SF Chinatown leaders visit SMHA communities

Twenty leaders from the Chinatown Community Cultural Center in San Francisco recently toured two of the properties of Sacramento Mutual Housing Association (SMHA) to learn how resident organizers help residents from diverse backgrounds integrate into a cohesive community. They spent the day at Lemon Hill and Greenway Village.

Lemon Hill residents are mainly from Laos, Vietnam, China and Latin America. Greenway Village residents are primarily African-American, Hispanic and Lao heritage as well as recent immigrants from the Marshall Islands.

SMHA relies on community organizers who contact families individually as well as conduct resident council meetings, community meetings and unity-building events such as tree-plantings or parties where children in traditional costume perform.

At meetings, native speakers translate so that all the residents can participate in the process. Although time-consuming, this inclusion builds trust among people of diverse backgrounds, races and religions, which eventually leads to a sense of community.

“We meet and talk and get to know each other, learning words from each other’s languages at our community meetings,,” said Pa Phang, SMHA community organizer. “Even though we have people speaking many different languages—we have five for sewing classes—we are very patient and find ways to communicate so that we can be on the same page.”

Lemon Hill is located at 6000 Lemon Hill Avenue. Greenway Village is at 6311 Sampson Blvd.

With 15 communities in the region, Sacramento Mutual Housing Association develops and operates well-designed, affordable rental housing to the diverse local households. With a focus on leadership, the nonprofit also provides leadership training and mentoring as well as educational programs, community-building activities and services for residents and neighbors.

For more information on Sacramento Mutual Housing Association, visit www.mutualhousing.com.

Understanding Hip Hop as An Art Expression

January 2010

Sacramento, CA.

On December 12, 2009, EGG (Eternal Growth Group) hosted: "Hip Hop: An Art Expression" event at Luther Burbank High School, providing workshops educating the community about Hip Hop culture. The event included six different Hip Hop education classes, and one class for parents who have kids involved in Hip Hop.

Hip Hop culture is known but not limited to MC, DJ, Break dancing (aka Breaking), and graffiti. Hip Hop music originated in the 1970’s in Bronx, New York among African Americans, when DJ’s started playing popular music like funk and soul during block parties, and by the early 1980’s it spread to every corner of the globe. It became the source for deprived youths to voice their views on personal, political, and social issues through the art of hip hop. As it made its way to the world wide audience, Hip Hop came to be represented as the empowerment of the deprived and as the American dream. Break dancing also originated from these block parties as B-Boys and B-Girls started street dancing very complex and intricate moves.

Tou Saiko Lee, a rapper in Delicious Venom and PosNoSys, presented a class on using Hip Hop to express the difficulties of social issues like racism, gang violence, drugs, and abuse. Other workshops focus on topics like knowing metaphors, alliteration, music coordinating, and the history of Hip Hop.

Even though it was raining hard, there were over 60 youths of all ages, and ethnicity who came to attend the event.

A friendly 3 vs. 3 B-Boy competition ended the event, showcasing the performers talents as break dancers. Many flips, spins, and turns were presented before the judges chose the winners.

CONCERN OVER IN-HOME SUPPORT SERVICE PAY RATE DECREASE

ENGLISH VERSION:

Chee Her, who is a IHSS (In-Home Support Service) provider for Cha Thao, expresses her concern over the possibility of a $2 pay rate decrease. "With everything, including the price of gas, rising in cost, I won’t know what to do if they lower the pay rate." She said.

Through years of negotiating the Union just accomplished getting their member a $1 raise to $10.40 an hour, a few years ago. IHSS providers assist their recipients with services that include, but not limited to cooking, cleaning, dressing, and bathing. These little amenities that most take for granted are essential needs for IHSS recipients.

Through the IHSS program, the recipient is able to remain in their home safely, with personal care and domestic services such as meal preparation, transportation to and from medical appointments, and protective supervision against risk of injury.

Cha Thao has daily medications and without Ms. Hers’ assistance he doesn’t know how he’ll remember to take the medications if living alone. Mr. Thao also has a special diet routine that restricts him from eating any high sodium, or sugary foods. Ms. Her fears that with the rate decrease, she will be forced to find a different job with better pay, resulting in Mr. Thao having to find another provider. If no suitable provider is found, then the other alternative will be for Mr. Thao to be transferred into an elderly care home. An alternative that Mr. Thao fears the most due to cultural and communication barriers. The cost for a recipient to be in a care home will cost more than paying for an individual in-home provider.

"I take my tasks and responsibility as a provider really seriously, and understand the needs of my recipient. I hope to be able to continue being a provider for Mr. Thao." Ms. Her said. A $2 decrease in the pay rate will negatively affect the providers and their stability in this economy. "I hope the community will come together, and petition with us to keep the pay rate at $10.40" said Phoua Lee, a union representative.

The needs of our elders are increasing daily, so let’s hope that IHSS will continue to meet their needs by servicing a stable environment for them.

NTAWV HMOOB:

Cib Hawj yog ib tug neeg ua txoj hauj lwm hauv tsev, tu Tooj Txim Thoj. Nws tau txawj txog txoj kev lavtasnpas yuav txiav $2 tauj ib teev, ntawm lawm cov nyiaj tu. "Txua tsav txua yam nce tag lawm,peb cov nyiaj ho muab luv zuj zu, xyov yuav ua li cas" nus tau txawj xeeb txog.
Luag cov hlob tau sab laj thiab ntsuam xyuas tau ntau xyoo, nyuam qhuav muab nce $1 ntxiv mus ua $10.40 tauj ib teev xwb. Txoj hauj lwm tu cov laus nyob hauv tsev no tseem ceeb heev. Yog koj pab tau koj tus kheej kuj tsis ua luaj twg. Tab sis ib tug neeg ua toob kam kev pab, xws li da dej, ua noj ua haus, los yog ntxiv ntxua, mas tseem ceeb rau nus heev.

Txoj hauj lwm tu cov laus nyob hauv tsev no. Yog pab thauj coj mus chuag kws tsuaj, saib xyuas kev no haus kom tsis muaj teeb meem.

Tooj Txim Thoj tseem noj nws cov tsuaj txua txua hnub thiab. Yog tsis muaj Cib Hawj pab nws nco, xyov Tooj Txim puas nco noj nws cov tsuaj txua hnub li kws tsuaj hais tseg. Nws los kuj noj tsis tau tej zaub tej mov qab qab tsev los yog qab qab zib thiab, vim nws lub cev noj tsis tau. Cib Hawj tau txawj txog hais tias, yog lavthasnpas tseem txiav cov nyiaj tu no ntxiv mus. Tshe Cib Hawj yuav tau mus nrhiav dua lwm txoj laj kam, thiaj li yuav mus taus lawm tom ntej. Tooj txim, los yuav tau nrhiav dua lwm tus tuaj tu nws li qub thiab. Yog nrhiav tsis tau tus tu. Yuav raug nyaib mus nyob rau tom lub tsev laus.Qhov no yuav nyuaj rau Tooj Txim ,vim hais tias nws tsis paub ntaub ntawv thiab paub lus Amesliskas, tshe nws yuav tsis pom qab nyob. Tsis tas li ntawv, qhov uas coj nws mus nyob tom tsev laus. Tseem yuav tas nyiaj ntau tsaj li ntiav ib tug neeg tuaj tu nws tom tsev xwb.

"Kuv saib kuv txoj haujlwm tu ib leej tib neeg muaj nuj nqis heev.Kuv totaub txog tus neeg kuv saib ntawv txoj kev cia siab rau kuv. Tseem muaj lub siab dawb phaug xav pab Tooj Txim lawm yav tom ntej."

Yog lawv txiav $2 tauj ib teev thiag, yuav nyuaj rau tus ua hauj lwm. Vim txua tsav txua yam,kam no kev hau nce tag lawm. "Cia siab hais tias pej xeem sawv daws yuav koom siab hais cia ua li qhov qub $10.40"Phoua Lee tus sauv cev ntawm phawg ua hauj lwm coob tau hai.

Peb cov laus coob zuj zus, xav hais tias IHSS (In Home Support Services) yuav muaj txoj hau kev pab ntxiv mus lawm yav tom ntej.

Patrick Vang - Hmong Novelist

Sacramento, CA -

Hmong novelist, Patrick (Txhim) Vang, was born in the province of Luang Prabang in Laos to parents Xay Teng Vang (father) and Zoua Thao (mother). In 1969 his father, Xay Teng Vang – a high official who worked for the CIA, was captured by the communist and never seen again. Due to the repercussions of the U. S. secret war, his mother, Zoua Thao, journeyed to Thailand and stayed in the Soptuang refugee camp, where they were relocated to France in 1980. He spent his childhood in France for 10 years, then resettled in the U.S. and lived in Stockton CA. where he attended Delta College.

Mr. Vang graduated a bachelor of arts in French at the Sacramento States University in 1996, and student taught French at McClatchy High School in 1997. In 1998, he was employed at Rosa Parks Middle School to teach World History and U.S. Government, due to lack of need for a French teacher. Teaching world history was a great experience, which lead Mr. Vang to see that there was a need in preserving Hmong history, and culture. He realized that because the Hmong written language was just established 30 years prior, there was no known documentation of Hmong history. It also became more evident that Hmong youth were losing a sense of who they are, their identity, and their respect towards parents, due to the culture shock, language barrier, and their lack of understanding Hmong history.

Because of these evidences, Mr. Vang talked to school administrators at Luther Burbank about the possibility of converting the Hmong literacy class there into a world language class where every student would have the opportunity to learn Hmong language, culture, and history. With the support of Hmong parents, school administrators and Hmong teachers, he received the approval and began to implement the Hmong literacy program, and started to teach at Luther Burbank High School in 2001. Committed to sharing his unique teaching techniques and knowledge of the Hmong language, Mr.Vang published his first textbook "Discovering the Hmong Language" in 2006, which is being used by many school districts to teach Hmong literacy. He also co-wrote the Hmong courses of study for CSUSD, which is believed to be one of the first Hmong High School curriculum to meet the foreign language requirement for many universities.

Hmong students have grown in numbers in the Hmong literacy classes, and since 2006 Luther Burbank has added another Hmong literacy teacher, Mr. Cha to the program. The Hmong classes not only teach students to read and write the Hmong language, but expose students to Hmong culture, tradition, history, and ways adapt to modern American society.

Mr. Vang states "My purpose of writing is, I want to preserve Hmong history, culture and language." He believes that any novel or story can be written in Hmong, and be just as beautiful as any other language. Hence the reason why he came out with his first novel: "Ntuj Cais Teb Hlub" (Meaning: Exiled in Heaven, Accepted on Earth) that was published in 2008. The book is a Hmong historical novel, based around true events, that most Hmongs have experienced in Thailand, and of the struggles the first Hmong refugees coming to America faced.

Mr. Vang has now published a sequel called, "Ib Tug Neeg Ob Lub Ntuj" ("One Person Two Worlds") which was just released this October 2009 and will be available for purchase at the Sacramento Hmong New Year at Cal Expo. "Ib Tug Neeg Ob Lub Ntuj" is the continuation and the ending of "Ntuj Cais Teb Hlub". A journey of sadness, hope and dreams coming true after thirty years of separation torn by the Secret War of Laos.

By exercising his ability as a writer, Mr. Vang has provided a path for readers to experience a new adventure through a different perspective in life, and to preserve how beautiful Hmong language, history and culture is. For more information about his books, please visit http://www.pebyoghmoob.com/ or call 916-215-0494.

We were given the honor to use his first novel as a jumpstart to our novel of the month section, so you will find Chapter 1 to "Ntuj Cais Teb Hlub" on our website: http://www.sachmongjournal.com/

Hmong Womens Heritage Association

Sacramento-CA.

Hmong Women Heritage Association is a non-profit organization, bringing services to Hmong families in the Sacramento County, and committed to helping the community evolve and change prosperously. The organization helps Hmong women and their families to lead healthier lives and become more active participating members in society. Originally established in November of 1993, as only a support group for Hmong women, their main concern was with the growing problem of depression and the deterioration of the family dynamics, which also effected community life. They now have expanded to provide a variety of different services to the community, including but not limited to the following three programs: The Hmong Family Resource Center, Kashia Health, and The Youth Development Program.

The Hmong Family Resource Center, funded by the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA), and the California Wellness Foundation, provides services for family support, outreach in education, citizenship, case-management for crisis intervention, para-professional counseling, mental/health access and advocacy.

Kashia Health program promotes cancer awareness, screening and prevention tools, and providing health/mental resources through networking with the American Cancer Society; California Department of Health Services, and Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness Research and Training (AANCART).

Partnering with the Sacramento City Unified School District, Hmong Women Heritage Association provides The Youth Development Program, which is a weekly after school program dedicated to meeting the needs of Hmong, Mien, and Lao youths. The goal of the program is to encourage high self-esteem, and to help students excel academically.

The Hmong Women Heritage Association has been helping the community for over 15 years, and it would not have been possible without their sponsors and the amazing efforts and dedication of their staff members. New Executive Director, Koua Jacklyn Franz also agrees that without the "dedicated and hard working staff members", the Hmong Women Heritage Association would not be possible. Mrs. Franz began her journey with HWHA on September 16, 2008, and has been actively assisting Hmong families affected in the casino bus crash, by working alongside Assemblymember Dave Jones, petitioning and achieving their goal for stricter regulations on casino charter buses.

For future actitives for the Hmong Community, Mrs. Franz hope to gather enough support from the community to hold an annual Hmong culture summer camp. This would "be a great way to help participants stay occupied during the summer and to learn Hmong culture and heritage while having fun at the same time".

The Hmong Women Heritage Association is not strictly just for women, so if anyone should find themselves in need of their services, please contact them at (916) 394-1405 or visit their office on 2245 Florin Road, Sacramento CA. You may also contact them via email with any questions at: info@hmongwomenheritage.org or go to their website at: http://www.hmongwomenheritage.org/

Hmong Youth & Parents United

Hmong Youth and Parents United is a non-profit organization, which started in 2004 by Vince Xiong, to help build a strong foundation between Hmong youth and parents. To promote respect, responsibility, character, trust, and education in personal & professional growth. HYPU has 6 different classes to achieve these goals:

1. Communication Development


2. Character Development


3. Leadership Development


4. Hmong Language Literacy


5. Parenting Education


6. Academic Support & Guidance

Communication development focuses on developing skills to allow youth and parents to interact with each other and understand each other’s hopes and expectations. It’s crucial to have communication skills, as it will provide the ability to communicate clearly and with confidence.

Character development teaches youth and parents traits that show respect for one’s self and for others, and about honesty, integrity, effort, pride, responsibility, generosity, compassion, forgiveness, and understanding. (To have a positive outlook on life).

Leadership development is to provide youth and parents the ability to become self-disciplined and committed to one’s self and the team. It’s designed to provide the necessary skill in making important decisions which requires careful planning and execution to accomplish a goal.

Hmong language literacy ensures that all members become proficient in Hmong, which allows them to have a greater understanding in learning English.

Parenting education helps parents to understand children’s challenges with peer pressure, academic disparities, delinquencies, drop outs, and other related issues. Individual sessions are available to work on personal issues related to social, emotional, mental health and well-being.

Academic support and guidance is provided through volunteers from varies college and universities, for one on one tutoring with K-12 students, to provide them the ability to master grade level testing. HYPU goal is to ensure that 100% of their youth members graduate from high school and at least 80% of those graduates continue on to receive their college degrees.

HYPU even has above and beyond activities to bring the members together with learning trips, sports tournaments, camping trips, and community services. Activities to broaden knowledge about the world, and what possibilities await them.

Halloween Nyob Teb Chaws Amesliskas

Back left to right: Mrs. Vang, Koh Vang
Far left to right front row: Mark Lo Vang, Samuel Andrew Vang, Sydney Yee Vang, Nathan Alexander Vang

10/2009

By Darryl Freeman
Translated by Kos Vaj

HMONG VERSION:
Lub holiday ua yog Halloween nyob teb chaws Amesliskas no, sawv dawv tau muab qhuas txog, thiab muaj kev lom zem heev los ntawm ntau haiv phav xam neeg. Ntau ntau zaus, thiab txua lub caij nyoog ua peb pom, thiab hnov. Qhauj nyob rau hau npiv thub nyub, hauv nais xim phee, hauv T.V., thiab tom tej kiab khw ua peb tau mus txog. Txawm li ntawv los Halloween kuj tsis tau yog ib lub holiday ua nom txwv yuav nav thwm thiab muab tso rau hauv txoj kev cai lij choj hauv lub teb chaws no. Vim li no, lub Halloween tseem lom zem thiab muaj nuj nqis npaum li cas rau pej xeem sawv daws los, thiaj tsis muaj nab thib rau cov tub kawm ntawv los yog cov neeg ua hauj lwm tau so hnub ntawv. (Oct. 31)

Keeb kwm chiv los ntawm cov neeg nyob sab qaum teb Europe (Irish). Lawv tseeg hais tias hnub tim 31 lub 10 hli ntawv, yog hnub yaj ceeb thiab yeeb ceeb tau los sib cuag. Lawv thiaj li siv cov mask coj los roos tsej muag, yuav mus ntaus, thiab tiv thaiv tus dab phem dab qus kom yeej. 900 xyoo tom qab yis xus (Jesus Christ) tas sim neej lawm. Cov thawj txiv plig thiaj lis tau muab pauv los rau hnub 11 hlis tim 1 (Nov. 1). Hnub no yog hnub lawv yuav npws thiab pe hawm cov tsuj plig dawb huv thiab ncaj ncees. Tab sis feem coob ziag no kuj muab ob hnub ntawv coj los siv rau lub 10 hli hnub 31 ntawv lawm xwb thiab.

Ntu nruab nrab xyoo 1800 los, cov neeg nyob qaum teb Europe (Irish) tau khiav tuaj rau lub teb chaws Amesliskas. Lawv mam siv lawv tu cwj pwm, thiab tu qauv lawv ib txwm siv thawm lawv nyob qaum teb Europe rau Amesliskas pom. Txij thaum ntawv los Amesliskas thiaj li siv ua ntu zus los txog niaj hnub niam no. Cov neeg ua coj kev cai tsiab, thiab txiv plig. Tseem niaj hnub nav thwm ob hnub no. Xws li hnub hom tseg rau cov tuag (Oct. 31). Thiab hnub fij rau cov tsuj plig dawb huv thiab ncaj ncees (Nov. 1).

Xim dub thiab xim daj liab tseb, nrog rau cov taub dag. Ua rau peb nco txog lub sij hawm me nyuam yaus mus thov khaub noom (trick or treat). Lub sij hawm no, txua tu neeg xav ua tej yam txaus tshai heev. Xws li, nyeem tej phau ntawv txaus tshai. Piav dab neeg txog poj dab. Saib xes nes (movie) phem phem dab dab tuag. Los yog mus ua si tom tej toj ntxas.

Lo lus "trick or treat" txhais tau hais tias, "Muab ab tsi zoo rau peb noj, los yog rau peb yuav, peb thiab tsis ua phem rau koj lub vaj lub tsev." Peb hmoob hais tias, "Ua neeg zoo thiaj tsis raug foom phem" muaj ntau lub zej zog, thiab khub niam txiv coj tej me nyuam mus thov "Trick or Treat" hauv tej kiab khw, thiab kwv tij phooj ywg lawm xwb. Thiaj li tsis raug teeb meem rau teb me tub me nyuam. Tsuas tau txoj kev lom zem xwb.

ENGLISH VERSION:
The holiday of Halloween in the United States is celebrated in many different ways by the many different ethnic groups. Although we see a lot of advertising on television and the department stores about Halloween, it is not an official public holiday. This means that normally students and government workers do not have the day off from work. However, the holiday has been so commercialized as to have the appearance of major holiday.
Originating from the Gaelic culture, many centuries ago, the Celtic people believed that October 31st was a time when spiritual boundary between the living and the dead disappeared. The use of costumes and masks to ward off evil spirits can be traced back to these early Celtic festivals. It eventually became a day of religious festivals in various northern European pagan societies. Around the 9th Century Catholic Popes moved the Christian feast of All Saints Day to November 1st. In modern times both celebrations are often celebrated on the same day, October 31st.
During the mid 1800’s Irish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America. Since that time Halloween has been commercialized to the point of being considered by most Americans to a sectarian or non-religious holiday. However there are Christian denominations that celebrate spiritual events around this time such as, All Saints Day and The day of the Dead. The day is often associated with the colors orange and black, and is associated with symbols such as the jack-o’-lantern. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o’-lanterns, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies. Some of these activities such as "Trick or Treating" where children in costume go from house to house, asking for treats such as candy, shouting "Trick or treat?" are largely American traditions. The word "trick" refers to a jokingly threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given.
Because in part due to the over commercialization of the holiday and the danger that going door to door in some communities present to children, many communities choose to have Halloween parties at community centers or homes instead of "trick or treating". This is a way for children to have a safe and fun day, under to supervision of their parents.