Within two months, we knocked on 4,884 homes in Little Saigon and spoke with 1,825 Vietnamese residents about the election, ballot measures, rent control, and their vision for our community.

The conversations we shared with our community members continue to affirm what we know about the Vietnamese community in OC – that residents are eager for change and that Little Saigon is grounds for powerful ongoing and potential transformation.  Immense thank you to our staff members Vincent and Lisa; our canvassers Duy Viet, Eric, Michael, Michelle, Phuong, and Shirley; our interns An, Celine, and Thu; and our volunteers Allison, Chi, Chloe, Emma, and Uyen. Your hard work and rain-or-shine commitment was critical to making sure that our community’s voices were heard and counted!

Due to years of fiscal mismanagement by city council members, Westminster voters have resoundingly voted “Yes” to extend a 1% sales tax for the next 20 years to prevent the city from going bankrupt. This crucial sales tax was instituted in 2017 as an emergency band-aid measure to protect essential city services – from street maintenance to senior support programs – against structural budget deficits caused by years of fiscal mismanagement.

We spoke with hundreds of voters to inform them of the gravity of the situation and pressured council members who kept stalling the measure even as the city’s budget increasingly pointed to imminent financial ruin. We are extremely relieved that the crisis was averted and the voices of Westminster residents were heard, loud and clear.

Thank you to all of our donors who participated in the global generosity movement and contributed to our #GivingTuesday fundraiser. This year we raised over $1800 and counting! Your donation is deeply appreciated as we continue to build a movement of social justice amongst Vietnamese and immigrant communities in Orange County.

It’s not too late to make a donation! Any contribution you make, whether $5 or $50 will ensure that we are able to continue our organizing efforts, advocacy work, and leadership development. Donate one-time or become a monthly donor at bit.ly/supportvietrise

Our partners at the ICE out of California coalition worked with the Immigrant Justice Network to create a video that highlights the pain and injustice of ICE transfers to our community.

This video once again shows how community members who’ve earned release from prison or jail should be able to reunite with loved ones and rebuild their lives, not be transferred and indefinitely imprisoned in an ICE detention facility.