Welcome to VAYA's Official Blog. This exciting new blog provides an opportunity for VAYA to engage in a dialogue with our members, the community, and those interested in our organization. This blog will feature commentary and observations from VAYA Executive Board Members, contributions by VAYA Staff and members, as well as approved guest bloggers from outside of VAYA. This blog will only be a true community if you participate, so please send your thoughts to eboard@vayasd.org. Please be respectful and considerate when posting comments and thoughts. All comments will be reviewed and approved prior to publication. Thank you for visiting this blog!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

VAYA Official Newsletter: 12/31/09 (Volume V1: Issue 17)

Dear VAYA Members and Supporters,

Please find the latest updates from VAYA in the following categories:

I. VAYA General Updates
II: VAYA Tet 2010 Updates
III: VAYA & the Community
IV: Other Announcements & Information

I. VAYA General Updates
A. Happy New Year from VAYA

As the year dwindles down, we at VAYA would like to wish each and every one of you a safe and joyous holiday season. We want to thank all of our staff, members, sponsors, & community supporters for their support and dedication throughout the year. Your time, commitment, and efforts is deeply appreciative. Have a great & prosperous new year everyone! Cheers to 2010!

B. Ways to get MORE involved with VAYA
At VAYA, we work to promote youth leadership, cultural awareness, social activism, and community development. Therefore, we make every effort to provide our members the opportunity to lead and make a difference. To get involved, please visit our web site for more information. Please direct any questions or concerns to VAYA Secretary, Anthony (Vinh) Nguyen, at secretary@vayasd.org.

*** Access Application(s) @ http://www.vayasd.org/downloads/

II: VAYA Tet 2010 Updates
A. General Tet News & Information

Photos and Information on the Top 20 MVSD 2010 Contestants are up. Please check it out and Vote for Miss Photogenic 2010: http://www.sdtet.com/pageant/2010-contestants/.

Photos and Information on the Top 8 Mr. Vietnam 2010 Contestants are up. Please check it out and Vote for Mr. Photogenic 2010: http://www.sdtet.com/pageant/mr-vn-2010-contestants/.

VAYA 2010 Tet Festival Sponsorship: Interested in being a sponsor for our 3-day festival? Visit http://www.sdtet.com/sponsorship/ or email sponsor@sdtet.com for more information.

VAYA Street Squad will be distributing flyers and promoting the 2010 VAYA Vietnamese Lunar Year Tet Festival on Saturday January 2, 2010 at Lucky Seafood in Mira Mesa (9326 Mira Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92126 between Black Mountain Rd & Westview Pky) from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Stop by to get more information or ask them questions about the upcoming festival.

For more information about the 2010 VAYA Vietnamese Lunar Year Tet Festival, please visit: www.sdtet.com. Buy your festival tickets NOW for ONLY $4.00 (special limited time) at: http://www.sdtet.com/tickets/.

III: VAYA & the Community
A. Updates from Mid-City Community Advocacy Network

Job Announcement: Special Events Coordinator
The Special Events Coordinator will be responsible for the coordination of major upscale events such as the 2010 Annual Golf Tournament and the Annual Gala. Coordinator will be responsible for obtaining sponsorships, in-kind donations, live and silent auction items, and working with vendors, sponsors, and event committees. Will work with House Operations regarding sponsorships and in-kind donations.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego is a Non-Profit Organization which has provided a "home away from home" for families with a child receiving treatment for a life-threatening illness or injury since 1980. In July 2009 we opened a new 47 bedroom house across the street from Rady Children's Hospital, effectively quadrupling the number of families we can serve on a nightly basis.

This is a full time position with benefits which reports to the Vice President of Development. Salary is commensurate with experience. Please email resumes to Sarah Lara-Toney at SLara-Toney@rmhcsd.org, or fax them to (858) 467-4757.

IV: Other Announcements & Information
A. Vietnamese Alliance to Combat Trafficking (VietACT)
VAYA's very own Community Relations Coordinator II (English), Calix Vu-Bui, is currently in Taiwan as the latest VietACT Intern (www.VietACT.org). Follow her experience in Taiwan @ http://vietactintern.blogspot.com/.

B. Vietnamese Americans for the Cure
For more information about "Vietnamese Americans for the Cure", please go to www.viet4cure.org or contact: Nick Tran OR Tracey Nguyen @ info@viet4cure.org.

C. California Endowment /Mid-City CAN (Community Advocacy Network) Updates
For more information on the CA Endowment Initiatives, please visit www.calendow.org. For more information on the Mid-City CAN, please visit www.midcitycan.org.

D. Census 2010
In 2010, the U.S. Census will define who we are as a nation. Taken every 10 years, the census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding. For more information about the U.S. Bureau of Census, please visit: www.census.gov.

For a complete listing of VAYA's upcoming events/meetings, please visit our official calendar at: http://www.vayasd.org/calendar/. Please direct any questions or concerns to VAYA Secretary, Anthony (Vinh) Nguyen, at secretary@vayasd.org.

On behalf of VAYA's Executive Board and Staff, thank you for your continual support.

About the Author: Anthony (Vinh) T. Nguyen serves as Secretary for VAYA.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

VAYA Official Newsletter: 12/17/09 (Volume V1: Issue 16)

Dear VAYA Members and Supporters,

Please find the latest updates from VAYA in the following categories:

I. VAYA General Updates
II: VAYA Tet 2010 Updates
III: VAYA & the Community
IV: Other Announcements & Information

I. VAYA General Updates
A. Happy Holidays from VAYA

As the year dwindles down, we at VAYA would like to wish each and every one of you a safe and joyous holiday season. We want to thank all of our staff, members, sponsors, & community supporters for their support and dedication throughout the year. Your time, commitment, and efforts is deeply appreciative. For those in school, good luck on your final exams and enjoy your winter break. Everyone else, we hope that you'll get some time off to spend with families, friends, and love ones. Have a great & prosperous new year everyone! Cheers to 2010!

B. Review: VAYA 6th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner (Tuesday, November 24, 2009)
By: Nancy Truong, VAYA Historian

This year’s VAYA Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner took place at the Tieng Nuoc Toi (TNT) Radio Conference Room on Tuesday night, November 24th, 2009. The event was filled with individuals, young and old, who brought a myriad of dishes. The dishes included traditional western dishes such as turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, greens, corn, fried chicken, and corn bread as well as Vietnamese dishes ranging from spring rolls, to banh beo, to a char sui turkey, not to mention the desserts which included 3 types of ice cream, multiple pies, and lichee snack cups.

The night started out with a speech from VAYA president Michael Thai and the 2010 Tet Chairs Cuong Pham and Sydney Tran thanking those in attendance for their participation and continued support of VAYA and its efforts. Self introductions followed after the speeches and helped to break the ice for the event, people mingled and networked as they loaded their plates with the delectable dishes and no event would have been complete if there wasn’t karaoke. Several individuals displayed their vocal talents singing Vietnamese duets while others watched on in admiration.

VAYA also took the dinner as an opportunity to give back to the community by serving as a platform for those involved in A3M (Asians for Miracle Marrow Match) to raise awareness about the importance of registering to be blood and bone marrow donors because statistics show that there is a low number of registered donors with minority backgrounds.

C. Ways to get MORE involved with VAYA
At VAYA, we work to promote youth leadership, cultural awareness, social activism, and community development. Therefore, we make every effort to provide our members the opportunity to lead and make a difference. To get involved, please visit our web site for more information. Please direct any questions or concerns to VAYA Secretary, Anthony (Vinh) Nguyen, at secretary@vayasd.org.

*** Access Application(s) @ http://www.vayasd.org/downloads/

II: VAYA Tet 2010 Updates
A. General Tet News & Information
Photos and Information on the Top 20 MVSD 2010 Contestants are up. Please check it out and Vote for Miss Photogenic 2010: http://www.sdtet.com/pageant/2010-contestants/.VAYA 2010 Tet Festival Sponsorship: Interested in being a sponsor for our 3-day festival? Visit http://www.sdtet.com/sponsorship/ or email sponsor@sdtet.com for more information.

For more information about the 2010 VAYA Vietnamese Lunar Year Tet Festival, please visit: http://www.sdtet.com/.

III: VAYA & the Community
A. From Shore to Shore (Nguyen Tho Sinh)
By: Nancy Truong, VAYA Historian

Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh, a Viet Nam native, a U.S. citizen, and a veteran of the Army National Guard, was inspired to show his appreciation to America, the land of the free, the best way he knew how, using his own two feet to travel the land from shore to shore. He wanted to use his journey as a means to remind others of their abilities and potential as individuals living in the land of the free, to do the undoable. Stepping from shore to shore, Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh started his journey in Jacksonville, Florida in June of 2009 and ended it in San Diego, California on November 7th, 2009 where he was honored at the Vietnam War Memorial Museum in Balboa Park.

The ceremony took place in the courtyard in front of the Veteran’s museum surrounded by flags of various nations. Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh arrived at the ceremony carrying the Vietnamese flag as well as the American flag where he was greeted by members of the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance, members of the Vietnamese community and the armed forces, as well as veterans. VAYA staff members and volunteers arrived at the event early to help set up for the event, moving heavy cement blocks and stayed late to help clean up, stacking chairs, and removing cement blocks. VAYA’s own External Vice President, Nikki Lam, helped MC the event and sang the national anthem while Henry Tran and the contestants of the Miss Vietnam of San Diego 2010 presented Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh with a framed photograph. Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh was also honored with several other awards and a large cake which had his image and that of a map of the nation, symbolizing his journey.

IV: Other Announcements & Information
A. Vietnamese Alliance to Combat Trafficking (VietACT)

VAYA's very own Community Relations Coordinator II (English), Calix Vu-Bui, is currently in Taiwan as the latest VietACT Intern (http://www.vietact.org/). Follow her experience in Taiwan @ http://vietactintern.blogspot.com/.

B. Vietnamese Americans for the Cure
For more information about "Vietnamese Americans for the Cure", please go to http://www.viet4cure.org/ or contact: Nick Tran OR Tracey Nguyen @ info@viet4cure.org.

C. California Endowment /Mid-City CAN (Community Advocacy Network) Updates
For more information on the CA Endowment Initiatives, please visit http://www.calendow.org/. For more information on the Mid-City CAN, please visit http://www.midcitycan.org/.

D. Census 2010
In 2010, the U.S. Census will define who we are as a nation. Taken every 10 years, the census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding. For more information about the U.S. Bureau of Census, please visit: http://www.census.gov/.

For a complete listing of VAYA's upcoming events/meetings, please visit our official calendar at: http://www.vayasd.org/calendar/. Please direct any questions or concerns to VAYA Secretary, Anthony (Vinh) Nguyen, at secretary@vayasd.org.

On behalf of VAYA's Executive Board and Staff, thank you for your continual support.

About the Author: Anthony (Vinh) T. Nguyen serves as Secretary for VAYA.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

VAYA Official Newsletter: 12/03/09 (Volume V1: Issue 15)

Dear VAYA Members and Supporters,

Please find the latest updates from VAYA in the following categories:

I. VAYA General Updates
II: VAYA Tet 2010 Updates
III: Community Relations Updates
IV: VAYA & Other Organizations Updates
V: Vietnamese Americans for the Cure
VI: Other Announcements & Information


I. VAYA General Updates
A. Ways to get MORE involved with VAYA
At VAYA, we work to promote youth leadership, cultural awareness, social activism, and community development. Therefore, we make every effort to provide our members the opportunity to lead and make a difference. To get involved, please visit our web site for more information. Please direct any questions or concerns to VAYA Secretary, Anthony (Vinh) Nguyen, at secretary@vayasd.org.

*** Access Application(s) @ http://www.vayasd.org/downloads/

II: VAYA Tet 2010 Updates
A. VAYA's 2010 Golden Voice (Giong Ca Vang) Singing Contest Audition

Music is the melody of language, fashion, and talent. Golden Voice opens up the opportunity to carry out these important elements, and at the same time, helps preserve the essence of the Vietnamese culture through music. We are each a flower of talents, therefore, in this opportunity garden of Golden Voice, everyone blossoms.

Think you can sing? Interested in auditioning? Interested contestants can download the application @ http://www.sdtet.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/VAYA_GoldenVoice10_Application.doc and email it to GoldenVoice@sdtet.com. For more information, please visit http://www.sdtet.com/program/golden-voice/.

Sunday December 6: VAYA's 2010 Golden Voice (Giong Ca Vang) Singing Contest Audition (Audition Choice #2) @ Tieng Nuoc Toi Radio Conference Room (4120 30th St # 104 San Diego, CA 92104). (2:00 - 5:00 PM). PLEASE RSVP TO: GoldenVoice@sdtet.com.

B. Mr. Vietnam Mixer Review
By: Nancy Truong, VAYA Historian

With the Miss Vietnam of San Diego pageant approaching its 5th year, the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance felt that it was time to break some new ground and introduce the first annual Mr. Vietnam of San Diego contest. This contest would serve as a platform for Vietnamese male youth to showcase their contributions to the community, break stereotypes, and highlight the positive images of males in San Diego’s Vietnamese community.

On October 23rd, 2009 the Mr. Vietnam 2010 Pageant Mixer took place in the Mission Valley area. The mixer served as a means for contestants to get to know each other as well as for the Tet staff to narrow down the contestants to those who would make it to the final 10 who will be competing in the 2010 Tet festival. Over a dozen Mr. Vietnam 2010 hopefuls attended the event which also had a strong showing of females. The hopefuls mingled amongst VAYA and Tet staff as they listened to music, played pool, and snacked of a variety of finger foods ranging from a vegetable platter, to pinwheel sandwiches, to carne asada chips, etc.

C. General Tet News & Information
Photos and Information on the Top 20 MVSD 2010 Contestants are up. Please check it out and Vote for Miss Photogenic 2010: http://www.sdtet.com/pageant/2010-contestants/.

For more information about the 2010 VAYA Vietnamese Lunar Year Tet Festival, please visit: www.sdtet.com.

III: Community Relations Updates
A. California Endowment /Mid-City CAN (Community Advocacy Network) Updates
The California Endowment has selected City Heights as one of 14 communities to invest significant resources over the next 10 years as part of its state-wide initiative on Building Healthy Communities. For more information or if you want to get involved, please contact:

-Tri Nguyen: (619) 384-7602 Email: tringuyen11@gmail.com
-Huong Nguyen: (408) 207-5895 Email: huongnguyen01@gmail.com

For more information on the CA Endowment Initiatives, please visit www.calendow.org. For more information on the Mid-City CAN, please visit www.midcitycan.org.

IV: VAYA & other Organizations Updates
A. Vietnamese Alliance to Combat Trafficking (VietACT)
VAYA's very own Community Relations Coordinator II (Non-Vietnamese Community), Calix Vu-Bui, is currently in Taiwan as the latest VietACT Intern (www.VietACT.org). Follow her experience in Taiwan @ http://vietactintern.blogspot.com/.

V: Vietnamese Americans for the Cure
By: Nancy Truong, VAYA Historian

Through his involvement with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Nick Tran learned about the affects of breast cancer on the Vietnamese Community. Vietnamese women tended to be diagnosed with breast cancer ten years earlier and at a later stage of cancer than their non-Vietnamese counterparts. This information inspired Nick to become more involved in the cause to help inform and educate Vietnamese Americans about the risks of breast cancer; he approached the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance with his ideas and eventually formed a team of caring individuals who later became known as “Vietnamese Americans for the Cure”. The group worked with other Vietnamese organizations within as well as outside of San Diego to help spread awareness.

On Saturday, November 1st, 2009 the Vietnamese Americans for the Cure gathered bright and early in Balboa Park to participate in the Race for the Cure. About 44 people trekked 3.1 miles and raised more than $1300 for the cause, however the participants in the race were not the only ones who showed up, many others also volunteered their time cheering on the team and manning the VAYA booth.

For more information about "Vietnamese Americans for the Cure" and the race, please go to www.viet4cure.org or contact: Nick Tran OR Tracey Nguyen @ info@viet4cure.org.

VI: Other Announcements & Information
In 2010, the U.S. Census will define who we are as a nation. Taken every 10 years, the census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding. As a 2010 Census partner, you can educate your community about the importance of participating in this historic event and help ensure no one is left uncounted. You can help your community receive the fiscal and social benefits to which it is entitled. Achieving a complete and accurate 2010 Census is in our hands.

For more information about the U.S. Bureau of Census, please visit: www.census.gov.

For a complete listing of VAYA's upcoming events/meetings, please visit our official calendar at: http://www.vayasd.org/calendar/. Please direct any questions or concerns to VAYA Secretary, Anthony (Vinh) Nguyen, at secretary@vayasd.org.

On behalf of VAYA's Executive Board and Staff, thank you for your continual support.

About the Author: Anthony (Vinh) T. Nguyen serves as Secretary for VAYA.