March Newsletter: Introducing Our Organizing Director, Vincent

Dear Community,

Can you believe it is already March? 2023 We hope you have been able to manage the turbulence around us; we’ve been feeling it all too. Amidst this turbulence we believe that it is more important than ever to continue to celebrate the successes and experience joy however we can, without guilt or apprehension. We can experience multiple feelings at once.

Announcement

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Welcome Vincent Trần as our 1st Organizing Director!

With that being said, it is with great pleasure that we announce that our team member, Vincent Trần, will be starting his new role as our first Organizing Director! Since 2018, Vincent has served as our Community Engagement Coordinator and was one of VietRISE’s very first program participants and staff members.

Vincent has spearheaded our civic engagement, elections, and Vietnamese political education programs, and his major accomplishments include leading a program that assisted over 3,000 Vietnamese residents in Orange County to fill out the census, spearheading 3 Orange County city community redistricting committees, providing Political Tours of Little Saigon to hundreds of youth in Little Saigon, serving on the research team for the CA state Vietnamese American Refugee Experience Model Curriculum, and more.

As Organizing Director, Vincent will be leading VietRISE’s Power Building team, who are tasked with building local Vietnamese working class political power by developing leaders, training new organizers, and conducting year-round civic engagement to ensure residents become leaders to shape, inform, and develop collective solutions for issues that impact them.

Mark Your Calendar & Get Involved

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Thursday 3/23 @ 8 - 10AM: Beyond Debt and Gratitude: Vietnamese Migration and Settlement in Orange County

Building upon its own Equity Strategic Plan and the recent report, Beyond Equity: Seeking Liberation, Autonomy and Justice in Orange County, Orange County Grantmakers has launched a learning series on the historical and cultural context for inequity in our region as well as the need for systemic change to address its root causes. VietRISE is excited to partner with OCG as its first presenter during the March session themed: “Beyond Debt and Gratitude: Vietnamese Migration and Settlement in Orange County.”

Please join us as we explore how Vietnamese communities have been shaped by competing forces and how the framework of joint struggle can be used to build solidarity and advance social, racial, and economic justice.

Speakers:

  • Tracy La & Vincent P. Tran, VietRISE
  • Thuy Vo Dang, UCLA
  • Son Do, OC Mobile Home Residents Coalition

Where: Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History, Cal State Fullerton

Cost: $15 or free for OCG Members

Event Recap

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Saturday 2/4: VietRISE Community Listening Session - Introducing our Advocacy Tool Score Card

During our latest Community Listening Session, we unveiled our latest research with the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, as well as introduced our advocacy tool and scorecard. Furthermore, we explained how to use the advocacy tool to evaluate and rate a proposed policy/law. We received fruitful and thoughtful feedback about the scorecards. Please look forward to our future Community Listening Sessions, we can’t wait to share space with everyone again! 
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Friday 2/24: VietRISE Annual Staff Retreat

During our latest Community Listening Session, we unveiled our latest research with the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, as well as introduced our advocacy tool and scorecard. Furthermore, we explained how to use the advocacy tool to evaluate and rate a proposed policy/law. We received fruitful and thoughtful feedback about the scorecards. Please look forward to our future Community Listening Sessions, we can’t wait to share space with everyone again! 

Resources

2023 Nguoi Viet Daily News' Bao Xuan

It’s the Year of the Cat, and we have free copies available of Nguoi Viet Daily News’ Bao Xuan, the annual special Tết publication full of articles, community news and opinions, arts and culture highlights, horoscopes, and more. If you would like to pick up a free copy, respond to this email or stop by our office between 11 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

Free KN95 Masks

If you’re looking to restock your supply of masks, we have you covered! Email indigo@vietrise or stop by our office between 11 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday to pick up free bags of KN95 masks. Each bag comes with 50 masks, and each person can get 2 bags of masks.

Campaign & Program News

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Partnership with UCI's CCAP TEACH Program

For the second year, we are proud to be a community organization partner for UCI’s CCAP TEACH Project, a 10-week archival internship directed by the UCI Libraries Special Collections & Archives, OC & SEAA Center.

For 10 weeks, our student interns Vicky and Vivianna will support VietRISE in developing a Digital Political Tour of Little Saigon; an interactive digital map displaying key events and monuments that we highlight during our in-person tours. Stay tuned for when our map goes live!
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Immense thank you to Phuong and Michael for helping facilitating last month’s community listening session! Read more about our wonderful community members below.

Phuong Pham (she/her):
Phuong has been a long term canvasser and volunteer with VietRISE for the past few years, participating in redistricting efforts and elections, Phuong went above and beyond in her organizing efforts with our community. Furthermore, her compassion, curiosity, warmth, and care shines brightly through her role as a facilitator at our recent community listening sessions. It is a joy and honor to organize alongside Phuong!

Michael Mai (he/him):
Michael is a canvasser and facilitator with VietRISE. This past year he participated in our canvassing efforts for the general election and was a dynamic facilitator for our recent community listening sessions. His love, care, warmth, and passion shines brightly through the many relationships he has built with community members. It is a joy and honor to organize alongside Michael!

Features

Voice of OC - OC Landlord Group Moves to Sue Santa Ana to Overturn Rent Control

The Apartment Association of Orange County is challenging the landmark rent control measures that VietRISE, Tenants United Santa Ana, local senior mobile home residents, and many others campaigned for both in 2021 and 2022. These measures were only passed after decades of community advocacy from a broad coalition of renters, mobile home residents, allies, and supportive city council members of all ages and backgrounds. We don’t plan to back down anytime soon!

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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