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APAHA Events |
Community Events |
News Bulletins
Angel Island Immigration Station Preservation Grant
Please go online to vote each day! You can make a difference! Angel Island Immigration Station has been selected by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of twenty-five Bay Area historical sites to potentially receive funding from the "Partners in Preservation" program. We need your help in voting for the Immigration Station to ensure that Angel Island's $100,000 proposal for preservation is selected. $1 million will be distributed in the Bay Area. Your vote will make a difference! Through October 31st, you have the opportunity to cast one vote each day for the sites that you care about. All you have to do to be a voter is to register and vote at http://www.partnersinpreservation.com/ Please vote for the Angel Island Immigration Station each and every day! Pass this on to your friends and colleagues so that they can vote too. The site with the most votes will automatically receive funding. Other projects will be judged by the public's comments and judging as well as a Bay Area Advisory Committee. The sites to receive funding will be announced in November. American Express Partners in Preservation is a $10 million, five- year commitment to historic preservation that will increase public awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the United States and around the world. This commitment will help protect historic and cultural landmarks and will strengthen local communities. It is a joint effort between American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the World Monuments Fund. SF Chronicle article ABOUT ANGEL ISLAND IMMIGRATION STATION Located in San Francisco Bay, Angel Island Immigration Station was routinely the first stop for many immigrants crossing the Pacific Ocean between 1910 and 1940. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants from around the world came through Angel Island but its greatest significance is tied to the story of 175,000 estimated Chinese immigrants. Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, one of the restrictive laws prohibiting the immigration of certain nationalities and social classes of Asians, Chinese immigrants were detained as their papers were verified. Whereas some immigrants passed through Angel Island in a number of days, the average detention for the Chinese was two to three weeks, many stayed for several months, and some were forced to remain on the island for nearly two years. The most visible testament to the experiences of Angel Island detainees are the Chinese poems, speaking of sadness and isolation, etched into the walls of the dilapidated barracks that once housed them. For more information visit the website: www.aiisf.org Back to the Top HARRK Grant Program for APA Organizations throughout the Gulf Coast
The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) announces HARRK Grant Program for APA organizations throughout the Gulf Coast. Houston, TX The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) announced the Houston Asian Relief from Rita/Katrina Grant program. The purpose of the HARRK Grant Program is to fund initiatives which build partnerships between governmental / relief agencies and Asian/Pacific American community based organizations & faith based organizations so as to effectively provide an institutionalized deployment of services and immediate disaster assistance for populations with linguistic and cultural barriers. The HARRK Grant Program will grant up to $20,000 to a qualified 501(c)(3) not for profit organizations that undertakes a program that best fulfill these aims. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Applicant organizations and charitable projects should serve and primarily benefit the Asian/Pacific American communities affected by Hurricane Katrina & Rita in the greater Gulf Coast area states including Texas, Louisiana, & Mississippi. Organizations that do not have physical operations inside the State of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi or the United States of America will not be considered. DEADLINES AND COMMUNICATIONS The 2006 HARRK Grant Program schedule is as follows: 1. Grant applications are due postmarked by Wednesday, November 15th, 2006. 2. The Grants Committee will review eligible applications and recommend a grant recipient to the APAHA Board of Directors for approval at the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees in December 2006. 3. The grant recipient will be notified of the grant award shortly after the December 2006 meeting of the APAHA Board of Directors. Grant applicants are advised to use these application guidelines as a reference and checklist to ensure that all necessary information is provided with the original application package. The HARRK Grants Committee may contact applicants if additional information is required, but the Grants Committee reserves the right to disqualify application packages from consideration if key information is not included. Application packages must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, November 15th, 2006. For more information, contact Jerome Vielman, APAHA Executive Director, at (713) 784-1112 or email jerome@apaha.org. You can also log onto www.apaha.org for more details. To obtain the 2006 Grant Application, click here. Back to the Top Asian & Paicific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) Deadline 01/12/2007
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) has a vision to see that all Asian and Pacific Islander Americans who wish to pursue higher education have that opportunity, regardless of their ethnicity, national origin or financial means. As a leader in our community, you have the opportunity to support that vision. APIASF asks that you help identify students, who have the academic achievement and leadership potential, to apply for the APIASF scholarship. Encourage students to visit *www.apiasf. org* to begin the application process (beginning Monday, October 16, 2006) or get more information on APIASF. If you would like to have APIASF applications mailed to you, please contact Bindi Patel at bindi@apiasf. org. All applications must be submitted on-line by January 12, 2007, 11:59 pm EST or postmarked on or before January 12, 2007. To be eligible for the APIASF scholarship, students must: * Be of Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity as defined by the 2000 Census. * Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. National, legal permanent resident, or a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau. * Be a first-time, incoming college student in the Fall of 2007. * Be enrolled full-time in a two or four-year program at a U.S. accredited college or university in the U.S., Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for the 2007-2008 school year (enrollment is verified in the Spring of 2007). In the Freely Associated States, this includes the Community College of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau. * Have a cumulative, unweighted grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 or higher on a 4.0 scale, or the G.E.D. equivalent. The APIASF application involves two parts, one part completed by the student and the other by a Recommender; an educator, advisor, community leader, or employer. The entire application packet must be submitted in one method, completion either on-line or submitted by mail. If you have any further questions, please contact Bindi Patel at bindi@apiasf. org or via phone at (toll-free) 877-808-7032. Bindi Patel Scholarship Associate Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund 1628 16th St. NW Ste. 400 Washington, DC 20009 T: 202-986-6892 F: 202-667-6449 bindi@apiasf. org Back to the Top Check out New Greater Houston Convention & Vistor's Bureau Website!
Visit: http://www.visithoustontexas.com/home/. Back to the Top Asian American Bar Association Newsletter - November 2006
Click here to view the AABA November 2006 Newsletter. Back to the Top 2007-2009 APAHA Board Consideration
Dear Community Leaders: 2007 is APAHAs 15th Year Anniversary! APAHA is looking for qualified Board candidates in our key areas of growth within our organization - with emphasis in the areas of Fundraising, Marketing, Human Resources and/or Community Outreach. If you are interested please submit the 2007 APAHA Board Application via fax to 832.201.8228 or email jerome@apaha.org. Thank you for your interest! 2007 APAHA Board Membership Application: click here APAHA By-Laws: click here Back to the Top South Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) Gala to Salute Notable South Asian Women
South Asian Chamber of Commerce Press Release For Immediate Release A Salute to South Asian Women Thirteenth Annual Gala 2006 November 7, 2006 - HOUSTON, Texas - The South Asian Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its 13th Annual Gala on November 16, 2006 at the Westin Oaks Galleria at 6:00 pm. Honorary Chairwomen, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and City Controller Annise D. Parker and the Board of Directors will welcome the business community, civic and community leaders to celebrate its annual event. The Keynote speaker at the Gala will be Ms. Donna Fujimoto Cole, the CEO and President of Cole Chemicals. Donna Cole has been listed in the top 100 minority businesses in the country. She is also involved in innumerable organizations committing her time to the welfare of the community. Ms. Miya Shay, reporter with ABC 13 will emcee the spectacular event. The evening will include the social hour, award ceremony, raffle drawing and entertainment. The theme for this years gala is A Salute to South Asian Women in the fields of Professionalism, Entrepreneurship and Community Service. Women are an integral part of the intellectual capital and business expertise and have been generous supporters in the welfare of the community at large. SACC is proud to salute the following women for their accomplishments in their respective fields: Dr. Nargis Alam is currently working at MD Anderson Cancer Center as a research investigator in the Department of Cancer Genetics. Her major field of research was in heart disease and stroke and now in childhood kidney tumor, mouse model and developmental biology. Her teaching and research career resulted in several publications in the area of heart disease and cancer. Ms. Aruna Viswanathan is the former Vice-President and Director of Operations for the Houston Technology Center (HTC), the largest technology incubator in Texas. While at the HTC, she helped direct the operational growth of the organization and its client company profile from under 30 to over 65 Houston area startups. She also launched the Gulf Coast Regional Center for Innovation and Commercialization, which makes funding recommendations on regional applicants to the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. Both of these women are being honored for their professional achievements. Dr. Fatima Mawji has served in several organizations, benefiting many communities and individuals. Her primary area of interest is addressing the health and social needs of women and people with mental and physical challenges. Dr. Mawji's strength is best exemplified by her involvement and leadership within the Ismaili Muslim Community where she served as the chairperson of the Social Welfare Board, a joint initiative of Aga Khan Foundation and His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the USA. Dr. Mawji was the driving force in the establishment of The Social Safety Net throughout the USA. Under her leadership, the Social Safety Net has been able to help and support community members in need by enhancing their quality of life and empowering them. She currently serves on the Board of Interfaith Ministries and is also the vice chair of Focus Humanitarian Assistance for USA whose mission is to effectively and rapidly respond to disasters through prevention, preparedness and mitigation. SACC proudly recognizes Dr. Mawji for her long-term community work. Ms. Selina K. Rahman will be honored for her community services. She has been involved with many organizations. Just to name a few, she serves as Advisory member for Houston Mayor Bill Whites International Affairs and International Development Council, Advisory Board member for UNICEF Southwest Region. She organized and coordinated multiple fund-raisers for different countries. She is also serving as a liaison to the United States Justice Department and FBI as a community leader to create a bridge of understanding and working together. She also played a vital role with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in assisting with the Houstons Solution for Tsunami Victims. Organizations such as DAYA, Sri Meenakshi Temple, Udavum Karangal of USA, Bharathi Kalai Manram and many more organizations are quite familiar with Dr. Padmini R. Nathan who gave-up her career to devote her life in serving the community and her family. She has made much difference in serving not only in Houston area but also made a mark of her community work in India and the United Kingdom. She has been instrumental in establishing regional support groups in the US and in the United Kingdom. With her efforts, the Udavum Karangal (Helping Hands), succeeded in raising awareness and in providing funds for major projects. The organization plans to build a primary care medical center to provide free and subsidized care. Her mission is to help the under privileged and the abused. Her vision is to increase understanding appreciation of Indian culture, values and traditions. Dr. Nathan will also be saluted at the SACC gala on Nov. 16. SACC will also recognize two very successful entrepreneurs in the South Asian Community. Ms. Ayesha Hakki established Bibi magazine, Bibimagazine.com, Bibibazaar.com as the largest, most notable South Asian-American fashion and bridal publication and website in the US marketplace. Bibi Magazine, the premier bridal and fashion magazine, print and web, is a cumulative effort of Ayesha Hakki and her partners, Shabana Haq and Zooni. Since its inception in July 2000, Bibi Magazine has grown to include retail distribution, both mainstream and ethnic, in 40 states nationwide as well as Canada, England, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. With a redesign three years ago, Bibi Magzine doubled its circulation and market penetration. Ms. Hakki has been recognized and invited by The New York Times, The Houston Press, The Houston Chronicle, The Village Voice, Little India, Desi Match, News India Times, on Bollywood on ABCs Nightline, The Debra Duncan Show, AVS TV, TV Asia, B4U, ABCs Channel 13 Houston Visions, ITV and more. Ayesha has been awarded inclusion in the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 editions of the Who's Who Historical Society's book of International Entrepreneurs. The Houston Chronicle named Ayesha as The Wedding Guru. Muna Ahmed is both an Engineer and a successful businesswoman. After gaining much experience in the fields of engineering and sales in March 2002, Ms. Ahmed began her company, Reliable Technical Solutions. RTS has been providing engineering services and has been a reseller of ruggedize / industrial computer and LCD products to the oil and gas industry. While serving the industry with RTS product and services she discovered high demand in system integrators due to oil and gas industry requirements. In December 2005, RTS merged with South Coast Technology, a company that has been providing system integration services since 1997. Between the two companies, Muna is now able to serve the industry with total turnkey system integration (both engineering and manufacturing). The revenue between the two companies is about $7 Million and is expected to be $10 to $12 Million by end of 2007. SACC is proud to salute Muna Ahmed for her accomplishments. For more information, please contact: Sam Syed at 832-287-9781, Munira Panjwani at 713-298-3073 or Shobana Muratee at 713-419-5462. Back to the Top Asian/Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Fellowship Programs 2007-08
APAICS ANNOUNCES FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS FOR 2007-08 Washington - Due to the overwhelming response from the Asian Pacific American community in the 2006-07 cycle, the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) is pleased to announced that we have on our website the application to apply for these Fellowship programs, state President and CEO William H. (Mo) Marumoto. We hope that this early announcement will allow more response from the APA community. The two 2007-08 Fellowship Programs are the George Aratani Foundation/Daniel K. Inouye Fellowship Program and the Anheuser-Busch/Frank Horton Fellowship Program. Applications can be downloaded from APAICS Website, ( www.apaics.org ) . Candidates can also request an application by mail by sending a message to apaics@apaics.org. These applications must be postmarked by Wednesday, February 28, 2007. There will be no extension deadline. Respectively, Maya Yamazaki and Gloria Chan are the current APAICS Fellows for the George Aratani Foundation/Daniel K. Inouye Fellow and Anheuser-Busch/Frank Horton Fellow. Ms. Yamazaki has been placed with Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallos Office and Ms. Chan is with Congressman Mike Hondas Office. This program has proven to be very competitive among the graduate students, said Marumoto. It is a wonderful opportunity to experience the workings of our federal government and perhaps to be involved in how our laws are made in the Congress, continued Marumoto. *** APAICS was founded in 1994. It is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan, educational organization based in Washington, D.C., that seeks to build a politically empowered Asian Pacific American community, to fill the political pipeline for Asian Pacific Americans to enter and advance into elected office, and to be a resource to Congress about the Asian Pacific American community. Asian/Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) 1001 Connecticut Ave, NW., Suite 530 Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel: (202) 296-9200 Fax: (202) 296-9236 Email: apaics@apaics.org www.apaics.org Back to the Top Pacific Islanders Lagging Behind in Higher Educational Attainment
For Immediate Release Melany Dela Cruz-Viesca, melanyd@ucla.edu (310) 206-7738 In an economy that increasingly requires a college education to be successful in the labor market, Pacific Islanders have fallen behind and current admissions patterns will perpetuate this problem, according to an analysis conducted by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, the UC Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Initiative, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center. The analysis uses data released November 14, 2006 from the 2005 American Community Survey, iterated by race, Hispanic origin, ancestry and age released today by the U.S. Census Bureau, along with previously released data. Major Findings include: * Among those 25 years and older, single-race Pacific Islanders are only about half as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have at least a bachelor's degree (15% versus 30%). The gap is even wider when compared to Asians (49% with a bachelor's or more advanced degree). * Pacific Islander levels of educational attainment (15%) are similar to African Americans, in which 17% have at least a bachelor's or more advanced degree. * Pacific Islanders in Hawai'i have lower educational attainment than those in the other 49 states. * Among Pacific Islanders, Samoans, Tongans, and Fijians have the lowest percentages with a college degree. * Prospects for future educational attainment are bleak. Slightly less than a third (29%) of Pacific Islanders between the ages of 18 and 24 are enrolled in a college or university, a rate comparable to African Americans (29%). In contrast, the college enrollment figures are 39% for non-Hispanic whites and 57% for Asians. * Public schools are failing to prepare Pacific Islander students for high school and college levels. The lack of culturally-appropriate programs and a hostile educational environment contribute to social alienation and a high dropout rate among Pacific Islander youths. The full nine-page report, Pacific Islanders Lagging Behind in Higher Educational Attainment, which includes graphs and tables, is available free for viewing and downloading on the web site of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center: http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/ ### -- Don T. Nakanishi, Ph.D. Director and Professor UCLA Asian American Studies Center 3230 Campbell Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1546 phone:310.825.2974 fax:310.206.9844 e-mail:dtn@ucla.edu web site for Center: http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/default.asp Back to the Top PHILIPPINE GOVERNORS' visit to Houston- November 19-23, 2006
PHILIPPINE GOVERNORS' visit to Houston- November 19-23, 2006 CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) For more information, contact Norma Benzon at nbenzon1122@yahoo.com. ITINERARY: A) November 19 - Upon delegation's arrival on November 19, 2006 at 5:21 pm, they will proceed to the residence of Dr. & Mrs. John & Rose Pohl for a special dinner reception. B) November 20 - 1) 9:00am-11:00 am- concurrent tours of Ben Taub Hospital-arranged by Ben Ongoco; and St. Luke's Hospital-arranged by Norma Benzon. 2) Lunch at Captain Wick's-arranged by Eufe Chua and Raffy Navo courtesy of owners, Tessie and Fred Bartolome. 3) 2:00-5:00pm- Special NASA Tour arranged by Flor Guinhawa and Norma Benzon with special assistance from NASA Project Leader Jim Travlos. 4) 6:30pm- General Reception at Gold Ribbon arranged by FACOST chair, Bobby Reyes. Dinner on your own. Delegation's pro-bono dinner courtesy of owners, Dolly and Gerry Mangahas. OPEN TO PUBLIC C) November 21 - 1) 9:00am-1:00pm- Business Meeting at International Trade Club (11122 Bellaire) Conference Hall, arranged by Tito Refi, Tess Tuazon and Flor Guinhawa. OPEN TO BUSINESS OWNERS 2) Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Medical Bridges and CALABARZON provincial governors during the Business meeting, arranged by Arlene Machetta and Dr. Arsenio Martin. 3) 2:00-5:00pm-Tour of Medical Bridges facility-arranged by Dr. Arsenio Martin 4) 6:30- 9:00pm - Delegation dinner at Flor Guinhawa's residence D) November 22- 1) 8:45am - Brief visit to Rizal Bust at Hermann Park. 2) 9:00-10:45am -Tour of Methodist Hospital-arranged by Norma Benzon 3) 12:00-2:00pm -Special M/V SAM Houston Boat tour of Port Houston (Houston Ship Channel)- $5,000 grant arranged and secured by Norma Benzon for 60 people; hot lunch and cold drinks provided during boat tour 4) 3:00-5:00pm-Merienda at Lina Umali's residence (with PHP) 5) 6:00-11pm- Rockets Game at the Toyota Center courtesy of Flor Guinhawa who personally purchased 20 tickets for the delegation. Norma Benzon and Grace Rodriguez are arranging possible Rockets suite in coordination with the Houston Rockets and Gordon Quan. E) November 23- Departure F) OTHERS: a) City proclamation-arranged by Norma Benzon and Helen Chang from the City of Hosuton b) Acccommodations-arranged by Tess Tuazon c) Houston Chronicle press release and welcome gifts-arranged by Grace Rodriguez d) Local Papers-Ave Basa, Jimmy Viray, Ben Ongoco, Flor Guinhawa e) Transportation-Perla Palileo Brame, Flor Guinhawa, Bobby Reyes and Tess Tuazon. FACOST STEERING COMMITTEE-CALABARZON GOVERNORS' VISIT TO HOUSTON : Chairs: Flor Guinhawa (Houston); Ricky Osmond (CALABARZON) Coordinators: Bobby Reyes, Norma & Meredith Benzon, Tito Refi, Tess Tuazon, Dr. Arsenio Martin, Arlene Machetta, Ave Basa, Ben Ongoco, Grace Rodriguez, Gus & Ethel Mercado, Gary Ilagan, Perla Palileo Brame and Eufe Chua RECEPTION HOSTS: Dr. & Mrs. John and Rose Pohl, Captain Wick's, Gold Ribbon, Flor Guinhawa, and Lina & Roman Umali Back to the Top TRAVEL AND STUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES (updated 1/8/06)
(Special Thanks to the Japan America Society of Houston for the information) JAPAN FULBRIGHT MEMORIAL FUND TEACHER PROGRAM Application deadline December 7, 2006 The JFMF Teacher Program allows distinguished primary and secondary school educators in the US to travel to Japan for three weeks in an effort to promote greater intercultural understanding between the two nations. This year, up to 400 educators from all over the US will be selected to participate in the 2007 program. Teachers of all disciplines are encouraged to apply; previous knowledge of Japan or Japanese language is not required. For information about the program please refer to www.fulbrightmemorialfund.jp or contact 1-888-527-2636. Applications must be completed online, and will be available at www.iie.org/jfmj KEZAI KOHO CENTER TEACHER FELLOWSHIPS Summer 2007 Application deadline: February 15, 2007 The Kezai Coho Center (Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs) in cooperation with the National Association of Japan America Societies will sponsor a ten-day fellowship to Japan next summer for educators in the US and Canada. The Fellowship allows educators to learn first hand about contemporary Japanese society and enhance their classroom teaching of global perspectives. The ten-day itinerary in Japan includes time in Tokyo; tours of major industrial and corporate facilities; meetings with government officials, educators, and business people; school visits; discussions with teachers and students; and a homestay with a Japanese family. The fellowship is open to those who have never lived in Japan and have not visited Japan on a similar study tour, and who are high school teachers of Economics, Social Studies, and History (grades 8-12); supervisors, specialists, and school administrators at the district and state levels; or faculty associated with four year colleges who are directly concerned with the training of K-12 teachers. For information and application visit www.us-japan.org MIKE MANSFIELD FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM Application deadline April 2, 2007 The Mansfield Fellowship program is for Federal government employees with a career interest in issues of importance to the US-Japan relationship; Fellows spend a year working in Japanese government or industry offices, preceded by a year in Japanese language and area studies training in Washington DC. Fellows may bring their families to Japan. Interviews will take place in Washington DC in May 2007. For information visit www.mansfieldfdn.org or contact Ms. Niharika Chibber Joe, Associate Director, Mansfield Fellowships at 202-347-1994 or 1-800-803-1106. Back to the Top SAVE THE DATE: Asian American/Pacific Islander Communities: Invisible and In Need 01/18/2007!
SAVE THE DATE!! Asian American/Pacific Islander Communities Invisible and In Need 11:00 am - 1:00 p.m. Thursday, January 18, 2007 United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast 50 Waugh Drive Houston, Texas 77007 FOR OFFICIAL SAVE THE DATE FLYER, CLICK HERE! Presenters Domingo Barrios Vice President of Community Investing Greater Houston Community Foundation Houston, TX Rogene Calvert Director of Personnel and Volunteer Initiative Program City of Houston Houston, TX Peggy Saika President and Executive Director Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) San Francisco, CA Who should attend? Foundation staff, community based organizations, individual philanthropists/donors with an interest in Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) issues and needs. Whats it about? With the Asian American/Pacific Islander population in the U.S., reaching over 12 million and representing 4% of the total population (The Foundation Center, 2006 Foundation Giving Trends), and facing considerable social and economic barriers, we continue to see significant disparities in the level of investments made to these communities by foundations. -. The reality: AAPI communities are one of the fastest growing populations but AAPI communities receive only 0.4% of all foundation funding support. This briefing will provide attendees with critical information on the challenges facing AAPI communities and help initiate a much-needed discussion about the virtually invisible needs that continue to exist in these diverse communities. Please save the date for this informative briefing, more details to come . Lunch will be provided. This event is by invitation only. For more information, please contact Sandy (sandy@aapip.org). This briefing is presented by AAPIP (www.aapip.org) and the Greater Houston Community Foundation (www.ghcf.org). Back to the Top Bikol National Association of America's efforts to Typhoon Reming's disaster victims
Hello Everyone, Below is a first hand account of how BNAA (Bikol National Association of America) is expediting relief efforts with the help of all chapter members contribution to the Typhoon Remings victims in Bikol. Zayda and Senen Baron are working tirelessly to be able to reach every barangay and distribute relief packages. For those who have sent their donations, thank you very much (Dios mabalos po) on behalf of our kababayans and to those who wish to donate, please send them to: Bicol USA Houston Chapter, c/o Tess Tuazon 10723 Meadow Lake Lane, Houston, TX 77042. Acknowledgment of your donation to this non-profit organization will be sent to you. Let us share our blessings to those who need them most during this holiday season. Merry Christmas to all. God Bless. Sincerely, TESS TUAZON President, Bicol USA Houston Chapter Board Secretary, FACOST (Filipino American Council of South Texas) Board Secretary, FDRT (Filipino Disaster Relief Texas) As of 12/18/06, we have a new address. Please update your contact information. Tess Tuazon Chase | Executive Assistant CBRE| Melody Capital Markets 2800 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 2100 Houston, TX 77056 T: 713 787 1938 | F: 713 787 1951 | C: 281 785 6196 tess.chase@cbremelody.com | www.cbremelody.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Update - BNAA Distribution of relief goods Hi All, It's 7:30 p.m.. We just came from Camalig, our trip made a detour upon reaching Guinobatan because the road I mentioned to you, that caved in, having been carried by the strong river current, gave way to the heavy trucks. We passed thru the bundoks of Guinobatan to reach Camalig. It was a scary drive. Yesterday we went to Guinobatan via Travesia to get to Muladbukad Pequena and Dona Tomasa. Our travel was going upwards the volcano nearly its slope. The roads are not quite good, the reason why there is no relief that comes to these up high places. There were 411 family heads at Muladbukad and 240 at Dona Tomasa. Our distribution took place at the chapel of both barangays. It was quite a distance. Going to Camalig we passed by Bariw Elem. School, whose school ground was covered with mud. At Tagaytay, after Bariw, homes were torn down and flattened on the ground, while at Palanog the once upon a time a rice field is now full of sand and mud. We saw this pathetic sight of destruction. The last place before reaching Camalig is in North Camalig School which has the same fate as Bariw Elem. School. The roads are sand filled and water running everywhere. Houses are down and people are salvaging pieces of wood they can use. Galvanized roofing were rolled like Manila paper lying on the roadside. At Camalig Fr. Nino Garcia Tuyo, nephew of Fr. Nelson Garcia met us at the church entrance and informed Fr. Sarte that the BNAA Team arrived with a jeepney full of stuff. We brought the jeepney inside the church and the distribution was there. From 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 pm. we were giving out relief stuff. There were 772 recipients at Ilawod,.Camalig. Fr. Sarte was very thankful because we did our repacking ready for handing out, whereas others arrived with boxes to be repacked while recipeints were already waiting. The Manila Dept. of Health talked to us having seen the BNAA poster, that our systematic way of distribution was fast and victims could cook the relief right away. Tomorrow is another day trip to Lourdes, Bariis, & Sugod. Jen & Joe come with us every day with two alumni ladies. Our next trip will be at Banag and Cullat at Daraga. We have to contact Ana, the coordinator of Daraga Social Center. One by one, these places will be reached and will receive relief. Our trip went around the mountains of Albay - quite far and circuitous. I will send you another email after our trip. Please send the equivalent pump wells and scholarship money that we spent for the relief distribution. Send the dollar thru PNB remittance. All puchases are reciepted for BNAA accounting. But we spent more this time with several towns affected by typhoon Reming. The alumni is on the 4th day of repacking, sometimes 11 because others come with us to hand out the relief. The driver and two laborers hauling the sacks of rice too. There is no place in Albay to repack the rice. Almost all buildings are in ruins plus to transport the goodies where mud abounds and pile of garbage in every corner will delary the process. Please rush in the dollar donation. We haven't contacted Bishop Sora who is in Catanduanes this time but will be back by next week and can arrange what is possible for handing out, We can not go on sailing because we are on the midst of work. More report will follow after our trip - regards Zayda Back to the Top "MY LIFE DISORIENTED" - Asian/Pacific TV Pilot Premieres on PBS Dec. 26th!
"MY LIFE DISORIENTED" Ready for National Broadcast Asian/Pacific TV Pilot Premieres on PBS Dec. 26th 
LOS ANGELES, CA December 13, 2006 A new Asian/Pacific American television show called "My Life Disoriented" will premiere on PBS with national broadcasts starting Dec. 26th. The future of the show could well depend on audience response to the original "pilot" episode airing as part of the acclaimed series, "Independent Lens." The show's impressive cast includes: Karin Anna Cheung (Better Luck Tomorrow) Tamlyn Tomita (The Joy Luck Club) 2006 APAHA Gala Honoree Dennis Dun (Big Trouble In Little China) Autumn Reeser (The O.C.) Di Quon (Maid In Manhattan) Cheung, a familiar face from the 2003 film "Better Luck Tomorrow," recently remarked in a recent Asian Week article, "I remember being so excited when Margaret Cho's 'All American Girl' was going to be the first Asian American sit com -- actually, it didn't even occur to me until then that we didn't HAVE a show. It's cool to be able to possibly do the same thing for a new generation." The show's producers, including Eric Byler (charlotte sometimes, AMERICANese), are asking people across the country to E-Mail PBS to request more air dates (with better air times -- some PBS affiliates are showing it at 3 AM) and to express interest in seeing the show become a series. E-Mail PBS: http://www.pbs.org/aboutsite/aboutsite_emailform.html! And Please Copy "My Life Disoriented" producers at: contact@mylifedisoriented.com Find Out When "My Life Disoriented" Airs in Your Area http://deerstudio.com/myspace.mld/ You Tube: High School Clip (with Karin Anna Cheung, Di Quon, Autumn Reeser, Amanda Fuller): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qk57L6LBPY Family Clip (with Tamlyn Tomita, Dennis Dunn, Di Quon, Phil Young, and Karin Anna Cheung): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jftiJIqIOL8 Official Website: www.MyLifeDisoriented.com Myspace Website: www.MySpace.com/MyLifeDisoriented SYNOPSIS: Life gets turned upside down for Bay Area teens Kimberlee and Aimee when their father loses his job and relocates the family to Bakersfield. Suddenly, Kimberlee and Aimee are two of only a handful of Asian American kids at their school. In episode one, Kimberlee quickly makes friends with a street-smart outcast named Tisa, but the new friendship is strained when three "popular" girls take Kimberlee under their wing. Meanwhile, Aimee puts on a brave face for the sake of the family, but shares the cause of her secret suffering with her peculiar, mixed-race cousin, Phil. QUOTE FROM PHIL YOUNG "Cousin Phil" "I ran into Hira Ambrosino who plays my Aunt on the show. Hira mentioned that she noticed her 15-year old son soon was drawn to the show as mixed characters showed up on the screen. She told me he watched the show 3 more times, and that each time, he seemed more 'into' it. I had not thought that a role I would play would make a difference in a teenager's life. For that reason, among many others, I am proud to be part of this production. This teen is exactly who mainstream Hollywood is ignoring - and I know exactly how that feels." QUOTE FROM DENNIS DUN (Big Trouble in Little China) "Johnny Fung" "My Life Disoriented" captures a slice of Asian Americana with depth, humor, complexity and humanity. It breaks new ground for American television. "My Life Disoriented" The Series: Although My Life Disoriented explores certain nuances unique to the Asian American experience, its presentation is de-signed for mainstream appeal. The High School Genre is the perfect format for this goal. Social pressures that affect us in adult life are universally magnified in high school, where rigid standards of beauty and behavioral expectations can make anyone feel like an outcast. Whether it's new braces, a weight problem, or just a bad haircut that separates an adolescent from the norm, almost anyone who experiences or reflects upon these years can relate to the fear of social isolation. In this environment, the challenges facing Kimberlee and Aimee as minorities in a mostly Caucasian high school are not as foreign as one might otherwise expect. Kimberlee and Aimee hope that they will be accepted by the "in-crowd" at their new school just as any teenager would. But does their status as "the only Asian girls in the entire county" make them more suitable for an outcast group? By exploring this question within the framework of the quintessentially American High School Genre, My Life Disoriented provides mainstream audiences with a window in which they can see themselves reflected, regardless of race. The final scenes of the first episode demonstrate how universally compelling a high school drama can be. Whereas Kimberlee was comfortable associating with Asian Americans in San Francisco, she suddenly finds herself reluctant to be seen with Naka and Charlie, the only Asian American boys at her new high school in Bakersfield. In a pivotal scene, the boys offer Kimberlee a ride home from school. Under the scrutiny of the Caucasian "in crowd," Kimberlee hesitates long enough for Charlie to write her off as a sell out and zoom off without her. Kimberlee then embarks on a mission to prove herself to Charlie and Naka, developing into a delicate game of trust that could lead to friendship and even romance. This storyline mirrors a phenomenon in adult society. Mainstream media and mainstream culture welcome and celebrate Asian American women as beautiful and exotic. But doors that are open for Asian American women are often closed to Asian American men, who are perhaps too closely associated with the wars of the 20th century and "the axis of evil." This leaves Asian American women in a quandary. Should they insist that doors of opportunity be held open for their Asian American brothers and risk having it closed on themselves? In My Life Disoriented, Kimberlee is offered the ideal doorway to acceptance and popularity at her new school. But, if she is observed hanging out with Char-lie and Naka, will she be branded as "one of them" and lose her fragile status as "one of us?" Back to the Top OCA Summer Internship Program. Deadline March 15th, 2007
OCA Seeks Applicants for Summer Internship Program Washington, DC OCA, a national Asian Pacific American organization dedicated to ensuring social justice for APAs, is seeking motivated and qualified students for its highly successful summer internship program. The internship will last approximately ten weeks and a stipend will be provided. Program Details: Summer interns will be placed at a federal agency, non-profit, or congressional office that matches their interest and work full-time. Interns can also be placed at the OCA National Center and work first hand with one of the largest APA organizations in the country. In addition to their placement, summer interns will be highly engaged in many OCA activities and be involved with grassroots organizing. The OCA Summer Internship Program engages interns with numerous activities to bring to life all that Washington, DC has to offer. The summer brown bag series will inform and engage interns on important issues int he APA and civil rights community. In the past, weve met with Congressional Representatives, APA staffers, and members of the APA Congressional Caucus to inspire interns. We will also be continuing on the success of a collaborative effort on toolkits that interns will research and determine best practices on important APA college issues, such as hate crimes and bias, coalition, and Asian American Studies. In addition to your time in Washington, DC, OCA will bring the interns to our annual national convention, the largest APA conference in the country, held in Sacramento, CA on June 28 July 1, 2007. The convention will feature speakers, entertainment and engage the entire community on pertinent issues. Applicants are strongly encouraged to make sure they are able to attend this signature event. Apply: Please visit our website at www.ocanational.org for more details. Deadline is March 15. We will be interviewing and selecting the 2007 OCA Summer Internship class by April and a firm commitment is required at the time. Interns will be responsible for travel and housing while in Washington, DC. Feel free to pass this along to anyone who would be interested. Internships are also available during the winter, spring and fall sessions at the OCA National Center. See details online Back to the Top APAICS Fellowship Extension to March 31, 2007
APAICS FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED Washington, D.C. -- The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) announced that the deadline to receive applications for the Fellowship programs has been extended. All applications should be postmarked by March 31, 2007. The programs are George T. Aratani Foundation/Senator Daniel Inouye Fellow, Anheuser-Busch/Congressman Frank Horton Fellow, Sodexho Fellow, and two Coca-Cola Foundation/Secretary Norman Y. Mineta Fellows. Due to the latest addition from the Coca-Cola Foundation, APAICS wanted to give more time to those students wishing to apply. All applications may be obtained from APAICS website at www.apaics.org . President and CEO William H. (Mo) Marumoto stated, We wanted to be sure to give qualified students every opportunity to apply for these wonderful Fellowships. From the sampling that we have already received, that will not be a problem. APAICS was founded in 1994 and is a national 501 (c) (3) non-profit, non-partisan,educational organization based in Washington, D.C., that seeks to build a politically empowered Asian Pacific American (APA) community to fill the political pipeline for APAs to enter and advance into elected office, and to be a resource to Congress about the APA community. Back to the Top OPEN CALL for TEN with David Henry Hwang, Julia Cho, others at the Public Theater NYC
OPEN CALL ASIAN AMERICAN ACTORS AND ACTRESSES OF ALL TYPES SOUGHT for TEN a staged reading of brand new ten-minute plays by CARLA CHING, JULIA CHO, ANDREW CHU, MICHAEL GOLAMCO DAVID HENRY HWANG, MRINALINI KAMATH, CHIORI MIYAGAWA QUI NGUYEN, A. REY PAMATMAT , and SUNG RNO Produced and directed by LLOYD SUH Associate Directors MICHAEL LEW and REHANA MIRZA Performances on MONDAY, APRIL 30TH AND TUESDAY, MAY 1ST AT 7:00pm at the JOSEPH PAPP PUBLIC THEATER Up to 15-20 roles available for actors and actresses of all Asian ethnicities, ages, and types. No experience necessary. Especially seeking new talent. Rehearsal period during the week of April 23-30th. Both day and evening rehearsal hours possible. Auditions to be held at 440 Studios, 440 Lafayette Street, New York, NY, April 6-11. For an appointment, please email casting@2g.org with requested audition times. Appointments will be schedueld in five minute increments during the following hours: Friday, April 6th, 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm Saturday, April 7th, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday, April 9th, 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm Tuesday, April 10th, 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm In your email, please include your full name, contact information, and preferred appointment times (attach headshot and resume, if possible), along with any conflicts with the above schedule. We will respond to your email with the exact time of your appointment, and provide copies of the audition sides that you will be asked to prepare. For further info, please visit www.2g.org Second Generation is celebrating its 10th anniversary season of bringing Asian American stories to the world's stage. Previous productions include Making Tracks and The Wedding Banquet: The Musical, Masha No Home (co-produced with Ensemble Studio Theatre) and the Diane Paulus directed The Karaoke Show. 2g's productions have been performed and hosted by Carnegie Hall, the New York State Theatre at Lincoln Center, the Asia Society, regionally at the Village Theatre in Seattle and San Jose Repertory, and via international tours through Taiwan and Singapore. Via its "In The Works" series, 2g has developed dozens of new plays by early-career and emerging Asian American writers since 1997, as part of its mission to identify, nurture and support the next generation of Asian American dramatic literature. Back to the Top The Heritage Society Presents "Coming to Houston" Exhibition. March 13 - May 27, 2007
The Heritage Society Presents "Coming to Houston" Exhibition March 13 - May 27, 2007   
The Heritage Society will explore how and why people made the journey to Houston through the Coming to Houston museum exhibit. Former Texas State Representative Martha Wong and Houston City Council Member M.J. Khan are among others whom will be featured at this exhibition. Since 1836, when the Allen brothers founded the city, Houston has continually grown as a result of migration. One of the most critical forces drawing people to Houston has been the thriving economy. With the development of the ship channel, the booming oil business and an ever expanding medical center, Houstons economy continued to grow through the 20th century. Whether people came for jobs, or just to make a fresh start, it is clear that they were drawn to Houston in search of a better life. Initially, many found it difficult to embrace the growing diversity of the city, but at the turn of the 21st century, Houston had truly become home for many different racial, ethnic and national groups. Coming to Houston is the result of a collaborative effort with the University of Houstons Houston Review of History and Culture. This exhibit is made possible with support from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance. The Heritage Society is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance. Back to the Top APA FIRST WEEKEND = SPRING FORWARD - MARCH 15 - SEE A MOVIE
SPRING FORWARD!!! SEE A MOVIE THIS WEEKEND ! HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR. This looks to be another outstanding year for Asian American and Asian cinema in the US, we from APA FIRST WEEKEND wish you and yours the best new year ever. Take the time to spend with friends and loved ones and see a film. We are at a crucial point in Asian American cinema and thanks to many of you who are supporting the genre by attending Asian American film festivals around the country and buying tickets to films by Asian Americans and Asian international films. It is no secret, that Hollywood pays attention when we buy tickets at the box office. But, we need to continue our efforts and in fact, increase them even more so. Last year, we saw many Asian American directors with films at the box office and thanks to you some stayed longer than one weekend. For this year, more will be on the way - so we challenge all of you to turn it up in 2007 and truly support Asian American and Asian international cinema at the box office. We say it all the time that the color in Hollywood is not black, white, brown, yellow - but GREEN. So, go out and vote for yourself at the box office by seeing a film by our own people. Make your statement and support Asian American cinema and Asian international cinema!!! The APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB is a bi-weekly email newsletter that is designed to share and inform those of you who are into Asian American and Asian international cinmea. We try to bring you the latest news about Asian films and film events opening in the US. Our subscription has now risen from 350 subscribers back in 2000 to now over 12,500! For those of you if this is your first time and someone has shared this with you - you can subscribe yourself by sending us an email at apafirstweekend@aol.com and in the subject write "subscribe." We also reprint the newsletter on www.asianamericanfilm.com Also, we must apologize if you are getting this more than one time, but we have found that many of you are sharing this newsletter with your friends and there are list serves that are also distributing the newsletter. So, we apologize in advance if you get this more than once! REMINDER: THIS MAY GET LONG - SO YOU MAY WANT TO PRINT IT OUT! THIS WEEK: This is always an exciting time of the year for Asian American cinema as this weekend kicks off the San Francisco International Asian Film Festival presented by the Center for Asian American Media - formerly NAATA. In addition, there are a number of Asian American and Asian international films in theaters and coming up. From MIRA NAIR'S THE NAMESAKE starring KAL PENN to JOURNEY FROM THE FALL - a film by HAM TRAN to monsters in South Korea doing backflips off bridges to 300 Spartans clad in black briefs and boots, there is something for everyone at the cinemas. Here we go - this is what is happening this week !!! 1. MIIRA NAIR'S "THE NAMESAKE" STARRING KAL PENN - OPENS WIDER THIS WEEKEND 2. MARCH 23!!! HAM TRAN'S "JOURNEY FROM THE FALL" OPENS NY, LA, SAN JOSE 3. SOUTH KOREA'S ALL TIME BOX OFFICE WINNER "THE HOST" HITS THE US 4. THE SF INTERNATIONAL ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OPENS THIS WEEKEND WITH JUSTIN LIN'S FINISHING THE GAME 5. CALENDAR OF "BOLLYWOOD" FILMS TO HIT THE US 6. OTHER ********************************************************************** 1. MIIRA NAIR'S "THE NAMESAKE" STARRING KAL PENN - OPENS WIDER THIS WEEKEND Mira Nair's "THE NAMESAKE" starring our favorite KAL PENN opened last week to one of the most outstanding first weekend box office numbers this year at $42,000 per screen! Hello! The film is no less than outstanding ( as it would be from Mira Nair ) and it is so good to see Kal Penn in something more dramatic. Don't get me wrong - we love KUMAR from HAROLD AND KUMAR - but it sure is nice to see KAL carry a good dramatic no goofy role. See below for more info and theaters. This is one definitely to see this weekend! Mira Nairs THE NAMESAKE NOW PLAYING at: NYC: Angelika Film Center; Paris Theatre LA: Laemmle Santa Monica; Arclight Hollywood SF: Embarcadero Center Cinema Toronto: Cineplex Odeon Varsity Cinema OPENS THIS FRIDAY MARCH 16 at: DC: AMC Georgetown 14; Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema Boston: AMC Loews Harvard Square; Coolidge Corner Theater Philadelphia: Ritz Five; Ritz 16 in Voorhees NJ Chicago: Century Centre Cinema; Century Cine Arts in Evanston So Cal: AMC Century City 15; Regal UTC in Irvine; Laemmle Playhouse in Pasadena; Pacific Galleria Stadium in Sherman Oaks Bay Area: Century CineArts @ Santana Row in San Jose; Century CineArts @ Palo Alto; Regal Stonestown in SF; Landmark Albany Cinema; Century CineArts @ Pleasant Hill; Rafael Film Center in San Rafael; Rialto Cinemas Lakeside in Santa Rosa Denver: Landmark Esquire Seattle: AMC Uptown; Landmark Guild 45th Vancouver: Park Theatre NY: AMC Empire 25 in Manhattan; Kew Gardens Cinemas in Queens; BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn; Clearview Bronxville; Cinema Arts in Huntington; Malverne Cinemas; Avon Theatre in Stamford Toronto: AMC Kennedy Commons in Scarborough; Empire Studio 10 in Mississauga The film opens on Friday, March 23 in Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Montreal, Oakland, Phoenix, San Diego, and St. Louis. THE NAMESAKE is the story of the Ganguli family whose move from Calcutta to New York evokes a lifelong balancing act to meld to a new world without forgetting the old. Though parents Ashoke and Ashima (Irrfan Khan, Tabu) long for the family and culture that enveloped them in India, they take great pride in the opportunities their sacrifices have afforded their children. Paradoxically, their son Gogol (Kal Penn) is torn between finding his own unique identity without losing his heritage. Even Gogols name represents the familys journey into the unknown. Helmed by the Academy Award®-nominated Mira Nair, THE NAMESAKE is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri. A spellbinding exploration of love and belonging - Elle Thoroughly engaging, terrifically moving - Premiere A glory on a huge colorful canvas Wall Street Journal Watch the Trailer | Kal Penns Blog | Tickets and Showtimes Dont be sold out. Get your tickets to THE NAMESAKE in advance! 2. MARCH 23!!! HAM TRAN'S "JOURNEY FROM THE FALL" OPENS NY, LA, SAN JOSE YES, APA FIRST WEEKENDERS - Ham Tran's long awaited critically acclaimed 'JOURNEY FROM THE FALL" comes to the big screen through IMAGINASIAN PICTURES next weekend. This is a critical weekeknd for this fantastic film - if it does well this weekend - it will go to more theaters and cities. Below is a list of cities and dates and theaters. Check out the roll out plan - it's pretty limited right now - but if it does well on opening weekend in every city, then it will expand to other cities. In LOS ANGELESk, it will only play in ORANGE COUNTY the first weekend. In the SF Bay Area, it opens first in SAN JOSE and then on April 20 in SAN FRANCISCO. So, get out and see this great film from a very talented director and see what your friends who caught it at our Asian American film festivals and at Sundance are all raving about. website: journeyfromthefall.com 3/23/2007 SAN JOSE, CA: Camera 12 Click here to purchase tickets. NEW YORK, NY: The ImaginAsian Click here to purchase tickets. GARDEN GROVE, CA: Regal Garden Grove Stadium 16 WESTMINSTER, CA: Edwards Westminster 10 Click here to purchase tickets 3/30/2007 HOUSTON, TX: Cinemark Tinseltown Westchase Click here to purchase tickets. DALLAS (GARLAND), TX: Cinemark Hollywood USA Movies 15 Click here to purchase tickets. DALLAS (GRAND PRAIRIE), TX: Cinemark Movies 16 Click here to purchase tickets. 4/20/2007 CHICAGO (EVANSTON), IL: Century 12 Evanston/CinéArts 6 SAN FRANCISCO, CA: 4 Star Theatre More theaters and cities will be added over the next few weeks - check back here often to see when Journey from the Fall will be coming to a theater near you. For group sales (10 or more tickets), please send an email to journeytix@iapictures.tv. www.filmratings.com | www.parentalguide.org 3. SOUTH KOREA'S ALL TIME BOX OFFICE WINNER "THE HOST" HITS THE US Some of you have been waiting for this film to hit the screens and now it is here. THE HOST from South Korea has been one of this year's most anticipated films since it debuted at last year's Cannes Film Festival and wowed audiences in the south of France. It went on to win more fans at Toronto Film Fest and now courtesy of Magnolia Pictures, it is here in the US. Loads of fun and a true monster movie. Short premise: US lab people keep dumping toxic waste into the South Korean waters for years - only to grow a "creature' of large proportions who decides one spring day to come up from the waters and try to gobble everything in its path. Good performances and a very capable "creature' make THE HOST one of the best "monster" movies ever. Whatever happened to that genre - sure we have horror - but this is straight up "monster." Think "Creature from the Black Lagoon" but set in South Korea. Come see what everyone is talking about. 4. THE SF INTERNATIONAL ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OPENS THIS WEEKEND WITH JUSTIN LIN'S FINISHING THE GAME Mad props to the Center for Asian American Media in SF (formerly NAATA) for a great opening night with JUSTIN LIN's "FINISHING THE GAME." Even MC HAMMER made an appearance along with his fellow cast members ROGER FAN, SUNG KANG, DUSTIN NGUYEN, LEONARDO NAM, BRIAN TEE, MEREDITH LYNN SCOTT, MCCALEB BURNETT, MOUSA KRAISH and JIMMY LIN showed out with director Justin Lin and his producers Julie Asato, Sal Gatdula, and Evan Leong to present the SF premiere of Justin's Sundance hit. Great evening! And the line up this week is outstanding including: THE TROUBLE WITH ROMANCE - GENE RHEE (starring Roger Fan) UNDOING - CHRIS CHAN LEE (starring SUNG KANG, LEONARDO NAM, RUSSELL WONG, KELLY HU) HOLLYWOOD CHINESE - ARTHUR DONG SUMMER PALACE - LOU YE KING AND THE CLOWN - LEE JUN IK EXILED - JOHNNIE TO SING ALONG FLOWER DRUM SONG - YAYYY AMERICAN ZOMBIE - GRACE LEE AMERICAN PASTIME - DESMOND NAKANO THE MISTRESS OF SPICES - PAUL BERGES TRE - ERIC BYLER AND AN AFTERNOON WITH SPENCER NAKASAKO check out the calendar - http://www.asianamericanfilmfestival.org/2007/films-events/schedule/#d20070317 5. CALENDAR OF "BOLLYWOOD" FILMS TO HIT THE US Thanks to Box Office Guru.com - mark your calendars: Title: Ta Ra Rum Pum Release Date: April 27 Director: Siddharth Anand Cast: Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee Genre: Action drama filmed in NYC Language: Hindi with English subtitles Distributor: Yash Raj Films Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada Title: Jhoom Barabar Jhoom Release Date: June 15 Director: Shaad Ali Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Lara Dutta, and Amitabh Bachchan Genre: Drama Language: Hindi with English subtitles Distributor: Yash Raj Films Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada Title: Chak De India Release Date: August 10 Director: Shimit Amin Cast: Shah Rukh Khan and Vidya Mallavde Genre: Drama Language: Hindi with English subtitles Distributor: Yash Raj Films Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada Title: Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Release Date: October 12 Director: Pradeep Sarkar Cast: Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Abhishek Bachchan Genre: Romantic drama Language: Hindi with English subtitles Distributor: Yash Raj Films Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada Title: Aaja Nachle Release Date: November 30 Director: Anil Mehta Cast: Madhuri Dixit Genre: Drama Language: Hindi with English subtitles Distributor: Yash Raj Films Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada 6. OTHER * MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FOLLOWING ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVALS COMING UP SAN FRANCISCO ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - NOW CHICAGO ASIAN SHOWCASE - APRIL LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL - MAY SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL - OCTOBER HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - OCTOBER *"THE MOTEL" AND "RED DOORS" DVDS are out now - pick yours up and have a DVD party. THAT'S IT FOR NOW - GO OUT AND SEE A MOVIE... NOW... PEACE, APA FIRST WEEKEND Back to the Top Wal-Mart & OCA-Greater Houston distributes computers working with Katrina-affected community.
Dear APA Pro Bono Summit Participant, The Wal-Mart Corporation recently notified OCA-Greater Houston that it has 171 computers available for donation to 501(c)3 organizations serving the Houston APA community and organizations working with the Katrina-affected community. OCA-GH has agreed to assist in finding homes for these donated computers. The specifications of the available computers is attached. Please note these are dual-monitor systems -- each computer comes with two monitors. If you would like to request a donated computer, please contact me by return email before Friday, March 23. This is a time-sensitive offer, and requests will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis. All requests must first be approved by Wal-Mart. This is a fantastic opportunity to update your office's hardware without having to produce and submit a grant proposal -- your request, Wal-Mart's approval, picking up your computer(s), and a subsequent letter of acknowledgement are the only requirements; OCA-GH will take care of the rest. We are very grateful for Wal-Mart's generosity and are excited to be working on this project. Please let me know if you have any questions. -- Angela L. Lee Legal Advocacy OCA-Greater Houston Back to the Top Korean Essay Contest sponsored by the Asia Society & Korea Economic Institute
Ambassadors' Dialogue Essay Contest March 21, 2007 The Asia Society Texas Center is currently partnering with the Korea Economic Institute to foster understanding and discussion of US and South Korea relations. The Ambassadors Dialogue Essay Contest provides the opportunity for students from grades 2-12 (contestants will be divided into three categories: grades 2-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12) to write a short essay. Essay Topic Requirements Judging Criteria Resources Essay Cover Form Essay Topic The 2007 Ambassadors Dialogue Essay Contest will focus on the following question: U.S.-Korea relations have been at the forefront of the news lately: both in economic and security terms. How would you explain The Importance of the United States-South Korea Alliance to members of your community? Requirements ESSAY LENGTH: 1,000 words or less, typed and double-spaced. DEADLINE: April 6, 2007 (postmarked). All essays must be submitted in four (4) copies with an Essay Cover Form (below). ELIGIBILITY: Students in 2nd through 12th grades. AWARDS: Awards will be granted in each of three categories-- grades 2-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The awards will be presented by the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea and/or South Koreas Ambassador to the United States at the Ambassadors Dialogue program on April 17, 2007. JUDGING: A panel of judges will select winning essays. They will use the criteria to evaluate essays according to three categories of equal weight: content, analysis, and style. See the Judging Criteria for detailed information. NOTE: English language learners are encouraged to participate. Judging Criteria Content: Thorough research of your topic is necessary to allow you to provide strong factual evidence to support your argument. Provide clear, real-world examples for every point you make. Provide rich details to illuminate every example. Ensure that all your evidence is accurate and relevant. Analysis: Your essay must provide your clear and original vision, and it must use this vision to help make sense of the examples you use. Provide a concise and arguable thesis that addresses the topic. Explain how each of your examples helps support your thesis. Consider your topic from a variety of perspectives. Style: The clarity and power of your language is essential to making your essay convincing. Organize your essay with an introduction, a conclusion, and well-structured body paragraphs. Use powerful language that expresses your ideas coherently, precisely, and persuasively. Ensure that your essay is free of errors in spelling, punctuation, syntax, and grammar. Resources Korean News Sources (in English) The Chosun Ilbo Joong-Ang Ilbo The Korea Herald The Korea Times U.S./European News Sources CNN The Washington Post The New York Times The Wall Street Journal The Financial Times Other Information Sources Korea Economic Institute The Embassy of the United States of America in Seoul, Korea Dynamic Korea (Embassy of South Korea in the United States) Office of the President of South Korea Korea Focus U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Korea U.S. Department of State CIA World Fact Book Essay Cover Form Student information Essay title: ________________________________________________ Home address: _____________________________________________ City, State, Zip code: __________________________________ Home telephone number: ____________________________________ Grade in school: ______ Is English your first language? ___ Yes ___ No School information School name: _____________________________________ School address: ___________________________________ Teacher/advisor name: ______________________________ School phone #: ___________________________________ Teacher/advisor email address: _______________________ (It is important for us to have the email address in order to contact your teacher with questions.) Certification Information I pledge that this essay is my own work. I agree to abide by all guidelines and requirements of the Ambassadors Dialogue Essay Contest. Signature of student ________________________________ Date ____________________________________________ I have reviewed this essay and found that it meets the requirements of the Ambassadors Dialogue Essay Contest. To the best of my knowledge, this essay is this students own work. Should this students essay be selected by judges, I understand that I will be contacted to help verify that the essay represents original work. Signature of teacher/advisor _________________________ Date ____________________________________________ Checklist Is your essay no longer than 1,000 words? Is your essay written in English? Does your essay address all the parts of the essay topic? Have you given your essay a title? Have you followed accepted standards regarding attribution of quotations, arguments, and ideas of others and have standardized citations and a bibliography? Is your essay typed and double-spaced on 8 ½ x 11 paper? Have you numbered the pages of your essay? Have you made sure that your name and school does not appear anywhere on the essay? Have you completed this cover form and included it in your packet? Have you made 4 copies of your essay, including the bibliography? Have you made a copy of the essay and this cover form to keep for your own records? Mail 4 copies of your essay and cover form to: Naila Qureshi, Asia Society Texas Center, 4605 Post Oak Place, Suite 205, Houston, TX 77027-9761 All essays must be postmarked no later than April 6, 2007. Asia Society Texas Center 4605 Post Oak Place, Ste 205 Houston, TX 77027 T: 713-439-0051 F: 713-439-1107 E: txcenter@asiasoc.org Back to the Top CALL FOR CONTRIBUTORS THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ASIAN AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTORS THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ASIAN AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE The 2-volume, illustrated Encyclopedia of Asian American Popular Culture is scheduled to be published by Greenwood Press in 2008. Editor Felicia Campbell seeks writers for remaining unassigned entries. Candidates must be willing to write entries totaling at least 2000 words. Preference will be given to college professors, published writers, and advanced graduate students, but others qualified to write about Asian American Popular Culture will be considered. Deadline for submissions is 8/31/07. The deadline is firm, so please do not respond to this call unless you are confident that you can complete one entry of 2000 words or a group of entries totaling that number by that date. If you are interested in writing for this important reference, please send a short biographical sketch describing your background and interests in Asian American Popular Culture and your preferred e-mail and postal address to: Encyclopedia Editor: felicia.campbell@unlv.edu Qualified candidates will receive a listing of available entries. Contributors may also suggest entries not on the list. Prospective contributors will receive an assignment, contributors' guidelines, and sample entries by e-mail followed by a release form postal mailed from the publisher to be signed and returned. Completed entries are subject to the normal editing process required for quality publications and are accepted for publication at the discretion of the editor, advisory board, and publisher. Back to the Top Bibi Magazine Launches New Website
Bibi Magazine Launches Online 3/07 Welcome to the New Bibi! Here at Bibi, we pride ourselves as being the leading South-Asian American bridal and fashion magazine. During our seven years of publication >, we've seen other magazines come and go; we've endured many now-defunct competitors and copycats, and have remained the standard by which other magazines define themselves. Why? Simply because we know how to make things work: what to keep and what to leave behind as we continually strive to keep Bibi innovative, connected and on the edge. It's the reason we've had such a loyal following and why we've won so many awards>. No, we are not being vain, we just thought it was time to acknowledge our blessings and pat ourselves on the back a bit.The time has come once again to morph this publication according to the demands of the maturing South Asian-American market and the media industry in general. As of today, you'll find Bibi on the web at BibiMagazine.com>. This new Bibi is more than just a website. It's a community, a bridal planning tool, a place to voice an opinion, an expert in South Asian-American lifestyle, a news source, a social planner and much, much more. For those of you who just have to have Bibi tucked in your bag during your wedding planning, watch out for Bibi's print-edition Bridal Annual later this year.What better way to launch this new venture than with Kohinoor Diamonds of Houston, also a leader in their respective industry. Experience their exquisite line of Delicious Chocolate Diamonds > photographed by Jarrod King. Bring out your own inner goddess with this must-have collection.You'll also find a lot of interesting treasures on BibiMagazine.com. Click on an ad banner, such as the one by Desi Wear and watch a video,> speak to other members on the message boards>, find a wedding vendor >or just figure out which event to attend this weekend>.And this is just the beginning. Future additions include more in-depth bridal planning, "desi" videos, contests, events, blogs and interactive areas where you, yes you, will be able to share your life with the Bibi community. When Time Magazine touted "YOU" (living your life online) as Person of the Year, we knew we were on to something and right on time. Yes, this is only the beginning, and just as Bibi defined the South Asian-American bridal and fashion market, join us as we define the bridal and fashion space. Ayesha HakkiPublisher Back to the Top IBN Sina Clinic Opening
Alief/Southwest News March 29, 2007, 7:05PM Clinic is a model to follow, mayor says at opening By SESHADRI KUMAR Chronicle Correspondent Houston Mayor Bill White on Thursday spoke at the opening of The Ibn Sina Foundation Community Clinic, a $1.8 million state-of-the-art medical facility, and lauded it as "an extremely cost-effective model" that could be duplicated throughout the city. Referring to the clinic's emphasis on preventive medicine, paperless technology and volunteer doctors, White said it was an occasion "not only to celebrate, but to learn." He specifically praised the Muslim community's role in bringing the clinic to Houston. The city has gone from no non-profit public health facilities to nine in the last three years, he said. "We need to rely on frontline physicians to craft a health-care system," instead of letting the politicians, lobbyists, insurance companies or pharmaceutical companies do the job, White said. The Ibn Sina Foundation chairman Nasruddin Rupani said his group is committed to providing health care to those who cannot afford it. Nearly 1.1 million of the 3.5 million people in Harris County are uninsured, and only 38 percent of the uninsured have some access to health care, he said. The foundation's clinics in Houston and Clear Lake have treated 43,000 patients in the last five years. This year, the two clinics will serve 15,000 people, Rupani said. The opening of the Southwest Houston clinic is "a milestone in providing comprehensive health care for underinsured and uninsured families," he said. The lack of health-care access to uninsured people is "an invisible disaster," unlike Hurricanes Katrina or Rita, he said. Rupani also outlined the foundation's next project: building a child-care development center on land behind the new clinic. The proposed center will cost about $1.8 million, and its operational cost would be about $250,000 a year, he said. Donations have already started coming in for this project and the foundation would expect help from the city of Houston as well, he said. The proposed center will have a Montessori school, day-care center, after-school programs for high school students and a learning center for parents and children. Councilman M. J. Khan, in whose district the clinic is located, said the clinic's purpose is to serve humanity as a whole without prejudice. Among the guests attending the ceremony were former city councilwoman Shelly Sekula-Gibbs and Christine DeLay, wife of former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay. The community clinic provides medical and laboratory services, dental services, eye exams and specialty services for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. The clinic is located at 11226 South Wilcrest. Call 281-977-7467 for information. Back to the Top Harris County Public Library & APAHA Partner with NEA Big Read to Celebrate The Joy Luck Club!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, LOG ONTO WWW.BIGREADTEXAS.ORG. Back to the Top The 7th annual Diversity Summit - May 4, 2007
DIVERSITY SUMMIT HOUSTONApril 2, 2007The 7th annual Diversity Summit will be held on Friday, May 4, 2007, at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square. The Summit, titled Maximizing the Potential of a Diverse Work Force, will bring together business leaders and scholars to discuss how diversity is playing an ever-increasing role in the business world and why inclusiveness is key to productivity. Featured speakers include Dr. Jay Gogue, Chancellor of the University of Houston, Mayor David Wallace of the City of Sugar Land, Dr. Harry Gibbs, Vice President of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bruce Bramlett of Novations Group, and Dr. Stephen Klineberg of Rice University. The daylong conference also will offer a series of workshops on such topics as Maximizing Personal Potential, Communication Across Corporate Cultures, and Supplier Diversity. The Summit will be of interest to corporations, small businesses, academic institutions, government and educational entities, managers of a diverse workforce as well as employees who are striving to become successful in a diverse environment. Conference registration is $75 per person for the full-day session and includes a luncheon. Corporate sponsorships are available at $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000 levels. For additional information and registration, please visit http://www.DiversitySummit.org. Back to the Top Please vote for Kirby as Miss Norway!
Hello friends and kababayans: Thanks to your votes during the last two weeks, Kirby made it to the finals. She needs your votes during this LAST ROUND of votations. Let's help her take home one of the crowns! And forgive me if I start fussing again, coz THIS IS IT! Votations start today until the evening of the finals on Monday 9th April. Miss Norway Universe will be chosen by a jury composed of 10 prominent people. Miss Norway World will be chosen according to the following: 1/3 votations on the internet 1/3 votations by SMS or by phone 1/3 jury Votations on the internet have the same ruling as before: 1 vote per day per computer. So please vote from all your computers at home and at work EVERYDAY. You can vote as many times as you want by SMS or by phone. I'll send you the number as soon as it's released on Wednesday. You can cast your vote(s) here: http://www.froken.no/dueller/05_kirby_ann_basken Please don't forget to vote everyday. And please forward to all your friends so that they too can vote. Thanks so much for your help. Back to the Top Journey opens April 6th in San Diego, Long Beach and the DC-Metro Area!ý
 Back to the Top VC FILMFEST 2007 - LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FEST ANNOUNCES LINE UP MAY 3 - MAY 10 - LA FILMMAK
VC FILMFEST 2007: THE LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY HONDA ANNOUNCES LINE UP FOR MAY 3 10, 2007 Los Angeles Based Filmmakers Justin Lin, Grace Lee and Charlie Nguyen Take Center Stage Los Angeles, CA, March 30, 2007 Visual Communications, the nations premier Asian Pacific American media arts center today announced their Opening, Centerpiece and Closing Night films for the upcoming VC FILMFEST 2007: The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Presented by Honda beginning May 3 - May 10, 2007 at the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Laemmle Sunset 5 Theatres, National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, and the Aratani/Japan America Theatre. Southern Californias largest and most prestigious film festival of its kind launches the celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month through this years slate of over 150 films and videos from both Asian Pacific American and Asian international directors. This year, Los Angeles based filmmakers are prominently featured in the highlighted slots of the festival. 2007 VC FILMFEST:The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Presented by Honda · OPENING NIGHT - Thursday, May 3 - DGA FINISHING THE GAME - A FILM BY JUSTIN LIN (BETTER LUCK TOMORROW; FAST & FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT; ANNAPOLIS) A hit at 2007 Sundance, director Justin Lin brings his 70's based comedy on the search for the new Bruce Lee and what could have happened. Starring: DUSTIN NGUYEN, ROGER FAN, SUNG KANG, MCCALEB BURNETT, MC HAMMER, MOUSA KRAISH, MEREDITH SCOTT LYNN, MONIQUE CURNEN, JAMES FRANCO, BRIAN TEE and LEONARDO NAM · CENTERPIECE FILM - Sunday, May 6 - DGA AMERICAN ZOMBIE - A FILM BY GRACE LEE (THE GRACE LEE PROEJCT) VC FILMFEST alum Grace Lee is back with her first narrative feature film about the making of a documentary about the lives of zombies living in the US. A huge hit at 2007 Slamdance and 2007 South by Southwest film festivals, American Zombie answers the question - Is There Life After Death? - with a resounding YES!!! · CLOSING NIGHT - Thursday, May 10 - Aratani/Japan America Theatre THE REBEL - A FILM BY CHARLIE NGUYEN The talented Vietnamese American filmmaker Charlie Nguyen brings THE REBEL, an action/adventure romance epic set in 1920s Saigon as a government agent and the daughter of a rebel peasant flee the clutches of a malevolent turncoat thirsty for power. Starring: DUSTIN NGUYEN, JOHNNY TRI NGUYEN and NGO THANH VAN SPECIAL EVENTS * A Tribute to Mako (the Oscar nominated actor who passed away in 2006) * Spotlight on the Director - An Afternoon with Justin Lin * Spotlight on the Actor - An Afternoon with Dustin Nguyen * Cinematographers Master Class ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE - OUTSTANDING FILMS FROM ASIA Includes: *SUMMER PALACE China *THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT - China *HULA GIRLS Japan *RETRIBUTION Japan *TEKKONKINKREET Japan *EAGLE VS. SHARK New Zealand *ANG PAMANA - Philippines *TODO TODO TEROS Philippines *KING AND THE CLOWN - South Korea *INVISIBLE WAVES - Thailand *ETERNAL SUMMER Taiwan *SAIGON ECLIPSE Vietnam ASIAN AMERICAN SHOWCASE OUTSTANDING FILMS FROM THE US Includes: *AMERICAN FUSION Frank Lin *BOLINAO 52 Duc Nguyen *THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI Linda Hattendorf *FALLING FOR GRACE Fay Ann Lee *THE TROUBLE WITH ROMANCE Gene Rhee *YOUNG REPUBLIC Nooshin Navidi *BEST IN THE WEST Maryam Kashani *NA KAMELEI: MEN OF HULA Lisette Marie Flanery *NEW YEAR BABY Socheata Poeuv *BABY Juwan Chung *AMERICAN PASTIME Desmond Nakano More films and events will be announced later. Established in 1983, VC FILMFEST is Southern Californias leading showcase for Asian Pacific American and Asian international cinema. This year, the eight-day movie-rama will also include a complement of filmmaker seminars, panel discussions, workshops, and awards. For ticket and program information, a complete listing of sponsors and partners, and to purchase tickets, log on to www.vconline.org or contact Visual Communications at (213) 680-4462 x68. VC FILMFEST 2007 is presented by Honda and supported by the following sponsors: Presenting Honda; Premium - Directors Guild of America; Premiere - John Woo Presents Stranglehold from Midway Games; Platinum - National Endowment for the Arts; Screen Actors Guild - Producers Industry Advancement and Cooperative Fund; Gold - AZN Television; Los Angeles County Arts Commission; Macy's; Multicultural Radio Broadcast, Inc.; Project By Project; Sony Pictures Entertainment; and Wahoos Fish Taco; Silver - Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences; Cultural Affairs Department - City of Los Angeles; Eastman Kodak Company; Entertainment Partners; FOX; MUSE; Bronze - Asian Pacific Community Fund; Hitachi, Ltd.; Little Tokyo Service Center; SAG Indie; Search to Involve Pilipino Americans; Writers Guild of America West, Inc; Official Festival Beer - Heineken; Official International Airline - Cathay Pacific Airways; Official Domestic Airline - Southwest Airlines; Awards - Eastman Kodak Company; Entertainment Partners, LA Digital Post, Write Brothers, Inc; Media - LA36; GIANT ROBOT; IKOn; LA 18/KSCI-TV; ImaginAsian TV and Multicultural Radio Broadcast, Inc. ### PRESS SCREENING SCHEDULE WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON APRIL 2 FOR FESTIVAL PRESS CREDENTIALS - PLEASE CONTACT: JACK SONG - jsong@tcdm-associates.com 213 624 7827 Back to the Top "Journey From The Fall" Now Playing at Cinemark Tinsseltown Westchase
Cinemark Tinseltown Westchase 3600 W Sam Houston Parkway South Houston, TX 77042 
CLICK HERE FOR SHOWTIMES Back to the Top Free Cone Day is Coming!
We think someone squealed because our phones have been ringing off the hook with folks wanting to verify the date of Free Cone Day 2007. So without further ado here it is! On Tuesday April 17th from 12pm until 8pm participating Ben& Jerrys scoop shops around the world will be hosting Ben& Jerrys Annual Free Cone Day. Is it a time for you to try a new flavor that youve been wondering about without commiting your hard earned dollars or is it a time for you to enjoy an old favorite and savor in the deliciousness that is free ice cream? The answer from us at Ben& Jerrys is yes. Visit our scoop shop locator to find hours and directions to the closest Free Cone Day experience near you, and while youre there check out our flavor list to see what awaits. So start getting those licking muscles in shape and mark your calendars twice because this is one day you don't want to miss. Back to the Top Music Masala Presents Balle on Balle with Sunil T & The Masala Crew!
 Back to the Top JAS-Houston Presents "Japan Month in Houston: Art Exhibition". Exhibition April 11th - 30th.
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For more information, contact Japan America Society of Houston at 713.963.0121. Back to the Top MAY IS ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH!
Since 1992, the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) has played a vital role in bringing Asian/Pacific American culture and performing arts to the Houston community. For our first 14 years, APAHA was best known for its leadership and programming each May in celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. But the end of 2006 signaled the beginning of a new era. APAHA is now an organization that not only celebrates in May, but also educates and raises awareness every day of the year. The evolution of the organization reflects the growing Asian/Pacific American population in the Greater Houston area. We are home to close to 400,000 people representing over 25 Asian/Pacific countries. With a 72% increase in the past decade, the Asian/Pacific American population is the fastest growing demographic. And, it's expected to double in size over the next ten years. APAHA is a critical link for Asian/Pacific Americans. We were the first organization, and remain one of the few, to be inclusive of all Asian/Pacific Americans. We reach across cultural and demographic lines to bring unique and meaningful programming to Houston and the surrounding communities. In collaboration with various partners, we provide ongoing outreach, education, cultural, and scholarship programs. Our efforts advance cross-cultural awareness, racial harmony, and mutual understanding. Click here for more the Official Press Releases on APAHA's major programming: 2007 Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Festival. Sunday, May 6, 2007 at The Miller Outdoor Theatre (all day). 2007 NEA Big Read celebrating Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. Throughout April - May 2007. You can also visit the official website: www.bigreadtexas.org 15th Anniversary APAHA Gala. Friday, May 18, 2007 6PM at the Westin Oaks Hotel. Back to the Top LIMITED BOOTH SPACES LEFT FOR 05/06/07 APA HERITAGE MONTH FESTIVAL AT MILLER THEATRE!
BOOTH REGISTRATION DUE 04/20/2007! To download the form, click here. To pay for your booths online, visit http://2007apafestival.eventbrite.com For food vendors, please download the Food Vendor Package Here! May is National Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month! To celebrate, APAHA will host its 11th Annual Asian/Pacific American Heritage Festival on Sunday May 6, 2007, at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park 2PM 9PM, along with a 7:30PM Special Showcase! The theme this year is Lighting the Past, Present & Future. $100.00 - Not-For-Profit Organization (501c3 proof required) $300.00 - Commercial Business or Corporation (Over 25 Employees) $500.00 - Food Vendor Booths To reserve your booth, we must receive 1.) the attached application form, 2.) Waiver Agreement, 3.) Participants Checklist and 4.) entry fee payable to APAHA by April 20, 2007. Our Fax number is 832.201.8228. For volunteering opportunities or additional questions, contact the APAHA Festival Hotline at 832.487.8609 or email at afshic@yahoo.com. You can also contact the APAHA office at (713) 784-1112 or email at jerome@apaha.org. We look forward to your support at the 2007 Annual Asian/Pacific American Heritage Festival! Sincerely, Jerome Vielman Executive Director Back to the Top 2007 Miss Asian American - Texas Searchý
The Miss Asian American Texas Pageant aims to foster unity, understanding and camaraderie among Asian Americans in Texas and increase broad public awareness of the diversity and strengths of the Asian American community by showcasing the leadership skills and breadth of individual talent in Asian American youth. The pageant also seeks to provide opportunities for candidates as well as volunteers to further develop leadership and interpersonal skills through individual and group activities including community relations, public speaking, and various philanthropic events Pageant All contestants will participate in public presentations of candidates including · Photo shoots · Media interviews · Videography · Fundraising · Community Service · Socials and Mixers · Make-up Sessions and Hair Consultations · Etiquette Lessons · Wellness · Dance Rehearsals · Interview Preparation . The actual Pageant is Saturday, August 10 at the Radisson Hotel in Austin. Awards The winner of the 2007 Miss Asian American Pageant will carry the title for 2 years, during which time she will represent the Asian American community in her new leadership role. She will also represent the Asian American community of Texas in California at the national pageant. The grand prize includes a $2000 scholarship, crown, trophy, sash, and other awards. Cash scholarships will also be given to Finalists. Individual awards will be given for Leadership, Academic Excellence, Dedication, Congeniality, Community Service, Fundraising, Best in Gown, Best in Talent, and others. Every contestant is a winner from the day she is accepted into the Pageant. Each candidate will have the opportunity to meet a number of people from all walks of life and gain friendships and memories they will cherish for a lifetime. Back to the Top Senate Hearing Demonstrates Broad-Based Support For Filipino Veterans Equity Actý
National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 28, 2007 www.nafve.org nafve2007@gmail.com Contact: Perry Diaz: 916.691.6642 Jon Melegrito: 202.361.0296 Ben de Guzman: 202.422.4909 Senate Hearing Demonstrates Broad-Based Support For Filipino Veterans Equity Act Washington, DC- The Senate Veteran Affairs Committee heard statements today in support of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act ( S.57). The National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity ("the National Alliance") has been working with national officials, veterans and other supporting veteran organizations to provide vital statements in support of the Full Equity Bill. A press conference was held after the hearing, as well as meetings with prominent Senators residing on the Veterans Committee, including Senator Obama (D-IL), Senator Ensign (R-NV), Senator Isakson (R-GA), and Senator Craig (R-ID). As part of the hearing, NAFVE submitted testimony that included a sign-on letter with support from almost 20 national organizations, over 30 local organizations, 30 elected officials, and over 110 individuals from around the country. At a press conference today, NAFVE members who testified before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee joined community leaders from around the country both Filipino and non-Filipino alike spoke out in support of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act. Also issuing statements of support for the press conference included members of the House of Representatives, including: Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), Rep. Nick Lampson (D-TX), and Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-HI). Since the House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing in February, the community has held over 30 meetings with state district offices and NAFVE has grown to over 70 volunteers nationwide. Together the community the community has successfully achieved 28 additional members of Congress in support of the Filipino Veterans Act in less than 50 days. "This is a truly an amazing time the intensity, the pace, the people I am so happy to see our community follow through to the very end," said Junelle Cavero, NAFVE volunteer Outreach Director. "We have just recently commemorated the 65th anniversary of the fall of Bataan, and this historic hearing is the perfect culmination to the Day of Valor events around the country," said Lillian Galedo, NAFVE Co-Chair. "Communities around the country have been mobilizing around this issue and have really sounded their message loud and clear- the time to restore the honor and dignity of our Filipino veterans is NOW." "All of the testimonies given on behalf of our Filipino veterans at the hearing, as well as the support from all of our allies among Asian Pacific American organizations, veterans organizations and the press statements delivered by our allies in Congress today are testament to the strong support across the board for passage of this important bill. The broad range of individuals and organizations really indicate that equity for Filipino veterans is NOT just an issue for Filipinos- it is a question of justice for all Americans." The National Alliance represents over 20 local, national and international organizations committed to securing full equity for Filipino World War II Veterans. All the groups have been part of a 60-year campaign to restore to Filipino WWII veterans their rightful claim to U.S. veterans' status and recognition for their bravery in defending the United States during WWII. More information about NAFVE or the Filipino Veterans Equity Act can be found at www.nafve.org . Back to the Top Virginia Tech Tragedy: a Stark Reminder that Mental Illness Affect All of Us.
News Release For immediate release Contact: Kim Szeto 4/19/07 713-339-3688 kimszeto@aafstexas.org Virginia Tech Tragedy: a Stark Reminder that Mental Illness Affect All of Us Local Asian American Mental Healthy Agency Urges Preventive Efforts in Our Community (Houston, TX) The Board of Directors and staff of the Asian American Family Services (AAFS) join our nation in expressing our deep sorrow about the extreme and senseless loss of life in Virginia. The tragedy at Virginia Tech is a stark reminder that mental illness affects all of us, no matter what our ethnic, cultural, or socio-economic backgrounds may be. It also illustrates the difficulty in recognizing and helping those who suffer deleterious mental conditions. Because of such difficulty, many persons with mental illness become homeless or are put in jail or prison. In extreme cases, untreated mental health conditions can lead to atrocities like the ones we witnessed this week as well as in the past at private homes, schools, universities, and other public places. News reports concerning the Virginia Tech tragedy, unfortunately, can revive or elicit many unwarranted stereotypes and beliefs that we hope have disappeared from the American landscape. Yet, Asian American persons are no different than other Americans in terms of susceptibility to mental illness. Mental illness is no more prevalent in the Asian American communities than in other communities. In any community, some persons with mental illness fall through the community safety nets despite our efforts to build them carefully. Asian American Psychological Association states that As mental health professionals, we believe that this incident highlights the critical value of mental health services both as a step towards prevention and in response to tragedies such as this. Thus, during this time of shock and grief, it is our hope that mental health professionals will contribute to the healing that is to come As a mental health service provider in the Greater Houston Area, with special focus on Asian Americans, AAFS knows all too well the dangers of untreated mental illness. One challenge to accessibility and availability has been the lack of culturally competent mental health practitioners and resources. Another is the greater reticence among Asian Americans, when compared to the majority, to accept help for mental and emotional conditions. Evidence, however, shows that awareness and prevention can make great strides in preventing unnecessary community, family, and personal pain, self-destruction, or other tragic events. AAFS has implemented many prevention and treatment programs for adults, elderly, and youths in the past 13 years in order to increase the mental and emotional resilience among Asian Americans in the Greater Houston Area. AAFS has been instrumental in increasing the awareness of support and care for Asian Americans with mental and emotional conditions. If you should wish to learn more about the mental health or cultural issues prevailing in Asian American communities, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our multi-lingual and multi-disciplinary staff also stand ready to assist families, particularly Asian American families, with mental and emotional issues that affect their loved ones. Please contact us by phone at 713-339-3688. We have made great strides in addressing the mental health conditions of Asian Americans in the Greater Houston area. Still, a lot more work is left to be done. We seek your help and support to meet these challenges. For more information about us, please visit our website, http://www.aafstexas.org/ . # # # The Asian American Family Services, established in 1994 as the Asian American Family Counseling Center, is the only agency of its kind in the Southwestern United States by providing multi-lingual and multicultural mental health treatment as well preventive and supportive services. Back to the Top CALLING ALL KOREAN AMERICAN FILMMAKERS!ý
KOFIC Korean Film Council Filmmakers Development Lab CALLING ALL KOREAN AMERICAN FILMMAKERS! Get the chance to win a Korean Film Councils Filmmakers Development Lab fellowship and participate in a 6-day workshop in Hawaii. Youll get the opportunity to pitch your project at the Pusan International Film Festival in Korea, and show your work at the Independent Feature Project in New York City. Plus, a chance to receive a $20,000 or $10,000 U.S. dollar production grant! For more information and to submit your application and script, please visit http://fdl.kofic.or.kr Deadline is April 30, 2007. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION Back to the Top Community of Respect® Collaborative News - 04/24/2007
Community of Respect® Collaborative News We have great news to report. The following organizations (see below) have submitted Community of Respect® Intent Forms and will be implementing our Community of Respect® Program this year. We are grateful to these organizations for their involvement in the COR program and encourage all of our COR Collaborative Leaders to do what they can to encourage their own organizations to adopt the COR program this year. We are especially pleased that Bridgeway Capital Management, Spectra Energy and Thompson & Knight are kicking off the support from the business community. Just a reminder, an organization needs to create a diversity committee, sign a Resolution of Respect (ours or own of their own) and implement three or more activities during the year that demonstrate an appreciation for diversity. Community of Respect® Tool Kits were mailed to all of our COR Collaborative Leaders recently. Please take a look at the kit and do what you can to encourage your own organization to join this impressive list of COR supporters! The kit information is also available at the Community of Respect® website, at www.communityofrespect.org. For your convenience, I am attaching the COR Intent Form. Let us know if you plan to implement the program so we can add you to our list of COR supporters! Special thanks to Spectra Energy and Rohby Mitchell for their generous financial support of the COR program. Their generosity is allowing us to invite business leaders to the Community of Respect® Week launch event: the ADLs Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Awards Luncheon on May 3 at the Westin Galleria Hotel from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The luncheon honors three area educators who have done great things on their school campuses to promote respect for diversity. For more information about the luncheon, email Jeff Sokoloff at jsokoloff@adl.org. Dont forget our Community of Respect® Week begins May 3 and includes some exciting events in the community. One of the highlights includes our Community Allies sponsored May 7th showing of Crash (this is an R rated movie) coupled with pre- and post- discussions with Dr. Stephen Klineberg about his Houston Area Annual Survey and representatives from LULAC, OCA and the NAACP. For more information, email Jodi Bernstein at jodi.bernstein@adl.org. SEATING IS LIMITED so get your reservations in early for this event. May 4 is the Association of Chinese American Professionals Diversity Summit in Sugar Land. May 5 is the Cinco de Mayo Parade in downtown Houston. May 6 is the APAHA festival at the Miller Outdoor Theater. Visit the Community of Respect® website for details at www.communityofrespect.org. WOW! The City of Sugar Land is doing great things to earn their designation as the first Texas city to be named a Community of Respect. Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace issued a proclamation at a March 6 city council meeting and launched the program at an outdoor concert on April 15. There, more than 1,000 people signed a huge blown up Resolution of Respect and pledged to do their part to promote diversity. We are especially grateful to Mayor David Wallace for his commitment to this program. He also serves as the Honorary Chair of the COR Collaborative, along with Houston Mayor Bill White, whose own Mayors Youth Advisory Council has adopted the program. Special thanks to Rev. David Hargrave who arranged for a COR booth at the annual assembly of the Coastal Plains First Christian Churches to be held on May 6. This follows a similar outreach effort orchestrated by Susan Wittjen for the Presbytery of New Covenant. Stay tuned for more! List of Organizations and Houses of Worship that have submitted COR Intent Forms Anti-Defamation League Southwest Region Bering Memorial United Methodist Church Bridgeway Capital Management Citadel Islamic Foundation City of Houston, Mayor's Youth Council City of Sugar Land Congregation Beth Israel Congregation B'rith Shalom Congregation Emanu El Faith Lutheran Church First Christian Church Katy First Colony Christian Church First Presbyterian Church/Sugar Land Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism Houston Graduate School of Theology Houston Minority Business Council Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston Jewish Information Center of Houston Presbytery of New Covenant Center South Main Baptist Church Spectra Energy St. Paul's United Methodist Church St. Theresa Catholic Church and School Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Taylor Lake Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Thompson & Knight LLP United Orthodox Synagogues Jodi Bernstein Senior Associate Director Anti-Defamation League - Southwest Region 4635 Southwest Freeway, Suite 400 Houston, TX 77027 Ph. 713-627-3490 Ext. 124 Fax 713-627-2011 jodi.bernstein@adl.org Back to the Top Call for KOLLABORATION Directors throughout the United States
CALLING all Mature, Responsible, Passionate, Disciplined, Giving, Patient, Respected, and HUMBLE KOREAN LEADERS who would like apply for an interview to be the Founding Director of KOLLABORATION in the following cities: Washington DC San Francisco, California Boston, Massachusetts Atlanta, Georgia Denver, Colorado Houston, Texas Dallas, Texas Seattle, Washington Vancouver, Canada Tokyo, Japan Sydney, Australia Shanghai, China Beijing, China Sao Paolo, Brazil Berlin, Germany Tashkent, Uzbekistan - Please email a brief bio, resume, and why you would be qualified to be a director. Keep it real. If you have already expressed interest in the past, hold tight, we will be sending out official applications. You must be a permanent resident of your city and you must be well respected in your community. This is not a money making venture. This is for people who desire empowering our community through entertainment and artistic expression. This is for people who do not want to sit back and watch the movement... you want to be the movement... you want to make it happen and bring it to your city. If you believe your friend would be a good candidate, please forward this to them. Minimum age, 23. Aspiration, Inspiration, Perspiration. PK | Paul Kim Executive Director prokreation@yahoo.com www.prokreation.com www.kollaboration.org www.asianelevation.com Back to the Top New Houston Southwest Chinatown Guideý
Asian Chamber of Commerce Premier edition of Houston Southwest Chinatown Guide now available. The Asian American Business Council in cooperation with the Asian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the publication of the first edition of their new Houston Southwest Chinatown Guide. The attractive 80 page, full color publication features information and articles on culture, shopping, dining, special events, entertainment, activities, transportation, housing, accommodations, local businesses and organizations. A special section features reviews of over 30 Chinatown restaurants and also includes a color map of the area. Fifty-eight area merchants and professionals have contributed to make this project possible and features the past three lovely Miss Chinatown winners on the cover.. The Houston Southwest Chinatown Guide- First Edition is being provided FREE of charge to area businesses, merchants, and organizations. We would like to provide you with a supply to distribute to friends, associates and clients. Please call 713-783-9090 to request copies for your company. We will gladly drop them off. You can also pick up copies at the following locations: Century 21 Southwest Walden of Westchase Sunblossom at Woodlake 6918 Corporate Drive 2828 Rodgerdale 2200 S. Gessner Houston, TX 77036 Houston, TX 77042 Houston, TX 77063 Tel: 713-981-1668 Tel: 713-783-9090 Tel: 713-785-9300 Sunblossom Woods Sunblossom Louisville Sunblossom Cottages 4545 Cook Rd. 9201 Clarewood 10300 Harwin Houston, TX 77072 Houston, TX 77036 Houston, TX 77036 Tel: 281-530-5942 Tel: 713-981-0137 Tel: 713-777-0212 Galleria Oaks Chinese Community Center and most Chinatown 5151 Richmond Ave. 9800 Townpark are banks. Houston, TX 77056 Houston, TX 77036 Tel: 713-627-8868 Tel: 713-271-6100 Back to the Top 2007 Statistical Portrait of the Nation's Asian and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Populations
The UCLA Asian American Studies Center, as an official U.S. Census Information Center (as a co-partner with National Coalition for Asian Pacific Community Development), is pleased to provide this 2007 statistical portrait of the Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations produced by the US Census Bureau for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which will take place in May, 2007. The portrait provides current census data, population projections, and internet links that should be useful for research, planning, writing and general educational purposes. Please see the "Editor's note" at the end of this announcement for more information. The first section provides information on "Asians," while the second part highlights "Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders". Asians 14.4 million The estimated number of U.S. residents in July 2005 who said they were Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races. This group comprised about 5 percent of the total population. California had the largest population (4.9 million) of people of this group. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/006808.html http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/007263.html 3% Percentage growth of the Asian population between 2004 and 2005, the highest of any race group during that time period. The increase in the Asian population over the period totaled 421,000. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/006808.html 3.3 million Number of Asians of Chinese descent. Chinese-Americans are the largest Asian detailed group, followed by Filipinos (2.8 million), Asian Indians (2.5 million), Vietnamese (1.5 million), Koreans (1.4 million) and Japanese (1.2 million). These estimates represent the number of people who are either of a particular detailed group only or are of that group in combination with one or more other Asian detailed groups or races. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) Education 49% The percentage of single-race Asians 25 and older who have a bachelor's degree or higher level of education. This compares to 27 percent for all people 25 and older. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) 86% The percentage of single-race Asians 25 and older who have at least a high school diploma. This compares to 84 percent for all people 25 and older. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) 20% The percentage of single-race Asians 25 and older who have a graduate or professional degree (e.g., master's or doctorate). This compares with 10 percent for all people 25 and older. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) The Asian population comprises many groups who differ in languages spoken, culture and length of residence in the United States. This is reflected in the demographic characteristics of these groups. For instance, 68 percent of Asian Indians 25 and older had a bachelor's degree or more education, and 36 percent had a graduate or professional degree. The corresponding numbers for Vietnamese-Americans were 26 percent and 7 percent, respectively. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) Income, Poverty and Health Insurance $61,094 Median household income for single-race Asians in 2005, the highest among all race groups. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/007419.html Median household income differed greatly by Asian group. For Asian Indians, for example, the median income in 2005 was $73,575; for Vietnamese-Americans, it was $50,925. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) 11.1% Poverty rate for single-race Asians in 2005, up from 9.8 percent in 2004. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/007419.html 17.9% Percentage of single-race Asians without health insurance coverage in 2005, up from 16.5 percent in 2004. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/007419.html Businesses Source for the statements referenced in this section, unless otherwise indicated: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/business_ownership/006814.html 1.1 million Number of businesses owned by Asian-Americans in 2002, up 24 percent from 1997. The rate of increase in the number of Asian-owned businesses was about twice that of the national average for all businesses. More than $326 billion Receipts of Asian-American-owned businesses in 2002, up 8 percent from 1997. An estimated 319,468 Asian-owned businesses had paid employees, and their receipts totaled more than $291 billion. There were 49,636 Asian-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more, accounting for 4.5 percent of the total number of Asian-owned firms and nearly 68 percent of their total receipts. In 2002, more than three in 10 Asian-owned firms operated in professional, scientific and technical services, as well as other services such as personal services, and repair and maintenance. 2.2 million Number of people employed by an Asian-owned business. There were 1,866 Asian-owned firms with 100 or more employees, generating nearly $52 billion in gross receipts (18 percent of the total revenue for Asian-owned employer firms). 46% Percentage of all Asian-owned firms that were either Chinese-owned or Asian Indian-owned. Nearly 6 in 10 Proportion of all Asian-owned firms in the United States that were in California, New York, Texas and New Jersey. New York, Los Angeles, Honolulu and San Francisco Cities with the highest number of Asian-owned firms. 1 in 3 Proportion of Asian-owned businesses that were home-based. This is the lowest proportion for any minority group. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/business_ownership/007537.html Languages 2.3 million The number of people 5 and older who speak Chinese at home. After Spanish, Chinese is the most widely spoken non-English language in the country. Tagalog and Vietnamese have more than 1 million speakers each. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) Serving Our Nation 293,321 The number of single-race Asian-American military veterans. About one in three was 65 and older. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) Jobs 47% The proportion of civilian employed single-race Asians 16 and older who work in management, professional and related occupations, such as financial managers, engineers, teachers and registered nurses. Additionally, 23 percent work in sales and office occupations, 15 percent in service occupations and 11 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) Counties 1.4 million The number of Asians (alone or in combination with one or more other races) in Los Angeles County, Calif., in 2005, which tops the nation's counties. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/007263.html Age Distribution 35.1 Median age, in years, of the single-race Asian population in 2005. This is younger than the corresponding figure of 36.4 years for the population as a whole. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) The Future 33.4 million The projected number of U.S. residents in 2050 who will identify themselves as single-race Asians. They would comprise 8 percent of the total population by that year. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001720.html> 213% The projected percentage increase between 2000 and 2050 in the population of people who identify themselves as single-race Asian. This compares with a 49 percent increase in the population as a whole over the same period of time. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001720.html Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders 990,000 The estimated number of U.S. residents in July 2005 who said they are Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, or Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander in combination with one or more other races. This group comprised 0.3 percent of the total population. There were 282,000 Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders in Hawaii, which led all states. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/006808.html http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/007263.html 1.5% Percentage growth of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population between 2004 and 2005, the highest of any race group except for Asians. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/006808.html Education 15% The percentage of single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders 25 and older who have at least a bachelor's degree. This compares with 27 percent for the total population this age. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) 83% The percentage of single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders 25 and older who have at least a high school diploma. This compares with 84 percent for the total population this age. (These two percentages are not significantly different from one another.) (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) 4% The percentage of single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders 25 and older who have obtained a graduate or professional degree. This compares with 10 percent for the total population this age. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) Income, Poverty and Health Insurance $54,318 The three-year average (2003-2005) median income of households whose householders reported their race as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander but did not report any other race. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/007419.html 12.2% The three-year average (2003-2005) poverty rate for those who reported their race as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander but did not report any other race. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/007419.html 21.8% The three-year average (2003-2005) percentage without health insurance for those who reported their race as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander but did not report any other race. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/007419.html Businesses Source for the statements referenced in this section: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/business_ownership/007092.html 28,948 Number of Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned businesses in 2002, up 49 percent from 1997. The rate of growth was more than three times the national average. The 3,693 Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned businesses with paid employees employed more than 29,000 and generated revenues of $3.5 billion. 2,415 Number of Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms in Honolulu alone. Honolulu led the nation. $4.3 billion Receipts for Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned businesses in 2002, up 3 percent from 1997. There were 727 Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more. These firms accounted for 2.5 percent of the total number of Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms and 66.8 percent of their total receipts. In 2002, nearly 21,000 Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms operated in health care and social assistance; other services (such as personal services, and repair and maintenance); retail trade; administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services; professional, scientific and technical services; and construction. 28 Number of Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms with 100 or more employees. These firms generated $698 million in gross receipts - 19.9 percent of the total revenue for Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned employer firms. 53% Percentage of all Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms in Hawaii or California. These two states accounted for 62 percent of business revenue. Serving Our Nation 28,084 The number of single-race Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander military veterans. One in five was 65 and older. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) Jobs 23% The proportion of civilian employed single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders 16 and older who work in management, professional and related occupations, such as financial managers, engineers, teachers and registered nurses. Meanwhile, 30 percent work in sales and office occupations, 22 percent in service occupations and 15 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations. (The percentages for management, professional and related occupations and service occupations are not statistically different.) (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) Age Distribution 30.6 The median age of the single-race Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population in 2005, much younger than the median age of 36.4 for the population as a whole. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey) Note: American Community Survey estimates are based on the population of one race only and do not include those living in group quarters. Back to the Top Artist Exhibition Reception Rescheduled to Wednesday, June 6, 2007
The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) will postpone the Artist Reception of the 2007 Exhibition from Wednesday May 9, 2007 to Wednesday, June 6, 2007. We apologize for the postponement but we look forward to sharing the works of our talented local artist at that time. Should you have any questions, please contact Jerome Vielman, Executive Director, at 713.784.1112 or email jerome@apaha.org. Back to the Top CNN featuring AAFS and Asian American mental health this Saturday May 12 at 7:30 AM
Dear Friends, CNN was in Houston yesterday and today taping for 2 upcoming shows that focus on Asian mental health issues and will feature the Asian American Family Services. A consumer as well as a clinician from AAFS were interviewed, and segments of AAFS youth program (at Hasting High School that included South Asian, Vietnamese and Filipino students) and senior program (at the Korean Senior Center ) were taped to show our efforts in both intervention and prevention-oriented strategies. While we can never be certain how much of the taping will be included for airing in these national shows, I am happy that challenges in dealing with mental health issues in the Asian American communities are being acknowledged. I applaud the efforts of CNN as well as the willingness for those involved to openly talk about a subject that is considered taboo and so stigmatized. If you have the chance, please tune in to: CNN HOUSE CALL with Dr. Sanjay Gupta Saturday, May 12, 2007 from 7:30 AM to 8 AM PAULA ZAHN NOW Wednesday, May 16, 2007 from 7 PM to 8 PM Thanks. Kim Kim Szeto Executive Director Asian American Family Services 6220 Westpark, Suite 228 Houston, Texas 77057 713-339-3688 FAX 7713-339-3699 www.aafstexas.org kimszeto@aafstexas.org Back to the Top Nguyen family mourns Memorial Day for their son killed in Iraq
Nguyen family mourns Memorial Day for their son killed in Iraq By Burt Levine Sony and Huong Nguyen are invited this Memorial Day, Monday May 28 to the steps of Sugar Land Town Square for the Fifth Annual Fort Bend Salutes America, a service they never thought they would be included in. They will be honored with flowers presented by the Constable for Fort Bend County Pct. 4 Troy Nehls. Their son Dan Nguyen, a US Army combat medic was killed in Iraq. The Nguyens will join families from all Fort Bend County and across the Houston area at the Memorial Day service now as Gold Star Parents, the unwanted honor given to parents who gave the ultimate sacrifice any mother and father can tragically contribute in service to their country, to all of our country. Nguyen, a University of Houston student was recently engaged in Sugar Land while on leave to visit friends and family in Sugar Land. The oldest of four sons, Nguyen died when his unit was attacked by small-arms fire in Tahir. His fiancee is also in the military as an Air Force member. "We were just about to send him 30 pounds of candy," his brother Phi, said. "He loved kids. He loved to play with the children of Iraq to show them the compassion of America by giving out candy. He believed in and loved America. He believed in the mission of Iraqi freedom and that of interrupting his college to serve our country. Our family regularly sent candy. He would ask for it in e-mails and phone calls home. He was always the life of a party wherever he was," he said. Nguyen felt so strongly he needed to serve his country he extended his enlistment. Nguyen would have turned 25 on May 29, the day after Memorial Day which is designated to remember those that have fallen in service to America. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas. Vu Nguyen, another brother, remembered him as "the greatest brother a person could have He enjoyed all kinds of sports, and he'd listen to your troubles and then make you laugh by being goofy." His parents immigrated from Vietnam and married in 1980. They had four sons: Dan, Phi, Vu and Van. Phi now lives in Bellaire; the others live in Sugar Land. There have been other Asian Americans and Vietnamese Americans among the more than 3,000 Americans that have been killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Global War on Terror. Nguyen is the most recent Asian American and among the most recent to have given his life for America in the War on Terror. Nguyen graduated from Houston's Madison High School in 2000 and attended the University of Houston where he was active in College Republicans. Vu said Dan enlisted in the Army in 2004. Nguyen was sent to Iraq in October. Last month while home for Easter he became engaged to his sweetheart, Hau Nguyen, who is in the Air Force, stationed in Japan. "He wanted to serve his country," Vu Nguyen said. Nguyen was one of three Houston area soliders killed Iraq this past week. Pfc. Roy L. Jones III, 21, died from wounds sustained from small-arms fire in Diwaniyah, Iraq, officials said. Jones was assigned to the 984th Military Police Company, 759th Military Police Battalion at Fort Carson, Colo. Pfc. Larry Guyton of Brenham died last Saturday of severe injuries from an improvised explosive device. Fort Bend County Constable Troy Nehls, a US Army Civil Affairs Reserve Airborne Captain and former Veterans of Foreign Wars All American Fort Bend County Post Commander that spent a year recently in Iraq, is asking the Nguyens to join he and an unfortunatley increasing list of Houston area Gold Star families for the Fifth Fort Bend Salutes America Memorial Day Service this Memorial Day. This Memorial Day we will again gather as families from all Fort Bend County and from all races and religions to hold the ceremony in front of Sugar Land City Hall at Sugar Land Town Square at 2700 Town Center Blvd. Before families head to a family barbecue or community pool or rush to the beach we must recognize the purpose of Memorial Day is properly honor countless men and woman of all of America's Armed Forces that put service above self to pay the ultimate sacrifice so America could breath free, said Nehls who got the idea for a Memorial Day service following September 11, 2001 when he saw there was no county-wide or regional Memorial Day service for families to join together from throughout the region and from all races and religions. The service starts at 10am. It's extremely memorable with 21-gun salutes, prayers from many faiths including Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Moslem and Hindu representation, fire fighter and police personnel presentations, live patriotic music by the Daystar Project Band and a parade of flags, a wreath laying ceremony from local boy scout and girl scouts troops and short comments from a US Senator, Congress Members, the County Judge and Mayors but the focus must and will be the Gold Star families, Nehls said. . A flyover from the United States Air Force in San Antonio will be featured because the Texas Air National Guard at Ellington is now deployed to southwest Asia. Covered seating, cold drinks and food for the entire family will be available with activities for children including a face painting and a moon bounce following the solemn but joyous ceremony, he said. "Many communities across the country will hold Memorial Day services and some, will pay tribute to their local heroes that gave their life for defense of our country in the Global War on Terror. Nehls insists Nguyen and all our military heroes must never be forgotten. Please call me any time at 713.419.5994 with any questions regarding this Fifth Annual Fort Bend Salutes America. I look forward to joining you and your family in observing Fort Bend Salutes America, he said. Back to the Top CAST CALL - Country Playhouse needs Adult Males for the cast of The Music Man.
Country Playhouse's (Town & Country Village - near I-10W at Beltway 8) will produce The Music Man from July 12-28. The production is in need of 10 more "warm, adult male bodies" for townspeople, salesman, etc. Doesn't matter if they can sing or dance or not - if they can, so much the better, but we just need more men to balance out the picture for the "town" scenes. Sorry - no pay with community theater - and it's a $10 membership to join the Country Playhouse (and then work your tails off helping to put on a show - but that's what community theater is all about). So if you or anyone you know might be interested, please spread the word...they only need to show up Mon or Tues night at 7pm for our first rehearsals. Sunday at 1pm, we will be at CP striking the current show's set - so that's another day and time to meet the director and to also come help out if you want. Country Playhouse is located at 12802 Queensbury in Town & Country Village, south of I-10W and east of Beltway 8. Or any interested parties can contact the director, Nicole Morgan, at nrcm5@aol.com. Back to the Top Theatre Under The Stars Urban Professionals Events June 2007!
Greetings from TUTS! We at Theatre Under The Stars would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your membership and/or expressed interest in our UP@TUTS: Urban Professionals program. So far this season, you've probably attended one of our fabulous events: our kick-off mixer at Bossa, Culture Collision at Bayou Bend, Mid-season mixer at the Downtown Aquarium, as well as one of the three pre-show mixers thus far! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have one more event planned this summer to wrap up our Really Big Season. Save this special date, June 28th and join us to support a Sweet Charity at our pre-show cocktail mixer before your Sweet Charity performance. Urban Professionals is partnering with Emerging Leaders to support a local non-profit organization, Star of Hope, who is celebrating 100 years of service to Houston's Homeless Men, Women and Children. Purchase your Sweet Charity tickets CLICK HERE (enter promo code: GHOPE) and Urban Professionals and Emerging Leaders will donate 10% of the ticket value to Star of Hope. In addition, we are asking members and guests to bring school supplies to contribute to the Backpack Program at Star of Hope. After the performance, you are invited to join OUT@TUTS at Artista restaurant in the Hobby Center for a cabaret evening of live piano music, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and an opportunity to meet members of the cast. What a fabulous way to end our 2006-07 season!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now we want to present you with the opportunity to join us for another Dream Of A Season!! In addition to the four fantastic shows in our 2007-2008 UP@TUTS Series (Dreamgirls, Hello, Dolly, 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee, and The Drowsy Chaperone), UP@TUTS members will enjoy a variety of benefits including: pre-show mixers, backstage tours, ticket discounts, a 10% discount on all Encore merchandise, invitations to exclusive TUTS events, as well as other social and educational opportunities. (If you are interested in the entire season of ALL six shows, you can still enjoy UP@TUTS activities and events with a nominal membership fee of $25.00.) We encourage you to take advantage of this special offer by June 21st, and to thank you, UP@TUTS will extend you a discount offer on summer events at the Houston Museum of Natural Science! You may use that discount to join UP@TUTS next Friday at the June 22nd HMNS Mixers, Elixirs, & IMAX! Please review the information on our website http://www.tuts.com/tickets/UP.php regarding our new 2007-08 UP@TUTS series, as well as gather additional information about TUTS' Dream of a Season and Urban Professionals. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (713) 558-2600 or jenni@tuts.com. Kind Regards, Jenni Rebecca Stephenson Development Coordinator, Donor Relations Theatre Under The Stars p:713.558.2658 f: 713.558.2650 jenni@tuts.com www.tuts.com Theatre Under The Stars is much more than Houston's largest non-profit musical theatre since 1968. Please do not hesitate to contact me or visit www.tuts.com to find out more. Back to the Top Wells Fargo Bank is looking for Chinese-speaking tellers for new Chinatown location.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY for CHINESE SPEAKERS!! Wells Fargo Bank - Chinatown location has an opening for a full-time Chinese-speaking teller. Please contact me ASAP if you know of anyone who would be interested in this position. This position is well compensated with bonuses. Thanks, Cris Espinosa Business Banking Associate WELLS FARGO BANK, NA MAC T5066-012 Phone (832) 251-5524 Fax (832) 251-5544 Wells Fargo One of Americas greatest teams since 1852 Back to the Top METRO TO START PARK & RIDE SERVICE TO BAYTOWN
CONTACT: Raequel Roberts TODAYS DATE: July 26, 2007 Sr. Director/Media Relations SUBJECT: METRO starts 713-739-4040 Baytown Park & Ride METRO TO START PARK & RIDE SERVICE TO BAYTOWN Commuting between downtown Houston and Baytown is about to get a whole lot easier with the start of new METRO Park & Ride service. METROs Board of Directors voted today to sign an interlocal agreement with Harris County to begin service in late summer or early fall. METRO expects to extend service from its Maxey Road Park & Ride to the San Jacinto Mall parking lot. It will operate four trips each rush hour, with stops at the Maxey Road Park & Ride lot. Service will run from 6 a.m. to 7:20 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 5:40 p.m. at headways, or intervals between trips, of 25 minutes. The Baytown Park & Ride should serve as a model for how we can successfully create a seamless transportation system for the region, even when it extends outside the METRO service area, said METRO President & CEO Frank Wilson. Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia was instrumental in establishing a Park & Ride to east Harris County. As we considered vendors for this new county service, choosing METRO made the most sense, as it allows us to connect with other transportation options, Garcia said. Baytown- area residents will now be able to utilize a proven network to reach destinations of interest, such as employment centers, health care, educational institutions, entertainment and shopping. Wilson said METRO is continuing discussions with officials in Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties to provide similar service to these fast growing regions. Because we provide excellent and extensive commuter bus service, Wilson said, METRO can provide a much more efficient and cost effective service than a patchwork of providers trying to serve the same area. ### Back to the Top Asian American Business Council Design Competition for Southwest Chinatown Landmark. Deadline 08/31
 Back to the Top JAPANESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NEEDS HOST FAMILY
[ News for the Japan America Society of Houston ] JAPANESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NEEDS HOST FAMILY AFS Intercultural Programs has asked for our assistance in locating a host family for 6-8 weeks for several young high school students from Japan who are scheduled to arrive in Houston next week. This can be a hugely rewarding experience, and a great way to experience the culture of Japan and things Japanese in a new way, while introducing a young student to American life. The students will be enrolled in a local high school. Please contact the JASH office for more details. AKIRA (male from Niigata, Japan) Akira is interested in fashion, music, foreign culture, nature and religion. He has 3 life mottos: enjoy my life, do not regret, and challenge everything. He is friendly and adapts easily to new environments. In the future, he thinks about becoming a doctor or joining an international cooperation agency. Akira lives with his parents and two younger sisters. His family lived in Cairo, Egypt for three years when he was young. Akira is eager to visit Galveston sometime during his stay as Galveston and Niigata are sister cities. For more info, contact: Peggy Schmitt Executive Director Japan-America Society of Houston 4801 Woodway, Suite 230W Houston, Texas 77056 Phone 713-963-0121 Fax 713-963-8270 jash@jashouston.org www.jashouston.org Back to the Top RED HOT: Asian Art Today from the Chaney Family Collection. Through 10/21/07
RED HOT: Asian Art Today from the Chaney Family Collection Through October 21st Museum of Fine Arts, Houston A sweeping overview of the spectacular rise of Asian contemporary art over the past decade; the show introduces a series of exhibitions and gallery installations that the museum is devoting to Asian art over the next several years and provides Houston with its first major look at contemporary art from the region. An international phenomenon, literally red hot in its energy and rapid development, Asian art has redefined the parameters of todays contemporary art scene. Drawn from the extraordinary holdings of Houston collectors Robert, Jereann, and Holland Chaney, many of the works have not been seen outside of their home countries. The exhibition runs through October 21, 2007 and is installed in the museums premier Brown Foundation Galleries of the Audrey Jones Beck Building. The exhibition will also spill into public spaces around the museum campus. For information, call 713-639-7300, or visit www.mfah.org. Back to the Top 23rd Annual Mayor's Proud Partner Awards: Call for Entries
23rd Annual Mayor's Proud Partner Awards: Call for Entries Every year, Keep Houston Beautiful recognizes individuals and organizations that have helped make Houston a cleaner and more beautiful city. You are invited to nominate an individual or organization that has made a difference to improve the environment, enhance the quality of life, and has built community pride. The deadline for Mayor's Proud Partner Awards entries is Friday, August 10, 2007. For a printable application visit www.houstonbeautiful.org. For questions e-mail info@houstonbeautiful.org Back to the Top APA | FIVE Leadership Conference (San Francisco).
Our Mission: APA | FIVE's singular mission is to educate, mobilize and inspire the next generation of Asian Pacific American leaders. By gathering our greatest role models with emerging young talents and creating a coalition of community organizations, we bring together all Asian Pacific Americans to promote active leadership, cultivate an interdisciplinary network and build a mentorship pipeline. FOR MORE INFO, LOG ONTO http://www.apafive.org/. Back to the Top Announcement: Steering Committee Meeting for First Annual Texas Kimchee Fest. 7PM
Korean Chamber Of Commerce Of Houston, inc., will be having a steering committee meeting to plan for the First Annual Texas Kimchee Fest, where world's best kimchee award will be given by a popular vote. The purpose is to popularize kimchee to main stream Texans and to promote personal and commercial makers of kimchee in Texas. That is, moms, restaurants, grocery stores, and kimchee factories. Korean American Association has agreed to co-sponsor the event by providing Taekwondo demonstration, Korean Farm Dance Troup, and other entertainment. Houston Community College on I-10 @ Beltway 8 has graciously agreed to provide the venue. Our tenative target date of the event is on Korean Harvest Day (Korean Thanksgiving Day) on September 29, 2007. THE ATTACHED ARE OUR TALKING POINTS FOR THE MEETING. The First Steering Committee Meeting Will Be Held After The Korean Independence Day Celebration (Sponsored By Korean Association Of Houston) On 8/15/07 (7:00p.M.) In Houston Korean Church On 10410 Clay Rd. Houston,TX 77041 - Tel.(713)937-7444(Ch). Please Make Plans To Attend Both Events. If You Are Not Able To Attend, But Are Interested In Sponsoring Or Contributing, Please E-Mail Me. May Your Business Proliferate!!! KRISTOPHER K. AHN PRESIDENT KOREAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HOUSTON Email: ahnlawfirm1938@sbcglobal.net Back to the Top Please Provide Relief to Asian Families of Murdered Victims In New Orleans.
For more info, log onto www.apasneworleans.com  Back to the Top SIGN UP FOR THE 10/27/2007 L.E.A.P. CONFERENCE ON APA LEADERSHIP TODAY!
Download the registration form HERE! L.E.A.P. CONFERENCE Sponsored by Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics website: http://www.leap.org Community Leadership Conferences are designed to foster collaboration within the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Through these Leadership Conferences, we hope to achieve a greater understanding and ability to address AAPI issues through dialogue, developing strategies and participating in personal development and leadership training. DESIRED OUTCOMES: Provide AAPI leadership training and personal development Increase participants self-awareness regarding their potential and personal capacity Create opportunities for AAPI community members and organizations to meet each other and to find opportunities for collaboration Discuss pressing issues facing the AAPI community, both locally and nationally Target Audience: AAPI corporate affinity organization members and others in the private sector Staff and Board Members of community based organizations serving AAPI families and communities AAPI college students and youth Individuals and organizations interested in professional development and becoming more actively involved in their community (culturally, politically, civically) More information can be found at http://www.leap.org/empower_conference.html Back to the Top Diverseworks Presents Keo Woolford in "I Land" 10/12 & 10/13 8PM!
For more information, log onto www.DIVERSEWORKS.ORG. Diverseworks 1117 E. Freeway Houston, Texas 77002 Phone:713.223.8346 Fax: 713.223.4608 PhoneWorks: 713.335.3443 Ticket Line: 713.335.3445 (24 hours) Back to the Top Nagesh Kukunoor Casting Call
-----Original Message----- From: manansinghkatohora@yahoogroups.com [mailto:manansinghkatohora@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of vkartoos Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 1:08 PM To: manansinghkatohora@yahoogroups.com Subject: [manansinghkatohora] Nagesh Kukunoor Casting Call Folks, The following shoot is happening in North America. Please respond ASAP (time is of essence), if interested, to vivek@saafa.org Nagesh Kukunoor http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474398/ (Dor, Iqbal, 3 Deewarein, Bollywood Calling, Hyderabad Blues) film The following are what we are looking to cast. - Emily - Indian - 50 years of age. sweet looking lady (hindi speaking) - Mrs Sanya in also an Indian - 50 - 55 years of age - ( hindi speaking ) sweet and humble looking woman - Sally - young girl early 20's - spit fire personality (hindi speaking) Rgds, Vivek Kumar vivek@saafa.org Back to the Top Jazz In Photos Exhibition by Houston photographer Pin Lim
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Marie Marcel Silver House Theater 713-547-0126 jazzinphotos@yahoo.com www.jazzinphotos.com JAZZ in PHOTOS EXHIBIT Houston, TX, September 19, 2007 Silver House Theater presents Jazz in Photos. This collection of prints by Pin Lim and Inge Luger-Larrey showcase some of Houstons great jazz masters of the 1980s to the present. The exhibit will take place October 10, 2007 from 6pm to 10pm at the Silver House Theater located at 1107 Chartres and will feature prints of jazz greats such as Arnette Cobb, Milton Larkin, Jay Berg and many more. Houston is not a city that many people think of when they think of jazz, but the bayou city has been home to some of jazzs most beloved masters. Lim hopes to show that through his & Larreys prints. Theres a lot of history here. A lot of these images have not been viewed by the public for a long time, Lim said. We are very excited to be able to display them again. The exhibit is the first step toward preserving and archiving photos of Houstons jazz artists as well as creating future exhibits that will hopefully travel the nation. The event is free, but donations to help further the exhibits goal will be accepted. The Woody Witt Quintet of Woody Witt (Saxophone), Tim Armacost (Saxophone), Joe LoCasio (Piano), Lynn Seaton (Bass) and legendary drummer Billy Hart will be playing a one hour concert set at 8pm. For additional information on Jazz in Photos, or to schedule an interview, contact Marie Marcel at 713-547-0126, Pin Lim at 713-923-5993 or by email at jazzinphotos@yahoo.com. - END - Pin Lim www.jazzinphotos.com www.forestphotography.com 713 923 5993 Back to the Top Duong Nguyet Anh - Winner fo the 2007 National Security Medal.
Vietnamese American Duong Nguyet Anh - Winner of the 2007 National Security Medal. Congratulations for your contribution to American society. Back to the Top Help Support Baby Raymond Liu
This is a story about a 2 ½ year old baby boy named Raymond Liu who currently lives in Houston, Texas. Eighteen months ago, baby Raymond was taken from his family by Child Protective Services (CPS) and placed into a foster home. Raymonds mother, Sally Liu suffers from mental illness and has been hospitalized intermittently due to her condition. When CPS took Raymond away from his immigrant family (the Lius), he was in the care of his maternal grandmother who has been is primary caregiver since his birth. Because Grandma could not speak English, CPS was unable to communicate to her why he was being taken away. Raymond did not show evidence of being abused, abandoned, malnourished, or neglected. In fact, he was healthy, happy, and well cared for by family members and even up to date on all his immunizations he was in no apparent danger. CPS took Raymond from his relatives and placed him in a foster home where he has been for the past 18 months. CPS is supposed to place children with family first but this did not happen. The family was at a loss; they were unfamiliar with the social system and turned to a local social service agency, the Asian American Family Services, for help. The AAFS placed numerous calls to the local CPS to no avail. Their phone calls were not returned and when they finally got in touch with CPS they were told it was too late. Baby Raymonds case had been turned over to the court system. The family was getting nowhere with CPS, so they contacted Raymonds father (Raymonds father and mother never married) who lives in Arizona to help get baby Raymond back. After all, he was baby Raymonds biological father and had to take a DNA test to prove it. Even his own father was turned down for fear that Baby Raymond would be returned to his mentally ill mother. No longer able to financially afford traveling between Phoenix to Houston to attend all the court hearings, baby Raymonds father terminated his parental rights hoping that baby Raymond could be adopted by his aunt and uncle who also lived in Phoenix (Sallys twin sister, Connie and her husband, Tony Diep). The family still had hope that CPS would return baby Raymond back the family. Why not? He was not an orphan, and the Dieps and the Lius, including baby Raymonds mother, complied with all of CPSs requests (parenting classes, psychiatric evaluations, and home studies). Due to case overload and high turnover rates, baby Raymonds case was handled by a total of four different CPS caseworkers. Baby Raymonds case was essentially lost in the system. No one seemed to return any of the familys phone calls inquiring about Baby Raymond. He simply fell through the cracks of our social service system. For CPS to say that they did not know about baby Raymond having family is totally untrue; they simply did not want to acknowledge that the family was available (keep in mind that CPS took him away from the grandmothers care). In fact, visitations with baby Raymond were made by Raymonds mother, Sally, and her family members at the CPS offices! CPS just did not want to deal with the language barrier (the family speaks Hoi-Ping, a type of Cantonese dialect), cultural differences, and a mother with mental illness. Now the Lius and the Dieps are in a custody battle with CPS and the foster parents. A few weeks ago, the court terminated Sallys parental rights due to her mental illness and granted managing conservatorship to the foster family. Clearly, our social service and judicial service failed the Liu and the Diep families. It is a shame that something like this happens in the United States where a child can be stripped from its own family. The family has not given up and will continue to fight for baby Raymond. Back to the Top UCLA study reports More Asian Americans meeting obstacles to academic success.
For Immediate Use Oct. 11, 2007 More Asian Americans meeting obstacles to academic success By Kathleen Wyer, wyer@gseis.ucla.edu (310) 206-0513 Collectively, more Asian American college and university students are experiencing obstacles to academic success in U.S. higher education than in the past, according to a new UCLA report. More Asian American students now come from low-income homes with limited financial capacity to pay for college, and fewer are attending their first-choice institutions than in past years. In 2005, 51.8 percent reported attending their first-choice school, a significant decline from the 68.0 percent reported in 1974. "This trend has occurred during a time span when entering Asian American freshmen are becoming increasingly better prepared for college, as measured by high school grades and their own self-ratings of key academic and social skills, and becoming increasingly more civically involved and interested in becoming community leaders," said report co-author and UCLA associate professor of education Mitchell J. Chang. "Beyond Myths: The Growth and Diversity of Asian American College Freshmen, 1971-2005," documents trends in the values and characteristics of Asian American college freshmen nationwide and is based on data for 361,271 Asian and Asian American first-time, full-time college students compiled over 35 years. The report, which represents the largest compilation and analysis of data on Asian American college students ever undertaken, is part of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program administered by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA's Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. In 2005, Asian American freshmen were more likely than the national freshman population to come from families with household incomes of less than $40,000. Nearly 31 percent of Asian Americans came from such backgrounds, compared with the national average of 22.7 percent - presenting these students with an obstacle to success in higher education. "A substantial number of Asian Pacific American college students come from poor and modest-income families and are likely to have attended high schools that are predominantly minority," said co-author Don T. Nakanishi, professor of Asian American studies and education and director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. "Moreover, Asian American students and parents do not take full advantage of loans and other financial aid opportunities that can assist in meeting the rising costs of a college education." Indeed, Asian American students rely heavily on parents, relatives and employment - rather than loans - to finance their college education, with 43.3 percent reporting in 2005 that there was a "very good chance" they would obtain a job during college, up from 32.4 percent in 1980. Asian American women in particular were 12.9 percentage points more likely than their male counterparts to anticipate working. Also notable is the steady rise in Asian American freshmen who say they plan to work full-time to cover expenses - an increase from 1.9 percent in 1979 to 4.6 percent in 1999. "Low-income Asian American students, compared to their higher-income counterparts, are less savvy about applying to college, are more likely to be non-native English speakers and are more in need of a job to help pay for college," Chang said. Over the past 35 years, entering Asian American students appear to have become better prepared for college, although nearly 20 percent in 2005 believed they would need special tutoring or remedial work in English. This percentage is similar to that for incoming Latino students (20.9 percent) and is higher than that for all other racial groups, underscoring a critical remediation need for colleges and universities. The percentage of Asian American students who applied to six or more colleges more than tripled between 1980 to 2005; 35.9 percent reported having applied for admission to six or more schools in 2005, compared with 10.7 percent in 1980. Asian American students from low-income backgrounds, however, were least likely to apply to six or more colleges, giving them fewer options. While women in the general college-going population began to outnumber men in the 1970s, Asian American women did not outnumber their male counterparts until 1990. Since 2000, a higher percentage of Asian American women than men came from low-income backgrounds. And while the increased enrollment of Asian American women in higher education is a positive trend, it underscores how Asian American men, particularly those from low-income households, are not keeping pace. "Nearly 75 percent of first-time, full-time Asian American students attend four-year colleges and universities," said Sylvia Hurtado, professor of education and director of the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. "This is the first report of its kind to track this population since the 1970s, opening the pathway for further research on a myriad of policy and practice issues that impact their progress." Asian American enrollment in higher education surpassed 1 million students in 2001 and continues to increase each year. In addition to Chang and Nakanishi, co-authors of the report include Julie J. Park, Monica H. Lin and Oiyan A. Poon For a copy of "Beyond Myths: The Growth and Diversity of Asian American College Freshmen, 1971-2005," visit www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri. To reach the Higher Education Research Institute, call (310) 825-1925. Since 1966, the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) has administered the Freshman Survey, in which more than 8.3 million incoming first-year students at 1,201 colleges and universities nationwide have participated. The CIRP Freshmen Survey is the largest and longest-running survey of American college students, and it documents the changing nature of students' characteristics, values, attitudes and behaviors. The data have helped shape public opinion about key issues related to the concerns of college youth and contribute to critical policy considerations in education. -- Don T. Nakanishi, Ph.D. Director and Professor UCLA Asian American Studies Center 3230 Campbell Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1546 phone:310.825.2974 fax:310.206.9844 e-mail:dtn@ucla.edu web site for Center: http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/default.asp Back to the Top Film Opening of "Finishing The Game" by Justin Lin. At Landmark Greenway 11/16.
WWW.YOUOFFENDMEYOUOFFENDMYFAMILY.COM 
FINISHING THE GAME THE SEARCH FOR THE NEW BRUCE LEE A FILM BY JUSTIN LIN OPENS LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY AND SAN DIEGO THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 FOR ONE WEEK *if it does well, it will be held over for more!!! LOS ANGELES - LANDMARK NUART THEATRE 11272 Santa Monica Boulevard, just west of the 405 Freeway West Los Angeles, CA 90025 - (310) 281-8223 http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/LosAngeles/NuartTheatre.htm ORANGE COUNTY - REGENCY SOUTH COAST VILLAGE 1561 W Sunflower Ave - Sunflower & South Coast Plaza Drive Santa Ana, CA. 92704 - (714) 557-5701 http://www.regencymovies.com/dateDetail.php?theaterId=17&date=2007-10-26 SAN DIEGO - LANDMARK KEN THEATRE 4061 Adams Avenue San Diego, CA 92116 - (619) 283-3227 https://tickets.landmarktheatres.com/Landmark.aspx?TheatreID=220 Meet filmmaker JUSTIN LIN and the entire cast of FINISHING THE GAME this weekend in Los Angeles at the NUART THEATRE on Friday and Saturday at the 7:30 PM and 9:50 PM showings!!!! For all of you in the Bay Area - Congrats!!! The film did exceptionally well this weekend and was in the top 10 per screen box office this past weekend taking in over $14,000 in San Francisco and Berkeley. The film is being held over - however check your local listings for the exact times. Big props to everyone for coming out and supporting last weekend. Keep it coming! Los Angeles peoples - MY SPACE.COM and The Usual Suspects are throwing the Los Angeles Movie Opening Party at Club Shag in Hollywood FINISHING THE GAME LOS ANGELES OPENING PARTY at SHAG HOLLYWOOD (Myspace.com featured event - hosted by Usual Suspects LA) 1835 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 Friday, October 26, 2007 - doors at 9:30 PM Guest can present ticket stub from FINISHING THE GAME and get free entry to the club before midnight! TIME TO REPRESENT Y'ALL - SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES THIS WEEKEND FOR FINISHING THE GAME! APA FIRST WEEKEKND FILM CLUB!!! Back to the Top Now available Viet Webstream TV!
Dear all, Now, you can view our TV online FREE on www.tvasian.net for most current and daily broadcasting programs. Check out our community local news sections, and the most inquiring programs such as Herbal Medicine, and cooking shows. You can register to post comments for each articles. If you would like to inform us about your events, do email (sbtnhouston@ yahoo.com) or fax your info. to us (713 589 4944). Similarly to local Viet Media, we do provide announcement services at competitive rate for your upcoming events. Do contact us (above) or me (Binh Nguyen) at 832 860 6667. Best Regards, Q.Binh Back to the Top WWW.TVASIAN.NET Community Update 11/01
Here's the weekly compilation of news (every Wed at Noon and 7PM) TV news (www.tvasian.net) about many special events in our community last week. (including: the Bill board #4, Nguyen Khai exhibition, Will preperation at Viet Hoa, Houston Grand Opera - The Refuge at Kim Son, VN Teamwork and Bamboo Village on Dashwood). Full stories will be scheduled in the following week. http://sbtnhouston.net/ArticleDetail/tabid/125/aid/609/Default.aspx if you know an event, we missed it, and you have a clip, do send to us for the broadcast to 65,000+ households across US, Canada, Australia. Regards, Q.Binh www.tvasian.net Back to the Top Centerpoint Energy partners with Houston Fire Dept.'s "Get Alarmed Houston" Program.
CNP teams up with the Houston Fire Department 100 volunteers needed to help save lives! CenterPoint Energy has partnered with the Houston Fire Departments Get Alarmed Houston program, which is dedicated to saving the lives of Houstonians by increasing fire and carbon monoxide safety education. The goal of this program is to ensure that every household is properly outfitted with at least one smoke detector and, when needed, a carbon monoxide detector. On Saturday, Nov. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., volunteers will team up for a massive alarm installation in a low-income area of southeast Houston. In 2006, a third of all of Houstons fatal fires occurred in this area. In an effort to prevent such tragedies through awareness and preparedness, CenterPoint Energy volunteers and the Houston Fire Department will install alarms and distribute safety information to 500 area homes. Families, including children age 12 or older, are encouraged to participate. To volunteer, please contact Delores Garner at mailto:delores.garner@centerpointenergy.com or 713.207.7597. Back to the Top L.E.A.P. Conferences in San Francisco (11/10) and New York (11/17)!
Dear friends and supporters, I'd greatly appreciate your help in sharing this announcement and encouraging your networks, family and friends in San Francisco and or New York to attend one of these great Leadership Conferences. On November 10th, we will be introducing the 1st Annual San Francisco Leadership Conference. On November 17th, we will be holding our 2nd Annual New York Asian American Leadership Summit Following below is information on both conferences. You can also register online for either conferences through our webste at: San Francisco conference website: http://www.leap.org/empower_conference_sanfran.html New York conference website: http://leap.org/empower_conference_newyork.html Thank you! Linda ------------------- San Francisco Community Leadership Conference A CONFERENCE TO DEVELOP SKILLS AND "GROW LEADERS" IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA You are cordially invited to a day of networking, leadership skills development, and community action focused on "Growing Leaders" in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. In addition to workshops on personal and professional development, this conference will feature an intergenerational forum, as well as opportunities for networking with members from various organizations. Saturday, November 10th, 2007 - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm WHO: Individuals and organizations interested in elevating and leveraging their leadership skills and serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the San Francisco / Bay area. WHAT: A day of leadership training on topics such as Networking, Media and the Community, and Being a 21st Century Leader. WHERE: San Francisco State University , Downtown Campus 835 Market Street , San Francisco , CA 94103 WHEN: Saturday, November 10, 2007, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. COST: $10 student / $25 non-profit / $50 general (includes breakfast, lunch and materials) TO REGISTER: Fill in an online registration form at: http://www.leap.org/empower_conference_sanfran.html FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact: Farzana Nayani, Education & Training Consultant Phone: 213.485.1422 x 4101 Email: fnayani@leap.org Or Scott Chan, Program Coordinator Phone: 213.485.1422 x 4108 Email: schan@leap.org Website: http://www.leap.org/empower_conference_sanfran.html Amplify: The 2nd Annual New York Asian American Leadership Summit Amplify is a 1 day summit open to the public, offering 5 innovative personal and leadership development workshops. Designed by and for Asian Americans, these workshops will teach participants to amplify and leverage their leadership skills, polish their networking skills, and lead community action in the Asian American community. Featured Workshops: -Intercultural Communication -Being a 21st Century Leader -Making a Great 1st Impression & Developing Your Personal Brand -Effective Communication Styles -The Power of Networking Date| Saturday, November 17, 2007, 8 am 5pm Location| NYU | Silver Center Building , Room 703 100 Washington Square East New York , NY 10003 (Enter from the Washington Square North side.) Cost| $10 student / $25 non-profit / $50 general (includes breakfast, lunch, and materials) Info/Register| Visit http://leap.org/empower_conference_newyork.html to register online or download a registration form FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact: Sedora Tantraphol Senior Program Coordinator (213) 485-1422x4109 stantraphol@leap.org ----------------------- Linda Akutagawa Vice President of Resource and Business Development Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) Phone: (213) 485-1422 x 4115 Fax: (213) 485-0050 Email: lakutagawa@leap.org Web: http://www.leap.org ****************************************************** LEAP is celebrating its 25th Anniversary! Join us at one of our Fall 2007 community leadership conferences in Los Angeles , Chicago , Houston , New York or San Francisco For more information see our website @www.leap.org!! LEAP is a national organization founded in 1982 with a mission to achieve full participation and equality for Asian Pacific Americans through leadership, empowerment, and policy. With original programs in leadership training, public policy research, and community education, LEAP raises the impact and visibility of Asian Pacific Americans in all sectors. ****************************************************** Back to the Top CALL FOR PAPERS: SPECIAL ISSUE ON ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AGING
CALL FOR PAPERS: SPECIAL ISSUE ON ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AGING AAPI Nexus: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Policy, Practice and Community AAPI Nexus is a peer-reviewed, national journal published by UCLA's Asian American Studies Center focusing on policies, practices and community research to benefit the nation's burgeoning Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The journal's mission is to facilitate an exchange of ideas and research findings that strengthens the efforts through policy and practice to tackle the pressing societal problems facing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Since the inception of ethnic studies, the goal of "serving the community" has been at the heart of Asian American Studies and Pacific Islander Studies. Previous issues have focused on Community Development, Civil Rights, Voting, Employment, Health, Youth, and Art and Cultural Institutions. The table of contents and editors' note for previous volumes can be found at: http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/aascpress/nexuscollection.htm. For 2008, AAPI Nexus will publish a special volume focusing on issues, challenges and opportunities related to the impacts of aging and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Professor Jim Lubben (Boston College) and Professor Namkee G. Choi (U.T. Austin) are the consulting Guest Editors working with the editorial staff on this volume. Articles for the volume on aging may address the following questions, but are not limited to these: o How well are elderly AAPIs faring? o Financially after retirement? What are their sources of income, and how does this vary by nativity and length in the United States? o By insurance coverage for health? o By Quality of Life indicators for emotional, physical and social well-being? o What are the roles and responsibilities of adult AAPIs in the care of their elderly parents? What are the influences of inter-generational cultural and class differences? o What social, health and supportive services are available to elderly AAPIs? What are the cultural, linguistic and economic barriers? o How have recent changes in immigration and welfare policies affected elderly AAPIs? o What roles have AAPI community-based organizations played in providing services and/or advocating got policies and legislations that benefit elderly AAPIs? If you are interested in submitting a manuscript, please submit a letter of intent with the title and a very short descriptive paragraph to the editors for review. If you have a prepared paper, you may also submit the paper at the same time. We invite academic researchers, practitioners, and community leaders to submit manuscripts. Along with articles based on original research, AAPI Nexus publishes Practitioner's Essays from professionals and community leaders, and Resource Papers that present new statistics on AAPIs or discuss applied research methods. For submission guidelines, please visit: http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/aascpress/pressresources.htm Click on STYLE SHEET for Article Submissions (PDF Document). Deadline for Letter of Intent: January 31, 2008 Deadline for Manuscript Submissions: April 30, 2008 Earlier submission of a Letter or Manuscript is encouraged. Please send letter of intent to AAPI Nexus. Internet communication is preferred. The Journal's email address is: Melany Dela Cruz -Viesca (nexus@aasc.ucla.edu) and send an electronic copy to: Marjorie Kagawa-Singer (Marjorie.kagawasinger@gmail.com) Professor Jim Lubben (lubben@bc.edu) Professor Namkee G. Choi (nchoi@mail.utexas.edu) For regular mail, send all correspondence to: Melany Dela Cruz -Viesca, Managing Editor AAPI Nexus UCLA Asian American Studies Center 3230 Campbell Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095 -- Don T. Nakanishi, Ph.D. Director and Professor UCLA Asian American Studies Center 3230 Campbell Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1546 phone:310.825.2974 fax:310.206.9844 e-mail:dtn@ucla.edu web site for Center: http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/default.asp Back to the Top CALL FOR PAPERS: SPECIAL ISSUE ON ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AGING
CALL FOR PAPERS: SPECIAL ISSUE ON ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AGING AAPI Nexus: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Policy, Practice and Community AAPI Nexus is a peer-reviewed, national journal published by UCLA's Asian American Studies Center focusing on policies, practices and community research to benefit the nation's burgeoning Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The journal's mission is to facilitate an exchange of ideas and research findings that strengthens the efforts through policy and practice to tackle the pressing societal problems facing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Since the inception of ethnic studies, the goal of "serving the community" has been at the heart of Asian American Studies and Pacific Islander Studies. Previous issues have focused on Community Development, Civil Rights, Voting, Employment, Health, Youth, and Art and Cultural Institutions. The table of contents and editors' note for previous volumes can be found at: http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/aascpress/nexuscollection.htm. For 2008, AAPI Nexus will publish a special volume focusing on issues, challenges and opportunities related to the impacts of aging and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Professor Jim Lubben (Boston College) and Professor Namkee G. Choi (U.T. Austin) are the consulting Guest Editors working with the editorial staff on this volume. Articles for the volume on aging may address the following questions, but are not limited to these: o How well are elderly AAPIs faring? o Financially after retirement? What are their sources of income, and how does this vary by nativity and length in the United States? o By insurance coverage for health? o By Quality of Life indicators for emotional, physical and social well-being? o What are the roles and responsibilities of adult AAPIs in the care of their elderly parents? What are the influences of inter-generational cultural and class differences? o What social, health and supportive services are available to elderly AAPIs? What are the cultural, linguistic and economic barriers? o How have recent changes in immigration and welfare policies affected elderly AAPIs? o What roles have AAPI community-based organizations played in providing services and/or advocating got policies and legislations that benefit elderly AAPIs? If you are interested in submitting a manuscript, please submit a letter of intent with the title and a very short descriptive paragraph to the editors for review. If you have a prepared paper, you may also submit the paper at the same time. We invite academic researchers, practitioners, and community leaders to submit manuscripts. Along with articles based on original research, AAPI Nexus publishes Practitioner's Essays from professionals and community leaders, and Resource Papers that present new statistics on AAPIs or discuss applied research methods. For submission guidelines, please visit: http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/aascpress/pressresources.htm Click on STYLE SHEET for Article Submissions (PDF Document). Deadline for Letter of Intent: January 31, 2008 Deadline for Manuscript Submissions: April 30, 2008 Earlier submission of a Letter or Manuscript is encouraged. Please send letter of intent to AAPI Nexus. Internet communication is preferred. The Journal's email address is: Melany Dela Cruz -Viesca (nexus@aasc.ucla.edu) and send an electronic copy to: Marjorie Kagawa-Singer (Marjorie.kagawasinger@gmail.com) Professor Jim Lubben (lubben@bc.edu) Professor Namkee G. Choi (nchoi@mail.utexas.edu) For regular mail, send all correspondence to: Melany Dela Cruz -Viesca, Managing Editor AAPI Nexus UCLA Asian American Studies Center 3230 Campbell Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095 -- Don T. Nakanishi, Ph.D. Director and Professor UCLA Asian American Studies Center 3230 Campbell Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1546 phone:310.825.2974 fax:310.206.9844 e-mail:dtn@ucla.edu web site for Center: http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/default.asp Back to the Top APAICS Announces 2008-09 Fellowship Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: RGMoy 202/296-9200 With the successful placement of the Class of 2007-08 Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) six Fellows, the non-profit organization announced that the application for the next cycle is available on their Website: www.apaics.org. "We are extremely proud and delighted to welcome to APAICS an increase of four additional Fellowships," said President and CEO William H. (Mo) Marumoto. Joining the existing fellowship programs of The George Aratani Foundation/Senator Daniel K. Inouye Fellow, the Anheuser-Busch/Congressman Frank Horton Fellow, and the Sodexho USA Fellow are the Wal-Mart Stores, Inc./Governor George R. Ariyoshi Fellow, two fellowships from The Coca-Cola Foundation/Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta Fellow and The National Association of Realtors Fellow. The six to nine months fellowship programs provide an opportunity for a graduate to be placed in either the Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, federal agencies, or a non-profit organization in the Washington area. All the Fellows are assigned specific projects by their placement offices. APAICS Chair David L. Kim indicated that there is also a State Farm Congressional Fellowship. This stipend provides an elected official to shadow a member of Congress for two weeks. This application is also made available through the APAICS' Website. "This program," said Kim, "is a terrific way to learn and experience first-hand the legislative process on how our laws are made in this country." APAICS Fellows for the Class of 2007-08, were placed in the following offices: Wendy Ho (The George Aratani Foundation/Senator Daniel K. Inouye Fellow) in the Office of Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA); Gene Kim (The Coca-Cola Foundation/Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta Fellow) in the Office of Congressman Al Green (D-TX); Seng Peng (Sodexho USA Fellow) in the Environmental Protection Agency; Paulo Pontemayor (The Coca-Cola Foundation/Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta Fellow) in the Office of Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-CA); Jonathan To (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc./Governor George R. Ariyoshi Fellow) in the Office of Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI); and Lynne Yasui (The George Aratani Foundation/Senator Daniel K. Inouye Fellow) in the Office of Congressman Sanford Bishop (D-GA). *** APAICS is a national 501 (c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan educational organization based in Washington, D.C., that seeks to build a politically empowered Asian Pacific American (APA) community, to fill the political pipeline for APAs to enter and advance into elected office, and to be a resource to Congress about the APA community. 111407 Back to the Top RFP for National Asian American Theatre Project Conference (June 2008)
> REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS > > The National Steering Committee of the National Asian American > Theater Project is requesting proposals for breakout sessions for > SHAPING OUR VOICE AND VISION, the 2nd National Asian American > Theater Conference. The conference will focus upon the reading and > discussion of new works and the larger sense of artistic vision for > Asian American theater. > > The conference will be held from June 5th to 8th, 2008 in > Minneapolis/St. Paul. The local co-hosts will be Mu Performing > Arts and Pangea World Theater, with the site being the Guthrie > Theater in Minneapolis. > > The breakout sessions will be small groups of about 20 to 30 > participants which will meet for a specific topic of discussion or > activity for a period of about 90 minutes. Below is some of the > information required in the proposal: > > 1) Title of Breakout Session. > > 2) Short Description of Topic of Discussion or Activity Proposed. > (100 words or less) > > 3) Name of Suggested Facilitator with title and affiliations, brief > bio and phone, address and email contact information. > > 4) Names of suggested panelists with titles and affiliations, brief > bios and phone, address and email contact information (limit to two > names) > > 5) Name of person submitting proposal with title and affiliations, > brief bio and phone, address and email contact information. > > The Deadline for Proposals is December 15th, 2007. > Acceptance Notification: January 30th, 2008 > > The National Steering Committee will look at the proposals and > select those deemed best suited to the structure and nature of the > conference. If the proposal is selected, the facilitator for the > session may be the one suggested or another selected by the > committee. Travel, accommodation and a small honorarium will be > covered by the conference for the facilitator and the panelists > selected. The Committee may also want to make adjustments to the > proposals as per the needs of the conference, so persons submitting > proposals must accept any Committee decisions in regard to the > proposals. There will be about ten breakout sessions to be named. > (For background information on breakout sessions from the first > conference, see attached final report on Next Big Bang or go to > website at www.nextbigbang.org and look at brochure page 2) > > All proposals should be emailed to info@muperformingarts.org or > mailed to Mu Performing Arts, 2700 N.E. Winter Street #4, Mpls, MN > 55413. For further information call 612-824-4804 and ask for Rick > Shiomi. > Back to the Top AABA Offers Lunchtime Downtown Mandarin Chinese Classes! Deadline 01/08/2008
The Asian American Bar Associatin (AABA) will continue to offer lunchtime downtown Mandarin Chinese classes in the winter and spring of 2008. These classes will begin on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 and will meet once a week for a period of sixteen (16) weeks (concluding on May 6th) at the offices of Baker Botts L.L.P. The classes will be taught by a Rice University instructor. Class sizes will be kept small, and enrollment is limited. Please bring your lunch and join us! Two separate classes a beginner class (for those with little to no previous Chinese instruction) and an intermediate-level class will be offered, each with a focus on teaching conversational Mandarin skills. Both classes will be open to the community at large; however, AABA members receive priority enrollment and a discounted class fee. A registration form is attached. If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to contact me. The registration deadline is January 8, 2008. Warm holiday wishes from the AABA! Judy Liu AABA Vice President of Membership www.aabahouston.com Back to the Top Asian American Real Estate Association 2008 Scholarship Program
PRESS RELEASE Asian American Real Estate Association is proud to announce the 2008 scholarship program. The purpose of the AAREA Scholarship is to recognize and to assist outstanding high school graduates and college students for their academic achievements and to reduce their financial burdens for college. Scholarship award is selected on the basis of academic achievement, financial need and community involvement. A maximum of five scholarships will be awarded this year. In 2007, five scholarships were awarded to- Allen Liang, Teen Chen, Caroline Bik-Kai Chiu; Cathleen Chang all three students are attending the Rice University; Andrea M Dinh who is attending UT Austin and Liana Wei-Kit Tam who is attending Texas A&M University. The five recipients were recognized in the 2007 AAREA Spring Gala. Likewise, the new scholarship recipients will be recognized in 2008 AAREA Spring Gala on February 9, 2008. The deadline for the 2008 AAREA scholarship application is January 15, 2008. For scholarship application and information, please visit our website www.aarea.us or contact scholarship coordinator Jackson Chang @ Jackson@panjackson.com or (713) 965-9060. Back to the Top HCC offers Vietnamese Language and Cultural Classes
************************************************************************* For more information, please contact francis.ha@hccs.edu or 713-718-5234. ************************************************************************* HCC offers Vietnamese Language and Cultural Classes Vietnamese classes for non-Vietnamese students who would like to study the Vietnamese language and culture is offered at Central campus. These classes are particularly designed for those who plan to travel to Vietnam for business, research, and leisure. Vietnamese-American students who were born or grew up in the United States and who would like to learn the mother language are encouraged to enroll. The 4 credit-hour class can be transferred as foreign language credit. HCC currently offers two levels: VIET-1411 (Fall semesters) and VIET-1412 (Spring semesters). Francis Ha, certified by HCCS to teach the Vietnamese Languange classes will be the instructor. For more information, please contact francis.ha@hccs.edu or 713-718-5234. Spring 2008 DFTG-1412 - Beginning Vietnamese II Class #30283 Location: HCC Central, FAC-309 Date/Time: MW 5:30pm-7:00pm Lecture (mandatory), 7:00pm-8:00pm Lab Start: Jan 14, 2008 - End: May 5, 2008 Instructor: Francis Ha, BS, MA Certified instructor in Vietnamese Language & Cultural courses, all levels Course Descriptions: VIET-1411 - Beginning Vietnamese I Credit: 4 (3 lecture, 2 lab) Introduction to Vietnamese language and culture. Development of basic skills in listening comprehensive, speaking, reading, writing, and cultral awareness. Course includes vocabulary building, conversation and grammar. May be transfered as foreign language credit. Core Curriculum Course. VIET-1412 - Beginning Vietnamese II Credit: 4 (3 lecture, 2 lab) Development of listening comprehensision, speaking, reading, and writing skills, and cultural awareness. More advanced grammar. May be transfered as foreign language credit. Core curriculum course. Back to the Top Houston Arts Alliance Announces the Individual Artists Grant Program. Deadline 02/01/08
Please forward this information on to artists you think would be interested in applying to the Individual Artists Grant Program. For more infomation, log onto the Grants for Artists page of the Houston Arts Alliance. Any Choreographers, Music Composers, Creative Writers and Visual Artists that are City of Houston residents for two full years. The Houston Arts Alliance Announces the Individual Artist Grant Program ROUND II GRANT YEAR: July 1, 2007 â JUNE 30, 2008 The Individual Artist Grant encourages the creation of new works by recognizing significant City of Houston artists and their contribution to the community. Houston Arts Alliance supports, encourages and nourishes an environment for the growth and development of Houston artists. HAA strives to stimulate a greater public awareness of the artist and his/her contribution to the community. We strongly encourage all interested applicants to attend an application workshop as there have been recent changes to our process. The workshop provides applicants with assistance in turning in a complete and competitive application and support materials. To reserve a space for the eGrant© application workshops, please contact Houston Arts Alliance at 713.527.9330 or nannette@haatx.com ROUND II [Artist Project Grants and New Works Fellowships] GRANT TERM: April 1, 2008 â December 31, 2008 Access to eGrant© Application: January 7, 2008 eGrant© Deadline: February 1, 2008, 7:00 p.m. [online] Required Materials Deadline: February 6, 2008, 5:30 p.m. [received in our office] This is NOT a postmark deadline. eGrant © Application Workshops January 10, 2008 12:00 PM January 17, 2008 5:30 PM January 24, 2008 12:00 PM & 5:30 PM ALL Workshops will be held at Houston Arts Alliance. 3201 Allen Parkway, Suite 250, Houston, TX 77019 To reserve a space for the eGrant© application workshops, please contact Houston Arts Alliance at 713.527.9330 or nannette@haatx.com. Back to the Top Asian American Health Coalition Announces Workshops on Asian American Tobacco Cessation
> Subject: RE: workshops on Asian American tobacco cessation > To: bjgor@mdanderson.org > CC: Maha.R.Boktour@uth.tmc.edu; rogene.calvert@cityofhouston.net > From: bjgor@mdanderson.org > Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 15:31:17 -0600 > > Hi, All, > Could you please disseminate this information through your various > listserves? This information is in regards to two workshops sponsored by > the Asian American Health Coalition to discuss culturally relevant > strategies for tobacco cessation for Asian American populations. The > workshop on January 21st is targeted towards physicians and health care > professionals, while the one on January 22nd is designed for community > leaders. This information will be very useful to anyone involved in health > promotion among Asian Americans in Houston. If you have any questions, > please contact me or Lucia Tran. Thank you very much. > > Beverly J. Gor, EdD, RD, LD, CDE > Postdoctoral Fellow > Texas Scholar in Health Disparities > Center for Research on Minority Health > Department of Health Disparities Research > University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center > 1515 Holcombe, Unit 639 > Houston, TX 77030 > (713) 563-2750 > FAX (713) 563-2765 > pager (713) 404-4897 > bjgor@mdanderson.org Back to the Top BPSOS Seeks Immigrant Seniors (IRIS) Outreach Coordinator
Information and Referral for Immigrant Seniors (IRIS) Outreach Coordinator Description: Boat People SOS, Inc. (BPSOS) was founded in 1980 by and for Vietnamese refugees and immigrants and works to empower, equip, and organize Vietnamese-Americans in their progress toward self-sufficiency. With an annual budget of over $6 million, and 15 offices in the US, BPSOS programs address issues related to Health and Mental Health, Family Services, Community Development, and Survivor Services. Family Services Department is seeking a full-time Outreach Coordinator to support the Information and Referral for Immigrant Seniors (IRIS) program in Houston, Texas. Started in 2006, IRIS program has been implemented to facilitate access to health care and services to Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian seniors. The coordinator will conduct educational outreach activities: 1) to increase seniors awareness, affect their attitude, and sustain their behavioral changes regarding health; 2) to increase seniors awareness of Medicare/Medicaid fraud, and abuses affecting Vietnamese seniors. Responsibilities: 1. Conduct and coordinate community outreach events/workshops; 2. Disseminate accurate information on health issues and available health services; 3. Collaborate with mainstream service providers, including state and local agencies; 4. Participate in mass media campaigns, including preparing articles in the Vietnamese language for the Mach Song newspaper and the radio/TV broadcasting programs; 5. Recruit and train community members as volunteer health advocates; 6. Prepare monthly activities reports for submission to the Program Manager and 7. Perform other duties as required to fulfill the mission of the branch office and department. Goals: 1. Clients receive effective, quality service in a timely, professional manner; 2. BPSOS is well-represented among public and private agencies; and 3. Collaborative networks are strengthened and improved to form a seamless network of services for Vietnamese seniors. Qualifications: 1. Bachelor Degree, preferred in Social Works, Public Health, or related area; 2. English and Vietnamese fluency required; 3. Outreach and training experience; 4. Ability to work independently and in a team; 5. Occasional work on the evening and weekends and 6. Must have own car for transportation. Salary: Negotiable, depending on experience and qualifications, plus benefits. Location: Houston, TX To apply: Send cover letter, resume and list of three professional references to: Human Resource info@bpsos.org Phone: (703)538-2190 Fax: (703)538-2191 BPSOS is an equal opportunity employer! Back to the Top Houston Chronicle - Branding Chinatown: Neighborhood transforms.
****************************************************************************** Houston Chronicle - 01/08/08 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/arts/gray/5438317.html Branding Chinatown: Neighborhood transforms ****************************************************************************** Branding Chinatown: Neighborhood transforms. By LISA GRAY Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle My favorite sign in "the new Chinatown," as boosters call the most interesting stretch of Bellaire Boulevard, belongs to a bank. On the left side, Wells Fargo has emblazoned its name in the usual Old West typeface, along with the little stagecoach that always serves as the bank's logo. But on this sign, the horses pull their coach into a thicket of Chinese ideograms. The Old West charges into the Far East. You could argue, loosely, that Wells Fargo's mixture of East and West, old and new, fits the jumble of strip malls that jostle for attention between Fondren and Highway 6. Was there ever any building more American than a strip mall? And was there ever a wider array of Asian-related goods and services hawked along one American street? Some people argue that, really, the neighborhood surrounding that stretch of Bellaire ought to be called Asiatown. Just choosing lunch can be dizzying. Of course, you can find Cantonese dim sum but there are also Hong Kong-style seafood, Korean barbecue, Vietnamese sandwiches, Thai curry and Japanese noodles. There's even Louisiana crawfish, cooked by Vietnamese immigrants who fled the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. This isn't a Chinatown like the old-style ones in New York or San Francisco jampacked, uniformly Chinese and, because they're more than a hundred years old, built for pedestrians and maybe horses but not for cars. This Chinatown is more Houston-style, an ethnic stew with easy parking, a place where the pioneering businesses date only to 1983. It resembles other new Chinatowns, ones that sprouted in car-dominated places such as the Los Angeles suburbs and Silicon Valley. Cars promote ethnic diversity, even in a Chinatown. In places where people get around on foot, new immigrants by necessity clump tightly with people much like them, creating enclaves where it's possible to lead your entire life. A Cantonese hair salon would naturally set up shop next to a Cantonese restaurant and a Cantonese grocery store. But cars change that equation. When it's easy for immigrant customers to drive, merchants are freer to spread out, to set up shop wherever there's space and the rent seems cheap. Cars lead to the suburban-Chinatown mix: The Cantonese hair salon may sit next to a Malaysian restaurant. The Korean music store can occupy the storefront next to a Japanese gift store catering to little girls enamored of Hello Kitty. Of those new car-ruled Chinatowns, Houston's is among the biggest a bit over six square miles and most muscular. The Asian American Business Council estimates that land values along the Bellaire strip have soared between 25 percent and 50 percent since 2004, and says that more than 2 million square feet of new construction, including high-end condos, is expected over the next two years. And as the last of the open land is developed, those once-cheap rents are likely to rise. Even so, Houston's Chinatown seems likely to remain a bargain compared to others around the country. "Flocking from SoCal to Houston," trumpeted a Los Angeles Times headline in December. "Vietnamese Americans are lured to the Texas city by cheap real estate, a lower cost of living and a burgeoning cultural enclave." Sell your house in Los Angeles, Houston Realtors urge, then buy a bigger one here for a third the cost and invest the rest in your business. The gold rush appears to be on, and new settlers are setting up shop in the boomtown. But as much as I like that Wells Fargo sign, with its Wild West stagecoach, it doesn't entirely work as a symbol of its neighborhood. In this new Chinatown, the West isn't charging into the East. Really, it's the other way around. So what would work as a visual symbol for the new Chinatown? How could you depict a place that's pan-Asian, old and new, united mainly by entrepreneurial zeal? "I don't know," says William Kao, chair of the Asian American Business Council's beautification committee. "That's why we had a contest." The group put out a call for a design that would sharpen Chinatown's identity, for a "landmark monument," to go somewhere on Bellaire between Gessner and Beltway 8, that would heighten visitors' sense of the place. "It's not just about beautification," says Sharon Chen, who handles public relations for the group. "It's about branding." The idea is to make Chinatown attract even more people, both Asians and non-Asians. Chen thinks the winning entry might include banners, or maybe a traditional Chinese gate of the variety that marks the entrance to other cities' old-style, car-inhibiting Chinatowns. The council hasn't yet picked the winner and wouldn't release any of the entries before the big announcement on Chinese New Year in February. Personally, I hope the winner is a gate: a gate big enough to drive a car through, on a street that seems paved with money. lisa.gray@chron.com Back to the Top Houston Chronicle - Asian-American group offers design contest to meld Asian, Pacific-Islanders
************************************************************************ Houston Chronicle - 01/03/2008 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/alief/news/5424859.html ************************************************************************ Asian-American group offers design contest to meld Asian, Pacific-Islanders By BETTY L. MARTIN Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle From the cultural varieties of Asian businesses represented along the stretch of Bellaire Boulevard between South Gessner and Beltway 8, it's clear the area's popular "Chinatown" designation represents just a single thread in a wide, multi-hued tapestry. That's why Bellaire business owners and architects judges in the Asian American Business Council's New Monument Landmark Design Contest will review about a dozen entries this month to pick the top design. The winning entry will appear on more culturally inclusive monuments, signage, lighting, flags or other markers to help re-brand, define and promote the area, said Kenneth Li, the council's chairman. "Every major international city has a Chinatown. We not only have Chinatown, we have Little Saigon, the South Asian business corridor along Hillcroft. The Greater Sharpstown Management District also includes Latin cultures, African cultures, so many different kinds of cultures and we need a way to brand everything together," said Li, president of Texas George Realty and Century 21 Southwest and interim chairman of the year-old Greater Sharpstown Management District. Li also serves on both the Taiwanese and Chinese chambers of commerce and was the City Planning Commission's first Asian-American board member. The man or woman, Asian or non-Asian, who creates the winning design will get the lion's share of the $1,000 cash award the council has set aside for the top three place holders who submitted their ideas by the Dec. 31 deadline. If no design is chosen by then, the contest may be extended through mid-January, with the first-, second- and third-place winners announced in late January or early February, said Sharon Chen, council spokeswoman and member of its beautification committee. Chen said Houston's Chinatown is one of the country's most ethnically diverse Asian communities. Whereas the Chinatowns of other major cities are almost exclusively Chinese and Chinese-American, Houston's community in southwest Houston is a blend of Chinese, Vietnamese, South Asian, Pacific Islander, Filipino, Japanese and "other Asian" cultures, she said. "Through the contest, the (council) hopes to find and implement a design that reflects and is inclusive of the area's culture, and brings together the Asian and Pacific Islander communities," Chen said. Land values increase Houston's Chinatown, she said, is also one of the city's fastest growing, with land values along the Bellaire strip from South Gessner to Beltway 8 estimated to have grown from 25 to 50 percent since 2004. Chen said the current business market indicates the strip will feature more than 2 million square feet of new construction worth more than $400 million by 2009. "It's imperative that there be ways to unify the community so that no group is left out; that through an initiative like this we celebrate the Asian spirit," Chen said. The winning design will help unite business owners toward their common goals, provide an aesthetically pleasing symbol of the area's identity and will drive business into the area, she said. While the "Chinatown" identity is popular, "it's hard to advertise," Chen said. "We're looking at what's feasible for a monument, a gateway, an image for a flag, parking lots, with the ideal design reflecting Asian characteristics but we're not looking for specifics to any nationality." An image of the Great Wall of China, she said, would probably not win the contest, which is seeking a design that translates to visitors of all nationalities as "Pan Asian, welcoming and inviting." __._,_.___ Back to the Top White House Internship Opportunity. Deadline 02/26/2008
Greetings, A White House Internship is an opportunity for current students and recent graduates to experience everyday life at the White House while working with high-level officials on a variety of tasks and projects. Strong applicants should exhibit: · Sound academic credentials · A demonstrated interest in public service · Solid written and verbal communication skills · A history of community involvement · Strong character and leadership skills Beyond experiencing the day-to-day operations of the White House, interns participate in a speaker series, tours, community service projects, and various White House events. For more information please visit our website at: www.whitehouse.gov/intern. Applications should be submitted to intern_application@whitehouse.gov on or before February 26, 2008 for the Summer 2008 Internship. If you have any questions please contact White House Personnel at 202-456-5979. Thank you - - - Back to the Top 01/08/08 Washington Post Article: Asian American Students and School Stereotypes
Asian American Students and School Stereotypes By Jay Mathews Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, January 8, 2008; 11:57 AM The surge in the number of Asian Americans the past four decades has affected many sectors of society, particularly public schools. On the whole, Asian American students tend to perform well on standardized tests and have a high rate of acceptance into some of the most selective high schools and colleges. The energy and ambition shown by many of these students has both improved our schools and fueled stereotypes. For example: All those hard-working Asian kids, some people say, are raising the grading curve and putting too much pressure on the rest of us. I have often wondered what Asian American students think about this. Fortunately, one of them has just completed a very small but intriguing study that shines a surprising light on this often overlooked issue. The study, " 'Too Many Asians at this School': Racialized Perceptions and Identity Formation," was written by Jenny Tsai as her senior college thesis for the social studies department at Harvard last year. If you e-mail Tsai at jenny.tsai@post.harvard.edu, she will send you a copy. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1082148 What she describes is not a cabal of brainiacs trying to steal all the academic glory from their non-Asian competitors, but a collection of industrious and ambitious American teenagers trying to emulate their equally achievement-oriented white classmates, while society and government shove them into an artificial group called "Asians and Pacific Islanders" on the census forms. As part of her research, Tsai, who is Chinese American, interviewed 27 Harvard undergraduates, including 15 Asian Americans and 12 whites, plus one Asian American student at Boston College. All but one had attended one of four very selective public high schools -- Boston Latin in Boston, Lowell in San Francisco and Hunter College and Stuyvesant in New York. She chose graduates of those schools because of their large Asian American contingents -- roughly 75 percent at Lowell, 50 percent at Hunter College and Stuyvesant and 25 percent at Boston Latin -- and because each of those schools had struggled with racial issues sparked by the fact that many students who want to attend can't get in. Tsai, a Hunter College High School alumna herself, found many people thought Asian American students were getting more than their share of acceptance letters from these super magnets. Yet she saw little racial solidarity among the Asian Americans who did so well at those four schools that they got into Harvard. Instead, these students told her they were just trying to fit in with what they considered "white" American values, and often deferred to their white classmates when it came to extracurricular choices. As Tsai put it, among the Asian American students she interviewed, "acting white" was a good thing. I was surprised to read that Tsai's subjects at Harvard often embraced that term. They thought of it more as a lifestyle than an academic strategy. To them, Tsai found, it translated loosely as being cool. Tsai wrote in her paper: "Among blacks, 'acting white' is socially stigmatized, but Asian students who 'act white' usually occupy the more socially prestigious positions. Because 'acting Asian' is equated with acting foreign or like a nerd, 'acting white' among Asian people becomes a source of pride, and is valued as the ability to assimilate into American society. While both performances are frequently practiced, the Asian students who 'acted white' are more likely to achieve extracurricular activity status within the school, which often led to admissions into more prestigious colleges." Tsai told me: "One of the most alarming features of my research was how Asian students who went to Harvard were very aware of and often shied away from having too many Asian friends. They saw having only white friends as sort of a badge of honor." Tsai examined Facebook groups at Harvard and found one that called itself "Twinkies." This group, with what would appear to be a racially insensitive name, had 34 Asian American members. They celebrated the practice of being -- again, as they defined themselves -- "yellow" on the outside but "white" on the inside. To this group, liking white women or wearing Ralph Lauren was a point of pride. Tsai emphasized to me that there was humor in these students' self-descriptions, and that their perspective was likely more prevalent among Asian Americans at Harvard than Asian American youth as a whole, but the group was not a hoax or a satire of the Twinkie label. Many Asian American students at Harvard, Tsai said, were bothered by the stereotype of their group as a "model minority," which they associated with the fear expressed by some whites that Asian Americans were putting them at a disadvantage. To them, that stereotype carried with it "negative connotations of being competitive, lacking passion, and being calculating," she wrote in her paper. This is where racism takes us, off on another tangent, leading even these bright young Americans to waste time and energy worrying about distinctions based on ill-examined assumptions. Tsai said she got the idea for her thesis from her experience as a student at Hunter College High. She said some of the school's non-Asian American students felt "that the increasing percentage of Asian students at the school threatened the culture of the school. HCHS prided itself on being a school that fostered student leadership through a plethora of student clubs, sports teams and artistic groups. Students attested that the growing Asian student population had detracted from the creativity and independence that had defined HCHS's activity scene as the Asian students focused primarily on their academic studies. Those Asian students who were active in extracurricular activities were perceived to be disingenuous." Such stereotypes make even more difficult the job of creating healthy and intelligent attitudes toward race -- something the best schools I know try to do. That is a shame since the magnet schools Tsai examined are educating some of our most talented young people. Tsai makes clear that as these schools try to increase their very small number of black and Hispanic students, they need to address all racial myths, including the one about grade-grubbing Asians crowding out everyone else, or their efforts to bring wisdom to some of our leaders of tomorrow will not be nearly as successful as they hope. Back to the Top Call for Entries: Transformations: Photographic Interpretations @ Kingwood College Art Gallery.
 Back to the Top CALL FOR LOCAL PERFORMING ARTISTS & GROUPS FOR THE 2008 APA HERITAGE MONTH FESTIVAL! DEADLINE 03/14
APPLICATION TO PERFORM DUE FRIDAY MARCH 14, 2008 5PM. DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION NOW BY CLICKING HERE: (EXCEL) / (PDF) Back to the Top Call for Entries: 8th Annual Slant: Bold Asian American Images Film Festival. Deadline 02/22/2008
(click below for more information) 
 Back to the Top OCA Greater Houston Annoucement: 02/15/08 Press Conference for Ryan Chen Homicide
For more info, log onto www.ocahouston.org Press Conference For Ryan Chen Homicide This past Sunday, we lost a member of the community in a senseless murder. Ryan (Zhiyuan) Chen was in his last semester of study at Texas Southern University (TSU). Ryan was one of those students who was generous with his time helping other students and in various community service projects. At the request of the family, they hope to have members of the community attend the Ryan Chen Crime Stoppers Press Conference, Friday, February 15, 2008 in support of their efforts to locate the murderers of Ryan Chen. The Houston Police Department Homicide Division is convening the press conference at the Crime Stoppers Office at 1pm. Friends, Family and Community members need to be there by 12 Noon. Go to the CenterPoint building located at 104 North Greenwood - at the corner of Greenwood and Canal streets east of downtown. The Key Map grid is 494U, or you can go online and get a Google or Map Quest map. When you arrive, you need to go to the right-hand set of doors and use the keypad between the doors - punch the CALL button, then punch 000 and listen for the click that lets you know the door is open. You can take the stairs or the elevator to the second floor, and wait in the outer room just to the left of the elevator. From: hpd media Subject: NEWS RELEASE: FATAL SHOOTING AT 9398 BELLAIRE BOULEVARD Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:17:02 -0600 Houston police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man at 9398 Bellaire Boulevard about 1:10 a.m. on Sunday (February 10). The victim, 26, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity is pending notification to family members by the Harris County Medical Examiner's office. HPD Homicide Division Senior Police Officers R.P. Martinez and C.L. Scales reported: The victim was in front of the Tan Do Chinese restaurant, talking on his cell phone when two suspects approached him. Witnesses said one of the suspects shot the victim and fled on foot. The suspects are described only as two Hispanic males. Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. GO/JFC 2-11-08 Inc #20052308 Back to the Top APAHA Kicks Off Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Houston, TX On May 3, 2008, the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) invites the Greater Houston community and visitors to join over 5000 annual attendees in celebrating Our Heritage, Our Strength at the annual APA Heritage Festival and Concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park. In addition to presenting a vibrant array of cultural performances, ethnic vendors, and sponsor booths that represent the Asian/Pacific American (APA) diversity of Greater Houston, this year's festival will feature headlining performances by three internationally-renowned recording artists: - JUNOON: South Asia's biggest rock band, Junoon has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Founded in 1990 by Salman Ahmad, a doctor by training and a rock musician by profession, Junoon was the first rock band invited to perform at the United Nations General Assembly. Prior to forming Junoon, Ahmad performed with one of Pakistan's first pop bands, Vital Signs; and now serves as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador on HIV/AIDS. - Lirio Vital: Accomplished Filipina stage, recording, and concert star; Aliw Award Winner (Best Female Vocal Performer) - Bao Han: Celebrated Vietnamese pop star, from "Lien Khuc Paris By Night" (Thuy Nga Productions) Cultural entertainment highlights include performances by: Daisy Le; Tropical Rhythms/Polynesian Cultural Association; Anjali Dance Center for Performing Arts, Bangladesh Association; Indian Dance School; Showing Japan; The Grass Skirts; and American Shaolin Kung Fu. APAHA is pleased to provide this exciting event through the generous support of Silver Eagle Distributors, Mr. Nasruddin Rupani, Mc Donald's, Continental Airlines, United Space Alliance, McDonalds, Mega Energy, Cole Chemical, ImaginAsian Entertainment, Bollywood Shows, Music Masala, Design Q Studios, WWWA Productions, AYN Brand, and the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board. For more information, please visit the APAHA website at http://www.apaha.org; or contact Grace Rodriguez, Development & Marketing Director, at grace@apaha.org or 713-568-5432. Back to the Top CAPAC Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Statement by Congressman Mike Honda, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), I am proud to join you in celebrating the 30th anniversary of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Our country first celebrated this opportunity for reflection in 1978, thanks to the efforts of Representatives Norman Mineta and Frank Horton, and Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga. Now an annual event, the month of May is a time for all of us to celebrate the rich heritage of this community, reflect on the challenges overcome in America's past, and look forward with hope and optimism toward our future. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are a critical part of our nations growth and success. With more than 15 million Americans identifying themselves as AAPI, this community is one of the fastest growing in the United States. The individuals of this American community make up 16 major ethnic groups, speak over nine different languages in the U.S., and belong to a number of different religions and cultures. Their diversity reflects the richness and strength of our country. The CAPAC Executive Board members are committed to advancing a legislative agenda that represents the diverse interests of our growing community. Justice for Our Filipino WWII Veterans On April 25, 2008, the U.S. Senate passed the Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007, S. 1315, which includes a provision that would give veterans' benefits to Filipinos who fought under the U.S. flag during World War II in the Pacific theater. Filipino veterans were promised the same benefits given to other WWII veterans, but Congress took them away in 1946. These World War II heroes are in the twilight of their lives and time is running out for Congress to fully recognize the sacrifice they made for our country and under our flag. All our veterans deserve the best treatment, whether they fought in Iraq, Afghanistan or Corregidor. I thank Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka for their tireless efforts and applaud the Senate for passing this bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to ensure we eliminate the disparities in benefits for Filipino veterans, and restore the honor and dignity they deserve. Were a country of promise makers and we should also be a country of promise keepers. AAPI Small Business Forum On April 24, 2008, CAPAC and Congressional Democratic Leadership held the first-ever Congressional Democratic Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Small Business Forum in celebration of National Small Business Week. The Forum brought together a cross-section of AAPI small business interests from across the county to engage in a dialogue about the policy priorities and challenges faced by the AAPI small business community. Forum participants discussed the challenges they face in accessing capital, federal contracts, and business counseling services that are both culturally and linguistically appropriate. CAPAC is committed to ensuring that minority-owned firms grow and thrive by increasing access to and expanding existing resources for minority small businesses. We believe that all of the ideas and concerns we heard at the Forum will help us shape sound policies that will benefit the entire small business community. CAPAC will continue to highlight issues important to the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across the nation. I look forward to continuing our work with all of you in the future. Please think of CAPAC as your resource and do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of service to you. Back to the Top HOPE Clinic Seeks Volunteers
Looking for something to do this summer? Asian American Health Coalition (AAHC) HOPE Clinic is offers volunteer opportunities to students and adults looking to make a difference in a community clinic setting. The AAHC HOPE Clinic is a 501(c) 3 volunteer organization dedicated to improving access to care for all Asian and other underserved groups in Houston . Established in 1994, the Coalition has actively promoted health access, knowledge and disease prevention activities and programs in the Greater Houston area. In 2002, in recognition of the significantly unmet medical needs of the residents of Southwest Houston, we established the HOPE clinic in SW Houston to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate primary health care services to all, but especially to underserved patients with limited English proficiency. It is our goal for the HOPE clinic to become a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). No medical background needed to volunteer at the clinic. Volunteers MUST be over 18 years of age and two available references. Please contact: Lucia Tran Program Coordinator Asian American Health Coalition Hope Clinic 7001 Corporate Drive , ste.120 Houston , TX 77036 O: 713-773-2901 ext. 113 F: 713-271-5422 ltran@hopechc.org Back to the Top TEST
TEST Back to the Top 24th Annual Mayor's Proud Partner Awards CALL FOR ENTRIES!
For the past 23 years, Keep Houston Beautiful (KHB) has recognized individuals and projects that help make Houston a cleaner and more beautiful city. KHB shines a light on these environmental projects at the Mayor's Proud Partner Awards Luncheon. You are invited to submit an individual or group project that you consider worthy of this prestigious honor, but the time to apply is short!!! This is a wonderful way to express appreciation to the volunteers whose efforts play an important role in improving the environment, enhancing the quality of life and building community pride. APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2008. Please visit www.houstonbeautiful.org for the official nomination form and guidelines. Back to the Top APAHA 16th Anniversary Gala Honors Dr. Renu Khator, Ashok Rao, & Martin Yan
UH Chancellor Dr. Renu Khator, Producer Ashok Rao, and Chef Martin Yan to be Honored by the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association at "Our Heritage, Our Strength" Gala on May 22, 2008, at Westin Oaks Houston, TX On May 22, 2008, the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA), Gala Honorary Steering Committee, and Chairpersons Yuki Rogers & Sean Carter, cordially invite Houston area leaders to celebrate "Our Heritage, Our Strength" at the APAHA Sixteenth Anniversary Gala on Thursday, May 22, at Westin Oaks Consort Ballroom in the Galleria (5011 Westheimer Rd., Houston 77056), as we honor: * Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor of the University of Houston System & President of the University of Houston, with the President George H.W. Bush Achievement in Education Award (Dr. Khator will deliver the keynote address) * Mr. Ashok Rao, CEO of Excalibur Pictures & Producer of "Before the Rains" and "The Whisperers", with the President George H.W. Bush Achievement in the Arts Award * Mr. Martin Yan, Master Chef, celebrated author, and legendary host of "Yan Can Cook", with the APA Achievement in the Culinary Arts Award The 2008 Gala features an exciting "Red Carpet Bollywood" theme with live entertainment by Music Masala; highlighted by a Guest of Honor appearance by Linus Roache (Golden Globe nominee and British award-winning star of "Law & Order" and "Before the Rains") and Houston's celebrity Mistress of Ceremonies Deborah Duncan. VIP ticket holders can mingle with APAHA honorees and luminaries at a 6:00pm cocktail reception, followed by the program and awards ceremony at 7:00pm. All guests will be welcomed to the festivities by a red carpet Silent Auction area filled with lavish objects of desire, including Caribbean cruises, international airline tickets to Asia and India, weekend getaway packages, a live painting by artist Alejandro Roman, and more! To participate in this star-studded event as a sponsor, or to purchase a table and/or individual tickets, interested persons may contact Gala Chairpersons Yuki Rodgers (plvry88@gmail.com) or Sean Carter (scarter@hmns.org); or make their purchases online at http://gala08.eventbrite.com. For more information on APAHA, May's "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month" events, and APAHA's yearlong Asian/Pacific American education, awareness, and celebration programs, please visit the APAHA website at http://www.apaha.org; or contact Grace Rodriguez, Development & Marketing Director, at grace@apaha.org or 713-568-5432. GALA DETAILS: Thursday, May 22, 2008 Westin Oaks - Galleria Consort Ballroom 5011 Westheimer Rd. Houston, Texas 77056 - 6:00 pm - Cocktail Reception - 7:00 pm - Dinner: Program & Awards Ceremony ABOUT APAHA'S HONOREES: Dr. Renu Khator is the Chancellor of the University of Houston (UH) System and President of UH; and will deliver the Gala's keynote address. As UH President, Dr. Khator is the Chief Executive Officer of the largest and oldest of the four UH System universities. Mr. Ashok Rao, CEO of the Excalibur Pictures, is highly respected and accomplished within the Bollywood/Hollywood film industry. He has produced several full length feature films, including "Before the Rains" and "The Whisperers." He has founded four successful technology start-ups; and has served in numerous organizations, currently serving as President of the TIE organization. Mr. Martin Yan is the celebrated host of over 2,000 cooking shows broadcast world-wide. Mr. Yan enjoys distinction as a certified Master Chef, a highly respected food consultant, a cooking instructor and a prolific author. His diverse talents have found expression in 26 cookbooks, including the award winning Martin Yan s Feast, Martin Yan s Asian Favorites, Chinese Cooking for Dummies, Martin Yan s Chinatown Cooking (intro by Julia Child) and his latest, Martin Yan s Quick & Easy. The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) was formed in 1992 to "promote awareness and increase understanding of the Asian/Pacific American culture and its diversity through education and celebration, focusing on May, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), and continuing throughout the year." A non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, APAHA works to enhance racial harmony in the Greater Houston area by promoting cross-cultural awareness, education, and appreciation among APA and other ethnic groups; and by collaborating with community, government, business, and academic entities to provide ongoing educational, cultural, and scholarship programs to the APA and Greater Houston communities. In June 1977, Representatives Frank Horton of New York and Norman Mineta of California introduced a House resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. In May 1990, the holiday was expanded further when President George H. W. Bush designated May to be Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The U.S. Census Bureau lists more than 25 such groups -- Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipinos, Indian, Pakistani, Korean, Japanese, Cambodian, Laotian, Indonesian, Thai, Burmese, Malaysian, Taiwanese, Sri Lanka, Bangladeshi, and native Hawaiians, Polynesians, New Zealanders and Australians. As Americans, they contribute to the strength of the United States, help shape its future and share in its promise and opportunity. ### Back to the Top New Asian American Healthcare Program from United
On June 24, 2008, United HealthCare announced a new Asian American Program tailored to the unique health care needs of Asian-American individuals and businesses in the Houston, TX area. The program combines several health plans that include preferred provider organization (PPO) and consumer-driven health care (CDHC) features with additional no-cost products and services suited to this constituency. These include: " Application forms and enrollment materials in several Asian languages. " Health education and promotion literature that is tailored to unique health concerns of Asian-Americans and written in several Asian languages. " Customer service representatives who can speak or translate into a number of Asian languages. " Choices from among physicians and groups that cater to Asian-Americans. " Online physician directory permitting searches by location, specialty, and languages spoken. " Online dictionaries of medical and health insurance terms in several Asian languages. " A dedicated program website (http://www.uhcasian.com/) offering information and resources in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. United HealthCare has two good arguments for this ethnic-based strategic initiative. Nearly 6% of Houstons population is Asian-American, and this group is half again as likely to be uninsured as Caucasian-Americans (15.5% vs. 10.8%). For some time, there has been a movement among health care providers to become more sensitive to the cultural distinctiveness of their patients. This typically involves facilitating communication in the patients preferred language (using interpreters when appropriate) and acknowledging different values and attitudes toward personal health and health caregivers. Uniteds initiative in Houston is one of the first to specifically and comprehensively target an ethnic-defined market niche. More strategic moves like this can be expected as the health care industry embraces a more consumer-driven model and increasingly tailors its products and services to the needs of individuals rather than large undifferentiated populations. It will be interesting to see what forms this trend assumes. INSTRUCTORS 1. This announcement is a good vehicle for exploring the strategic opportunities for pursuing customers in narrow segments of the larger health care market, the focus of Chapter 4, External Environmental Assessment: Markets and Customers. 2. The section of that chapter entitled Planning Strategy to Meet Customer Needs in a Targeted Segment could be used to examine how United HealthCare prepared to launch this particular initiative. Follow the separate planning steps in that section as they might have been applied to Asian-Americans in the Houston market. 3. What other market segments could be targeted in a similar fashion? Work with the students to prepare a grand list of generic market segments, using several different variables in addition to ethnicity. Then, use the same Chapter 4 methodology to plan a strategy for exploiting one of those segments. 4. Some interesting ethical questions come up as health care organizations set out to define and sell to particular market segments. The United HealthCare effort aimed at Asian-Americans makes sense and seems acceptable, as would similar initiatives targeting Hispanic or African-American audiences. Should the reaction be any different if an organization initiated a program catering to the unique health care needs of Caucasian-Americans (if they do have unique needs)? Back to the Top More Asian Americans Face Obstacles to Achievement
More Asian Americans Meeting Obstacles to Academic Success By Kathleen Wyer, wyer@gseis.ucla.edu (310) 206-0513 Collectively, more Asian American college and university students are experiencing obstacles to academic success in U.S. higher education than in the past, according to a new UCLA report. More Asian American students now come from low-income homes with limited financial capacity to pay for college, and fewer are attending their first-choice institutions than in past years. In 2005, 51.8 percent reported attending their first-choice school, a significant decline from the 68.0 percent reported in 1974. "This trend has occurred during a time span when entering Asian American freshmen are becoming increasingly better prepared for college, as measured by high school grades and their own self-ratings of key academic and social skills, and becoming increasingly more civically involved and interested in becoming community leaders," said report co-author and UCLA associate professor of education Mitchell J. Chang. "Beyond Myths: The Growth and Diversity of Asian American College Freshmen, 1971-2005," documents trends in the values and characteristics of Asian American college freshmen nationwide and is based on data for 361,271 Asian and Asian American first-time, full-time college students compiled over 35 years. The report, which represents the largest compilation and analysis of data on Asian American college students ever undertaken, is part of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program administered by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA's Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. In 2005, Asian American freshmen were more likely than the national freshman population to come from families with household incomes of less than $40,000. Nearly 31 percent of Asian Americans came from such backgrounds, compared with the national average of 22.7 percent - presenting these students with an obstacle to success in higher education. "A substantial number of Asian Pacific American college students come from poor and modest-income families and are likely to have attended high schools that are predominantly minority," said co-author Don T. Nakanishi, professor of Asian American studies and education and director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. "Moreover, Asian American students and parents do not take full advantage of loans and other financial aid opportunities that can assist in meeting the rising costs of a college education." Indeed, Asian American students rely heavily on parents, relatives and employment - rather than loans - to finance their college education, with 43.3 percent reporting in 2005 that there was a "very good chance" they would obtain a job during college, up from 32.4 percent in 1980. Asian American women in particular were 12.9 percentage points more likely than their male counterparts to anticipate working. Also notable is the steady rise in Asian American freshmen who say they plan to work full-time to cover expenses - an increase from 1.9 percent in 1979 to 4.6 percent in 1999. "Low-income Asian American students, compared to their higher-income counterparts, are less savvy about applying to college, are more likely to be non-native English speakers and are more in need of a job to help pay for college," Chang said. Over the past 35 years, entering Asian American students appear to have become better prepared for college, although nearly 20 percent in 2005 believed they would need special tutoring or remedial work in English. This percentage is similar to that for incoming Latino students (20.9 percent) and is higher than that for all other racial groups, underscoring a critical remediation need for colleges and universities. The percentage of Asian American students who applied to six or more colleges more than tripled between 1980 to 2005; 35.9 percent reported having applied for admission to six or more schools in 2005, compared with 10.7 percent in 1980. Asian American students from low-income backgrounds, however, were least likely to apply to six or more colleges, giving them fewer options. While women in the general college-going population began to outnumber men in the 1970s, Asian American women did not outnumber their male counterparts until 1990. Since 2000, a higher percentage of Asian American women than men came from low-income backgrounds. And while the increased enrollment of Asian American women in higher education is a positive trend, it underscores how Asian American men, particularly those from low-income households, are not keeping pace. "Nearly 75 percent of first-time, full-time Asian American students attend four-year colleges and universities," said Sylvia Hurtado, professor of education and director of the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. "This is the first report of its kind to track this population since the 1970s, opening the pathway for further research on a myriad of policy and practice issues that impact their progress." Asian American enrollment in higher education surpassed 1 million students in 2001 and continues to increase each year. For a copy of "Beyond Myths: The Growth and Diversity of Asian American College Freshmen, 1971-2005," visit www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri. To reach the Higher Education Research Institute, call (310) 825-1925. In addition to Chang and Nakanishi, co-authors of the report include Julie J. Park, Monica H. Lin and Oiyan A. Poon Since 1966, the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) has administered the Freshman Survey, in which more than 8.3 million incoming first-year students at 1,201 colleges and universities nationwide have participated. The CIRP Freshmen Survey is the largest and longest-running survey of American college students, and it documents the changing nature of students' characteristics, values, attitudes and behaviors. The data have helped shape public opinion about key issues related to the concerns of college youth and contribute to critical policy considerations in education. Back to the Top Crimestoppers Flyer on 02/11/08 Zhi Yuan Chen Homicide
Back to the Top CAPAC Summit Highlights APA Student Education Disparities
Washington, DC Today, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) held its first Education Summit to dispel myths concerning Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. Due to stereotypes of overachievement, the need of underserved AAPI students for linguistically and culturally competent services are often overlooked. The Summit, featuring three panels of experts, provided an opportunity to examine the unique challenges facing AAPI students and educators and recommendations on how to address these challenges. An audio stream will be posted shortly at this website. At the Summit, Dr. Robert Teranishi of NYU presented findings of a newly released report, also focusing on AAPI students, called Facts, Not Fiction: Setting the Record Straight. The report was released by the College Board, in collaboration with the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education, and details why false assumptions can lead to misinformed policy and practice that can be harmful to AAPI students. The myth of student achievement throughout our communities has masked particular linguistic and cultural needs of our young people for far too long, said Rep. Mike Honda (CA-15), chair of CAPAC. This successful Education Summit reaffirms CAPACs commitment to dispelling the model minority myth and ensuring the success of AAPI students and educators. I am thrilled that the College Board presented its new report Facts, Not Fiction at our Summit. The report gives us great insight into our student population, but also reveals the need for continued research about our youth. I will continue to advocate for greater attention to our community in the national debate on education, and look forward to future collaboration with the College Board and NYU. Asian American and Pacific Islander communities deserve not only a seat at the table of education policy debates, but also a strong voice to shape the national conversation, said Rep. David Wu (OR-01), chair of CAPACs Education Task Force. I applaud all of those who are sharing their expertise and insights at our first CAPAC Education Summit. Todays discussion of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders unique education challenges will help guide all of us who are working on creative solutions to the disparities our communities face, such as my bill to expand college opportunities and services for low-income AAPI students. The College Board applauds the leadership of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) as it tackles the critical issues of opening educational opportunities to more students, said College Board President Gaston Caperton. We hope that the research in Asian Americans and Pacific IslandersFact, Not Fiction: Setting the Record Straight will help to inform the work of the Caucus as it promotes broader preparation and access to higher education. The Education Summit is a singular event for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We are pleased to have been invited to participate and appreciate the opportunity to also release the CARE report on this occasion, said Robert Teranishi, professor of education in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU and co-principal investigator of CARE. The National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research will continue to work with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to inform their efforts with data and research. ### The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Since 1994, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life. For more information on CAPAC, please call (202) 225-2631 or visit http://www.honda.house.gov/capac. Back to the Top New Health Plans for Houston-Area Asian-American Communities and Businesses from UnitedHealthcare
* Asian American Programs in-Language Health-Information Services Available at No Charge When Bundled with UnitedHealthcare PPO and Consumer-Driven Health Plans HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Houston-area Asian-American communities and their businesses now have a new health care benefit option through the UnitedHealthcare Asian American Program. The Asian American Program combines UnitedHealthcare medical plans including preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) with a host of products and services at no extra cost designed to meet Asian Americans unique health care needs. These include: in-language health educational information; employer/broker service phone lines; medical benefit summaries; and online resources available at www.uhcasian.com, where customers have access to numerous health management programs, comprehensive benefit information and discounts on various wellness products including acupuncture services, hearing tests and devices, and LASIK eye surgery. In addition, customers can find online provider and facility directories listing in-network, local Asian-language-speaking physicians. Participants enrolled in Asian American Program health plans have access to UnitedHealthcares nationwide network of more than 560,000 physicians and care professionals and 4,800 hospitals. In developing the UnitedHealthcare Asian American Program, we enhanced our quality and cost-effective health benefit plans with innovative support services that help address two growing areas of concern: the need to reduce the rate of uninsured among Asian Americans; and the effort to help Asians many of whom prefer to communicate in their native languages better understand their benefits and become more engaged in their health care. We believe the Asian American Program can make a positive impact on both fronts, said Christopher Law, vice president of Asian Initiatives at UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) company. Recent census data indicate that Asian Americans are more likely to be uninsured than Caucasians 15.5 percent vs. 10.8 percent, respectively. This is due primarily to increasing health care costs and a lack of employer-sponsored health benefit coverage. Also, according to the U.S. Census data, nearly 6 percent of Houstons population is Asian American, and about 40 percent of Texas Asian Americans live in Houston. In addition, according to the Greater Houston Partnership, Texas ranks third nationwide in the number of Asian-owned businesses, at more than 78,000. In expanding the Asian American Program to the Houston-area market, UnitedHealthcare conducted a comprehensive study through broker and employer interviews and consumer focus groups. We found that business owners want affordable health plans, excellent broker customer service and easy access to Asian-American doctors and specialists, said Amber Jia, UnitedHealthcare director of Asian American Markets. Consumers want health care services from native-speaking providers and more in-language services that help them become more engaged in their health care. Asian-American brokers emphasized the need to communicate more effectively with employers and consumers about the various types of health plans. Overall, each group stated that in-language material and linguistically competent customer service staff are essential. In order to work more closely with the Asian-American community in Houston, UnitedHealthcare launched product information seminars and expanded its National Asian Broker Service Unit to further assist brokers who serve Asian-American businesses and consumers. Growing strong broker relationships is the vital link between insurers and consumers in the Asian-American marketplace, said Jia. At UnitedHealthcare, we are committed to empowering brokers with tools and programs that help foster better communication among all stakeholders and provide Houston-area Asian Americans with linguistically and culturally sensitive health care benefit plans and services. The National Asian Broker Service Unit is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST Monday through Friday at 800-303-9456 (Chinese) or 800-250-5779 (South Asian). It provides in-language and culturally relevant sales support, product training and assistance with medical underwriting and policy, billing and eligibility issues. Insurance professionals fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi are trained to help brokers meet their clients unique health care needs. About UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare (www.unitedhealthcare.com) provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services. The company organizes access to quality, affordable healthcare services on behalf of more than 25 million individual consumers, contracting directly with more than 560,000 physicians and care professionals and 4,800 hospitals nationwide to offer them broad, convenient access to services nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. Back to the Top Vietnamese Language Classes Starting!
SAT class Start date: Saturday July 12th (for 10 consecutive weekends - Saturday and Sunday) Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm Place: VCSA Center Class Fee: $450/student for regular fee and $150/student for low income families Registration date: July 5th - 10:00am - 12:00pm at VCSA Center Instructor: Dr. Phillip Dang Vietnamese Language Basic Level Class Start Date: Sunday July 20th (for 6 consecutive Sunday afternoons) Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm Place: VCSA Center - 4615 Belle Park - Houston, TX Instructor: Ms. Kim Yen Vu Class Fee: $50 (VCSA member receive 50% discount) Vietnamese Literature: TruyÇn Ng¯n & Thi Ca MiÁn Nam 1954-1975 Start Date: Saturday July 19th (for 6 consecutive Saturday afternoon) Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm Place: VCSA Center Instructors: Mr. Truong Duy Nong and Mr. Bao Ngoc Nguyen Class Fee: $50 (VCSA members receive 50% discount) For more information please call 281-933-8118 or email vcsa@vcsa.org To members who want to take advantages of these classes, please call 281-933-8118 to register for your class. Back to the Top Mahatma Gandhi Creative Writing Contest
A project to create a higher awareness of the inspiring life and work of Mahatma Gandhi and continue his legacy of Truth, Non-Violence, Love, Service and Peace. The contest is open to all High School and Middle School students in the greater Houston area and is part of the week-long, citywide celebration of Mahatma Gandhi Week as "1000 Lights For Peace" culminating on October 5, 2008. High School Students: In a maximum of 650 words, tell about Mahatma Gandhi's influence on the Civil Rights Movement in America Middle/Junior High School Students: In a maximum of 400 words tell about "My favorite Peaceful Person" Awards High School Middle School Winner $ 300 Gift Certificate $ 150 Gift Certificate 3rd Place 2nd Place $ 200 Gift Certificate $ 100 Gift Certificate 3rd Place $ 150 Gift Certificate $ 75 Gift Certificate Essays must be typed, 12-point and double spaced with word count typed at the bottom. Entries must be enclosed in a report cover. Please attach Entry Form. Essays must be received no later than 5 p.m. Friday, September 19, 2008. No late entries will be considered. Essays may be mailed to address below or faxed to 713.785.3910 Mahatma Gandhi Library C/O Atul B. Kothari 3300 S Gessner Road, Suite 249, Houston, TX 77063 Questions? Call Victor Schill @ 713-466-4438 Back to the Top Manutahi Texas Polynesian School of Dance at the Macy's Parade!
Houston's own Manutahi Texas Polynesian School of Dance has been honored with an invitation to represent the City of Houston and our Asian American/Pacific Islander community at the renowned Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City in November! Recently seen at the Makaha Sons concert on July 11th, this national and international award-winning dance school has entertained the Greater Houston community with a colorful repertoire of Polynesian dance performances. Established in 1990, Manutahi Texas aims to encourage and develop successful and confident youth be educating them in Polynesian culture, promoting academic excellence, supporting family unification, and encouraging community involvement through volunteerism. In order to make it to New York, the school currently seeks the community's support: Manutahi Texas is inviting sponsors and donors to get involved and help all the students make it to the Big Apple for this incredible opportunity. For more information, and to help the deserving Manutahi dancers represent Houston in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, please contact Jonell Tomas-Haiola, Director of Manutahi Texas, at manutahitexas@hotmail.com or 832-880-3772 (www.manutahitexas.com) Back to the Top SENATE CONFIRMS KIYO MATSUMOTO AS FEDERAL JUDGE
SENATE CONFIRMS KIYO MATSUMOTO AS NEXT FEDERAL JUDGE IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NY Matsumoto, Recommended to the President by Schumer Earlier This Year, Unanimously Approved by the Senate - Only 32% of District Judges in the Eastern District are Women Matsumoto only Second Asian Woman Ever Confirmed to Federal Bench - Parents Were Interred During WWII U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the full United States Senate has unanimously confirmed Kiyo Matsumoto to be the next federal judge in the Eastern District of New York. Schumer, who recommended Matsumoto -- as well as Cathy Seibel to the sit in the Southern District, who is set to be confirmed later this month -- said that these two accomplished women will go a long way toward closing the gender disparity that currently exists on the federal bench. Matsumoto currently serves as a federal magistrate judge in the Eastern District, and will be only the second woman of Asian decent ever confirmed to the federal bench. Today is an historic day for the Eastern District and for the entire federal court system, Schumer said. Judge Matsumoto is an extraordinary jurist and I wholeheartedly congratulate her on her confirmation. I recommended Judge Matsumoto because of her integrity and qualifications, character and dedication. In addition, Judge Matsumotos confirmation brings us one step closer to reversing the gender disparity that exists on the federal bench. Our federal bench must reflect the same broad diversity of experience as America writ large. Ms. Matsumoto currently serves as a Federal Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York, where she has managed a docket of over 300 cases for three years. Prior to her appointment as Federal Magistrate Judge, Ms. Matsumoto served the in U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York for over 20 years, as Chief and First Deputy Chief of the Civil Division. Judge Matsumotos father and mother spent time in an internment camp during World War II. "Judge Matsumoto's life and career shows the greatness of those who believe in America and push our nation to its best potential: the woman whose family was subject to the worst injustice under law, now -- as a result of her own talent --has a seat of legal power and influence to judge others with rigor, intellectual excellence and fairness," said Schumer. In March, Schumer recommended Matsumoto and Cathy Seibel, the current First Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to the President to fill vacant spots in the Eastern and Southern District respectively Schumer said that right now there are far more men serving on the federal courts in New York, particularly in the Eastern District where only 32 percent of judges are women. Schumer today said that Matsumotos confirmation and Ms. Seibels expected confirmation later this month will help reverse that unnecessary disparity. In addition, Magistrate Judge Matsumoto has now become only the second Asian American woman to serve as a federal district court judge and the third Asian American federal district court judge outside of California and Hawaii. She is the eighth Asian American federal Senate-confirmed judge currently active out of approximately 850 nationwide. Back to the Top Nestlé Awards for the Best in Youth
Nestlé applauds young people's passionate commitment to community service: their conviction to their projects, their steadfastness and their academic achievements represent the very in best in youth. In their honor, Nestlé has launched a national search for the Very Best In Youth - 13 to 18 year olds who excel academically and work hard to make their community a better place. The young people selected for this prestigious award will be recognized with $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice, an all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles for the red carpet treatment at a special awards ceremony plus other fabulous prizes. What You Can Win * Nestlé helps young people who want to make a difference realize their dreams by donating $1,000 in the name of each winner to the charity of his/her choice. * Nestlé awards the winner a trip for them and a parent or guardian to Los Angeles for the Nestlé Very Best In Youth awards ceremony. The trip includes round trip coach air travel, hotel accommodations for three nights plus spending money. * Winners are featured in a special publication. * Each entrant will receive a certificate of achievement from Nestlé and samples of Nestlé products. Interested in Becoming a Candidate? * Nominees must be between 13 and 18 years of age and have permission from a parent or legal guardian to submit the nomination. Entrants also must: * Demonstrate good citizenship and a strong academic record. * Show how they have made a special contribution to their school, church or the community. Applications for the 2009 Nestlé Very Best In Youth competition will be available in early Spring 2008. Please visit us then to download your copy of the entry form. Applications must be completed by the nominee (you, not your mom). In addition to eight essay questions, nominations must be accompanied by: * Two letters of recommendation (other than your parents) * Parent or Legal Guardian consent form * Copies of most current report cards or transcripts For complete details, please download a Nestlé Very Best In Youth entry form. Back to the Top House Resolution Honors U.S. Civil War AAPI soldiers
House passes resolution honoring the contributions of AAPI soldiers during the U.S. Civil War WASHINGTON, DC (July 30, 2008) - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a resolution honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander soldiers who fought in the U.S. Civil War, culminating a five-year battle by Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) to help correct the historical record. Historians have recently uncovered evidence that hundreds of soldiers of AAPI heritage fought on both the Union and Confederate sides, continuing a long tradition of significant AAPI contributions to the history of the United States since the Colonial Era. H. Res. 415 posthumously honors Edward Day Cohota and Joseph L. Pierce, both of Chinese ancestry, as examples of this overlooked group of men. The history of America would be totally different without the contributions of Asian Americans. From hard labor building the transcontinental railroad linking our coasts, to the academic contributions ranging from philosophy to medicine, Asian Americans have been an integral part of making our country great, said Rep. Mike Honda. I am pleased that heroes such as Pierce and Cohota will finally take the place they deserve in our nations memory. The resolution, co-sponsored by more than 50 legislators from both parties, focuses on the actions of Cohota and Pierce, the two most widely documented AAPI Civil War soldiers. Cohotas comrades gave testimony of the seven bullet holes in his coat during the battle of Drury Bluff. Pierce fought at the Battle of Gettysburg, volunteering for a dangerous assault on Bliss Farm, a bloody no-mans land between the Union and Confederate armies. Both men were Union soldiers. Despite the sacrifice of hundreds of men such as Pierce and Cohota, the bigoted laws of the day denied them the right to naturalize as U.S. Citizens. Honda said this resolution was the least that could be done to honor their memory. As a teacher and an educator of more than 30 years, I believe our students should learn about these exploits in their history books; they should learn that from the start our countrys history has been rich in diversity, Honda said. Also it is very important for our community to see their ancestors contribution acknowledged. I thank groups such as the Chinese American Citizens Alliance and all my colleagues in Congress who made possible this long overdue resolution. Back to the Top 20th Anniversary of Civil Liberties Act (1988)
Washington, D.C. -- The National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (NJAMF) held a ceremony at the nation's capitol to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which brought redress in the form of an apology and reparations to members of the Japanese American community who were wrongfully interned during World War II. The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) voted at its National JACL Convention in 1978 to undertake the movement to secure Redress. Many leaders within the JACL worked very hard during the 1970's and 1980's on the Redress Movement. Craig Uchida, chairman of the NJAMF board and past president of the Washington, D.C. JACL Chapter, whose father and family were taken from their home in Pasadena to the internment camp at Gila River during the war, was in charge of the event. He acknowledged the work of Gerald Yamada, executive director of the NJAMF, and the volunteers. He introduced members of Congress and NJAMF board members who were present. Several of the key players in the Redress effort from Congress were present and spoke at the event. Congressman Mike Honda (San Jose) introduced Doris Matsui (Sacramento) and Norman Mineta, who was the Congressman from the San Jose area when the Redress Movement was taking place. Congresswoman Matsui, who was born at Poston, spoke of her late husband Bob Matsui's involvement while he was a member of Congress and also spoke of her father's writings of that period in history. She stated that it is important to have physical, tangible evidence such as the Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism and to have such occasions as the ceremony to remember the injustices suffered and the lessons learned. Secretary Mineta recalled the experience of leaving for camp in his cub scout uniform and paid tribute to some of his other former colleagues who helped in the Redress effort such as Alan Simpson, Don Edwards, Barney Frank, and Henry Hyde. Senator Daniel Inouye, the third most ranking member of the U.S. Senate who was a major force in the Redress movement, along with his colleague, the late Spark Matsunaga, spoke to the group. He relayed the story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Battalion from Hawaii as the Japanese American soldiers from Hawaii first learned of the internment camp experience suffered by the mainland Japanese Americans by visiting the camps at Rohrer and Jerome in Arkansas. Senator Ben Cardin of Virginia talked of being a newly elected congressman when he became a co-sponsor on the Redress bill after being visited by Bob Matsue. He stated, "It was the right thing to do." Congresswoman Shelley Berkley from Las Vegas stopped by and said that she felt this was an important ceremony to commemorate the travesty and disgrace suffered by Japanese Americans and the bright spot which came after that dark spot in the nation's history. On hand were members of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), whose resolution in 1978 initiated and unified the Redress movement, including Floyd Mori, National Executive Director, and Washington, D.C. chapter president, Ayame Nagatani, who works in Congressman Honda's office. Members of the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA), including Bob Nakamoto, President, and Terry Shima, Executive Director, were also present as were representatives of the Embassy of Japan as well as other organizations and groups. Contact: Floyd Mori - natdir@jacl.org Back to the Top Asian American Voters Influence Increases in Elections
The growing electoral clout of Asian Americans could play an important role in the upcoming presidential election, but still more can be done to increase voter registration and citizenship rates among this population, UCLA researchers say in newly issued report. "Super Tuesday of the 2008 presidential primary was a milestone in the emergence of Asian Americans as a factor in American politics," said report co-author Paul Ong, a UCLA professor of urban planning and Asian American studies. "National news outlets discussed and analyzed California's Asian American voters, who helped Senator Hillary Clinton win the Democratic vote." "That momentum has to continue as we move into the heat of the presidential election season, and the most crucial way to do that is by increasing the number of Asian American voters," he said. "Awakening the New 'Sleeping Giant'? Asian American Political Engagement," prepared by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, the University of California Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Multi-Campus Research Program, and Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, charts Asian American electoral trends in the context of population growth, demographics and immigration status and highlights the challenges of translating Asian Americans' growing numbers into strength at the polls. According to the report, which is based on 2006 U.S. census figures, Asian Americans make up nearly 5 percent of the U.S. population, with the highest percentages in Hawaii (56.4), California (13.4) and New Jersey (7.9). Seven additional states have Asian American populations of 5 percent or greater. The report also notes that the Asian American population is primarily an immigrant one - roughly 61 percent of Asian Americans are non-native born. Yet the Asian American population is diverse enough that while immigrants constitute a small minority of the population in Hawaii, they make up 75 percent of the Asian American population in California. "This difference can influence the political issues that Asian Americans are most concerned about, because Asian immigrants and U.S.-born citizens have different concerns," said Ong, who noted that immigrants may be more concerned with immigration issues and educational opportunities for students with limited English-language skills than native-born Asian Americans. Nationally, a majority of Asian immigrants - more than 57 percent - have acquired citizenship, and the rate of naturalization continues to increase each year, the report notes. However, there is still a substantial minority who are not citizens, and naturalization rates tend to be lower outside the West Coast, so there is still room for improvement. Additionally, some of those who do become citizens report difficulty in registering to vote, either because they do not know how or because of language problems, the report says. Despite these barriers, said Gautam Dutta, executive director of the Asian American Action Fund, the UCLA analysis signals that Asian Americans can play a critical role in the 2008 presidential election, as they have in state contests. In addition to helping Hillary Clinton in California, where 71 percent of Asian American voters, who represent an estimated 12 percent of the state's electorate, cast ballots for the former first lady, Asian Americans have played a pivotal role in other nationally significant contests. In 2006, for instance, 76 percent of Virginia's Asian American and Pacific Islander voters went for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jim Webb, Dutta said. Webb's win helped tip the balance in the Senate in favor of the Democrats. "Without their votes, Senator Webb would not have pulled off his razor-thin, upset victory over former Senator George Allen, and the Democrats would not have retaken the United States Senate," said Dutta, who represents a group that works to increase the number of Asian American elected officials. "Similarly, the Democratic presidential nominee cannot win the major battleground states without the Asian American vote." Alice Mong, executive director of Committee of 100, an influential Chinese American nonprofit organization, said the report reveals the impact Asian Americans can have on Election Day and how their electoral power has global implications. "Although Asian Americans are only 5 percent of the population in the U.S., Asian Americans have links to more than 60 percent of the world's population through our ethnicity, culture and roots," Mong said. "It is vital that we play our role and exercise our civic duty as Americans to become informed voters." The report - the first update to an in-depth 2006 UCLA study of California's Asian American population - is available at http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/archives/SleepingGiantBrief_070208.pdf Back to the Top JACL Mike Honda Fellowship Seeks Applicants
The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) seeks applications for the 2008-2009 Mike Honda Fellowship Program. This new fellowship will be focused on JACL's advocacy and public policy awareness/programming, education and work on projects associated with the JACL National Youth Student Council. The fellowship is named for the Honorable Congressman Mike Honda in recognition of his lifelong commitment to public service and extensive history in working with the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The fellowship serves to honor Congressman Honda's commitment to Civil Rights for all Asian Pacific Americans. The Mike Honda Fellowship is funded by a generous $25,000 grant from Southern California Edison. Edison has an extensive history of financial and volunteer support for the API community. Floyd Mori, National Director of the JACL states, "We are extremely fortunate to be partnering with SoCal Edison, a company that is sensitive to the needs of our community and understands the challenges we face." "We are very pleased to have this opportunity to support JACL and this fellowship program to promote civic engagement and leadership development for the Japanese American community", said Wes Tanaka, SCE Public Affairs Director. " And, in naming the fellowship in honor of Congressman Honda, it is a fitting tribute in recognition of his ongoing and steadfast commitment to promote a strong voice for the API community" he said. The Mike Honda Fellowship will be in the Los Angeles office of the JACL. The term of the fellowship will be for a 10 month period and will begin in September of 2008. Interested applicants should download the application form www.jacl.org, or www.jaclpsw.org and submit it along with a resume, cover letter, and writing sample by September 15, 2008. For questions or further information contact Craig Ishii at the JACL Pacific Southwest District Office: 213-626-4471 or email psw@jacl.org. Questions? Contact Us: Japanese American Citizens League 244 S. San Pedro St. Suite 406 Los Angeles, CA 90012 www.jaclpsw.org Phone: 213-626-4471 Email: psw@jacl.org Back to the Top Project Blueprint Seeks Applicants
Why is leadership so important? Who is preparing the next generation of leaders? Many area nonprofit organizations look to United Ways Project Blueprint program for answers to these questions. Since 1988, Project Blueprint has prepared emerging leaders of Houstons ethnic communities for key roles in the nonprofit sector. According to Rice Universitys Dr. Stephen Klineberg, Houston is at the forefront of the new ethnic diversity that is now shaping the urban landscape. It is essential that the citys nonprofit leadership reflect this diversity in order to address the needs of this rapidly changing community. More than 650 Project Blueprint graduates have moved into volunteer leadership roles in local nonprofits, bringing with them the skills and resources needed to help nonprofits improve performance and increase their impact in the community. Candidates are recruited from across the community and are selected on the basis of their professional experience, community involvement and leadership potential. Project Blueprint alumni lead the selection process. The program begins with a two day, off-site retreat that fosters a team spirit and camaraderie among new class members. Following the retreat, participants complete an intensive ten-week series of classes that cover every aspect of nonprofit management and governance. A formal ceremony welcomes the new graduates into the ranks of Project Blueprint alumni; graduation is followed by placement on a nonprofit board. Following graduation, Project Blueprint alumni are offered volunteer placement opportunities either with United Way or other nonprofit organizations. Project Blueprint Class XXVIII is scheduled to begin February 2009. For additional information, please contact Karen at 713-685-2711 or kwhite@unitedwayhouston.org. Back to the Top survey
Click Here to take survey Back to the Top CALL FOR ACTORS: The Gate of Heaven Production 10/23/08 1pm
AUDITIONS! The Gate of Heaven by Lane Nishikawa and Victor Talmadge Looking for male Asian and Caucasian actors, as well as actors of any race or gender for movement-based characters. Nova Arts Project and Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association announce a new and very exciting collaboration The Gate of Heaven by Lane Nishikawa and Victor Talmadge Directed by Rob Kimbro Audition Dates: Sunday, October 26, 2008 1:00pm - 6:00pm Please schedule an audition time by calling (713) 623-4033 or emailing info@novaartsproject.com Auditions will be held at the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance, Wortham Theater Building, Room 124 MAP: http://www.theatre.uh.edu/contactus_directions.asp Please prepare a one to two minute monologue, and be prepared for cold readings from the script. Please bring headshot & resume, if available. Each performer will recieve a stipend for their work. Performance Dates: December 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20 and 21 at DiverseWorks Sunday performances (7th, 14th and 21st) are at 2pm, all others at 8pm About the play: The Gate of Heaven follows two men, a Japanese-American soldier and a Jewish survivor of the Dachau prison camp, through fifty years of shared experience and a shared journey to discover the elusive American dream. Nova is thrilled to bring this important play to Houston audiences. Character Breakdown: Leon Ehrlich - A Polish-Jewish concentration camp survivor of Dachau. During the course of the play he ages from 20 to 70 years old. He has a strong dialect at the beginning of the play which becomes more Americanized over time. Kiyoshi "Sam" Yamamoto - A Japanese American Nisei (Second Generation), from Hawaii. He ages from 20 to 70 during the play. He has a Hawaiian Pidgin dialect which he loses as the play progresses. Kurogos (3 performers, any ethnicity)- The Japanese "shadow" people who move furniture, props, and at times, become characters in the play. Back to the Top APAHA ED Job Opening
The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association is hiring an Executive Director The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes the culture and the contribution of our communitys Asian/Pacific Americans through education, awareness, and celebration. Since 1992, the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA) has played a vital role in bringing Asian/Pacific American culture and performing arts to the Houston community. APAHA reaches across cultural and demographic lines to bring unique and meaningful programming to Houston and the surrounding communities. In collaboration with various community partners, APAHA provides ongoing outreach, education, cultural, and scholarship programs. APAHAs efforts advance cross-cultural awareness, racial harmony, and mutual understanding. The Executive Director (ED) is responsible for leading the organization, guiding the development and implementation of APAHAs strategic plan and artistic vision, as well as overseeing fundraising, fiscal management, public relations, and program operations. The ED is responsible for the execution of Board policy, and management of daily operations, and operational committees consisting of dedicated volunteers. The ED position reports to APAHAs Board of Directors. Primary Duties and Responsibilities Fiscal Management and Board Relations: " Directs the strategic vision and organizational direction of APAHA with the Board. " Provides reports of finances and program activity at monthly Board meetings " Serves on Board subcommittees as requested. " Manages cash flow, accounts payable/receivable, and payroll using accounting, spreadsheet, and database software (currently QuickBooks and Excel) " Establishes and oversees efficient bookkeeping and accounting systems " Responsible for financial oversight of programs and events Development: " Creates and maintains relationships and correspondence with major funders, including city, individual and corporate sources. " In cooperation with Board, creates and implements annual fundraising plans; researches grant opportunities, writes grant applications and generates reports. " Responsible for major individual donor development " Organizes fundraising events with the Board including the annual APAHA Gala and others. " Interest in arts and Asian Pacific American communities Program Direction: " In cooperation with Board of Directors, directs curatorial focus, conceptualization, planning, budgeting, implementation, and evaluation of APAHA programs, including (i) Annual Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Festival; (ii) APA Artist Showcase; (iii) APA Community Bus Tours; (iv) Education Initiatives;(v) Membership Mixers; (vi) special programs; (viii) co-presented events and programs; and (ix) other arts presentations in literary, visual, musical, film/video, and performance areas. " Evaluates existing programs for efficiency and effectiveness. Communications/Marketing " Serves as spokesperson for APAHA " Develops and maintain contacts with the media, community members, partner organizations, and local educational institutions. Operations and Personnel: " Establishes and implement personnel policies " Supervises and trains volunteers as needed. Desired Qualifications " Commitment to the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Associations mission and community " BA or equivalent education and/or work experience " 3-5 years experience in a nonprofit position, with prior development and/or fiscal management experience " Position requires someone who is energetic and able to multi-task various projects. " Strong written and oral communication skills, including public speaking " Proficient on MS Suites including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc. Knowledge of web based project management service, www.basecamphq.com, desired. " Knowledge of Quickbooks highly desired. " Ability to work some evenings and weekends " Knowledge of Houston area and Texas arts funders This position is full time, nonexempt. Interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume, and references to: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association Executive Director Search HR@apaha.org No calls, please. To learn more about APAHA, visit www.apaha.org Back to the Top |
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