Dear Community,
As we approach the end of one of our busiest years yet, the VietRISE team would like to extend warm holiday wishes to our community! Here are some highlights from this year:
- Rallied for noncitizen voting alongside our partner organizations SAFFE and the Harbor Institute.
- Hosted the Tiffany Le x VietRISE Art Workshop.
- Led the Tự Lực School for Organizing for local youth.
- Hosted the 3rd Little Saigon Community Festival.
- Canvassed and helped turn out the vote for the 2024 General Election.
Thank you to our community for joining us or supporting our programs throughout the year.
Please note that our office will be closed for the holidays starting December 1, 2023, and will reopen on January 6, 2024. During this time, you are welcome to email general@vietrise.org with any messages, but please note that it will take us longer to reply. We’re excited to continue our work together and look forward to an inspiring Year of the Snake ahead!
Campaign & Program News
UCLA VSU x VietRISE Letter Writing Workshop
On November 15th, we partnered with UCLA’s Vietnamese Student Union (VSU) to explore how pardons are one way to disrupt the prison-to-deportation pipeline. Through a letter-writing workshop, students called on Governor Newsom to pardon Tin and An, both community members who are fighting their deportation and family separation. This was the last session of a 2-part series.
Thank you to VSU for hosting us a second time! We appreciate your leadership and hope to continue building solidarity for immigrant justice.
Cultural Tour of Little Saigon with Warner Middle School Vietnamese Dual Immersion Program
On November 15th, we hosted students from Warner Middle School who are part of the Vietnamese dual immersion program. We visited significant sites in Little Saigon; and discussed the events, people, and organizing that helped shape our community. We ended with an art activity in which students imagined and drew what their Little Saigon community looks like.
Thank you to the 7th and 8th grade Warner students and teachers who joined us for our walking tour of Little Saigon.
Maple Gift Exchange & Volunteer Appreciation Party
On November 23rd, we hosted our end of the year celebration at the VietRISE office, uplifting our community’s hard work from 2024. We reflected on our victories and shared our visions for a more just and prosperous future in Little Saigon. We accomplished so much this year, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the time, energy, and support of our community. After recognizing our long list of volunteers with gifts of appreciation, we ended the party with some fun through our Maple Gift Exchange!
Thank you to everyone who attended our events, volunteered with us, and participated in our various programs!
Features
ABC 7 - OC Community Leaders, Rights Groups Brace for Trump Immigration Directives During 2nd Term
In light of President-elect Donald Trump’s threats of mass deportations, immigrant rights advocates in Orange County emphasize the importance of providing factual information and local support to protect immigrant communities.
Our Executive Director, Tracy La, said the Vietnamese immigrant community learned what to prepare for during the last two administrations.
“The increase in deportations affecting Vietnamese communities increased due to the Trump administration and then the Biden administration ended up carrying the deportations out. So the thing that we’re gonna be focusing on the most is ensuring that community members are informed and have the skills and the information necessary to defend themselves and their community, but in addition to these fears, they’re facing the psychological turmoil of not knowing when they’ll be separated from their families,” La said.
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