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.