NCVA REPORTER - October 14, 2004

In this NCVA Reporter:

Events

• D.C. Premiere of 35mm Restoration of “Hearts and Minds” – Oct 16, 2004
• VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to Defend Asian American Voting Rights – Nov 2, 2004
• 6^th Annual Regional Conference – Nebraska Association for Translators & Interpreters – Aug 4-6, 2005

Funding Opportunities

• Americans for Libraries Council
• Rasmuson Foundation - Sabbatical Program
• Microsoft New Faculty Fellowship Program
• Toyota TAPESTRY Grant Program
• Community Technology Centers' Network Announces Youth Visions for Stronger Neighborhoods Grants Program

Jobs/Internships

• APAICS Announces 2005 Summer Internship Program
• Harvard College Financial Aid / Scholarship Opportunity
• Looking for Contributors – BBC Documentary on Fall of Saigon
• Looking for Vietnamese War Brides for National Public Radio
   

Tips/Resources

• Nonprofit Branding: Unveiling the Essentials

News

• Vietnamese Americans Back Bush – For Now (Pacific News Service)
• Outsourcing Finds Vietnam (New York Times)
• Device eases voting for disabled (Orange County Register)
• Young Asian Pacific Islander Americans Must Hurdle Voting Obstacles (APIAVote Press Release)
• Scholars: Limited access to voting data hurts research efforts that could improve elections (Associated Press)
• Miscellaneous Trade Measure Blocked Over Human Rights in Laos (Congressional Quarterly)
• New Census Report on Hmong Americans Released (HND Press Release)
• Two men are accused of human trafficking (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
• Killing galvanizes community (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Thousands of Asian Pacific Islander Americans Across the Nation Will Watch the Last Presidential Debate and Participate in National Conference Call Tonight (APIAVote Press Release)

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EVENTS

D.C. PREMIERE OF 35MM RESTORATION OF “HEARTS AND MINDS”

a film by Peter Davis
Academy Award, Best Documentary, 1974

Saturday, October 16, 2004 @ 7:30pm
AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

Director Peter Davis, Political Activist Daniel Ellsberg, Cinematographer Richard Pearce and Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation President Bobby Muller IN PERSON for a post-screening discussion

“Lush color photograph, striking footage shot uncensored in a war-torn Vietnam – decades before the Pentagon thought of ‘embedding’ war correspondents. With appearances by Daniel Ellsberg, General William Westmoreland, Clark Clifford, Bobby Muller and many others.”

For more info: info@silverdocs.com

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO DEFEND ASIAN AMERICAN VOTING RIGHTS

Michigan  *  Illinois  *  New York  *  New Jersey  *  Massachusetts *  Rhode Island  *  Virginia  *  Pennsylvania

Presidential Elections - Tuesday, November 2, 2004

In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote.  For example, ballots have been mistranslated listing Democratic candidates as Republicans and vice versa, lack of interpreters, denial of language assistance, hostility, and even outright discrimination.  Then, when the news media reported on election returns and the vote by specific groups, Asian Americans were overlooked.

In response, on Election Day, a coalition of Asian American groups will be monitoring the elections for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act and anti-Asian voter discrimination, as well as conducting non-partisan multilingual surveys of Asian American voters to document Asian American voting patterns.  We need your help!

In 2002 elections, 350 volunteers worked with more than 3,000 Asian American voters in four states.  Volunteers are needed to administer the multi-lingual voter survey in one or more 3-hour shifts on election day and assist in follow-up with voters after the elections.  Polls are generally open from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

There will be a one-hour training session for all volunteers.  All volunteers must be non-partisan during the time they help.  Please consider volunteering your time.  Thank you!

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VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP SHEET

NAME:              __________________________________________

ADDRESS:        _______________________________________

City_____________________  state_______   zip________

EMAIL:             ___________________________________________

PHONE:            daytime ______________  evening ______________

ORG./CO./SCHL./CLUB: ____________________________________

ARE YOU?

___ Undergraduate student         ___ Graduate student       ___ Law student

___ Attorney                              ___ High school student    ___ Community volunteer

WhaT, If any, Asian language(s)/DIALECT(S) do you speak?  (check all that apply)

___ Cantonese  ___ Mandarin     ___ Korean        ___Tagalog      ___Japanese

___ Hindi           ___ Gujarati       ___Punjabi      ___Bengali        ___Urdu

___Vietnamese  ___Khmer         ___Malayalam   ___Other___________

WHERE DO YOU MOST prefer to BE STATIONED?  (please rank by 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd choices):

Michigan:         ___ Detroit                    ___ Hamtramck      ___ Dearborn

Illinois:             ___ Chicago                  ___Northbrook       ___Glenview

Massachusetts: ___Boston/Dorchester   ___ Lowell              ___Quincy

Rhode Island: ___ Providence              ___Woonsocket

New Jersey:     ___ Palisades Park        ___ Jersey City        ___Edison/ New Brunswick

New York:        ___ Manhattan               ___ Brooklyn         ___ Queens

Virginia:           ___ Fairfax                    ___Arlington

Pennsylvania: ___ Philadelphia

Do you have access to a car to drive to your site?  []Yes   []No

on Tuesday, Nov. 2, when are you AVAILABLE TO VOLUNTEER?

(check all that apply)

___7:00 - 10:00 am

___9:00 am - 12 N

___12 N - 3:00 pm

___ 3:00 - 6:00 pm

___6:00 - 9:00 pm

___5:00 - 8:00 pm

___ Other _____________

___Not yet sure.

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO:

AALDEF Election Protection Project
99 Hudson Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10013
FAX  212/966-4303
EMAIL  votingrights@aaldef.org

For more information, contact:
Glenn D. Magpantay at gmagpantay@aaldef.org or call 212/966-5932.

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

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SAVE THE DATE

August 4-6, 2005

NATI (NEBRASKA ASSOCIATION FOR TRANSLATORS & INTERPRETERS)

6TH ANNUAL REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Omaha, Nebraska

Language and Law:
Roles, Rights and Responsibilities of Translators & Interpreter's In Medical, Judicial, Community and Business Scenarios

Topics on:
* Compliance,
* Interpreter Qualifications,
* Roles: Advocate vs Conduit,
* Liability, Professionalization, Ethics,
* Discussions of case law in LEP & Title VI,
* International context,
* Translation of Business & Legal Documents,
* Specialty skills trainings in prep for exams

Submit proposals by February 20, 2005

e-mail: natihq@nati.org
e-mail:jbonet@cox.net

"Attention: Conference 2005 Committee:
Jeck Navarette & Elizabeth Kelly"

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

AMERICAN FOR LIBRARIES COUNCIL

Libraries for the Future, the program division of the American Libraries Council, is offering Get Real, Get Fit!, a new program promoting teen health and fitness. Public libraries can apply for grants for library-based activities and discussions focused on physical fitness and healthy eating for teenagers and families. Libraries for the Future will select 40 public libraries nationwide will be selected for the Get Real, Get Fit! program. The application deadline is December 10, 2004.

(http://lff.org/news/GRGF_rfp.html)

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RASMUSON FOUNDATION – SABBATICAL PROGRAM

The Rasmuson Foundation is offering a new program designed to provide time away from the office for professional growth and personal renewal for Executive Directors and Chief Executive Officers of health and human service agencies in Alaska. Applications must be postmarked by November 15, 2004.

(Announced September 2004)

(http://www.rasmuson.org/index.php?switch=viewpage&pageid=112)

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MICROSOFT NEW FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The Microsoft New Faculty Fellowship Program identifies, recognizes, and supports exceptional new faculty members at U.S. universities engaged in innovative computing research. The objective is to stimulate and support creative research by promising researchers who have the potential of making a profound impact to the state of the art in their research discipline. The application deadline is November 19, 2004.

(http://research.microsoft.com/ur/us/nff/)

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TOYOTA TAPESTRY GRANT PROGRAM

The Toyota TAPESTRY grant program, sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and administered by the National Science Teachers Association, will award 50 grants of up to $10,000 each and a minimum of 20 "mini-grants" of $2,500 each are available to K-12 teachers of science residing in the United States or U.S. territories. The deadline for submitting proposals is January 19, 2005.

(http://www.nsta.org/programs/tapestry/program.htm)

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COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTERS’ NETWORK ANNOUNCES YOUTH VISIONS FOR STRONGER NEIGHBORHOODS GRANTS PROGRAM

Deadline: October 27, 2004

Community Technology Centers' Network ( http://www.ctcnet.org/ ) has announced the 2005 Youth  Visions for Stronger Neighborhoods Grants program, sponsored by the Corporation for National Service's Learn  and Serve America ( http://learnandserve.org/ ). Youth  Visions Grants are designed to give youth and community  technology programs the opportunity to use multimedia  tools and training to engage in community decision-making  to strengthen their neighborhoods.

Through CTCNet's Youth Visions grants, organizations with substantial experience training youth in low-income communities will be funded to implement new or expanded community technology programs that focus on engaging youth in civic participation.

The program will award eight grants totaling as much as $22,000 in 2005.

Organizations that serve at-risk youth (ages 14-18) and who have experience providing video and other multimedia  training are eligible. The applicant or fiscal agent through which the applicant applies must have current (not pending) 501(c)(3) status and be located in the United States.

Complete grant guidelines, eligibility information, and application materials are available at the CTCNet Web site.

(http://www.ctcnet.org/youthvisions/)

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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

For Immediate Release

October 13, 2004

For More Information
Contact: Stacey Suyat 202/296-9200

APAICS ANNOUNCES 2005 SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Washington, D.C -  The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) has issued applications for its 2005 undergraduate Summer Internship Program.  The application form is available at www.apaics.org. The deadline is January 30, 2005.

Every year, APAICS selects ten to twelve undergraduate students for a first-hand learning experience in American politics. Interns work in congressional offices, federal agencies, and non-profit organizations in Washington, DC.  Placements last summer included five offices in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the Environmental Protection Agency, and APAICS. Through a series of seminars, interns learn about national Asian Pacific Islander American advocacy organizations and network with peers from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

The APAICS internship program encourages the political and civic involvement of young Asian Pacific Islander Americans, fosters their interest in careers in politics and public policy, and develops their leadership skills.

Joanna Gin, a 2004 intern in the office of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi said, "This summer has been so wonderful. Underneath all the traffic, humidity, and heat, I realized how much excitement and opportunity existed in Washington, DC. I'm looking forward to taking the skills that I have learned back to the San Francisco Bay Area and the Berkeley campus, and am definitely optimistic about pursuing a law degree and a career working in public policy, where I will be able to serve the Asian American community."

Interns receive a stipend of $2500 for the period from June 6 to July 29, 2005. The interns come from all regions of the country and from private as well as public institutions. Each group of interns reflects the ethnic diversity of the Asian Pacific Islander American community. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in public service and Asian Pacific Islander American affairs.

Undergraduates, including those graduating in spring 2005, are eligible. Applications can be downloaded from the APAICS website at www.apaics.org. Call 202/296-9200 or e-mail apaics@apaics.org for more information.

-30-

The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) is dedicated to increasing participation of individuals of Asian & Pacific Islander heritage at all levels of the political process, from community service to elected office. More information is available at www.apaics.org.

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HARVARD COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID / SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers announced in February 2004 a major new initiative designed to encourage talented students from families of low and moderate income to attend Harvard College. While the new initiative has four major components, including recruitment, admissions, and a summer academic program designed to prepare talented students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds for college, the financial aid component increases aid for students from low and moderate income families. Beginning with the 2004-05 year, parents in families with incomes of less than $40,000 will no longer be expected to contribute to the cost of attending Harvard for their children. In addition, Harvard will reduce the contributions expected of families with incomes between $40,000 and $60,000.

The University has earmarked $2 million in new financial aid funds to cover this expanded aid next year, bringing its total annual scholarship budget for undergraduates to just under $80 million. The new initiative, which will take effect next fall for all students – entering and returning – is expected to benefit more than 1000 families on an annual basis. The new financial aid initiative is the latest step in a progressive expansion of financial aid at Harvard in recent years. Harvard College's nearly $80 million in scholarships for undergraduates in the coming year represents a 49% increase over the past six years when inflation rose by only 13.5%. This increase in scholarship aid has reduced the average student loan debt upon graduation to $8,800 for the Class of 2003, a figure well below the national average of close to $20,000.

Visit http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/daily/0402/28-finaid.html for the full text of this announcement.

(http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/daily/0402/28-finaid.html)

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BBC DOCUMENTARY ON FALL OF SAIGON
Looking for Vietnamese contributors

Flashback TV in England is making a documentary for the BBC about the fall of Saigon in April 1975.  We are currently looking for Vietnamese contributors who would be willing to share their stories with us. We would like to talk to people who evacuated in the last days of April, particularly the 28,29,30th - or people who tried to leave at that time but were not able to get out till later.  Individuals who worked with the  American mission in Saigon are especially asked to contact us.

The final program will be shown in the UK and France. If interested please send contact details to:

Kathy Fox
Flashback TV
kathyfox@flashbacktv.co.uk
+44 (0)117 973 8755

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LOOKING FOR VIETNAMESE WAR BRIDES FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

My name is Miae Kim and I am an independent radio producer. We are producing American history series for National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/. I am looking for elderly Vietnamese war/military brides who married the U.S. GIs.

http://mediarites.org/crossing_east/info.htm (This is not the official website, which will be available soon. But it will give you some ideas about our project.)

Miae Kim
miaekim2004@yahoo.com

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TIPS/RESOURCES

NONPROFIT BRANDING: UNVEILING THE ESSENTIALS

An organization's greatest asset is its brand. Branding is the process of creating a clear, consistent message about your organization, so that when people see your logo or hear your name, they'll think of your mission and programs in terms you have defined. I.e., the way you want them to.

In graduate school recently, I drew on 18 years' practical experience in marketing to look at nonprofits and branding. I found that nonprofits devote little time, energy, and care to branding, and that they generally relegate this process to a lower-level functionary.

The reason why is readily apparent: daily responsibilities and thin resources give nonprofit executives little time for the reflection that effective brand management requires. The purpose of this article is to help busy nonprofit managers by distilling the essentials of branding in a simple and concise fashion.

Four Steps

Define your overall brand perception today.
Step back and view your organization through the eyes of a potential donor. What do people see as your organization's mission? What do they think are its most important activities? How do they define your goals? If you don't like what you see, it's time to roll up your sleeves and evaluate every facet of your brand.

Describe your goal for your brand.
Every organization should ask itself, "What is the one thing that we do better than anyone else?" To be a meaningful brand, your cause must be a first—a new category, approach, or service that hasn't been exploited.

My master's thesis focused on a nonprofit organization that had many competitors in a crowded market space. What set them apart was that they were a fully functioning village. The organization slowly shifted its brand perception from a decentralized rescue mission to a community that integrates a variety of functions (meals, shelter, education, behavior enhancement, hope, etc.) under one roof. This concept has the potential to become a powerful new brand position in the local community, one whose attributes are easily recognizable and unique.

Create a plan to reach the brand goal.
This step bridges the gap between the current perception of your brand and your brand goal. As with any planning process, a series of activities that culminate in a brand shift takes time and patience. Great brands are not invented overnight; achieving them requires careful planning and attention to detail. A brand that lives on in the mind of each donor must be developed through years of message layering. One Super Bowl ad just won't cut it!

Make the brand live throughout your organization.
Finally, the key to successful branding is top-down commitment and involvement. The greatest stumbling block to achieving a brand goal lies in its execution; most plans are written and then collect dust on the shelf. Brand planning requires daily attention for progression and change to occur.

Once your brand is defined, every facet of your organization should be centered on that mission. Aside from the change in external messages, a separate campaign to inform, educate, and acquire buy-in from everyone associated with your nonprofit is essential. In order for the new brand perception to be realized, it can't be the latest management fad—it needs to reside in the hearts and minds of every single board member, paid employee, and volunteer! My research indicates that monthly, weekly, and even daily meetings are needed to ensure that a consistent message is delivered and acted on.

Summary
The four essentials of branding provide nonprofits with a structure from which to reflect on their own brand processes. All brands should be re-evaluated continuously to ensure that the message and delivery of services support each other. Analyzing the present perception of your brand and projecting a future brand goal lead naturally into the planning process. Integrating the entire organization into the execution of the plan is critical for realizing the brand promise.

Bill Nissim, October 2004
© 2003, 2004, Bill Nissim

Bill Nissim consults with nonprofit organizations on brand-management issues. He developed brand strategies for Parker Hannifin and wrote his graduate thesis on nonprofit branding methodologies. Bill received his bachelor's degree in advertising, master's in communications, and is in pursuit an MBA in change management. His Web site, www.ibranz.com, contains reference materials, links, and helpful articles on the many facets of branding.

(http://www.guidestar.org/news/features/npo_branding.jsp)

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NEWS

October 1, 2004

VIETNAMESE AMERICANS BACK BUSH – FOR NOW

By Andrew Lam
Pacific News Service, Feature/Analysis

Editor's Note: Many Vietnamese Americans say Bush beat Kerry in Thursday night's debate -- not a surprise, coming from members of a largely conservative, anti-Communist immigrant community that has long favored Republicans. But times may be changing, writes PNS editor Andrew Lam, as a younger generation finds its voice.

SAN FRANCISCO--Outside of a Vietnamese coffee shop in the Tenderloin district, two older Vietnamese men are smoking and talking about Bush and Kerry. "Kerry did very well, but Bush came out solid and strong," says Mr. Tinh Nguyen. "Kerry might still have a fighting chance. Too bad we are voting in California. We can't help president Bush from here."

The scene reflects typical Vietnamese American voting patterns. A recent poll conducted before the debate by Bendixen and Associates and New California Media -- a part of Pacific News Service -- found that a whopping 71 percent of Vietnamese American said they would vote for George W. Bush, and only 27 percent for Kerry.

It's not surprising, coming from a community that considers Viet Dinh and Anh Nguyet Duong among its heroes. Dinh, as assistant to Attorney General John Ashcroft, drafted the Patriot Act, and Duong, called "the Bomb Lady" by the press, created the thermobaric or "bunker-busting" bomb that was mentioned in the first Bush-Kerry debate and was used against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Both Duong and Dinh had been boat people escaping communist Vietnam.

While the number of Vietnamese registered to vote in 2000 was near 325,000, according to the U.S. Census, Sergio Bendixen, president of Bendixen and Associates, says the number of Vietnamese registered voters now could be as high as 600,000.

"Their vote will be a little less than 1 percent of the total registered voters. If you were to look at the 18 battleground states, at most there will be 100,000 Vietnamese votes in those states," Bendixen says.

The numbers are small. On the other hand, given the tight race, a few thousands votes could very well make a big difference.

But Francois Truong, on the other hand, says he definitely belongs to the 27 percent. An openly gay Vietnamese living in San Francisco, Truong says he can't believe that Vietnamese would vote overwhelmingly for Bush. "I'd do anything to get Bush out." What does he think of Vietnamese who support Bush? "They're stupid. Haven't they seen what happened to this country since Bush has been in office?"

Nam Nguyen, publisher of Calitoday, the largest Vietnamese paper in San Jose, where over 100,000 Vietnamese reside, says he understands why Vietnamese will still turn out to vote, when many know that California will go for Kerry. "We are forming an impressive voting block. We are saying 'I‚m here, we're here.' This large block will solidify in the mind of local politicians... I think especially that's important when it comes to the next governor's race in California, where we need to have our voice heard."

The reasons Vietnamese Americans are voting for Bush are many, but it comes down essentially to this: Republicans are perceived as being strong against terrorism and, more important, communism. The majority of the Vietnamese population is foreign born who were once refugees fleeing communism, and many still remember what it was like to live under dictatorship. Senator Kerry, who fought in the Vietnam War, but turned into an anti war activist, is perceived by many as untrustworthy. Recently, Kerry blocked a bill that, in order to pressure Vietnam to end its human rights abuses, would have reduced U.S. aid to the country. His opposition to the bill solidified many Vietnamese in their decision to vote against him.

Minh Tran, who lives in San Jose and who came to the United States in 1981 at age 22, for instance, said that Kerry doesn't deserve his vote because "Kerry did not support the U.S. resolution against human rights violations in Vietnam."

In recent years, polls have also showed Vietnamese consistently voting conservative. Says Bendixen, "They are very conservative in the war of Iraq. On issues like gay marriage they are strongly against. On 9/11, they were very patriotic. So they tend to feel best represented by Republicans."

But those who are voting for Kerry are no less vocal. David Ho, on a Vietnamese-language chat room recently urged fellow Vietnamese Americans to rethink a vote for Bush. "With Bush in the White House the next four years, imagine where the U.S. will end up? Please think of the future of your children. Bush will cut all financial support that will help a better life for people in America and move that wealth to finance war in the Middle East."

And Pham Phan agrees: "In the last four years all the social supports have been dwindling while taxes for the richest 1 percent are cut. There is no security in America and no WMD in Iraq. Does Bush deserve our votes?"

The Bendixen poll also found that among Asian Americans aged 18 to 39, only 27 percent would vote for Bush, versus 51 percent for Kerry. Calitoday publisher Nam Nguyen says that within another generation, Vietnamese Americans may become less conservative "as more and more are born in the United States, and their concerns are more domestic and not formed by Vietnam.

"But," Nguyen adds, "I don't know. The next generation may just be as conservative as their parents."

PNS contributor Andrew Lam (lam@pacificnews.org) is a journalist and short story writer.

(http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=b7eff48db05abf8ced8dfdcd1425f7d2)

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September 30, 2004

OUTSOURCING FINDS VIETNAM

By Keith Bradsher
The New York Times

HANOI - With a portrait of Ho Chi Minh gazing down benevolently opposite the doorway and fan blades making leisurely orbits above, the long green room looks as if it could still belong to officials from the Communist-controlled legislature here, its former occupants.

Instead, the room holds one of the more unusual outposts in the shift of clerical jobs to ever-poorer countries in the developing world.

Rows of young university graduates working for World'Vest Base, a company based in Chicago, scan the Internet for everything from emerging market stock prices to corporate filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. They copy data into spreadsheets and e-mail it to clients around the world.

Vietnam is making a big push to turn itself into an outsourcing powerhouse. Mathematics instruction has long been the strong suit of Vietnam's educational system, and now the government is trying to train people across the country in computer skills.

At the same time, wages remain extremely low: World'Vest Base hires recent graduates with accounting or finance degrees, but no experience, for a starting salary of $100 a month, little more than an unskilled factory worker earns in neighboring China.

Very low wages and strong math skills are a combination that has made believers of some experts.

"You're going to see Vietnam competing with India and some of the other countries doing this within the next five years," said Pete Peterson, a prisoner of war here for six years during the Vietnam War who went on to become the first U.S. ambassador after President Bill Clinton normalized relations.

Yet Vietnam still faces considerable obstacles in its pursuit of the kind of low-skill jobs that now employ hundreds of thousands of people in India, Malaysia and the Philippines, let alone the higher-paid computer programming jobs that have helped turn Indian cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad into models of economic development.

With the approach of the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon next spring, Vietnam remains one of the world's poorest countries. It still struggles under a Communist government that has moved more slowly than China's to embrace capitalism. Government bureaucracy and regulations remain pervasive, especially in northern Vietnam. Skills in spoken and written English, a prerequisite for a lot of outsourcing work, remain weak, although skills in French, a legacy of colonial rule, remain fairly strong.

The road system is in poor shape, especially in comparison with China, and Vietnam lacks the tidal wave of foreign investment that has helped China build so many modern buildings and factories. Multinationals have built some factories in Vietnam, including small auto assembly plants to supply the local market, but have refrained from setting up big telephone call centers, computer programming operations or other service-sector outsourcing.

"You're not seeing the IBMs, HPs or Infosyses of this world charging in there," said Philip Hassey, the associate director for Asia and the Pacific at International Data Corp. Yet a handful of companies have set up shop here. A growing number of Vietnamese who fled the country at the end of the war and afterward have begun to return.

Atlas Industries has 100 people in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, performing the technical tasks of turning architectural drawings from Britain into detailed blueprints that can be used by British construction companies. Joseph Woolf, the company's chief executive and founder, said that he preferred Vietnam to India because Vietnamese employees were more loyal and less inclined to change jobs repeatedly or seek work overseas, two problems some companies have encountered in India.

"People are more committed to the company, the country and the family," he said.

At the same time, Woolf said he was sensitive to concerns that his operation might be taking work from British architects. All his customers in Britain are successful architectural firms that are expanding and adding staff, not laying them off, he insisted.

Job losses may be occurring, however, at other firms that are losing market share.

At the 38-employee operation here of World'Vest Base, young men and women sit at computer terminals with high-speed connections to the Internet. Surfing the Web, they fill spreadsheets with prices from obscure stock markets in places like Kazakhstan and Mauritius, then distribute them to investors specializing in emerging markets.

For investors seeking gems in bigger stock markets, they glean financial data from French annual reports and comb SEC filings. They also gather data from local companies seeking to prove their creditworthiness to international banks.

Jonathan Bloch, the chief executive of Exchange Data International, a company based in London that distributes financial information to big investment banks and other customers, said data from World'Vest Base was inexpensive and reliable.

"We outsource also in India and the Czech Republic," he said. "Vietnam compares very favorably; I think they're on a par."

(http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA071FFF3E5C0C738FDDA00894DC404482&incamp=archive:search)

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October 8, 2004

DEVICE EASES VOTING FOR DISABLED
The new electronic units earn praise in early returns from potential users.

By Eric Carpenter
The Orange County Register

GARDEN GROVE – Since he started voting in 1972, Bill Chrisner typically has considered Election Day a nightmare.

He cherishes his right to vote. It's casting a ballot that causes major headaches.

Chrisner is blind. So voting usually entails dragging his son to the polls, entrusting him to mark his ballot correctly and dealing with poll workers who he says often have little patience for voters with special needs.

But on Thursday, the 56-year-old director of the Dayle McIntosh Center in Garden Grove was one of dozens of voters with disabilities who got their first look at a new machine that he says will revolutionize his voting experience.

The eSlate Disabled Access Unit will allow Chrisner to vote on his own - in complete privacy - for the first time.

"This finally makes me feel like an equal citizen," said Chrisner, who gradually lost his vision from first grade to age 18. "This is incredible stuff."

The unit - known by its acronym "DAU" - looks a lot like the eSlate machines most voters will use. It includes Braille characters under each of the buttons and audio instructions that can be heard through headphones for privacy.

Voters who have limited use of their hands can scroll through the ballot and cast their votes using footpads.

Quadriplegics can hook their "sip and puff" devices to the machines so they can use breath commands to work the ballot.

The machines are set at desk level, so voters with wheelchairs can get easy access.

"This is very easy to use," said Craig Petersen, 49, of Anaheim, who lost use of his legs when a car hit him three years ago.

"Since then, I've always voted by absentee ballot," he said. "This gives me a chance to study all the candidates and issues until the last minute and vote on Election Day like anybody else."

The Orange County Registrar of Voters has 1,700 units for voters with disabilities, part of the $26 million the county spent to replace punch machines with electronic devices. Voters are assigned individual access numbers to prevent voter fraud.

At least one DAU will be in place at each of the county's 1,273 polling places. Some - in senior centers and spots with high numbers of voters with disabilities - will have several such machines.

Socorro Arroyo works at the Dayle McIntosh Center, which offers disability resources and advocacy, but she lives in Los Angeles County.

Arroyo, 35, has a sight impairment and loved the new machine.

"It's extremely helpful and easy to use," she said, casting a faux vote for George Washington as governor.

"Unfortunately, they don't have these in L.A. County yet, so I'll still need help to vote this year."

Carol Wickliff, a volunteer for the Orange County registrar, has been touring the county with a group of volunteers to introduce the new machines to voters with disabilities in preparation for the Nov. 2 election.

"There's a lot of excitement about how accessible these machines are," she said. "This year, we can even bring a machine out to a person's car if they have any trouble getting into a polling place. It's that easy."

Audio and written instructions are also available to voters in five languages - English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean - reflecting Orange County's growing diversity.

"I'm thrilled about going to vote by myself this year," Chrisner said.

Get more information on the eSlate Disabled Access Unit and where it will be tested before the election at (714) 567-5149 or www.ocvote.org.

(http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2004/10/08/sections/local/local/article_268415.php)

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October 8, 2004

For Immediate Release

Contact: Janelle Hu (APIAVote 2004), 202-223-9170

YOUNG ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICANS MUST HURDLE VOTING OBSTACLES

APIAVote testifies at USCCR briefing to voting barriers faced by the youth and entire APIA community

Washington, DC - The US Commission on Civil Rights held a briefing today on youth voting issues.   During the briefing, APIAVote described many issues complicating the voting process for Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) youth voters.  As November 2nd approaches, APIA voters, especially those that are immigrants, must overcome numerous obstacles in the upcoming elections.  While some of the problems, unfamiliarity with the electoral process, discrimination by poll workers and lack of language assistance, are historical issues for the APIA community, a plethora of new issues has arisen with the government's recent passage of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Due to patchy implementation by the states and inadequate training of election workers, new procedures introduced by HAVA may cause even more problems for APIA voters than before.

HAVA requires that first time voters must present photo identification when they vote.  Without advance knowledge of this new requirement, many APIA voters may not have the chance to acquire or prepare such identification in time to vote.  The use of provisional ballots is another potential obstacle for voters.  Provisional ballots would be available to voters who believe they are registered but are somehow not listed on the voter registration books, often because of processing errors. Many such voters have been turned away from polls in the past, and were thus prevented from voting.  Unfortunately, many voters are still unaware of the provisional ballot, will not know it is their right to request one, or if they do receive one, may not how to use it.

Overcoming language barriers is another major issue.  Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act requires language assistance when a particular language minority group exceeds 10,000 or 5% of voting-age citizens with the local population.  However, the goals of this legislation are often unmet or inadequate.  Interpreters and election workers need more training to be effective assisting voters in reading a ballot, initiatives, or even how to use a machine properly.  Even in areas providing the assistance, many times there is a shortage of interpreters, bilingual materials are often printed with translation errors, or voters receive bilingual material in the wrong language.

"The new HAVA requirements are either unknown or unclear to many voters, who will lose their chance to vote," said Go Kasai, APIAVote Youth Coordinator. "Additionally, in spite of our efforts to reach out to the student population, many remain sorely uneducated about their voting rights."

"One third of APIA voters will be first time voters, but a negative and unwelcoming first experience at the polls will discourage rather than promote them from future participation," said Janelle Hu, APIAVote National Director.  "APIA coalitions across the country are speeding up their efforts to equip APIA voters with knowledge of the procedures and understanding of their rights so they can go to the polls without fear of intimidation."

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APIAVote is a national coalition of non-partisan nonprofit organizations that encourages civic participation and promotes a better understanding of public policy and the electoral process among the Asian and Pacific Islander American community. The national APIAVote partners are APIA Greek Alliance, Asian American Online, Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Hmong National Development, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, National Congress of Vietnamese Americans, National Korean American Service and Education Consortium, Organization of Chinese Americans,  Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force, South Asian American Voting Youth.

APIAVote was founded in 1996 and maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

www.apiavote.org

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October 10, 2004

SCHOLARS: LIMITED ACCESS TO VOTING DATA HURTS RESEARCH EFFORTS THAT COULD IMPROVE ELECTIONS

Kathy Barks Hoffman and Rachel Konrad, Associated Press Writers

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- After nearly 50,000 Michigan Democrats cast ballots over the Internet in February, academics eagerly sought election data that would help them determine what types of people voted online.

But scholars around the country complain that they haven't been able to get statistics from the Feb. 7 caucus.

The delay could stall important research, they say, on voting technologies and on boosting participation in U.S. elections -- for example, by studying whether Internet voting could help such historically disenfranchised groups as overseas military personnel and citizens who don't speak English well.

Researchers and civil rights experts say Michigan's Democratic Party is merely one of a number of organizations that are stingy with voting data -- even though computerized balloting systems and registration databases make such information relatively easy to share.

"The quantity and quality of data we get on elections is highly variable and highly inconsistent, and it makes it very difficult for us as social scientists to study what happened," said R. Michael Alvarez, a political science professor at the California Institute of Technology. "It also makes it difficult for the public to have confidence in the integrity of the numbers."

The dearth of data has thwarted independent analyses of issues ranging from disenfranchisement by ZIP code to whether the layout of a ballot influences the way people vote, academics say. Some registrars are quick to send CD-ROMs, spreadsheet files and other data to universities, they say, while others won't return researchers' phone calls.

Organizations that retain voting data -- counties, states, political parties and the companies that build the hardware and software for voting machines -- say they're not trying to stymie academics or keep the public in the dark. They say they're simply so overrun with requests that they can't keep up.

Michigan Democratic Party Executive Chairman Mark Brewer says he's eager to have someone analyze the February caucus, the country's biggest experiment to date with online voting.

A preliminary report of the five-week voting period showed more older voters than expected. Web-based ballots also seemed to help Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry more than Howard Dean, who was initially expected to get more Internet votes because his supporters tended to be young, well-educated and cyber-savvy.

But as the head of a major political party dealing with a presidential election in a battleground state, Brewer says he simply hasn't had time to organize the data for academics. The party, which ran the caucuses and paid for them, owns the information.

"No one's trying to hide anything," Brewer said at his state party headquarters. "We want it studied. And the DNC (Democratic National Committee) wants it studied, too."

Brewer says the data -- which includes each voter's name, address, gender, race and other personal information -- has to be handled carefully to protect voters' privacy. There's plenty of time to get a more detailed analysis, he said.

"The data's not going away," Brewer said.

The delay aggravates Michael Traugott, professor of political science at the University of Michigan, who says he tried to approach Brewer about a larger research project involving the data even before the caucuses were held but couldn't get Brewer to call back.

"They've been promising this data for a long time, and they haven't produced it," said Traugott, who has a grant from the National Science Foundation to study election administration reform and the impact of new voter technology. He says he'd use aggregated data to come to general conclusions about voting systems -- not to determine how any individual voted.

Thad Hall, a social scientist and assistant professor at the University of Utah, says organizations that maintain voter data shouldn't make excuses about privacy concerns or time constraints. The data he requests is entirely anonymous and, if registrars have proper coding in election software, only takes a few seconds to send as an e-mail attachment.

"Some officials are like, 'What if the scientists find out something bad about our data?' Their attitude should be, 'We're professionals and do a good job -- and if you find problems, tell us so we can solve them," said Hall, co-author of "Point, Click, and Vote: The Future of Internet Voting,"

Hall and other academics praised officials in Los Angeles County for granting requests for data. The county -- which, if it were a state, would be one of the top 10 voting jurisdictions in the country -- has shared data such as participation rates of military and overseas residents; the number of people who request absentee ballots in Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese and other languages; and the number of people who are permanent absentee voters versus the number who request an absentee ballot if they're sick or on vacation.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission, a 1-year-old federal agency created to oversee election reform nationwide, acknowledges that a lack of data is one of the biggest obstacles to making U.S. elections more accurate and efficient.

The EAC last week announced plans to spend at least $5 million on basic voting research from the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, compiled by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

"The truth is, most people would be shocked at the paucity of data we have on elections," EAC Chairman DeForest Soaries Jr. "We're flying without instruments."

Connie McCormick, registrar of voters in Los Angeles County, said demand for data could impose burdens on election officials -- particularly in small jurisdictions struggling to submit election results on time. But data will help researchers -- and boost voter confidence in election results.

"This will force counties ... to adopt clearly important process of basic statistical gathering," said McCormick, who was shocked to learn that Miami-Dade County had no local requirement in 2000 to reconcile the number of ballots cast with the number of voters who came to the polls. "How can you reassure the public on any level if the counties aren't doing basic reconciliations?"

EDITOR'S NOTE: Rachel Konrad contributed to this report from San Jose, Calif.

(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/10/10/national1307EDT0483.DTL)

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October 12, 2004

MISCELLANEOUS TRADE MEASURE BLOCKED OVER HUMAN RIGHTS IN LAOS

Congressional Quarterly

A normally routine miscellaneous trade and tariff measure is on hold again after Wisconsin's two senators blocked a Senate vote on it Monday because the legislation would extend so-called normal trade relations to Laos. Aides to Sens. Herb Kohl and Russell D. Feingold, both Democrats, explained that Wisconsin is home to large population of Hmong refugees, and the senators oppose granting Laos non-discriminatory trade treatment because of that country's poor human rights record concerning its Hmong community. The last-minute snafu creates uncertainty for the final version of the miscellaneous tariff and trade bill. Kohl and Feingold blocked consideration of the conference report on the bill (HR 1047 -- H Rept 108-771), which was adopted Oct. 8 by voice vote in the House. Senate aides said it was possible the Senate could try again in the lame-duck session, overcoming a filibuster by the Wisconsin senators. Or a new bill could be moved reflecting the conference agreement, but deleting or amending the provision on trade relations with Laos.

(www.cq.com)

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October 12, 2004

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

NEW CENSUS REPORT ON HMONG AMERICANS RELEASED

WASHINGTON, DC – Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND), a national nonprofit organization developing capacity to ensure the full participation of Hmong Americans, in collaboration with the Hmong Cultural Center in St. Paul, Minnesota has released a new Census data report and analysis on the Hmong American community. “We are extremely pleased to make this report available. It will be an important tool for the Hmong American community to reflect on our progress, and to think about our future,” states Pao Lo, HND Board President.

The report is the first of its kind, combining the work of several Hmong and non-Hmong scholars to interpret Census data in order to look at specific areas, such as, homeownership, education, and economic status. "Hmong Cultural Center through our Hmong Resource Center has been very privileged to have had the opportunity to work as a partner with Hmong National Development and several leading Hmong Studies scholars in the research and production of this very important publication in Hmong-American Studies. The Hmong Census Report is the most detailed analytical work that has ever been produced related to the demographics and educational and socioeconomic status of Hmong-Americans. I believe this publication will be used as a reference work by scholars, service providers, funders and community members for many years to come,” states Txongpao Lee, Executive Director, Hmong Cultural Center.

***
For more information and to order a copy, please contact Tong Lee at (202) 463-2118 or tong@hndlink.org

Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is “developing capacity to ensure the full participation of Hmong in society”.  HND works with local and national organizations, public and private entities, and individuals to promote educational opportunities, to increase community capacity, and to develop resources for the well-being, growth, and full participation of Hmong in society.

Hmong Cultural Center is a St. Paul, MN based organization with a nationally significant collection of Hmong Studies related research (Hmong Resource Center) and a multicultural education focus. The mission of Hmong Cultural Center is to promote the personal development of children, youth and adults through Hmong cultural education while also providing resources to facilitate cross-cultural awareness and understanding between Hmong and non-Hmong.

(www.hndlink.org)

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October 13, 2004

TWO MEN ARE ACCUSED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Staff

Two Canadian men were brought into U.S. District Court in Seattle yesterday, accused of trafficking illegal South Korean immigrants who were smuggled over the Canadian-Washington border.

David Jarvis, 44, and Sang Shin Park, 26, of British Columbia, were arrested Friday night. Each faces one count of conspiring to smuggle the Korean nationals into the United States and one count of transporting them inside the country.

Jarvis is accused of driving over the Canadian border into the northeastern Washington town of Oroville alone Friday morning, then heading down a secluded road parallel to the border and picking up five female South Korean nationals.

Agents arrested Park when he went to meet Jarvis in a parking lot near North Bend later that day, a Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent wrote in court documents.

(http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/195015_trafficking13.html)

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October 13, 2004

RICHMOND
KILLING GALVANIZES COMMUNITY
Laotian Cambodian and Vietnamese residents work to stop senseless violence

Cecilia M. Vega, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer

In the year since Chan Boonkeut was gunned down in her Richmond home as she answered a knock at the door, her mother hasn't had a night without tears, and her father can't stop asking, "Why my family?"

But they find comfort in the fact that the death of their daughter, who was 15 and killed by a gang aiming for her older brother, has galvanized west Contra Costa County's Southeast Asian community like never before.

Chan's death rallied a usually quiet community that, in the three decades since its arrival in the United States, has grown to 10,000 people and typically kept to itself and below the political radar.

"Chan was killed, and Chan was innocent," said John Sooksampan, a Laotian community leader who was among the first refugees to arrive in the East Bay following the Vietnam War. "Not only was she innocent, she was a very bright girl with goals and dreams. ... When Chan was killed, it touched everyone's heart."

Today, on the first anniversary of Chan's death, her family and community will gather for a memorial and vigil to mourn the ambitious teenager slain in a years-long gang rivalry that terrorized neighborhoods around the region.

They vow to never let such senseless violence strike their community again.

And by many accounts, they are succeeding.

Laotian, Cambodian and Vietnamese residents once apprehensive of the police now work closely with them. Many of the same refugees who fled political persecution are today trustful of elected officials in their adopted country. And a community that lived in fear of the gangs that plagued their neighborhoods now actively works together to eradicate them.

For Gwai Boonkeut, it is still difficult to believe some good came from his daughter's death.

"I always dreamed for my kids to be something," said Boonkeut, 48, who emigrated from Laos nearly 25 years ago. "My daughter was real close to me. Everywhere I go, she was right there."

Boonkeut was shot in the leg when the hail of bullets hit his home and still suffers from the pain of the injury. The family has since moved from their Richmond home into an apartment.

"Why it had to be me and my family?" he asked. "I'll keep asking the question until I get the answer."

Community leaders who know he may never get the answer he seeks have kept alive the memory of a young girl who epitomized an immigrant community's hope for a better life in a new country.

Of the five arrests made in Chan's shooting, two suspects have been charged with her slaying. Cuong Chi Dang , 20, and Seutitia Liva Fiu , 25, are due in court today to set a date for their preliminary hearings.

The other suspects were released pending further investigation.

Immediately after Chan's death, community leaders visited Richmond schools to reassure students scared of being shot in their own home.

Phaeng Toommaly Andersen, executive director of Richmond's United Laotian Community Development Center, was among those who met with the rival gangs involved in the killing -- Sons of Death and Color of Blood -- in an effort to quell the violence.

And leaders hosted community forums to teach parents about gangs and point out warning signs of children who may be in gangs.

It was a remarkable turnaround for a community wary of the police and reluctant to seek help.

"Part of the reason we have been quiet for so long is that where we come from, you don't challenge authority. You just wait for them to give you something," said Toommaly Andersen. "It takes two or three who are really committed to persuade the rest of the community that this is a good thing. If we need something, you have to ask for it."

Gang outreach workers say the fighting between west Contra Costa's Southeast Asian gangs has practically ceased since Chan's death, something many link to the unprecedented public discussions about the problem.

The discussion continues Saturday at Contra Costa College, where Southeast Asian youth from West Contra Costa are hosting a conference aimed at stopping violence in their community.

The event, which the youths have spent months planning, will feature workshops on such issues as cultural and generation gaps between teenagers and their parents and question and answer sessions with former gang members.

The group has raised about $20,000 since Chan's death to help pay for the event.

"This is not conventional for us," said Maly Jong, a Laotian community leader. "We're a community that has been isolated from mainstream life. If there's something going on in the community, typically we just suck it up and let it go away."

Hanging on a wall in the tiny office of the United Laotian Community Development Center is the community's first trophy of political clout -- a proclamation from the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors declaring October "Southeast Asian Violence Prevention Month," a distinction community leaders lobbied hard to get.

"This is our community. We live in this county. We're not going to go back to Laos," said Torm Nompraseurt , Chan's uncle and a community organizer. "So let's find out how we can prevent this crises from happening again."

Memorial, summit scheduled
A graveside memorial for Chan Boonkeut will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. today at St. Joseph Cemetery, 2560 Church Lane, San Pablo. A candlelight vigil and memorial will follow from 5-8 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 2369 Barrett Ave., Richmond.

A youth summit on gang violence will be held Saturday from 9 a.m.-5:30 p. m. at Contra Costa College in the Liberal Arts Building, 260 Mission Bell Drive, San Pablo.

For more information on either event call (510) 235-5005.

E-mail Cecilia M. Vega at cvega@sfchronicle.com.

(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/13/BAGEC98SPM1.DTL)

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October 13, 2004

For Immediate Release

Contact: Janelle Hu (APIAVote 2004), 202-223-9170

Thousands of Asian Pacific Islander Americans Across the Nation Will Watch the Last Presidential Debate and Participate in National Conference Call Tonight

Washington DC - For the third and final Presidential candidate's debate tonight, APIAVote is encouraging all Asian Pacific Islander Americans to host or participate in Debate Watches and call in to our national Conference Call afterwards as candidate representatives address the APIA community.  In doing so, APIAs will both help energize the community to be an active part of this year's elections and show candidates that we are an important and involved constituency.

The APIA community is a rapidly growing minority population.  However, we have been historically underrepresented in the political process, and non-participation on our part has only worsened that effect.  There are many setbacks to APIA participation. Typical voter contact methods do not reach APIAs.  Also, as 2/3 of the APIA community members are immigrants, many carry over fear or distrust of political involvement from their countries of origin.  Furthermore, outreach to APIAs by parties, candidates, and political groups has been and remains relatively low.

By taking part in the Debate Watches and Conference Call, we can mobilize the APIA community in spite of these historical impediments.  APIAs cannot sit back in hopes that one day politicians will cater to us.  Instead we need to come together today and speak up for ourselves.  The Conference Call will be a huge opportunity for the candidates to find out that there is a strong APIA constituency, that we are going to vote, and that we care and think about the issues.

The election is going to be close, and the stakes are high.  62% of APIAs think the 2004 presidential election may be the most important election of their lifetime.  We cannot afford for the outcome to take place without our full participation.  The APIA community has already made significant progress so far in gearing up for this year's elections.  Hundreds of thousands of new APIAs have registered to vote since the 2000 elections.  But with 20% of APIAs still undecided, watching the debates and calling in tonight will be an important way for our community to get more informed and educated before November 2nd.

"Debate watch parties outreach to our friends and families who have never really discussed politics at the 'kitchen table' and help them feel comfortable about engaging in the political process and the 2004 elections," explained Go Kasai, APIAVote Youth Coordinator.  "We've seen incredible initiative among APIA youth this election cycle, which I'm confident will really propel us forward to make a bigger impact on the vote than we ever have before."

"APIA voters are coordinating hundreds of Debate Watch House Parties across the country," according to Janelle Hu, APIAVote National Coordinator.  "This is on top of the numerous voter projects by APIA organizations that are registering voters, disseminating educational materials, and coordinating voter turnout.  With our joint efforts, we will show the nation that APIAs are more engaged than ever in the political process and will race to the polls on November 2nd!"

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APIAVote is a national coalition of non-partisan nonprofit organizations that encourages civic participation and promotes a better understanding of public policy and the electoral process among the Asian and Pacific Islander American community. The national APIAVote partners are APIA Greek Alliance, Asian American Online, Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Hmong National Development, National Asian American Student Conference, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, National Congress of Vietnamese Americans, National Korean American Service and Education Consortium, Organization of Chinese Americans,  Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force, South Asian American Voting Youth.

APIAVote was founded in 1996 and maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

(www.apiavote.org)

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