VIETRISE IN THE MEDIA (SELECTED)
These selected articles highlight our efforts to advance immigrant rights, promote civic engagement, and drive social change in Orange County’s Vietnamese and immigrant communities. Check out the coverage below to learn more about our campaigns and key issues.
Latino and Vietnamese groups come together for community empowerment
Latino and Vietnamese organizations in California’s 45th congressional district, which features one of the most closely watched races of the 2024 election cycle, have joined forces to advocate for a more representative and responsive government.
OC Register | By Hanna Kang | Oct 12, 2024
Orange County Leader Faces Scrutiny Over Charity’s Pandemic Spending
Andrew Do, an Orange County supervisor, has been asked to resign after directing more than $13 million to a nonprofit run by his daughter and allies. The group was supposed to spend the money on meals for vulnerable residents.
New York Times | By Jill Cowen | Sept 10, 2024
Noncitizens banned from voting in federal elections but not some local races
Proponents say allowing noncitizens to vote is about parity and giving those who pay taxes and contribute to a community a say in their local government. In Santa Ana, which has a population of more than 310,000, there are about 5,600 Vietnamese residents and 64,000 Latinos who are not U.S. citizens, according to Tracy La, the co-founder and executive director of VietRISE.
LA Times | By Hannah Wiley and Hannah Fry | July 19, 2024
One City, Many Voices: The Push for Universal Suffrage in Santa Ana, CA
On August 21, 2023, VietRISE, the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice, and the Santa Ana Families for Fair Elections (SAFFE) coalition publicly launched a campaign urging the Santa Ana City Council to expand voting rights for all Santa Ana residents regardless of their immigration status. At the heart of SAFFE’s campaign lies the principle of democratic inclusion that every resident’s voice should be heard in decisions that significantly impact their daily lives.
Irvine Weekly | Ascend Gives Back | Sept 19, 2023
California Bill Would Protect Immigrants Freed Under Criminal Justice Reforms From Being Handed to ICE
Rather than block all transfers from prison to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the HOME Act would protect noncitizens from being turned over to federal authorities if the governor has granted them clemency, or they’ve been released from prison due to any of several criminal justice reform laws recently enacted in California.
KQED | By Tyche Hendricks | April11, 2023
Santa Ana hosts free legal clinics in Vietnamese, Spanish and English
The topics to be covered include evictions, rent control and housing benefits, immigration U-visas and asylum issues as well as family law matters like guardianship, child support and restraining orders.
OC Register | By Roxana Kopetman | April 11, 2023
Preventing ‘double punishment’: Inside the campaign to end California’s prison-to-deportation pipeline
Nothing in California law requires local police to cooperate with ICE, but thousands of prisoners—including Southeast Asian refugees—are transferred for deportation each year. A coalition of activists aims to get the practice banned.
The Yappie | By Katelyn Monaco and Samson Zhang | May 18, 2022
Santa Ana approves more funding for deportation defense fund
Undocumented Santa Ana residents fighting deportation proceedings may have better access to legal services after Santa Ana increased funding to its critical deportation defense fund this week.
The City Council authorized another $100,000 for the fund as part of its approval of the city’s budget on Tuesday night, bringing the total fund to $300,000. The council also made the defense fund a recurring line item on each year’s budget.
Daily Pilot | By Benjamin Brazil | June 17, 2021
Thị trưởng Santa Ana ký đạo luật ‘rent control,’ niềm vui lớn với cư dân
Cư dân thành phố Santa Ana hân hoan chứng kiến Thị Trưởng Vicente Sarmiento ký đạo luật “rent control,” mà theo đó, chủ nhà không được tăng tiền nhà quá 3% mỗi năm, vào trưa Thứ Hai, 25 Tháng Mười, tại tòa nhà Hội Đồng Thành Phố Santa Ana.
Người Việt | Trà Nhiên | October 26, 2021
SELECTED OP-EDS (OPINION ARTICLES) BY OUR STAFF
It’s Time for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to End All ICE Transfers
Earlier this year, the Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice released an analysis of data from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) reflecting transfers of community members to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Last year, OCSD transferred 221 individuals to ICE. Most were Mexican, Vietnamese, and Central American community members.
Published in Voice of OC | By Tracy La, Reverend Walter Contreras, and Carlos Perea | June 22, 2024
For the people, not personal gain: Why Andrew Do must resign
In this op-ed, our Executive Director, Tracy La, discusses local kleptocrat Supervisor Andrew Do and his funneling $13.5 million to his daughter’s non-profit. The magnitude of corruption surrounding this issue is an affront to the principles of transparent and responsible governance. Actions like these from public officials erode the foundation of public trust.
Published in OC Register | By Tracy La | January 28, 2024
Westminster City Council is Morphing into an Authoritarian Governing Body
In this op-ed, our team calls on the Westminster City Council to reevaluate its political agenda to prioritize accountability and transparency. The council must engage in an open dialogue with the community, providing clear justifications for their actions towards city staff and the general public.
Published in Voice of OC| Lisa Nguyen and Vincent Tran | August 2, 2023
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