VietRISE will be holding our 3rd Little Saigon Community Arts & Music Festival—a daylong celebration of Mexican, Central American, and Vietnamese communities building solidarity and rallying for immigrant rights in Orange County. Our multicultural festival will feature live music, food, community education, art-making, and small business vendors. To make this celebration truly unforgettable, we need your help with event set-up and breakdown, stage management, and activities!

There will be three volunteer shifts: Pre-Festival (8am-12pm), Afternoon (12-4:30pm), and Evening (4:30-9pm). Meals and other festival goodies will be provided for volunteers! We will also confirm and sign volunteer service logs.

Location: Rosita Park (706 N Newhope St, Santa Ana, CA 92703)
Volunteer expectations: Volunteers have the option to help with outreach and art-making leading up to the festival, volunteering day-of, or both! All volunteers must attend a mandatory 1-hour onboarding orientation and an All-Team Dinner on Thursday, September 19.

We’re hiring field canvassers to get out the vote for the 2024 General Election. Canvassers will go door-to-door to speak to Little Saigon residents about important local ballot measures and issues that impact immigrant and working-class communities. They will receive training on legislative measures and civic engagement tools that are crucial for connecting directly with our neighbors in Little Saigon and advancing social justice in Orange County!

The field program will run from Wednesday, Aug. 28 until Tuesday, Nov. 5. Compensation is $24/hr. Position type is part-time, temporary, non-exempt employee.

Sign up to attend one of our monthly Digital Empowerment Workshops aimed to equip community members in Orange County with essential digital skills for staying informed, staying safe online, and finding employment. Whether you’re sending emails, ensuring your online safety, or building a professional network, our workshops are here to help you feel confident navigating the internet.

August Workshop Dates

• August 7: Intro to Digital Literacy
• August 14: How to Browse the Internet
• August 21:  How to Use Email & Zoom
• August 28:  Digital Tools for Employment

Workshops are held monthly in both English and Vietnamese, with Vietnamese workshops on Tuesdays and English workshops on Wednesdays. Location will be shared after you register.

To register:

• RSVP here: http://vrdlw24.eventbrite.com 
• Call or text (714) 589-5496
• Email techlibrary@vietrise.org

As the election season heats up, we’re thrilled to share insights from recent national data on AAPI voters. These findings confirm what we’ve known all along: Vietnamese Americans are advocates for social justice and support progressive policies that uplift marginalized communities. From social spending and immigration to education, and more.

At the end of July, the cohort went on a tour of Santa Ana City Hall and the city council chambers. The youth participants learned directly from city staff how the city manages its various responsibilities like urban planning and business development. They also discussed issues they care about and how local governments can enact change in their communities with Councilmember Benjamin Vazquez. Thank you to Councilmember Vazquez and his team for arranging and coordinating this wonderful opportunity for our youth program!

On Saturday, July 27th, VietRISE co-hosted the Santa Ana Families for Fair Election (SAFFE) People’s Assembly for Immigrant Voting at Latino Health Access in Santa Ana. Community organizations, resident leaders, and supporters of noncitizen voting gathered to energize and coalesce our efforts to pass noncitizen voting in Santa Ana this November. There were educational workshops, community panels, and powerful speakers that grounded us in the importance of this campaign and strengthened our tools for success this fall. This assembly brought together over 80 attendees across generations and cultures, forming a powerful coalition ready to fight for immigrant rights here in OC! Sign up here to volunteer to expand voting rights.

#DemocracyForAll – Although federal laws prevent noncitizens from voting in presidential elections, states can set their own rules to give these individuals a voice in limited local elections. Still,  as conservative groups push a false narrative of rampant noncitizen voter fraud, immigrant communities continue to fight for a more inclusive democracy. In Santa Ana, residents and organizers strive to secure noncitizen voting rights this November through a local ballot measure. Join us in the Santa Ana Families for Fair Elections (SAFFE) coalition and advocate for #UniversalSuffrage!

“There’s a lot of people worrying about the state of our democracy in this country and whether democracy is under attack, but for us what we really care about is how can it be a true democracy if there are so many people in our community that can’t actually vote” – Tracy La, Executive Director at VietRISE

🌟 Meet Karen, our Seeding Change Fellow!

We’re thrilled to have Karen as our fellow this summer, where she is playing a key role in coordinating our 2024 Little Saigon Community Festival: Rise for Justice! She plans to attend law school and become a fervent advocate for immigrant rights in Orange County. If you sign up to volunteer for the festival, you’ll definitely be in touch with her!

From Karen: “My personal experiences as a second-generation Vietnamese American, born and raised in Garden Grove, and my vision for a future of collective reform have led me here to develop myself as a community leader. 

I hope that my experiences at VietRISE will ground my commitment to serving underrepresented communities, learning about community-driven legal empowerment tactics, and using the law as a support tool for immigrant families!”