February Highlights: Processing the New Year, Upcoming Community Listening Session

Written by VietRISE

February 6, 2023

Dear Community,

*Content Warning: Mass shootings, police murders*
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới and Happy Lunar New Year. We started this year with heavy hearts as we heard of mass shootings that occurred in Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay, and many other communities across the country. We are sending care to everyone who is grieving and processing during one of the most important and celebratory times for our Asian American community. For our full statement on the shootings, please refer to our post here.

We are also distraught by the murders of Keenan Anderson, Takar Smith, Oscar Sanchez, Tyre Nichols, and countless other Black and brown lives by the hands of police. Despite the massive protests against police violence globally in 2020 after George Floyd’s murder, 2022 was a record year for police killings –  the highest in almost a decade. Our hearts are with their families and community. If you have the means, consider contributing to the memorial funds for the following community members: Oscar Sanchez, Keenan Anderson, and Tyre Nichols.

Mark Your Calendar & Get Involved

PPE & KYR Distribution

Saturday 2/4 @ 10AM - 12PM: Community Listening Session

For our first CLS session of 2023, we are launching our policy advocacy tool and scoreboard resources! These resources were made to keep better track of policies and legislation passed by elected officials and how these decisions impact Little Saigon.

Learn about how we developed these resources and give your input on how else we can empower our community it comes to making educated, value-based choices at the ballot.

Features

Người Việt - Indigo Vũ: 'Bị đại học từ chối, đừng sợ thất bại!' and Sinh viên cao học Lisa Nguyễn: 'Đã mơ thì nên mơ cho thật lớn'

In our last newsletter, we shared the Người Việt Daily News interviews with some of our staff members regarding their journeys through college and VietRISE. (Người Việt is one of the nation’s largest Vietnamese-language publications).

This time we’d like to share the interviews of Deputy Director Indigo Vu and Community Organizer Lisa Nguyen! Read the google translation of Indigo’s story here, and Lisa’s story here.

LAist - In LA, The Rise Of The Asian American Progressive

Our Organizing Director, Vincent Tran, was asked to give his input on Kenneth Mejia’s recent victory as LA city’s controller and what that might mean for the future of progressive politics in the Asian American community.

Yahoo! - National Minority Health Association Selected by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for Grant

VietRISE was recently awarded a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as part of their Racial Equity Initiative. We wanted to share this article as VietRISE was one of a select few awardees explicitly mentioned. Thank you to CZI for supporting our justice work with operating funds!

Người Việt - Tết Edition

Check out our spread in Người Việt’s Bao Xuân 2023! Many of us grew up with Người Việt booklets as mainstays in the household so it’s always a bit exciting to see VietRISE and our staff member’s smiling faces in the official print. Let us know if you want a copy of the Người Việt Daily News 2023 Bao Xuân by responding to this email or messaging us on social media. We have a few copies left!

Community Spotlight

Thank you to Jacqueline Dan for hosting a birthday fundraiser for VietRISE in December and raising $1542! Jacqueline currently serves as a member of our advisory board, and has been a pillar of support for VietRISE since the very beginning, serving as a founding advisory committee member, when our organization was still called Vietnamese Organizing & Civic Engagement Project. Thank you Jacqueline for your years of guidance, support, and mentorship to all of us at VietRISE and beyond. 💛

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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