View the PDF at this link here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Contact: Tracy La, tracy@vietrise.org

In Letters to City Council, 406 Residents, 19 Orange County Organizations, Call on Garden Grove to Pass Ordinance Banning Evictions and Met with Silence by City Council

Following the evictions of 10 Vietnamese and immigrant-owned businesses in April during COVID-19 in Garden Grove, the businesses and workers partnered with community organizations and residents to launch a petition calling on the Garden Grove City Council to ban all evictions during COVID-19. As of Wednesday morning, the petition had 406 signatures, including other small business owners and elected officials, as well as 19 community organizations and non-profit agencies that signed on the call to action.

On Tuesday evening, over 55 public comments were sent in by residents and community organizations to the city council to take action to ban evictions. However, only 19 comments were received by the Garden Grove City Council during their official meeting, and none of the comments sent in by residents were read out loud. In addition to the call to ban evictions, residents are concerned by their ability to be able to publicly address the Council, given the council’s decision to cancel all in-person meetings. In a virtual era of governance forced upon residents by COVID-19, residents are questioning their accessibility to their own local government and whether or not their voices and concerns will be heard by the City Council.

As of Wednesday morning, there has been no official response from the City Council to the public about whether or not the City will consider agendizing an ordinance to ban evictions. Meanwhile, the 10 evicted businesses have been forced to relocate to other sites in cities across Orange County, and some are still struggling to find permanent lots to protect and run their businesses.

The residents will continue to engage City Council and are encouraging residents to continue signing onto the petition to ban evictions in Garden Grove. The number of signatures on the petition and the full petition can be found at this link: bit.ly/stopevictionsingg.

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We are working together as a team of educators, students, community organizations, grassroots organizers, and more to compile resources and guides for community members during this time. Please note we are not healthcare professionals, and these resources should not take the place of advice from medical or healthcare professionals. Rather, we are a group of long-time community advocates who believe we are stronger when we work together and support each other.

We put together the resources below with love and with a sense of groundedness to support our community members and provide reassurance during this time. If you would like to contact the Orange County COVID-19 Community Response Team directly, please email general@vietrise.org.

View the Spreadsheet: COVID-19 Orange County Community Resources Master List

Please use the tabs on the bottom of the spreadsheet above to navigate different categories of resources. Currently, the categories we have are the following:

• Infographics: Posters and infographics covering a wide range of topics, in multiple languages
• School Info/Free Food: Information on OC school district closures and food distribution programs
• Physical Health: FAQs and resources about COVID-19 virus and infection
• Mental Health: Tips and resources to fend off anxiety
• Labor & Worker Rights: Resources and information for California residents
• Immigration: Resources and news regarding access to healthcare and rights
• Assistance Programs: Resources for food, financial assistance, transportation, hygiene, and more
• Other Resource Guides: Links to other resource guides, some of which are for different areas, and mutual aid resources. More will be added as needed.

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Note: Because of the rapid changes regarding COVID-19 policies and suggestions made by government officials, many resources and organizations are currently evaluating their capacity for services right now. As a result, some of the resource pages may seem a bit bare. These pages will continue to be updated as we get updates from the organzations. Please check back periodically to see what has been added.

Thank you to the community members for helping put together this doc: Indigo V., Julissa L., Kathy T., Lena T., Tracy L., members of VietRISE, Chispa, CA Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, and more. Thank you to all the community members who are continuing to send us the most recent updates!

Below is letter that was sent to the U.S. Census Bureau (USCB) by 108 California organizations, non-profits, service agencies, and more. The letter urges the USCB to take proactive and long-term measures to protect community members during the COVID-19 outbreak by extending the census count timeline, and more.

This letter was organized by VietRISE and members of the Orange County Civic Engagement Table (OCCET).

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Thursday, March 19, 2020

U.S. Census Bureau

4600 Silver Hill Road

Washington, DC 20233

Re: Protect Our Communities during COVID-19 Outbreak by Postponing and Extending Census Count Timeline

To officials at the U.S. Census Bureau:

We are writing as 108 non-profit groups, service agencies, civic engagement organizations, and more across California who have committed to conducting census outreach in hard to count communities this Census Count 2020. 

As of March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic.  Many state and local healthcare agencies have directed counties and local municipalities to take all precaution possible to prevent the spread of the disease.  However, the federal government has been slow in response to provide recommendations and safety protocols for local groups that will be conducting census outreach, nor have they provided adequate resources for local response teams to conduct preventative measures including mass and accessible testing, mobile alerts, and more.

During this time, we believe that hundreds of communities across the country will be inaccurately counted and heavily undercounted during this Census count.  For example, college campuses are being shut down across the country and hundreds of thousands of students will be forced to move off campus for the remainder of the academic year.  This alone will result in a massively inaccurate census count for this demographic.

Additionally, we believe it is our responsibility to take safe and considerate precautions for our community members, many of whom are senior residents and those most at risk.  Launching mass canvasses and expecting groups to hold census outreach events in person will expose thousands of people to other thousands of people, increasing the spread of transmission.

We call on the federal government and the U.S. Census Bureau to take action to protect our communities by:

1. Postponing expected in-person census outreach operations until June 1, 2020, until responsive measures are in place to curb the spread of transmission
2. Extending the length of time for the country to take the census to at least October 31, 2020
3. Preparing a support package with additional resources for states, counties, and community organizations to complete a more accurate count

We, the undersigned, are partaking in the following measures to responsibly prevent the spread of infection and protect our communities by:

1. Suspending all in-person field operations and outreach for the census across California until April 20, 2020
2. Calling on our congressional representatives to call on the U.S. federal government and Census Bureau to take action to extend the census response timeline

We believe this is an opportunity for the U.S. Census Bureau to strategize with community organizations, who are engaging hard-to-count communities, that are uniquely impacted by other economic and health factors, to create a strong response and outreach strategy during this health crisis. We urge the U.S. Census Bureau to include community organizations in their strategy planning now so that we ensure that every person in the country is counted. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jonathan Paik at jonathan@occet.org. 

Signed,

Orange County Civic Engagement Table (OCCET)

VietRISE

Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA)

Orange County Labor Federation (OCLF)

Orange County Environmental Justice (OCEJ)

AHRI for Justice

Resilience Orange County

Orange County Congregation Community (OCCCO)

Chispa

Korean Community Services

Korean American Center

Korean American Professional Society (KAPS)

Viet-CARE

California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative

ELEVATE AAPI @ Irvine Valley College

Viet Rainbow of Orange County (VROC)

OC Autism Foundation 

BPSOS CCA

Hope Community Services

Vietnamese Community of Southern California

Orange County Vietnamese Complete Count Committee

Orange County Cambodian Complete Count Committee

Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation

OC Mobile Home Residents Coalition

Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA)

Asian American Senior Citizens Service Center (AASCSC)

National Asian American Community Foundation (NAACF)

Orange County Equality Coalition

Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC)

Women For: Orange County

The Cambodian Family Community Center 

Network of Myanmar American Association

People’s Homeless Task Force Orange County

Asian Pacific Community Fund of Southern California

People’s Homeless Task Force

Orange County Chinese Cultural Club (OCCCC)

Korean Resource Center

Faith and Community Empowerment (Formerly KCCD)

Center for the Pacific Asian Family

Visual Communications Media

South Asian Network (SAN)

Korean American Coalition Los Angeles

Southland Integrated Services, Inc.

Chinatown Service Center

Asian American Drug Abuse Program, Inc. (AADAP)

Herald Christian Health Center

Asian Youth Center (AYC)

Khmer Girls in Action

Korean American Special Education Center

United Cambodian Community

Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program

LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)

Koreatown Youth and Community Center

Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco

Project by Project – Los Angeles

Catalyst San Gabriel Valley Incorporated

Koreatown Youth and Community Center

KIWA (Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance)

Pacific Islander Health Partnership

CAUSE (Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment)

Korean American Federation of Los Angeles

Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council

Thai Community Development Center

Korean American Family Services

Pacific Asian Counseling Services

Love in Music

Burmese Community Resettlement Initiative

Filipino Migrant Center

Vision Care Service West

Sacramento Valley Korean-American Community

Anderson Munger Family YMCA

Cambodia Town, Inc.

Korean American Bar Association of Northern California

Together We Will OC

KOWIN

Korean Community Center of East Bay

Korea Daily Times

Asian Women’s Shelter (AWS) SF

Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI)

Koreatimes SF

Korean Community Center of East Bay

Asian Refugees United

East Bay Refugee and Immigrant Forum

Refugee & Immigrant Transitions

Mesu Strategies

Mission Neighborhood Centers, Inc.

San Francisco Latino Parity & Equity Coalition (SFLPEC)

Burma Refugee Families & Newcomers

VietUnity – East Bay

Oasis Legal Services

RBA Creative

SIREN

OCA Sacramento

Pacific Asian Counseling Services

Korean American Coalition

Korean American Federation of Los Angeles

Communities United for Health and Justice

Diversity in Health Training Institute

Hmong Innovating Politics

San Francisco Korean American Community Center

Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment

Visibility Project

Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI)

Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay (VACCEB)

COLORS LGBTQ Youth Counseling Services

Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA)

Latino Equality Alliance

Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 27th, 2019
PDF Version: English | Vietnamese

Contact: Tracy La
Executive Director of VietRISE
(858) 598-7805
tracy@vietrise.org

OC Sheriff Don Barnes Terminates Immigrant Detention Contract with ICE

As the Orange County Sheriff’s Department announces plans to end its contract with ICE and open up more jail space for mental health treatment for inmates, Vietnamese community members are concerned that the allocation of mental health resources within the Sheriff’s Department will increase the incarceration of immigrant communities.

Little Saigon, Orange County, CA – Today, Wednesday, March 27th, 2019  the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) announced plans to end its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will no longer be detaining immigrants within their jails. Instead, they plan to allocate funds to make more jail space for mental health treatment. Current detainees will be transferred to facilities outside of California and more beds will be opened up within the jails. Simply closing the OCSD’s contract with ICE and making more jail space for mental health treatment is an incomplete step.

The State of Immigration Enforcement in OC Report released earlier this year reveals that Vietnamese community members are the second most targeted group referred to federal immigration enforcement by local law enforcement. Therefore, Vietnamese people are the second largest group not protected from deportation in Orange County. As a county of immigrants where Vietnamese refugees have been impacted by war that has led to negative impacts on immigration and mental health, there must be more responsible allocation of mental health resources that does not hurt immigrant communities.

To make Orange County safer and more inclusive of immigrants, Sheriff Barnes must denounce the rabid anti-immigrant voices he and the OC Supervisors enabled last year that spurred anti-immigrant sentiment within the county. VietRISE also calls for resources toward mental health services to be allocated to healthcare professionals and organizations with a strong, reliable track record of providing mental health support for inmates instead.

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CHO THÔNG CÁO BÁO CHÍ
Wednesday, March 27th, 2019

Xin Vui Lòng Liên Lạc: Tracy La
Executive Director of VietRISE
(858) 598-7805
tracy@vietrise.org

Cảnh Sát Trưởng Don Barnes chấm dứt hợp đồng với ICE (Cơ quan Thực thi Di trú và Hải quan)

Văn phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng đã thông báo họ sẽ chấm dứt hợp đồng với ICE (Cơ quan Thực thi Di trú và Hải quan) và sẽ mở thêm phòng giam tủ để điều trị sức khỏe tâm thần cho các tù nhân. Các thành viên cộng đồng Việt (thành viên hội cộng đồng VietRISE) lo ngại rằng sự phân bổ tiền để điều trị sức khỏe tâm thần cho các tù nhân sẽ gia tăng sự giam giữ cộng đồng nhập cư.   

Little Saigon, Orange County, CA – Hôm qua, Ngày 27 Tháng 3 Năm 2019, văn phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng vừa thông báo rằng họ sẽ chấm dứt hợp đồng với ICE (Cơ quan Thực thi Di trú và Hải quan). Họ sẽ mở thêm phòng giam tủ để điều trị sức khỏe tâm thần cho các tù nhân và sẽ không giam giữ người di dân trong các tụ ở Orange County. Thay vì họ sẽ chuyển các người nhập cư đến các nhà tụ ở tiểu bang khác. Chỉ chấm dứt hợp đồng với ICE không đủ để bảo vệ các cộng đồng nhập cư.

Trong bài báo cáo State of Immigration Enforcement in OC phát hành đầu năm nay, bài báo cáo này khám phá rằng ở Orange County cộng đồng Việt là cộng đồng lớn thứ hai bị ảnh hưởng về sự nguy cơ bị trục xuất. Ở Orange County văn phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng và Cảnh Sát Trưởng Don Barnes phải phân bổ công bằng tiền dùng để điều trị sức khỏe tâm thần cho các tù nhân để không hại các cộng đồng nhập cư vì trong cộng đồng Việt chiến tranh đã gây ra rất nhiều tổn thương trong vấn đề nhập cư và bà tâm thần.  

Hội Cộng Đồng VietRISE kêu gọi Cảnh Sát Trưởng Don Barnes nên tố cáo các hùng biện chống người nhập cư để Orange County trở thành một nơi an toàn cho các cộng đồng nhập cư. VietRISE cũng đề nghị rằng tiền dùng để điều trị sức khỏe tâm thần cho các tù nhân nên được phân bổ cho các bác sĩ, y tá, và tổ chức có kinh nghiệm giúp đỡ các tù nhân.

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Flyer by Tiffany Le

 

This workshop is open to all community members to learn about zines and how to make them. No experience in the arts is necessary – this is simply a space for everyone to gather and be in community with one another through art! This is also a child-friendly event!

Zines and zine culture were created by, and crafted for, the social and political needs of communities of color. They can give space to stories that aren’t often told, lending creative spaces for people and communities to express themselves freely without restrictions and on their own terms. They are a space for communities to come together to record and share their stories and everything in between.

Please RSVP here: bit.ly/zineworkshop19

Details:

• Date: Tuesday, March 19th
• Time: 6 – 8pm
• Location: 618 N. Harbor Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92823 (2nd floor up the stairs)

What to expect:

• A brief hxstory about zines
• Printed zines will be available for you to use as examples
• Art materials and supplies (paper, colored pencils, stapler, magazines) will be provided for you to make your own zine
• Light refreshments will be served
• Le Tea Leaf’s art will be available for purchase!

Optional:
Feel free to bring magazines, personal artifacts, and/or your own art supplies for your zine!

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About Le Tea Leaf (from letealeaf.com): Tiffany Le is a Vietnamese American freelance illustrator who investigates themes towards cultural legacy, comparative mythology and literature, and social topics through an Asian American lens. She had started her career early by drawing images from cereal boxes at the age of three, and has worked her way up into much larger projects since then. To learn more about Tiffany and see her work, please visit her website at letealeaf.com!

VietRISE is excited to be hosting our third community listening session on Saturday, January 19th from 12:15 to 2:30PM!

Date: January 19, 2019
Time: 12:15PM – 2:30PM
Location: Westminster, CA. Will be sent to those who RSVP.

VietRISE’s Theory to Change program is a 10 week program for Viet(namese American) community members in the Orange County region to learn social justice frameworks and foundations. Participants will attend workshops, learn creative strategies to take collective action, and complete an art project that highlights what was learned.

This program will be a space geared towards college-aged Viet(namese American) folx (ages 18-24) to learn the language, skills, and capacity to pursue social justice and/or organizing in ways that are accessible and conducive to their self-determination as young leaders in their/our communities.

This program works with participants to explore their Viet(namese American) identities, articulate and clearly communicate social justice theories in accessible language, identify structures of power and oppression in their personal lives and community, learn tangible approaches and practices to sustain mental and emotional wellness, and learn action-oriented strategies for community activism and/or organizing.

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Application Link: bit.ly/theorytochange2019 

Application Deadline: Wednesday, January 9, 2019 at 5:00 PM PST

Program Duration: Every Saturday beginning February 23, 2019 – April 27, 2019 from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM PST

For questions please contact allison@vietrise.org.