Dear Community,

We hope you are well and enjoying the summer season! We’re thrilled to share several exciting opportunities for you to get involved this month, ranging from our upcoming summer fellowship positions to our summer community picnic organized by our Program Intern, Tiff, on July 22.

Recently, VietRISE issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court ruling on Affirmative Action, and we want to reiterate our firm condemnation of this decision. Affirmative Action has been a cornerstone in remedying the deep racist and historical exclusion of people of color. It provides students who have been historically marginalized and excluded from selective colleges and universities with the clearest pathway to greater social mobility. By implementing race-conscious admissions, we have been able to create student bodies that reflect the diversity of the United States, leading to organic interactions and connections between different communities. We invite you to read the full statement here.

In the face of these racist actions and decisions that aim to drive our communities apart, we believe we must continue building cross-racial solidarity and developing programs and initiatives within our local communities that empower one another to thrive.

Thank you for your continued support and for reading. We look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely, VietRISE