NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Asians Say Work Down Since City Change—Crain’s Chicago Business

NAPALC Name Changed to Asian American Justice Center

Language Barriers Put Vietnamese Community at Risk

Bradley Honored at OCA Chicago Awards

Asian American Community Calls on Government and Relief Agencies for More Effective Actions for Katrina Evacuees

EVENTS

SAVE THE DATE: Let’s Go Bowling!  Nov. 6, 2005—AAI Fundraiser

Advancing Racial Justice Conference Updates Workshops, Presenters, Oct 21-22, 2005

Register Today!  LEAP Leadership Training Conference, Nov. 5, 2005

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Asians say work down since city change   September 12, 2005 By Brian McCormick Ernest Wong, one of the city's most prolific landscape designers, doesn't hesitate to credit affirmative action for a good part of his success. So last summer, when the city of Chicago responded to a reverse-discrimination lawsuit by making it more difficult for certain ASIAN-American firms to qualify for minority-owned status, he was relieved that his company, Site Design Group Ltd., wasn't one of them. Why, then, has Mr. Wong lost 15% of his business in the last year? It seems that city contractors are confused. In June 2004, after being sued by the Builders Assn. of Greater Chicago, the city revamped its set-aside program, which requires that 25% of contracted jobs go to businesses owned by minorities and 5% to companies owned by women. ASIAN-American construction firms were removed as a "presumptive class," meaning they no longer automatically qualified as minority-owned business enterprises, or MBEs. The city said it had insufficient data to confirm that ASIAN-American businesses faced discrimination, which is the basis for set-asides. African-Americans, Hispanics and women remained part of the program. But because the builders' lawsuit challenged the city's set-aside program only as it applied to construction work, city officials did not take away the MBE designation from ASIAN-American firms that provided other professional services, such as Mr. Wong's landscape design company. Nonetheless, some prime contractors stopped subcontracting city work to him. "I suppose it could just be coincidental timing," says Mr. Wong, who estimates his company has lost about $200,000 of its $1.2 million in annual revenues, "but that would be some coincidence." STILL GETTING CALLS For some of the 14 ASIAN-American construction firms affected by the policy change, business has also dropped off — even though most were able to retain their minority certification. While ASIAN firms were excluded as a group, the city compromised by allowing them to apply for MBE status individually. "Most of the contractors I deal with assume we've gotten the boot," says Eric Mah, president of GIM Electric Co. in Chicago. Prior to the revamp, ASIAN-American construction firms simply had to certify that they were 51% minority-owned to be put on a list of city-approved vendors that could be used to fulfill the set-side quota. Now, ASIAN-American-owned construction firms have to fill out affidavits that describe how racial discrimination has kept them from getting business from the city because of differences in education, hiring and access to credit. Since the city removed ASIAN-American construction firms as a "presumptive class," 13 of the 14 firms that were affected, including Mr. Mah's, have retained their MBE certification. But the confusion remains. "A year later, we are still getting calls from prime contractors asking if we are certified" as an MBE, says Jonathan Eng, president of Meccor Industries Ltd., a general contractor in Skokie. NO SPECIFIC EXAMPLES It's been a more than a year since the publicity surrounding the lawsuit died down. And although the percentage of city contracts awarded to black and Hispanic firms has grown in the first six months of this year, the percentage going to ASIAN-American firms dropped slightly to 7%. That's compared with 8% of city construction contracts awarded to ASIAN-American firms in all of last year. Lori Lightfoot, the city's interim first deputy procurement officer, says she expects ASIAN-American firms to catch up by the end of the year. Come December, she predicts that ASIAN-American firms will see an increase in their share of city business. Ms. Lightfoot disputes that the program revamp is hurting ASIAN-American firms and questions whether there really is any misunderstanding among other contractors. "We've had a number of meetings with a variety of trade groups in (the ASIAN-American) community, and I've only heard the confusion concern raised once." And in that case, the ASIAN-American entrepreneurs who raised the issue couldn't offer specific examples of lost business, she says. To those who question the impact of tinkering with minority status, Tuyet Le, executive director of the Chicago-based ASIAN American Institute, suggests looking to Cook County. In the five years since the county dismantled its set-aside program following a separate legal challenge, ASIAN-American firms' share of county construction contracts dropped to 1% from about 5%. Even if a contractor knows an ASIAN-American firm is on the MBE list, some worry that the new yearly recertification requirements make ASIAN-American firms less attractive than other minority subcontractors. "Many of these jobs are multiyear-term contracts, and if you are afraid a subcontractor will lose certification in the middle of a job, you are less likely to give them the work," Ms. Le says.  ©2005 by Crain Communications Inc.

NAPALC Changes Name to Asian American Justice Center Oct. 6, 2005 Washington, D.C.,– Effective today, the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC) will be known as the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC). “Our new name reflects our vision and how our work has evolved since we were founded 14 years ago,” said Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of AAJC. “It captures how we are working to address the challenges facing the growing Asian American community.” In addition to the new name, AAJC also adopted a tag line, Advancing Equality, and a new logo which calls to mind the crown of the Statue of Liberty. Narasaki added that while the word Pacific has been dropped, AAJC remains strongly committed to supporting work addressing the needs of Pacific Islander Americans. “We recognize that the issues and approaches appropriate for Pacific Islanders as indigenous peoples are often very different from those of the more largely immigrant Asian American communities,” she said. “Legal strategies will also remain an important part of our work. The new name reflects the policy, community building and public education work for which we have also become known.” AAJC retains the same address at 1140 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20036 and telephone number, 202-296-2300. Its website has been changed to www.advancingequality.org. Old email addresses with the domain name @napalc.org will be replaced with the new domain name, @advancingequality.org. AAJC is considered one of the nation's leading experts on issues of affecting Asian American community and one that offers a Pan-Asian perspective on issues such as hate crimes and race relations, affirmative action, immigration and immigrant rights, language access, census and voting rights. AAJC holds leadership positions in the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the nation’s oldest, broadest and most effective civil rights coalition, as well as the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a coalition of the national Asian American and Pacific Islander advocacy groups. It is a leader in other partnerships like the Rights Working Group, the New American Opportunity Campaign, and the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Americans for a Fair Chance, and Asian American Media Coalition. AAJC is wholly supported by private funds and is governed by a voluntary board of directors. Through the generous support of corporations, foundations, law firms, and individuals, AAJC has established itself as an effective, national Asian American advocate for advancing equality for all Americans.

Language Barriers Put Vietnamese Community at Risk BY BETH MUSGRAVE Sun Herald GULFPORT - (KRT) - A Vietnamese man who spent five days in a wrecked fishing boat before being saved told rescuers he did not understand the evacuation orders issued before Hurricane Katrina. And not knowing how to get help nearly killed both men, rescuers said. Many fear that without translated information the area's largest non-English speakers - the Vietnamese and Latino communities - could be more at risk than their English-speaking neighbors to a litany of health problems - from carbon-monoxide poisoning from generators to skin rashes and gastrointestinal problems from drinking unclean water. ”It's disconcerting that there isn't any infrastructure to offer Vietnamese/English translation to reassure these Vietnamese people," said Tuyet A. Ngoc Tran, an editor at Viettouch.com, a Web site based in New York and San Jose, Calif., which has been following the coverage of the Vietnamese community affected by Katrina. "Someone should pay attention to these people because they have no advocates." The Vietnamese man was found with a second Vietnamese man in the Lakeshore community in Hancock County. The two men - severely dehydrated and malnourished - had sought refuge in the boat after the storm, rescuers said. The identities of both men were not released by authorities. One was 38 and had recently moved to the area from Kansas City, Mo., and spoke English. The other, between 35 and 40, did not seem to understand English and was in a catatonic state. "They had made no attempt to seek medical attention," said Dr. David Jaslow, an emergency room doctor attached to the Pennsylvania rescue unit that found the two men. Jaslow said the man from Kansas City told him that he did not understand the evacuation orders and never expected to be saved or treated. Jaslow said the man was surprised that he was given medical attention. Tran said that many poorer Vietnamese are hesitant to go to a doctor because they cannot afford it. Adam Nguyen had not heard about the two Vietnamese men but he had heard that a second hurricane was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico and heading to Biloxi. Nguyen, a 13-year-old seventh-grade student, was struggling to translate information for his grandparents and other Vietnamese adults living at the Chua Van Duc Buddhist temple on a debris-littered East Biloxi street. Aid in the form of water, food and clothes has poured in. But information has not. After being reassured that there was no hurricane, Nguyen issued a plea: ”Please send out information in Vietnamese. Send it really soon. " Nguyen is living at the temple with his grandparents. He and his grandmother evacuated to Florida. But his 69-year-old grandfather did not.  He escaped the storm by emptying a 5-gallon water jug, stuffing it into his shirt and using it as a flotation device after his First Street home collapsed. The jug now rests on the side of the temple's porch. So far, only local and international media outlets have provided information in Vietnamese and Spanish. WLOX-TV has translated and broadcast some information updates and stories in Spanish and Vietnamese, said Renee Johnson, the station's Internet producer. One of the station's reporters - Trang Pham Bui - speaks Vietnamese and has been translating some news reports since the storm began, Johnson said. The station has also issued some public service announcements in Spanish, Johnson said. But more information could be available in both Spanish and Vietnamese soon. Vincent Creel, the spokesman for the city of Biloxi, said the city had not issued evacuation orders in any language but English, but said the city was going to start issuing new releases in Spanish and Vietnamese. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will have Vietnamese and Spanish-speaking community support workers in the area soon, said Tom Hegele, spokesman for FEMA. "We've got some flyers and brochures that are in Spanish and we're trying to distribute them now," Hegele said. Hegele said they're trying to get the same information translated into Vietnamese. But Hegele said there are people who are from Vietnam who speak other languages than Vietnamese, which complicates the translation process, he said. "They'll hopefully be in the area in the next several days," Hegele said, of the community support staff. Nguyen, 13, and Tuong Do, 10, who is also living at the shelter, were also hungry for other information - like when school will be back in session. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want to go back to school," Do said. "I'm bored here. I'd rather be doing homework."

Bradley Honored at OCA Chicago Awards Congratulations to Kevin Bradley, Director, Diversity Initiatives, McDonald’s USA and Asian American Institute Board member who was honored last Friday at OCA-Chicago's 2005 National Asian Pacific American Corporate Achievement Awards.

Asian American Community Calls on Government and Relief Agencies for More Effective Actions for Katrina Evacuees   Date:  Monday, October 3, 2005 Washington D.C.—On Thursday, September 29, 2005, NAVASA, in collaboration with CAPAC (Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus) and NCAPA (National Council of Asian Pacific Americans), held a congressional briefing at the Capitol to present the challenges faced by victims of the hurricane and organizations aiding in relief efforts.  Leaders of the Vietnamese faith-based (FBOs) and community-based (CBOs) organizations and evacuees from the hurricane-impacted areas testified and called upon government and mainstream relief agencies to provide more effective responses towards the Asian American evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.  Congressman Honda (CA), Al Green (TX), Bobby Scott (VA), and David Wu (OR) were present at the briefing. "More than 50,000 Asian Americans are impacted by the hurricane, and with the AAPI community's resources severely limited throughout the Katrina storm area, the federal government and national assistance organizations must be prepared to accommodate issues involving language access and cultural competence," stated Representative Mike Honda (D-CA), Chair of CAPAC. "FEMA and American Red Cross must pay equal attention to the victims regardless of their race, ethnicity, and level of income." Huy Bui, NAVASA Executive Director, emphasized the impact of the hurricane towards the Vietnamese community, the largest Asian American group affected by the disaster, added “According to the 2000 Census, there are approximately 36,000 Vietnamese Americans who resided in the impacted areas. They have now lost their homes, their businesses, their jobs, and their communities.”  Mr. Tich Tran, a Katrina victim currently in Houston, further stated that, “we are suffering and we need the government to help.” Vietnamese FBOs and CBOs have played the most critical role in providing relief assistances to the evacuees in the last few weeks.  However, they are running out of resources and patience.  Reverend Joseph Vu, Pastor of the Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church in Houston that shelters hundreds of evacuees, expressed his disappointment towards the unresponsiveness from the Red Cross and FEMA since the church shelter was considered as an “informal shelter.” Reverend Vu continued, “Our parishioners are getting frustrated with the situation. We have challenged ourselves beyond what we could handle to support these unfortunate people. We need your immediate attention desperately in assisting these evacuees to return our facilities back to normal life for our children and parish activities.” Juliet Choi, Staff Attorney of NAPALC, displayed three barriers that existed: the issue of the language and cultural connections, the economic consideration of the fishing industry, and dispelling the model minority myth. Michael Luu, an attorney who is working with the Vietnamese community in the affected areas, notes that there are a number of gate keepers preventing evacuees from appealing FEMA rejections of applications for hurricane relief. Many evacuees are giving up and settling with no assistance from FEMA. Further testimonies from Jon Melegrito, National Communications Director of the National Federation of Filipino American Association, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Executive Director of Boat People S.O.S., and Venerable Hang Dat emphasized the barriers faced by the Asian American community. Rick Pogue, Senior Vice-President for Human Resources of the American Red Cross, and Melissa Janssen, Congressional Liaison of FEMA, acknowledged the frustration the Asian American community is facing and promised that their respective agencies are initiating responses to addresses the ongoing difficulties, such as language barrier. The briefing concluded with a presentation of Citigroup Corporation’s support of the relief efforts with a $50,000 check to NAVASA for assistance of the thousands of displaced Asian American evacuees in the Gulf Coast. Citigroup representative Shamina Singh stated “this is just the beginning and we hope that more will be coming.  We encourage other corporations to do the same.” Please visit our website at www.navasa.org for more information. National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 310, Silver Spring, MD. 20910 | Tel: 301/587-2781 * Fax: 301/587-2783 * Email: navasa@navasa.org