UVSA Midwest » Site

Vietnamese American Survey

jacklin.nguyen — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:34:36 +0000

Greetings!

My name is Teresa Nguyen, and I am a psychology doctoral student at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I am conducting a survey study on the perceptions and experiences of adult children of Vietnamese refugees. If you are at least 18 years of age and your biological mother and/or father was born in Vietnam and now resides in the United States, you are invited to participate in this study. It is hoped that the knowledge gained from this study will ultimately benefit society by giving professionals and researchers a better understanding of the experiences of adult children of Vietnamese refugees. This study has been approved by the University of Michigan Institutional Review Board for Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences (HUM00043244). If you are interested, and have 30-45 minutes, please consider filling out this online survey: http://umichlsa.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_ePOdDVbEUGa99I0

You will be compensated with a $10 electronic gift card to Amazon.

If you prefer to fill out a printed version of the survey, please contact me at nguyentu@umich.edu.

Thank you very much!

Sincerely,

Teresa Nguyen, M.S.
Ph.D. Candidate
Psychology, University of Michigan

2012 UVSA Midwest Executive Board Elections

jacklin.nguyen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:43:08 +0000

Want be part of the UVSA Midwest Executive Board? Elections will be held at the VIA-1 Conference on March 17, 2012 at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio! We will be electing new board members to lead this amazing organization. Be a part of something amazing and make a difference! This is an invaluable leadership experience that you do not want to pass up.

The following positions will be up for elections at the 2012 VIA-1 Conference:

President

- Maintain general active management of the business of the organization
- Ensure the effective action of the board in governing and supporting the organization, and oversee board affairs.
- Act as the representative of the board as a whole
- Speak to the media and the community on behalf of the organization
- Recommend committees to be established. Ensure that each committee has a chairperson, and maintain communication with the chairperson to ensure that their work is executed
- Ensure that board matters are handled properly, including preparation of meeting materials, functionality of committees, and recruitment and orientation of new Board of Advisor members

Internal Vice-President

- Act as the President is the absence of the President
- Be in charge of all intra-organizational issues, such as roles and responsibilities of board members
- Shall replace the President when the President fails to fulfill his or her duties
- Shall oversee the Council of Sates Representative (CoSR) activities
- Shall assist the President on the above or other specified duties

External Vice-President

- Act as the President is the absence of the President and the IVP
- Shall assist the President on the above or other specified duties
- Act as the official liaison of the organization to the community
- Oversee community service projects 5) Be in charge of all public relation issues.
- Act as the representative for Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (uNAVSA) for the Midwest region

Treasurer

- Manage the board’s review of and actions relating to its financial responsibilities
- All funds will be deposited solely to the organization’s bank account
- Any investments made need to comply with the legal requirements of a non-profit organization
- Must be one of the officers who shall sign checks or drafts of the organization. No special funds may be set aside that shall make it unnecessary for the Treasurer to sign the checks issued upon it
-Shall render, at stated periods as the Executive Board shall determine, a written account of the finances of the organization; such report shall be physically affixed to the minutes of the Executive Board

Secretary

- Prepare the agenda for every board meeting
- Keep minutes of all official board meetings, and provide it when necessary
- Shall present to the membership any communication addressed to him/her as Secretary of the organization
- Shall submit to the Board of Directors any communications which shall be addressed to him/her as Secretary of the organization
- File any certificate required by any statute, federal or state
- Give and serve all notices to members of this organization
- Be the official custodian of the records and seal of this organization
- May be one of the officers required to sign the checks and drafts of the organization

2012 Executive Board Election Process

Nomination/Application Process

Candidate may be self-nominated or nominated by someone else.
All nominations need to be in by the beginning of lunch on Saturday, March 17.
All written applications need to be completed and turned in right after lunch.
All nominees will be announced after Workshop Session #2.
Elections are scheduled for 3:30pm on Saturday, March 17.

Election Process

Each candidate will have a maximum of three minutes for a speech.
Order of speech is in descending order by position (Secretary, Treasurer, External Vice President, Internal Vice President, and President) and candidates running for same position will be randomly drawn for order.
Candidates who are running for the same position may not be in the room while another candidate is giving his or her speech.
After each candidate’s speech is complete, there will be a five minute question and answer portion with questions taken from the conference attendees.

Voting Process

Attendees, grouped in their respective states, will have time to discuss the candidates that were presented.
Current executive board members and advisors will help to facilitate these discussions and will be in charge of one state.
Votes will be made blindly by individuals in each state and the facilitator will be count each individual’s vote for all the candidates (yes, no, abstain).
Individual votes will be tallied up and the candidate who obtains the majority of votes will win the position.
In the event of a tie, the current Executive Board shall cast the deciding vote, as determined by a simple majority.

Petition to the President on human rights abuses in Vietnam

jacklin.nguyen — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:44:19 +0000

Dear UNAVSA Community,

I am writing on behalf of UNAVSA and its regional and collegiate partners across North America to seek your participation in a nationwide campaign to call for the release of all detained and imprisoned human rights champions in Vietnam.

UNAVSA was founded on a simple idea that if we work together we can accomplish leaps and bounds more than if we worked apart. I present to you a campaign spearheaded by the Saigon Broadcast Television Network (SBTN), allowing the entire Vietnamese community to come together for a common cause.

The Obama Administration recently launched a tool called “We the People” giving our community the unique opportunity to petition for the Administration to take action on this pressing matter. If we successfully collect 25,000 petitioners in 30 days, the President will address our petition.

This is our chance as Vietnamese youth to join hands across generations to demonstrate the strength and solidarity of our community. The petition is live at http://unavsa.org/humanrights/. It won’t show on the website till we reach 150 original petitioners. So, please get to the We The People website and sign on. We want to reach 150 by midnight so that it will show up when the campaign officially starts tomorrow. Let us all be among the original petitioners!

Below is the message we will send to President Obama:

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SHOULD NOT EXPAND TRADE WITH VIETNAM AT THE EXPENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

Since 2007 the Vietnamese government has continuously waged brutal crackdown against human rights advocates, arresting and detaining notables such as: Rev. Nguyen Van Ly, Nobel Peace Prize nominees Ven. Thich Quang Do and Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, blogger Dieu Cay, and most recently songwriter Viet Khang, who merely expressed love for freedom and patriotism through songs he posted online. Congress has responded by introducing the Vietnam Human Rights Act, Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act and just last month, H Res 484. We implore you, Mr. President, to leverage Vietnam’s desire for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Generalized System of Preferences to force the immediate and unconditional release of all detained or imprisoned human rights champions. Show the world America puts freedom first.

Sincerely,

Dan Huynh
President
UNAVSA

August 2011 Newsletter

jacklin.nguyen — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 02:55:25 +0000

Head over to the Newsletter section of the website to check out the first ever UVSA Midwest Newsletter!

IT Director Internship

jacklin.nguyen — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:19:40 +0000

UVSA Midwest is looking for a self-motivated, detailed-oriented individual who is interested in gaining hands-on experience in Computer Science/Information Technology.

We are currently seeking someone to fill our Information Technology Director position who meets the following requirements:

Open to anyone (you do not have to be Vietnamese or involved with VSA) between the ages of 16-26
Knowledge of HTML, PHP, CSS, WordPress, FTP, MySQL, JavaScript, Google Docs
Available to work up to 10 hours per week remotely

This is an unpaid, internship position. There are three terms for this internship: Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer. During the Spring Semester, the position also entails being the IT Director for the VIA-1 (Vietnamese Interacting as One) Conference.

To apply, fill out the application here and email résumé and portfolio (examples of websites, coding, etc.) to staff@uvsamidwest.org. Feel free to send any questions or concerns to the same email address.

Once your application, résumé, and portfolio have been reviewed, a test will be sent to complete for skill level assessment. Following the test will be a phone interview with the staff of UVSA Midwest.

UVSA Midwest Press Release – New State Representatives & 501(c)(3) Status

jacklin.nguyen — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:25:39 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2011

Hello UVSA Midwest Family!

Thank you again for those who were able to make it out to the the 9th Annual Vietnamese Interacting as One (VIA-1) Conference at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this past March. New friendships were formed, existing bonds were strengthened, leaders were inspired, talents were showcased, and we all came together for the common goal of inspiring, motivating, and taking the next step in leading our generation to success.

One of the most important events that happened at this year’s VIA-1 Conference was the election of new State Representatives for UVSA Midwest. Not only are these the faces of each state and the VSAs within the state, but these individuals are important aspects of our organization and play a crucial role in our successes. On behalf of the UVSA Midwest eboard, it is with my great pleasure to officially announce the new State Representatives for the 2011-2013 term.

Illinois > Neda Huynh (neda.huynh@uvsamidwest.org)
Indiana > Hung Ly (hung.ly@uvsamidwest.org)
Iowa > Lynn Nguyen (lynn.nguyen@uvsamidwest.org)
Ohio > Jen Nguyen (jen.nguyen@uvsamidwest.org)
Michigan > Jeremiah Song (jeremiah.song@uvsamidwest.org)
Minnesota > Dan Doan (dan.doan@uvsamidwest.org)
Wisconsin > Jessica Phan (jessica.phan@uvsamidwest.org)

Please welcome these special individuals to the UVSA Midwest family!

Also, I would like to announce that UVSA Midwest has official 501(c)(3) status! We are now officially recognized as a nonprofit organization. Thank for you for all those who helped to make this possible.

On the final note, I would just like to remind everyone that we always have volunteer positions available if you would like to take part of UVSA Midwest and see how things are run and how everything works. A reminder that next year, for the 10th Annual VIA-1 Conference, we will be electing new executive board members. For more information, please read more here: http://uvsamidwest.org/about/elections/.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us at: staff@uvsamidwest.org.

Jacklin Nguyen
Internal Vice President
UVSA Midwest
http://www.uvsamidwest.org

14th Youth Leadership Development Camp

jacklin.nguyen — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:34:26 +0000

Len Duong Camp

Imagine a community where adults and youth make personal and social responsibility a priority, where people use their unique skills and talents to make their community a better place, where creative solutions, positive actions and kind words are the catalyst for change. The Vietnamese Culture and Science Association (VCSA) would like to invite you to share in a special vision for our community development.

The commitment to lifelong learning, achievement, and improvement usually begins at an early age. Young people who have accepted leadership roles in their organization or community and demonstrated an early commitment to others should be encouraged and supported in their development. With the rising of Vietnamese-American population in North America and the emerging of many youth-led community organizations, there is a growing demand to have a positive environment where young community activists can sharpen their leadership skills, network with their peers, and share their experiences over the years of community involvement. With that in mind, since 1998, VCSA has organized the annual Youth Leadership Development Camp, namely Len Duong Camp (or “Embark on a Journey”).

The camp program is carefully designed to empower young Vietnamese-Americans to become effective leaders in their respective organizations through leadership education and hands-on experience. Each year, Len Duong Camp provides approximately 250-300 young people with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills in a camp setting. Participants are exposed to the concepts, elements, and process of leadership, learn to recognize group dynamics and to understand its effects on the leadership process, and enhance their powers of analysis relating to critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and conflict resolution.

In community service organizations, collaborations are frequent and essential for the success of delivering the desired impacts. Indeed, the Len Duong Camp project involved collaborations and partnerships between VCSA and many other community-based groups, educational institutions, small businesses, and corporations. We are especially fortunate to receive support from LEAP (Leadership for Asian Pacific, Inc.) for providing leadership development workshops and seminars at the camp since 2003.

In the past ten years, Len Duong Camp has served over 2,000 young community activists and students. In this unique environment, campers have sharpened their leadership skills and realized their potential as future leaders. They return each year more motivated, more equipped for and committed to community involvement. Based on the feedback we have received from campers and on tracking actual campers’ community involvement, the impact of these camps has been one of the biggest success stories in the Vietnamese American community.

VCSA has fully committed its support and resources to this strategic project. A staff of 40 volunteers contributes approximately 6,000 hours of service to Len Duong Camp project each year. This project has proven successful in the past years.

Our Goal:
The goal of VCSA’s Youth Leadership development camp is to develop future leaders for Asian-American communities, specially focusing on Vietnamese-Americans.

Our Objectives:

Increase by 10 percent the number of campers who will be taking active leadership role after the camp (as measured by the number of youths who will become officers of their respective organizations after attending the camp)
Increase volunteerism by 20 percent (as measured by the number of youths involved in community activities after the camp)
Build a network where young people can share experiences and ideas
Encourage friendship and open possibilities for the future collaboration of Vietnamese-American youth-led organizations across the nation in community projects
Build cultural heritage awareness to bridge the generation gap in the Vietnamese-American community; increase by 15 percent the number of campers who become more committed to learn about their roots and their cultural heritage.

Our Target Groups

Young community leaders or young professional already involved in community projects.
Leaders of other youth-led organizations with a strong interest in community involvement.
Vietnamese American Student Association officers for all U.S. and Canada universities.

Measure Of Success

Request evaluations from campers and post the results on our Web site
Count the number of campers who become officers in their local community organizations after the camp.
Track the number of campers involved with community work and see an increased by 15 percent (i.e. 15 percent of campers after the camp are inspired to become leaders or active members in an organization); gather first-hand accounts.
Encourage campers to help organize the next camp Len Duong.

More information can be found here.

OCA 2011 Summer Internship Program

jacklin.nguyen — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:59:54 +0000

OCA is on a nationwide search for undergraduates and recent graduates for the 2011 Summer Internship Program in Washington DC!

Purpose: To cultivate future leadership for the Asian Pacific American (APA) community by providing opportunities to work in the public sector and learn about issues affecting APAs. Based in the nation’s capital, interns will build relationships, engage in weekly discussions on APA issues, go on legislative visits and participate in OCA’s National Convention in New York on August 4-7.

All are welcome to apply. Students of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, South Asian, and Southeast Asian descent are highly encouraged to apply.

Deadline: All materials must be received by Monday, April 4th at 11:30 pm EST.
Stipend: $2,500 for 10 weeks of full time work
Requirements:
1. Undergraduate student (Minimum age of 18. Seniors are eligible)
2. U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
3. Demonstrated interest in APA issues
4. Excellent written and oral communication skills
5. Commitment to work 10 weeks in Washington DC within the period of June 6 – August 19
6. Completed Application Package including:
- Completed Application Form
- Résumé
- Unofficial academic transcript
- Exactly two letters of reference
- One-page essay (12 pt, single-spaced, 500 words maximum) addressing the following: How will OCA’s summer internship benefit you and your community?

Procedure
1. Submit entire application package by deadline
2. Applications will be reviewed by a committee
3. Personal or telephone interview will be scheduled
4. Accepted interns will be notified by April 29. A firm commitment will be required at that time to secure placement.

Online, early and complete application submission is highly encouraged. Visit www.ocanational.org for more information, please refer to our Internship FAQ page or email internship@ocanational.org.

2011 UVSA Midwest CoSR Elections

jacklin.nguyen — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:09:20 +0000

Want be part of the UVSA Midwest Council of State Representatives (CoSR)? Elections will be held at the VIA-1 Conference on March 19, 2011 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign! We will be electing new representatives for all the present Midwest states! Be a part of something amazing and make a difference! This is an invaluable leadership experience that you do not want to pass up!

If you’re interested in learning more about the election process, go here. To learn more about the CoSR, please read this.

Leadership and Advocacy Training (LAT)

jacklin.nguyen — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:34:35 +0000

For the past twelve years, SEARAC has held annual Leadership and Advocacy Trainings (LAT) in Washington, DC and regionally. These trainings provide a forum for Southeast Asian American community leaders to participate in three days of advocacy education, leadership strategizing, collaborative networking, and relationship building with decision makers on issues that are specific to the Southeast Asian American community. These trainings are open nation-wide to all members of the Southeast Asian American community and/or individuals currently working with the Southeast Asian American community.

SEARAC held two leadership and advocacy trainings in the summer of 2010 in Washington, DC and Long Beach, CA. Each training brought together dozens of community leaders who spent two intensive days focusing on specific policy issues and strategizing for an advocacy meeting. Participants then spent the last day visiting the offices of elected officials with their well-honed messages. Participants learned about and advocated on issues in immigration, education and health policy. Check it out for yourself!

To view an agenda from last year’s training, click here, then check out the videos below to hear what last year’s participants had to say about the training.

SEARAC is pleased to announce its Thirteenth Annual Southeast Asian American Leadership & Advocacy Training. This year, SEARAC will be convening in two strategic locations:

- New Orleans, LA: May 22-24, 2011
- Washington, DC: July 24-26, 2011

For more information and to apply online, click here.

- The application deadline for the New Orleans, LA training is March 20, 2011.
- The application deadline for the Washington, DC training is May 1, 2011.

Please contact Riamsalio Phetchareun at riamsalio@searac.org or (202) 667-4690 with any additional questions.

Leadership and Advocacy Training (LAT)