December Highlights: Election Results; Office Closed For The Winter Holidays

Written by VietRISE

December 9, 2022

Dear Community,

With the elections over, we hope that everyone has been able to enjoy a respite from the campaign season! Here is where you can view the certified election results for all of the races in Orange County. 


Last month, many of our staff members were interviewed by multiple media outlets as part of coverage on the General Elections as well as college application season. Check out what our staff had to say in the features below! Additionally, with the holidays inching towards us, we would like to inform you that our office will be closed from 12/17/22 to 01/01/23 to focus on staff rest, training, and sustainability. We will be back on Tuesday, 01/03/23! We hope you all have a wonderful end to this year and a beautiful start to the next.

Campaign & Program News

PPE & KYR Distribution

General Election Community Outreach Program

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!

Measure Y Results: Westminster Voters Save Westminster from Going Bankrupt

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.

    PPE & KYR Distribution

    #GivingTuesday

    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

    Features

    Voice of OC - What Will Be Left of Westminster City Hall After the Election?

    Our Communications Coordinator Niki Nguyen and our Community Organizer Lisa Nguyen were interviewed by the Voice of OC concerning the state of Westminster city council, the city’s fiscal mismanagement, and the importance of Measure Y on the local ballot. Read what they had to say here.

    New York Times - In a district where Asian Americans dominate, attack ads linking a challenger to China stir a backlash

    In our last newsletter, we highlighted how the harmful redbaiting tactics employed during the General Election races were being called out on local and Vietnamese news. The outcry was so large it was picked up by the New York Times who interviewed our Executive Director Tracy La for her insight.

    Người Việt - Nhà hoạt động cộng đồng Vincent Trần: 'Còn trẻ thì đừng sợ mắc sai lầm'

    Content warning: Brief mention of genocide.
    With college app deadlines looming over the heads of many Little Saigon high school students, our staff was interviewed as part of Người Việt’s college readiness series (Người Việt’ is the oldest and largest Vietnamese language newspaper in the US). Our Community Engagement Coordinator Vincent Tran spoke about his professional development in community college before his transfer to a four-year university, his research experience interviewing ethnic Vietnamese survivors of the Cambodian genocide, and the origin story of how he joined VietRISE. Read the Việt to English google translation here.

    Người Việt - Tracy La, giám đốc VietRISE ở tuổi 22: 'Lãnh đạo giỏi cần một tập thể đoàn kết'

    In her interview with Người Việt, our Executive Director Tracy La shared details about her college journey that led her to establishing VietRISE at the age of 22, and the challenges/successes that VietRISE has encountered during the past half-decade of organizing for social justice for the Little Saigon community. Read the Việt to English google translation here.

    Community Spotlight

    ICE out of CA Video on the Devastating Impact of ICE Transfers

    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.

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    OUR MISSION

    VietRISE advances social justice and builds power with working-class Vietnamese and immigrant communities in Orange County. We build leadership and create systemic change through organizing, narrative change, cultural empowerment, and civic engagement.

    VietRISE is fiscally sponsored by Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

    CONTACT US

    general@vietrise.org

    (714) 589-5496

    14351 Euclid St. #1M, Garden Grove, CA 92843