year alone.

Privately, though, everything is not all kisses and flowers. Vietnamese fume at the growing arrogance displayed by the Chinese. And the Chinese sometimes do little to conceal it.

A Western diplomat in Hanoi tells of Chinese colleagues who openly disdain the Vietnamese as unreliable and inefficient. Vietnamese officials bristle at any suggestion that their economy is modeled on China's market reforms. And the Vietnamese complain, as do others in Southeast Asia, about the trading practices of the Chinese. The lowest quality, cheapest goods are flooding into Vietnam, making it hard for local producers to compete. In Thailand, farmers are up in arms about cheap fruit and garlic dumped into their market.

But in numerous conversations I had in Vietnam and earlier in Thailand, the message was that even though they are uncomfortable with China's rise, they have no alternative but to accommodate to it.

``We cannot export ourselves, so we have to live with China,'' Ton Nu Thi Ninh, the head of the Vietnamese National Assembly's foreign relations committee, told me in Hanoi.

``China is already a regional superpower, and it is in the process of becoming a world power,'' she explained. In the face of that reality, Vietnam must ``be realistic and be prepared.''

Opinion in Thailand, a country that has kept its independence by being sensitive to the way the wind is blowing, is similar. ``Countries in this region are wary of China in the long run,'' Dr. Kusuma Snitwongse, a leading Thai security expert, said. ``But we don't want to be put in the situation where we have to chose between the U.S. and China.''

Talk that was fashionable a few years ago in Washington about creating an alliance to counter China's rise seems hopelessly dated now.

``We've never bought the idea `Let's line up with the Americans in order to contain the Chinese,' '' says Ninh. For Vietnam the lesson of the collapse of the Soviet Union is ``don't put all your eggs in one basket,'' Ninh, a former senior foreign ministry official, explains. ``It's a balancing act.''

True enough. Only these days the balance is clearly shifted over in the direction of the country that seems to be on the rise -- and it isn't us.

DANIEL SNEIDER is foreign affairs columnist for the Mercury News. His column appears on Sunday and Thursday. You can contact him at dsneider@mercurynews.com.

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/columnists/daniel_sneider/9239192.htm)

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Election 2004: The Latino and Asian Vote

(Data at a Glance)

Author(s): Jeffrey S. Passel

Published: July 27, 2004

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

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As election 2004 approaches, impact at the voting booth of the nation's two largest immigrant-dominated populations-Latinos and Asians-is increasing. But, Urban Institute analysis underscores that voting levels among Latinos and Asians lag well behind the groups' population growth, largely because many new immigrants are not yet citizens and their children are still too young to vote. As a result, the full political force of ongoing demographic change will be felt over decades, not years.

DEMOGRAPHICS

  a. Latino and Asian vote is rising. While the number of votes cast by whites in the presidential election rose by only 4.3 percent between 1996 and 2000,1 the number of Asian votes rose by 22 percent. Hispanic votes increased by 19 percent.

  The Asian and Latino populations are heavily dominated by immigrants: 64 percent of Asians are foreign-born as are 40 percent of Latinos. In contrast, only 3 percent of whites are immigrants.

  b. Latino and Asian vote is not proportional to population. Latinos represented 12.6 percent of the total U.S. population in 2000, but only 5.3 percent of the votes cast. Asians were 4.2 percent of the population versus 1.9 percent of votes. In contrast, whites accounted for 70 percent of the population, but over 81 percent of all votes.

  In 2004, the Latino share of votes could increase to 6.1 percent solely because of population growth (i.e., with no changes in registration or turnout). For Asians, population growth could increase their share to 2.4 percent.

  c. Demographic factors dilute Latino and Asian vote. About 62 percent of Latinos could not register to vote in 2000 because they were either too young or not U.S. citizens; 59 percent of Asians could not register. In contrast, only 35 percent of blacks and 25 percent of whites could not register to vote for demographic reasons.

POLITICAL FACTORS

  a. Naturalization remains a key factor. Legal Latino immigrants are much less likely to become U.S. citizens than other immigrants; only 38 percent had done so by 2000 versus almost 60 percent of other immigrants. If Latinos had naturalized at the same rate as other immigrants, approximately 700,000 additional Latino votes would have been cast in 2000. Another one million Latino votes could be added in 2004, if the naturalization rate were on par with other immigrants.

  b. Voter registration lags at every age. Latino and Asian citizens are considerably less likely to register to vote than whites and blacks, at every age.  If Latinos had registered at the same rate as white citizens, the result would have been approximately one million more Latino votes cast in 2000. Asians would have 500,000 additional voters if they had registered at the same rate as white citizens.

  c. Lower turnout also translates into loss of potential votes. Latino citizens who register are less likely to vote than whites. If Latinos had turned out to vote at the same rate as white citizens, the result would have been almost 700,000 more Latino votes cast in 2000. Asian turnout levels are higher, but turnout as high as whites would still have added about 200,000 new Asian voters.

  d. Targeting implications. For Hispanics, large and roughly equal payoffs can be expected from expanding naturalization, increasing voter registration, and increasing turnout. For Asians, the main strategic opportunity to increase their presence in the electorate is increasing relatively low registration levels.

FUTURE TRENDS

  a. Geographic distribution of Latino and Asian voters will play a role in 2004. Latinos account for about 7.8 percent of potential voters nationwide, but more than 5 percent of potential voters in only 15 states.2 The most heavily Hispanic state, New Mexico (40 percent) was extraordinarily close in 2000. In Texas (25 percent) and California (19 percent), Latinos are unlikely to make a difference since Bush and Kerry, respectively, are prohibitive favorites. However, in potential swing states, such as Ohio or Wisconsin, even the 1-2 percent of potential voters who are Latino could play a critical role.

  Asians are an even smaller share of potential voters-3.1 percent. Asians are two-thirds of the electorate in Hawaii, but are more than 5 percent only in California (11 percent), Nevada (6 percent), and Washington (5 percent).

  b. Latino and Asian voters will play a much larger role in future elections. Both Latino and Asian populations are projected to grow rapidly in the future, reaching about 25 percent and 10 percent of the population, respectively, in 2050. The aging of these groups and the increasing share of natives among them will strengthen the presence of Latinos and Asians in the pool of potential voters.

Currently, only 40 percent of each group is eligible to vote. By about 2025, about 50 percent of each will be eligible to vote. This date could be speeded up through increased rates of naturalization.

Methodological note: The data on registration and voting come from the November 2000 Current Population Survey (CPS). These data identify naturalized citizens but do make the distinctions among non-citizens as legal permanent, legal temporary, and unauthorized residents necessary to compute naturalization rates and other figures used in this brief. Naturalization rates and the like are obtained using techniques developed by the Urban Institute to assign legal status to foreign-born individuals in the March Supplements to the CPS. Data from the March 2000 and November 2000 CPS are then combined to compute turnout, participation, and naturalization rates.

NOTES

1. Throughout, all racial designations refer only to non-Hispanics.

2. Based on 2003 data.

(http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/900723.pdf)

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July 28, 2004

PROGRAM TEACHES YOUNG ASIAN-AMERICANS ABOUT CULTURE, STRUGGLES

INSTITUTE AIMS TO EXPAND STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES BY BLENDING EDUCATION WITH EMPHASIS ON PUBLIC SERVICE

By Katherine Corcoran

Mercury News

Bryant Chen didn't know that in the late 1800s, Chinese immigrants were crucial to building California's roads and railroads, or that San Jose had four Chinatowns, two of which were burned in anti-Asian violence.

``They never mention that in the textbooks,'' said the Lynbrook High School senior, whose parents emigrated from Taiwan.

Verity Pang didn't know that two white auto workers, upset by Japanese competition in the 1980s, fatally beat Chinese-American Vincent Chin -- and were sentenced to probation.

Bryant, Pang and 37 other students from Silicon Valley have spent the past four weeks in the Asian Pacific Leadership Institute, a summer program designed to expose young Asian-Americans to their history, their culture and the importance of public service.

Many of the students, who graduate from the institute Thursday, confessed to leading ``sheltered'' suburban lives without knowing the struggles of their forebears. Now they speak ebulliently about how their perspectives have changed.

``Before, when Asia Pacific Americans were involved in activism or protests, I didn't know what they were up to, I didn't know what was at stake. I thought it was kind of silly,'' said Pang, a San Jose State engineering student. Now, ``I know and understand how activism gives you a voice, and what can happen if you don't have a voice.''

The institute, known as APALI, is offered through De Anza College in Cupertino and open to high school juniors and seniors, as well as college students, from anywhere in California.

Michael Chang, former Cupertino mayor and De Anza's chair of Asian and Asian American Studies, founded the institute in 1997 to train future leaders, starting with the youth program in 1999. He plans to expand in the next two years to include programs for young professionals and elected officials.

While Asians make up about 28 percent of Santa Clara County residents, second only to whites, they make up a much smaller percentage of business, non-profit and government leaders.

Chang said many Asians in the area are well-educated and willing to serve their community.

``They love America and want to be part of America and the future,'' he said. ``Our mission is to give them the training and start the dialogue with mainstream society.''

In four weeks of field trips, class work and service projects, APALI students looked at local attitudes toward Asian-Americans, as well as gender issues and their own encounters with stereotypes.

``People say, `You're so white' because I play football, and I don't get the best grades,'' Bryant said.

They heard from a long list of professionals, including Assemblyman Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto; union organizer Irene Hsu; and Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Erica Yew.

Tuesday, they conducted a voter-registration drive, experiencing that special repulsion afforded people who carry clipboards in shopping malls and outside grocery stores.

``I'm getting no love here,'' complained De Anza College student Carolyn Yeh, after failing to get even one person to stop and hear her pitch.

Although the institute's mission is to promote community involvement, students say they value most what they have learned about themselves. 

Christine Tsay, a senior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, said she became more tolerant of others.

``Learning that our Asian culture had gone through so much suffering made me feel that I wouldn't want any other culture to go through torment either,'' she wrote in a journal exercise.

Deborah Wu, a Lynbrook senior, became more accepting of her heritage. ``Sometimes I despised being Asian,'' she wrote. `` . . . I now know where I fit into my culture and to this society. I know that I am an Asian-American, and I am proud of it.''

Chang is not surprised.

``Very few students in the class have been given the space, time and permission to explore who they are, their identity, the existential questions,'' he said.

Past graduates of the institute also say the lessons stick. Vincent Tayaotao, who enrolled in De Anza to become an auto mechanic, took the class in 2002 as a general education requirement, then changed his major to philosophy. He returned this session as an APALI intern and will transfer to San Diego State University in the fall.

``It changed my perspective,'' he said, ``on what was possible.''

Contact Katherine Corcoran at kcorcoran@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5330.

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/9260834.htm)

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[Note:  Khoa Nguyen is the co-captain of the U.S. Olympic Table Tennis team. His website is http://www.khoa.us.]


July 28, 2004

TRAINING TABLES

TAKE A LESSON FROM LOCAL ATHLETES WHEN IT'S TIME FOR GO-POWER

By Sheila Himmel
Mercury News

Olympians eat, just like you and me. And those who train in the South Bay have favorite foods ranging from Vietnamese beef noodle soup to chocolate bars. But given the demands they place on performance, we know they have to pay close attention to what they eat.

Back when they still had time to talk, we asked a handful of world-class athletes about their diets and how they prepare for competition, whether the Olympic trials or the Games themselves, which begin Aug. 13. Three are going on to the Games in Athens; three didn't make it into the top three spots needed to qualify. . The runners didn't make it. We picked sports -- table tennis, running and swimming -- that ordinary people do.

Given the deluge of information about health, weight and nutrition, we wondered how the best athletic performers sort it all out. Our basic question was: How do you fuel up so that we mortals who watch the games on television can sit and wonder, ``How do they do that?''

Each Olympic hopeful has her or his own way. It turns out there is no magic diet, except for this: Nobody counts calories. They eat a balanced diet that includes protein, fruits and vegetables, and yes, carbs. They follow many of the rules your mother probably told you when you were growing up. But they just do it.

Khoa Nguyen
Nguyen is a software engineer at Neoforma in San Jose and lives near his favorite beef noodle soup restaurant, Pho Kim Long on Capitol Avenue.

Next month, he will be competing in his second Olympics. Nguyen was born in Nha Trang, Vietnam. His family fled Vietnam in 1976. Now he hopes to win the United States' first medal in table tennis.

Nguyen skips breakfast and goes directly to the gym for weight training or aerobics early in the morning. Afterward, he'll have fruit. He likes bananas and watermelon and finds them easy to digest. Lunch is usually a noodle or rice dish. He avoids fast foods such as pizza or burgers and anything fried.

And, like most athletes, he does watch when he eats. ``I have to eat at least an hour before training,'' he says. Afternoon practice involves sprints, lower-body squats, and working on his serve and return. He does footwork drills with his coach, who machine-hits balls at him. For dinner, a Vietnamese caterer brings soup, salad and a main dish to his house every day.

During competitions held around the world, he can't control his meals as well. ``The day before, I eat light. The day of, I may just have Power Bars all day.'' He drinks water and, sometimes, Gatorade. The big meal of the day comes after competition.

When we talked, Nguyen had just returned from competing in China. ``The food was great in China, though I did lose weight,'' he said. ``I could eat as much as I wanted.''

He also loves sushi. ``I just have to stay away from ice cream,'' Nguyen says.

Sonja and Bianca van der Velden
Twin synchronized swimmers Bianca and Sonja van der Velden train with the Santa Clara Aquamaids, based at the Santa Clara International Swim Center, from September through April. They won team and duet gold medals at the U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Championships this year with the Aquamaids, and Bianca took third place in solo swimming. During the past three summers they have trained at the Independence High School Fiscalini Aquatic Center.

The van der Veldens are closely supervised in the water and at the table by their coach, Nathalie Bartleson, an Olympian at the '96 games in Atlanta. Bartleson, a fitness instructor and personal trainer in San Jose, is accompanying the twins to Athens. They are competing for the Netherlands.

``I've tried all the stupid diets myself,'' Bartleson says. ``And I'm not into deprivation.''

When she became their coach, the basic changes she made in their diet was to have them eat a little throughout the day, often a hard-boiled egg or a chicken breast.

She explained in an e-mail later: ``As is common in aesthetic sports, when athletes are trying to lose weight or keep their weight down they try to not eat too much or wait until they are hungry. Sonja and Bianca tended to eat this way or sporadically.''

Now, on competition days, they'll have Power Gels 30 to 40 minutes before their event. (Made by Power Bar, these are flavored packets of jelled carbohydrates. ``Think of it as a 110-calorie tailwind,'' says a Web ad for the product.)

``The problem is, hunger isn't a good indicator (for an athlete),'' Bartleson says. Besides, if the twins wait till they're hungry, they crave chocolate. Which Bartleson says is OK within reason, but never after 6 p.m. She tries to keep the rules reasonable.

``If I tell them they can't have this and that, it's just too much. They aren't robots.''

The twins also have become fans of Diet Coke. ``They probably do have a little caffeine addiction,'' Bartleson says. ``But now's not the time to put them in rehab.''

Michael Stember
Stanford graduate and 2000 Olympian Michael Stember would like to open a restaurant when he's done running. That's how much he loves to talk about food.

``The same things apply whether you're trying to lose 10 pounds or get in general shape,'' said Stember in late spring, just after taping a cooking show for NBC.

A few of his favorite things: Eat often instead of having huge meals. Get some color on your plate -- and not just red peppers. Go for variety. ``There are toxins in every food, so mix it around.'' Spinach one day, chard the next.

Stember, who just missed going to Athens, cooks for six other track-and-field athletes. When they come home from practice, tired, just like you and me coming home from work, Stember says, ``Your first impulse is just to go out.''

To avoid this, his kitchen is ready to go at all times. Stember, who runs 75 miles a week, has a system. He shops on Sundays, making a sweep of Mountain View from the Milk Pail to Trader Joe's to Costco. He cuts everything that can be cut (broccoli, cabbage), then cooks lentils, brown rice and sweet yellow potatoes (not yams). Flank steak or salmon marinate. Dessert is always fruit. On Thursday, he shops again.

``Hummus is one of the easiest snacks to make. You need a can of garbanzo beans, olive oil, lime squeeze, salt,'' he says. ``No one likes garbanzo beans but everyone loves hummus.''

What about the problem of wilting produce? ``When you shop at cheap places, you don't worry. So you pay $1 for a bunch of fresh cilantro, and throw it out.''

Stember learned to make the cupboard stretch from his mother, who fed six children. And he remembers how everyone responded when he made quesadillas for a sixth-grade class project.

``When I don't cook for a week, I get agitated,'' Stember says. ``When I'm in a restaurant, I usually pull the waiter aside and say, `Bear with me, I'm going to ask for changes.' '' (Olive oil instead of butter, steamed vegetables only, olive oil and vinegar on the side instead of salad dressing.)

``Potato chips are about as evil as I get.''

If all this sounds impossibly virtuous, keep in mind that Stember's flank steak isn't the size of a deck of cards, and dessert is more than one plum. He figures he eats about twice as much as any non-athlete.

Stember says it's still uncommon for athletes to take on the responsibility of preparing their own meals. Recently, he was host to a visiting Olympic medalist who said he wanted to ``eat healthy -- like Arby's.'' ``This guy is at the top of his game, but how much better could he be (if he ate healthfully)?''

As for supplements? ``I'm on fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and flax. Vitamins C, E, zinc and iron, and that's it. To me the whole performance-enhancing drug is so contrary to what I'm trying to accomplish, which is to see how far I can go. It creates the accomplishment, not you.''

Andrew Neugebauer
Tall and lean, Nike Farm Team member Neugebauer cooks for himself. Breakfast is whole-grain oatmeal with cooked egg whites, a grapefruit or an orange and black tea.

Two hours later, around 10 a.m., he'll have a ``whole foods'' shake. (A liquid meal replacement often made of soy, almonds and organic oats.)

Lunch often is a skinless chicken breast on whole-wheat bread, accompanied by steamed vegetables and a mixed green salad.

At 3 p.m., an hour before practice, he has half a bagel with peanut butter. After practice, another shake, often made of Opti-Pro protein powder.

Dinner often is pasta, lean meat and a vegetable. For dessert, fruit and yogurt.

``Throughout the day I have to drink half my body weight in ounces of water,'' he says. (That's 80 ounces) ``But I don't count calories. I just stay where I never get hungry. Once I start to get hungry, my muscles tighten up.''

Neugebauer, who didn't finish among the top three at the track-and-field trials this month, works with Lance Armstrong's coach, Chris Carmichael. When not in training, he keeps to the same plan. ``If I don't, I get irritable and can't sleep.''

Chantee Earl
``I can't keep weight on,'' says Chantee Earl before practice at Stanford with Frank Gagliano. Her sharp cheekbones confirm it.

She has given up coffee. Now she has cereal or waffles with fruit and juice for breakfast. Lunch is a turkey or tuna sandwich with fruit and water.

Earl is not a snacker: ``I'm pretty good at waiting for dinner.'' But she drinks a lot of water, four or five 12-ounce bottles a day, and after practice she gets extra carbohydrates from Accelerate and R4 drinks.

For dinner, she often slaps beef or chicken on her George Foreman grill and eats that with rice and a vegetable.

On a competition day, Earl eats no less than five hours before. ``This gives me long enough to digest. If I eat too late, it's all over the track.''

Otherwise, she is not a doctrinaire person. ``I pretty much do anything I want. Every now and then I'll eat at McDonald's.''

And she loves to bake. ``I'm good at baking cakes. But I'll eat one piece and tell my husband, `You have to take this to work.' ''

Among 27 starters, Earl finished in sixth place at the Olympic track-and-field trials.

Contact Sheila Himmel at shimmel@mercurynews.com
or (408) 920-5926. Fax (408) 271-3786.

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/columnists/sheila_himmel/9260892.htm)

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July 29, 2004

CLOSER LOOK AT CARE FOR ASIANS

Survey will take the pulse of a large local population who are otherwise often overlooked

By Justin Gest

Houston Chronicle

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

For more information on the study, or to view results which will be made available between October and December, visit www.mdanderson.org/crmh or call 713-563-2726. 

Addressing a significant void in knowledge about Asian-American health issues, researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are administering what they say is the first-ever telephone survey to assess common ailments affecting Houston's Chinese and Vietnamese populations.

"We are trying to establish a Asian-American treatment center," said Dr. Beverly Gor, a principal investigator in the study.

"But there's no data as to direct need. Basically, I think people feel that there's not that many Asian-Americans, so they feel like they just don't matter as much," Gor said. "But now our population is growing so rapidly that it's hard to ignore the numbers."

The Houston metropolitan area contains the greatest number of Asian-Americans in Texas, and Texas has the fourth-largest population of Asian-Americans (562,319 according to the U.S. Census Bureau) in the nation.

"For so long, Asian-Americans have been clumped together (in surveys) with 'White,' 'Other,' or they are not included at all," said Rogene Calvert, the mayor's Director of Personnel and Volunteer Initiative Program.

"We have not had the kind of cumulative data to show the needs for particular services. And there are still some states that have not singled Asian-Americans out."

Researchers plan to collect responses to a two-page questionnaire from 400 Chinese and 400 Vietnamese people from randomly selected households in Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties.

"The survey will identify pressing health risks and provide the data needed for funding culturally sensitive health programs in this community," Gor said.

Officials from M.D. Anderson's Center for Research on Minority Health say in addition to identifying illnesses that commonly plague the specific population sector, they will poll respondents to determine their awareness about certain diseases.

"Southeast Asians have a variety of needs that other Asian groups don't have," said Calvert, who also is on the board of the Asian-American Health Coalition in San Francisco. "When we are consolidated, the nuances are lost. We have probably missed out on a good amount of funding because of the inability to assess our needs."

The M.D. Anderson Center reports that some of the most significant health issues affecting Asian-Americans are cervical cancer rates among Vietnamese women that are five times the national average, Hepatitis B rates higher than any other ethnic group and a recent increase in reported cases of diabetes.

"Even from the cancer perspective, the Texas Cancer Registry does not record data on Asian-Americans," said Gor, who is Chinese-American.

Researchers think that because of cultural and language barriers, Asian-Americans often are unable to access or understand health education resources and health care services.

For this reason, the survey, which began July 6, in being conducted in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2707244)
 

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