Community Vigil April 8 to Address Violence and Racial Tension in Southeast San Francisco and Honor Life of Huan Chen

Posted on 7th April 2010 in community, people

Chinese for Affirmative Action announced details of a Thursday, April 8, 6:30 p.m., community vigil to honor the life of Huan Chen, who passed away on March 19, and to raise awareness about the need to address violence and racial tension in Southeast San Francisco. Chen was attacked on March 22 on a light rail platform.

The vigil is being organized by a group of community members – Sally Chan, Allison Chen, Linda Chu, Calvin Hom, Edward Hom, Sharon Hom, Norman Fong, Joe Huang, Michael Leung, Vincent Pan, Roger Tan, Michael Yip, Emily Yuen, Eddy Zheng – who met at the offices of Chinese for Affirmative Action to discuss the recent violence along the Third Street light rail in Southeast San Francisco on April 4th .

The theme of the vigil is “Stop the Violence, Start the Healing” and will begin at 6:30 p.m. at 3rd Street and Palou Avenue. The organizers are inviting all members of all communities to participate. The organizers see the vigil as an important step in the community’s healing process and a way to demand that the recent violence stop.

Edward Hom, one of the active organizers, said “The point of the vigil is to show that we are united against violence. There will be more actions to come because these are long-term problems, but for right now, we want the community to come together to start the process.”

Joe Huang, who lives in the Bayview, said “All of us who live in this neighborhood and this City are safer and stronger if we support one another. Coming to the vigil is just one way of doing that.”

Allison Chen, a resident in Southeast San Francisco, said, “Those of us who live in this area know that there are many problems that are difficult to talk about and difficult to address. But if we don’t start now, when will we ever?”

Vincent Pan, executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, expressed, “Our organization is doing what we can to support these new leaders — we believe that tremendous untapped power and potential is in the community and with the people.”

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Counting the Filipino American Community: Questions Answered About the 2010 Census

Posted on 6th April 2010 in community, people

KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress launched an online resource, complete with comedy from Touchblue and a t-shirt giveaway, at http://DoYouCount.org to help address concerns in the Filipino American community about the 2010 Census and encourage families to participate and be counted.

According to the Asian and Pacific Islander 2010 Census Network, communities of color are disproportionally undercounted in the United States Census. Some of the factors that contribute to this discrepancy are a general misunderstanding of the importance of the census and fear that the census may be used against them to jeopardize employment or immigration status.

KAYA is encouraging the Filipino American community to participate in the Census because Census data are used to plan for vital services such as employment training centers, schools, hospitals, senior programs, and many more services vital to each community. Each question in the Census helps to determine how more than $400 billion will be allocated to communities across the country. However, during the 2000 Census, the Asian Pacific Islander population lost $2.1 billion in federal funding for important community programs in California alone just from being undercounted.

April 1 was National Census Day, the deadline for mailing back the official 2010 Census form. But there’s still time to be counted. From April through July, census takers will visit households who did not return a form by mail and assist people and famillies with filling out the form.

Here are some answers to common concerns about the Census:

Why should I take the time to complete the Census form?
Being counted will help you and your community. Census information is used to plan for employment training centers, schools, hospitals, senior programs, and many more important services in your community. Census data helps determine which leaders will represent your community and will also determine how much money (government funding) your community gets for these important social services.

Why does the Census ask for my name and phone number? Is it really safe to participate in the census?
Yes, it is safe. Names are needed if the census was returned incomplete and additional information about an individual must be obtained to complete the census. Phone numbers are needed in case the Census Bureau needs to contact the respondent when a form is returned with incomplete or missing information. Federal law protects the confidentiality of personal information, including names. Every census worker swears an oath to keep your information confidential and any census worker who violates that confidentiality can be imprisoned for up to five years and fined $250,000.

Why does the census ask for my date of birth and race?
Federal, state and local governments need to know the ages of people in given community to help estimate the number of people eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits and help plan and evaluate special programs that provide funds and services for kids, working-age adults, young women and the elderly. The Census asks for information about race to get a better picture of the racial demographic of an area and monitor compliance with anti-discrimination laws, monitor racial disparities in health and education to plan how to improve them, and help plan and administer bilingual programs.

How long does it take to fill out the Census form?
It takes less than 10 minutes to complete and asks only 10 simple questions. And it comes with a postage-paid envelope so it’s free to mail back. If you missed the April 1, 2010 deadline to mail back the form, a census worker will visit your household and help you fill out the form.

What if I need help filling out the form?
Visit the “Need Help?” section at DoYouCount.org for a list of Questionnaire Assistance Sites or a Be Counted Site in your area to receive assistance.  DoYouCount.org also has a Language Assistance Guide in Tagalog and Cebuano which translates the questions in the form.

Visit http://www.doyoucount.org for further help on filling out the Census form and for a chance to get a free limited-edition KAYA T-shirt.

KAYA is a progressive grassroots organization previously known as Filipinos for Obama. During the Obama campaign, KAYA volunteers successfully reached out to thousands of voters and helped to deliver key votes in California, Nevada and many other states. Today, KAYA focuses on electoral mobilization, policy advocacy, and leadership development through internship and mentorship programs. KAYA believes in the power of civic engagement and volunteerism. Find out more at http://www.kayagrassroots.org.

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , ,

Mochi Magazine to Launch First Comprehensive College Guide for Asian American Teens

Posted on 6th April 2010 in media

Mochi Magazine announced April 4 that it will launch the first and only comprehensive college guide for Asian American teens. With reviews of the best Asian American programs, scholarships, clubs and more, Mochi hand-picked the best from the nation’s thousands of higher education institutions.

Alongside the college guide, Mochi’s newest spring issue also includes celebrity interviews with Fox’s “Glee” star Harry Shum, Jr. and Nikki Soohoo of “The Lovely Bones,” as well as regular fashion, beauty and health features.

“We’re ecstatic to be able to offer this wonderful resource to our readers,” said Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Wu. “There’s no other guide out there like this and we’ve worked really hard to gather the most accurate and relevant information.”

Mochi’s College Issue will highlight the nation’s top APA programs and specific stories on admissions, scholarships, and application advice. Finally, when it comes to extra-curricular activities, Mochi has broken down the best nationally recognized organizations and conferences,

Finally, to supplement the extensive college guide and star-studded list of celebrity interviews, Mochi also has two bright and fresh fashion spreads with all the must-haves for the upcoming spring season. The issue also doles out plentiful tips and advice for eating healthy while away at school and how to handle relationships whether it is in the dorms or long-distance.

In the upcoming weeks, Mochi’s blog (http://www.mochimag.com/blog) will profile 15 Asian Americans college students from various backgrounds and schools who are making a real difference in their communities.

Read about all of this and more at www.mochimag.com and don’t forget to follow the chatter daily through via the Mochi Blog (www.mochimag.com/blog), Facebook (www.facebook.com/MochiMag) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/MochiMag).

Mochi is a quarterly online magazine and daily blog that provides a medium through which Asian American teenage girls can access a supportive community and gain confidence in their heritage. Articles, essays and stories written by their high school peers allow readers to see how other girls cope with similar issues, while pieces written by college women, young professionals and other role models provide inspiration.

comments: 0 » tags: , , , , , , ,