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, February 25, 2010

Volume VI: Issue 21 - Thursday February 25, 2010

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. Upcoming VAYA Meeting(s)
Sunday March 7: VAYA Meeting @ Tea N' More (7380 Clairemont Mesa Blvd - Ste 120, next to 99 Ranch Supermarket). (11:00 AM - 1:00 PM).

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
Thank you EVERYONE for your support in the 5th Annual VAYA Lunar New Year Tet Festival 2010. Below are the results of winners from our various competitions. For more information about the 2010 VAYA Vietnamese Lunar Year Tet Festival, please visit: www.sdtet.com.

Miss Vietnam of San Diego
http://www.sdtet.com/pageant/2010-contestants/.
MVSD 2010 - Pageant Queen: Lan La
1st Runner Up: Tammy Nguyen
2nd Runner Up: Kim Hong Duong
3rd Runner Up: Mimi Bui
4th Runner Up: Thien Y Nguyen
Miss Ao Dai: Thien Y Nguyen
Miss Photogenic: Chloe Mai
Miss Congeniality: Jenny Lam

Mr. Vietnam of San Diego
http://www.sdtet.com/pageant/mr-vn-2010-contestants/.
Mr. VNSD 2010 & Audience Choice Winner: Jerry Luong
1st Runner Up: Andy Huynh
2nd Runner Up: Anthony Pham

Golden Voice Giọng Ca Vàng
http://www.sdtet.com/program/golden-voice-contestants-2010/
Golden Voice Winner 2010 & Audience Choice Award: Bich-Nguyen Le
2nd Place: Charlien Uyen Nguyen
3rd Place: Amy Hoang
4th Place: Kenny Tran
5th Place: Kim-Ngan Tran

Kids Spotlight
http://www.sdtet.com/program/kids-spotlight/
Results TBA on www.sdtet.com

III: VAYA & the Community
A. International Rescue Committee
Free citizenship services for seniors over 65---
Did you know that 23% of the total San Diego population is foreign born?

Elderly refugees and immigrants represent a significant part of this population, and often face various cultural, linguistic, or educational barriers that make it difficult to pass the US Citizenship interview. The International Rescue Committee is reaching out to this often marginalized population to ensure they are able to become US Citizens in a timely manner.

Through its new Golden Door Program funded by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the IRC will help refugee and immigrant seniors over age 65 by providing:
• Free citizenship classes exclusively for seniors
• Free home tutoring for home bound seniors
• Free application preparation services
• Free case management services

How can you help?
• Volunteer as a Home Tutor to help seniors prepare for their citizenship exam and interview.
• Invite an IRC staff member to speak at your local organization to raise awareness about immigration and citizenship.
• If you know of a senior citizen who is striving to become a US Citizen, have him or her contact the IRC.

For more information, contact Laura Lopez at laura.lopez@theIRC.org or 619 641-7510 x254

For more information, call the IRC at 619-641-7510 Ext. 250
International Rescue Committee
5348 University Ave. Suite 205A
San Diego, CA 92105
www.RefugeeInfo.org www.theIRC.org/SanDiego

B. Mid-City CAN (Community Advocacy Network) The CA Endowment
BHC Youth Initiative Kick Off Event
(Building Health Communities Initiative)

February 27, 2010 10:00AM -2:00PM
East African Community & Cultural Center
4061 Fairmount Ave, City Heights

-4 Hours of Community Service is Available
-Meet and Greet other City Heights Teens
-Limited Space! Call (619) 415 -5660 to RSVP!

Entertainment, Food, and Prizes provided!

IV: Other Announcements & Information
A. ETA4 (English Through Academics, Athletics, and the Arts Abroad)
TA4 is a 501(c)3 non profit dedicated to the advancement of English education for underprivileged children abroad, and provides no-cost, rewarding, and successful English instruction to achieve that goal. For more information, please visit: http://www.eta4.org/.

B. 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/.

C. 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.

D. California Endowment /Mid-City CAN (Community Advocacy Network)
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.

E. 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.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Happy Lunar New Year ("Chúc Mừng Năm Mới") from VAYA!

Hey guys,

The new year just started and soon we’ll be celebrating our own Lunar New Year Festival. I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who’ve been helping out with the festival planning process and those who will be helping on the days of the festival. You all are an inspiration to the community and your peers.

To the rest of the VAYA community, it’s been great serving you guys as the president of this organization and I hope to continue to serve the best interests of all of you in VAYA and for the Vietnamese youth community. Look forward to more community involvement and fun times ahead. Again, thank you all for your help and I look forward to seeing you all at the festival. Have a happy new year!

Best Regards,

Michael Thai
VAYA President, 2009 – 2010

About the Author: Michael Thai serves as President for VAYA.

Countdown to the 2010 VAYA Vietnamese Lunar Year Tet Festival (http://www.sdtet.com/)

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

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

Thursday, February 11, 2010

VAYA Official Newsletter: 02/11/10 (Volume V1: Issue 20)

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 Lunar New Year from VAYA"Chúc Mừng Năm Mới"

B. Upcoming VAYA Meeting(s)

Sunday February 14: VAYA Meeting @ Tea N' More (7380 Clairemont Mesa Blvd - Ste 120, next to 99 Ranch Supermarket). (11:00 AM - 1:00 PM).

Friday February 19 - Sunday February 21: VAYA 2010 Lunar New Year Tet Fesitval @ Balboa Park (Southwest Corner of Park Blvd & Presidents Way). For more information about the 2010 VAYA Vietnamese Lunar Year Tet Festival, please visit: http://www.sdtet.com/. For directions to the festival, visit: http://www.balboapark.org/maps/directions.php.

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 Audio Samples on the Top 10 Golden Voice (Giong Ca Vang) Contestants are up. Please check it out and Vote for "Audience Choice": http://www.sdtet.com/program/golden-voice-contestants-2010/.
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 during the following dates listed below. Stop by to get more information or ask them questions about the upcoming festival. For more information or to help promote the festival, email: publicity@sdtet.com.
  • Friday 02/12/10 @ 6:30 - 9:00 PM, Edwards Mira Mesa Area: Meet in front of the Edwards fountain, we will flyer cars and walk around handing out flyers in that area and the surrounding Albertsons and Ralphs area’s across from Edwards (Edwards Mira Mesa 10733 Westview Pkwy San Diego, CA 92126).
  • Saturday 02/13/2010 @ 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Costco/Ikea Area: Meet in front of Costco Mission Valley, we will flyer cars and walk around handing out flyers (Costco Mission Valley 2345 Fenton Parkway San Diego, CA 92108). Depending on turnout, we may split up and flyer/poster in East San Diego @ Vien Dong Supermarket as well (Vien Dong Supermarket 5382 University AveSan Diego, CA 92105).
For more information about the 2010 VAYA Vietnamese Lunar Year Tet Festival, please visit: http://www.sdtet.com/. Buy your festival tickets NOW for ONLY $4.00 (online special limited time) at: http://www.sdtet.com/tickets/.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 29, 2010

DIMENSIONS OF A GENERATION
UCSD students promoting cultural awareness through Hip Hop Dance in the Spring

La Jolla, CA - On Sunday, March 28th, 2010, two UC San Diego student organizations, Multi-Asian Student Association (MASA) and Second to None (220) dance company, will work together to host the most highly anticipated Hip Hop Dance competition on the West Coast. FUSION invites talented dancers of all ages and ethnicities from across the country to celebrate music through various dance styles and cultural exhibitions. The theme of FUSION XI, "Dimensions of a Generation", will highlight the impact of the generation gap between Asian American families and their role in the hip hop community. In addition, young Asian-Americans are becoming increasingly prominent in the hip hop community, as more and more are being recognized in dance, music, and film. With this in mind, MASA and 220 strive to promote cultural awareness in the hip hop community.

Since its inception in 1999, attendance has drastically increased, seating over 3,000 attendees, and is now known as the largest student-run Asian directed event at UCSD. FUSION, hosted at UCSD’s RIMAC Arena, has long been an avenue for many of today’s most popular crews, including Jabbawockeez, Kaba Modern & Team Millennia. Winning two years in a row "Event Of The Year" from the Annual V.ENT Dance Awards, FUSION is forecasting to grow even larger. The event showcases performers from all over the nation and has viewers across the globe. Arranged by the efforts solely of college students, the success of FUSION rests on the diligence and determination of MASA and 220. Our goal is to recognize the influence of hip hop music and dance in Asian youth culture and to also to bring to focus the lesser-known elements of a pan-Asian identity. For more information regarding tickets, directions, and lineup, please visit http://www.fusionhiphop.com/.

220 (read "two-twenty") or Second to None is a competitive dance team that rests on the idea of "family first, dancing second." With students from all campuses throughout San Diego, 220 promotes hip hop as an outlet and a home to be a driving force of hip hop towards its direction of progression. Multi-Asian Student Association, or MASA, is a social-cultural organization dedicated to educating the community of the rich diversity of the Asian student body of UCSD. Through interactive social and cultural events, MASA strives to spread that Asian-Americans are not a single culture, but a mixture of many diverse ones. The collaboration for FUSION has been an annual effort to recognize hip hop music and dance among all people, bridging the gap between all cultures.

MEDIA CONTACT

Chesley Tolentino
Fusion 2010 Coordinator
510-366-5313

Sasha Pizarro
Marketing Team Lead
619-632-2114

Vinson Chen
Marketing Team Lead
415-290-218

A. ETA4 (English Through Academics, Athletics, and the Arts Abroad)
ETA4 is a 501(c)3 non profit dedicated to the advancement of English education for underprivileged children abroad, and provides no-cost, rewarding, and successful English instruction to achieve that goal. For more information, please visit: http://www.eta4.org/.
B. 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/.
C. 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.
D. California Endowment /Mid-City CAN (Community Advocacy Network)
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/.
E. 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.