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Transcript of Hmong Tribune June 2014
General VanG Pao’sleGacy
Page 2
conGratulationsto all Graduates
Page 5
The hmong Tribune
Want toadvertise in
the hmong tribune?
Merced
New Year
Page 4
SacraMeNto
New Year
Page 5
The hmong Tribune
4759 e. olive ave. #101 FreSNo, ca 93702 oFFice (559) 453-9686 Facebook.coM/thehMoNgtribuNe [email protected]
hMoob Xov XvM
deceMber 2012
Pub dlawb
caliForNia’S hMoNg NewSPaPer
Hmong Mixed Martial Arts
Mania Invades Fres
no
The ABCs of H
mong
A new year hera
lds new ideas and
change. Mixed marti
al arts
is beco
m-
ing the choice of young men and
women over boxing and wrest
ling.
Yia “the B
ull” Mua w
as a kick
boxer
and before h
e fell t
o illness
he was
training for m
ixed martial a
rts fight-
ing. Fresn
o’s Hmong Intern
ational
New Year is
sponsoring a one o
f a
kind first ever H
mong Mixed Martial
Arts show. T
hey partnere
d up with
former UFC fighter
Jason Von Flue
to put the R
ising Sons o
f Calif
ornia
MMA event to
gether.
One the o
rga-
nizers, S
teve T
hao (and als
o Hmong
Tribune publisher)
found Hmong
fighters in Mich
igan, Minnesota,
Colorado and Calif
ornia to put on
a display of vario
us fighting disci-
plines for th
e Hmong co
mmunity to
see.
Cheng “Iron Legs” L
ee originally
hails from Des
Moines, Iowa,
but
was trai
ning in Minnesota
when
Thao contacted him. Lee
has a
strong back
ground in kickboxing
with power kick
s and str
iking. Lee
left M
innesota t
o Colorado to tra
in
for two months fo
r the R
ising Sons
of Calif
ornia event w
ith Sakomong-
kol Sitchuchoke, t
he five ti
me world
muay thai cham
pion from Thaila
nd.
Lee’s tra
ining partner
in Denver
is Longvie Lo. Lo also
is training
under Sitch
uchoke and has fi
ve years
of Braz
ilian Jujits
u training. H
is last
bout was a
knock out win.
Teng Ly hails from Sacr
amento
by way of France
and San Diego.
His fam
ily immigrate
d from Fran
ce
to the United
States an
d Ly lived in
Southern Calif
ornia for a
few year
s
when he was
a kick
boxer. He h
as
an impress
ive six knock outs a
s an
amateu
r fighter and briefl
y enter-
tained the id
ea of going to Thaila
nd
to further his fi
ghting study.
Jaysin Hang, a fly weig
ht from
Michigan was
scratch
ed from the
fight card due to
a hand an
d wrist
injury in mid December.
Peter Lo, a
welterweig
ht was s
cratch
ed from the
fight card due to
a throat i
nfection
that required
surgery
just last
week.
Lo hopes to show up to the ev
ent to
support the other fi
ghters.
Proto J is s
cheduled to
sing th
e
national
anthem alo
ng with some
other Hmong fighters
schedule f
or a
jujitsu tournam
ent.
Rising Sons o
f Calif
ornia will b
e
held at t
he Commerc
e Building in the
Fresno Fairg
rounds on Saturday De-
cember 2
9. Doors w
ill open at
3pm
and first bouts w
ill be a
t 4pm for a
three hour sh
ow.
SACRAMENTO, Calif
. -- At Susan
B.
Anthony Elementary
, Mr. V
ue’s kinderg
ar-
teners
sit on a
brightly colored
carpet a
s
they look up at him, re
peating so
unds of
the alphabet.
“Ahhh, aaay,
eeeh,”
he sings as the
children sing alo
ng. The sounds are not
in English. T
he school, l
ocated in
South
Sacram
ento, is home to
the only Hmong
dual-language
immersion program
on
the West
Coast — an
d the seco
nd in the
country after a
similar
program in St. P
aul,
Minnesota.
“The idea o
f the H
mong immersi
on pro-
gram is
so students w
ill beco
me bicu
ltural
and biliterate
in both English and Hmong,”
explains Lee
Yang (pronounced “Ya”)
,
the principal
and a former direc
tor of
Sacram
ento City Unified School Distr
ict’s
Multilingual
Literacy
Department,
who
spearhead
ed the program.
In the past
few year
s, language im
mer-
sion programs have sp
routed up acr
oss the
country, parti
cularly in
California,
where
the number near
ly doubled from 119 in
2000 to 233 in 2010, according to the C
ali-
fornia Departm
ent of Education. About
200 of these
programs ar
e in Spanish; th
e
rest are
in Mandarin
, Korea
n, Cantonese
,
Armenian, G
erman, Ita
lian and Jap
anese.
In 2011, Hmong was a
dded to the list.
But while
languages l
ike Mandarin
are
witnessing a r
apid rise in
global prest
ige,
the reward
s for st
udents who beco
me flu-
ent in Hmong may be le
ss tangible.
Since
the first
wave of L
ao Hmong refugees
ar-
rived in 1975, their
culture and histo
ry has
slowly receded, an
d with it, their
language.
Pres
erving the P
ast
“They know that they are
Hmong,” says
Melany Lo, a 1
st grad
e parent in
the Hmong
program, “b
ut they don’t e
ven know the
traditio
n or culture.”
It’s a
concern sh
ared
by many in the community who fea
r that
in future g
enerations th
eir histo
ry will be
forgotten.
According to cen
sus data, a whop-
ping 45 percent of H
mong Americans ar
e
under the a
ge of 17. Pare
nts and tea
chers
expressed co
ncerns th
at their
culture and
language were
slipping away from this
younger genera
tion.
For Vue’s students,
that’s where
the
learning begins.
On one wall
in his class
room is a la
rge,
colorful tapestr
y. The embroidere
d quilt,
or story clo
th, depicts th
e histo
ry of the
Hmong people inclu
ding their migrati
on
from Laos to the U
nited State
s. Handmade
dolls dress
ed in traditio
nal Hmong clo
th-
ing sit near
the doorway.
The Hmong originated
in northern
China and later migrate
d south, where
about 9 million Hmong (ca
lled “M
iao” in
Mandarin) st
ill resid
e. Over t
he centuries
,
they continued to move southward
, settlin
g
in Vietnam
, Laos, Thaila
nd and els
ewhere.
As a people,
they have survived genocid
e
and war. In the 1
960s and 70s, th
e Hmong
in Laos were
recruited
to fight in the C
IA’s
“secre
t wars”
against th
e Communists
dur-
ing the Vietn
am co
nflict. W
hen that effort
was lost,
many fled to neighboring Thai-
land and ended up in ref
ugee cam
ps there
.
The first
wave of Hmong ref
ugees to the
United State
s arrived in 1975, an
d the most
recent w
as in 2005. Today there
are more
than 260,000 Hmong Americans.
All of th
e students in
the immersi
on pro-
gram are
of Hmong herit
age. One in
five
English lea
rners in the d
istrict
are Hmong,
the second larg
est group afte
r Spanish
speakers.
The majo
rity are
second or th
ird
generation, born in the U
nited State
s. As
with large n
umbers of U
.S.-born Hispanic
students, most a
re also desig
nated English
Language Lear
ners, which
means th
ey are
not proficient in
English when enteri
ng the
program.
But for Vue an
d his fello
w teachers,
that
isn’t exactl
y a disad
vantage.
Classroom instru
ction in the program
starts w
ith 90 percent H
mong in kinder-
garten, an
d is base
d on the “90/10” m
odel
where English
is slowly ad
ded each year
until fourth grad
e, when the s
tudents are
taught 5
0 percent o
f the ti
me in Hmong
and 50 percent in
English. That m
eans th
at
in the lower g
rades,
subjects su
ch as math
and science
are als
o taught in
the Hmong
language.
On one autumn day,
students in Makae-
Photo by Andria Lo
Meet the Hmong M
MA fighters Friday, Dec. 2
8th
in front of the C
ommerce Buildin
g at 2pm.
www.stevethao.com
ABCs contin
ued on page 7
Cheng “Iron Le
gs” lee sh
ows off h
is WWC belt.
Hmong national
Farmers organization
Page 1 & 4
long lo wins
mma FigHt
Page 5
The hmong Tribune
4759 e. olive ave. #101 Fresno, Ca 93702 oFFiCe (559) 259-1271 FaCebook.Com/tHeHmongtribune [email protected]
Hmoob Xov Xvm
april 2013
pub Dlawb
CaliFornia’s Hmong newspaper
NHAF Brings Hmong Farm Issues to Fresno
Fresno Welcomes HND
FRESNO - The National Hmong
American Farmers organization held
their fourth annual National Farm
Conference on March 27, at the Fresno
Ramada Inn. Hmong farmers, govern-
ment agencies and farming activists
from around Fresno and the country
came to attend the conference filling
up the Ramada’s main ballroom.
The conference brought Hmong
farmers from as far away as North
Carolina, Minnesota and Washington
State to attend. ChuKou Thao, the ex-
ecutive director of the National Hmong
American Farmers, Inc., believes that
the spring offer the best time to attract
Hmong farmers to find tim
e to attend
this conference. The conference had
workshops on California state regula-
tions, marketing of farm products, vari-
ous government resources for farmers,
panel discussion on a variety of small
farming issues and even lifetime
awards to individuals for their dedica-
tion and advocacy to the Hmong small
farmer.
The highlight of the conference was
lunch hour which featured two keynote
speakers. The first
was May Kia Yang
who is a successful poultry farmer
from North Carolina and also on the
USDA (United States Department of
Agriculture) Farm Service Agency Ad-
visory Committee. The second was the
charismatic Shirley Sherrod.
Sherrod has dedicated her life to
the minority and rural small farmer
and is one of the early leaders in
the
civil rights m
ovement in America. Her
speech about African American farm-
ers in the South resonated among many
Hmong farmers who lived through
racial discrimination and large com-
mercial companies taking advantage of
uninformed small farmers w
ho didn’t
know where to get resources and infor-
mation to get the best prices and best
ways of selling their goods. Sherrod’s
inspiration and passion comes from her
father being killed by a white farmer.
Even though she had hoped to escape
the South and the racial discrimination
there her father’s death gave her pur-
pose to stay and make a change.
Fresno will be hosting the 16th Hmong
National Development conference from April
5 to April 7 at the Raddison Hotel. The HND
conference has a mission to bring together
community members, professionals, politi-
cians, scholars, youth, business owners and
more to network, dialogue, and celebrate the
community’s accomplishments. Over the
course of the three-day conference, various
events are held to build capacity, educate at-
tendees on Hmong issues, and discuss press-
ing issues in the Hmong community.
Nearly 800 people from all over the coun-
try along with a few international guests will
be attending the event. The conference rotates
around the country every two years. The con-
ference has been held in Denver, Sacramento,
Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Washington
D.C in the past twenty years.
The three major areas of emphasis are
education, health and economic development.
Some workshops examples include: Hmong
Language at the Crossroads presented by
Bee Vang-Moua, University of Minnesota;
Nor Pau Moua, Hmong Txuj Institute; Do-
mestic Violence & Sexual Assault in Our
Hmong Community presented by Mary Lee
(Valley Crisis Center) and Bao Yang (Mar-
jaree and Mason Centre) and Financial and
Management Assistance for For-Profit S
mall
Business Ventures presented by Blong Lee,
Fresno Community Development Fincancial
Institution; Dawn Golik, U.S. Small Business
Administration.
The theme of this year will be the Journey
Forward. For more information look up http://
www.hndinc.org.
NHAF continued on page 4
Hmong Woman
Wins FisHing Derby
Page 4
WorlD boxing
CHamp results
Page 6
The hmong Tribune4759 e. olive ave. #101 Fresno, Ca 93702 oFFiCe (559) 709-5948 FaCebook.Com/tHeHmongtribune [email protected]
Hmoob xov xvmapril 2014
pub DlaWb
CaliFornia’s Hmong neWspaper
Fresno Celebrates Asian Fest
New Kind of Fishing
FRESNO, Calif. – A large turn-out
came to Fresno City College to celebrate
the diversity of the Valley’s Asian cultures
on Saturday, April 5. Organizers expected
nearly two thousand to show up throughout
the day and it was busy from morning till
the end of the day at 4pm.
Asian Fest featured traditional music,
dancers, art and a wide variety of food.
From Hmong sausages to Korean kalbi to
award winning papaya the lines were long
but the weather was perfect.
Vendors lined the walkway inside the
Fresno City College campus. From anime
to bonsai trees you could buy or experience
something interesting and Asian. There
were activities for kids to draw or create
art. The event is organized by FCC’s
Asian-American faculty and staff. It aims
to educate the community about different
Asian cultures through performances and
demonstrations.
Joan Burgess, who lives in the local
neighborhood, commented that, “The
event is a fabulous event that helps all
of us celebrate all the beauty of different
cultures.” Burgess said she’ll always at-
tend Asian Fest as long as she lives in the
neighborhood.
Local television personality Margot
Kim emceed the event.
Fresno’s dance group Tseem Tub Ntxhais was featured at Asian Fest.
Fresno City College Instructor John Cho was instrumental in creating Asian Fest.
A fly fisherman on the San Joaquin River.
Hmong people love fishing. Families
go out together and fish for many variet-
ies, including bass, catfish, crappie and
other fish. On any given weekend on the
waterways and lakes of Central California,
you’ll find Hmong fishing on the banks
and more recently on their boats.
A long history of fish in the diet has
created a whole culture around fishing for
Hmong families. But what is this new kind
of fishing where the fisherman hovers the
line like a helicopter blade with the line
coming back and forth until then finally let
loose the lure and line to plop it in front
of a fish? Fly fishing is what it is called,
and it has caught the imagination of many
Hmong anglers across the country.
From the streams of Montana to the
rivers of Minnesota and the ones that flow
from the Sierras of Central California, fly
fishing has found some enthusiastic new
converts. Conventional fishing consists of
pole, hook, line and bait. This new sport
has new terminology and different kinds of
Fishing continued on page 5
Alex VAng(559) 473-3884
ChuCk lee(559) 978-8019
CAll
Congratulationsto all 2014 graduates!!!
4759 e. oliVe aVe. #101 Fresno, ca 93702 oFFice (559) 709-5948 Facebook.com/thehmonGtribune [email protected]
hmoob XoV XVm June 2014 Pub dlawbcaliFornia’s hmonG newsPaPer
Dr. Kou RetiresHmong Pioneer, leader, mentor
Dr. Kou Yang has been a pioneer, a leader and mentor to a whole generation of Hmong. With his retirement, ends nearly two decades of academic mentoring to thousands of young people.
The Hmong Students Association at California State University, Stanislaus held an Alumni Reunion and Retirement Ban-quet for Dr. Kou Yang on May 17, 2014. The Alumni Reunion was the first time that HSA, founded in 1985, has reconnected many of the former members to each other and to current students. More than 100 community members and students came together to celebrate the retirement of Dr. Kou Yang.
Since 1998 Yang has taught at Califor-nia State University at Stanislaus in the Department of Ethnic Studies until his retirement of fall semester 2013. He has taught courses in Asian American Studies and started the Hmong Cultural Experi-ence in the United States course in 2001. Yang has published dozens of scholarly ar-ticles for peer-reviewed academic journals and author or editor of several books about the Hmong American experience. Yang has traveled extensively to research about Hmong communities in Southeast Asia and China. Yang has also presented his research at various international, national and academic conferences.
For the past 15 years Yang has served as an advisor to HSA and mentored students to pursue graduate studies. At the banquet several community members and former students shared their testimonials about
how Dr. Kou Yang support and mentored them to get to where they are today. These included a speech by Principal Lee Yang from Sacramento City Unified who dis-cussed the role Dr. Kou Yang mentored and helped in writing research for AB 78 and the creation of Hmong and Chinese language dual immersion programs in Sacramento.
Kimiko Vang, a former student and alumni shared how Yang served as her faculty adviser for a pre-doctoral program at UC Berkeley to do research. Vang is currently a program manager with Merced County Human Services Agency where she trains social workers to be culturally competent.
To celebrate this special night the alumni and members of the Hmong Stu-dent Association presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Kou Yang for his distinguished service and enduring sup-port to the organization.
Dr. Kou Yang was born in a remote mountain village in Northern Laos. Yang had the opportunity during the Secret War to attend schooling at various locations such as a Buddhist monastery, a Christian missionary school and other schools. In 1976 Yang arrived to the United States at the age of 21. Although Yang could read and write in several languages such as Hmong, Lao and Thai, he had to struggle to learn English. Yang often told his stu-dents he started work as a dish washer and had to learn one word per day. Yang went on to complete his Associates degree at a
community college in Long Beach. Then he completed his Bachelors and Master of Social Work from Fresno State. In 1997
Yang completed the Joint Educational Leadership Doctorate program through Fresno State and UC Davis. Yang had to overcome many hardships in a 20 year journey in education to attain his goal.
It is important to note the significant contributions of Dr. Kou Yang and the Hmong Cultural Experience course at the university level. Similar courses do not exist at other universities with larger num-ber of Hmong students. Several years ago students at UCLA initiated a similar course and more recently the Hmong American Experience course is offered again at Sac-ramento State. A university course such as this is needed because there are more than 70,000 Hmong Americans in the Central Valley and all college students who plan to major in teaching, social work, health, criminal justice or others need to be cul-turally competent to understand the chal-lenges and issues to better serve and work with the Hmong American community.
Want toadvertise
in the hmong
tribune?
Alex Vang(559) 473-3884
OR
Chuck lee(559) 978-8019
CAll
The hmong Tribune June 2014
PaGe 2 4759 e. oliVe aVe. #101 Fresno, ca 93702 oFFice (559) 709-5948 Facebook.com/thehmonGtribune
To Report News or submit articles: Call (559) 709-5948 | www.facebook.com/thehmongtribune | Email: [email protected] | www.TheHmongTribune.com
the hmonGtribunePublisherSteve Thao
Associate Editor-in-ChiefSeng Alex Vang
WritersJon P. DarbonnierSeng Alex Vang
ContributorsBryan T. WorraFong Cha
Account ExecutiveChuck LeeSeng Vang
Websitewww.theHmongTribune.com
[email protected](559) 709-5948
Special Plaque to CommemorateGeneral Vang Pao’s Legacy
FRESNO-The Hmong community came together and remembered General Vang Pao at the Courthouse Park on Monday, May 26, 2014. Courthouse Park is home to a tree that was presented in his honor.. The ceremony included Councilman Blong Xiong, the late General Vang son Chi Neng Vang and Retired Colonel Tru Vang.
General Vang Pao was a man with great honor and a father to the Hmong people. General Vang Pao was more than just a military leader: he was a statesman, arbi-trator, and ambassador to the Hmong. His
words had meaning and community mem-bers listened to what he had to say.
As many in the Central Valley know, the Hmong have become an integral part of the community. Tens of thousands of Hmong can be found up and down California, with Fresno being home to the vast majority. Particularly many Hmong live in the south-east portion of Fresno, attending Sanger, Clovis and Fresno Unified Schools.
General Vang Pao had the ear of local, state, federal and world leaders. When it came to his people, General Pao was
not shy in speaking on their needs. Every speech and every meeting, General Vang Pao would carry the message of the im-portance of education to the growth of the Hmong people. Not only did the General express the need for these opportunities to elected officials and leaders everywhere he encouraged youth and adults to seek out opportunities for higher education.
The day was a reminder of his legacy and that the Hmong community will al-ways heed his message of unity and strive for a better life.
Photos courtesy May Yer Vang
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June 2014 The hmong Tribune
4759 e. oliVe aVe. #101 Fresno, ca 93702 oFFice (559) 709-5948 Facebook.com/thehmonGtribune PaGe 3
To Report News or submit articles: Call (559) 709-5948 | www.facebook.com/thehmongtribune | Email: [email protected] | www.TheHmongTribune.com
Hmong Americans at National Asian American Pacific Heritage Month in D.C.
WASHINGTON DC - On May 6, 2014, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the United States Department of the Interior hosted the AAPI Heritage Month Opening Ceremony titled “I Am Beyond” in Washington D.C. The event included remarks by Vice President Biden and a ceremony to swear in the new appointees by President Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs.
In addition the event featured several performers including Maxie Moua from Fresno. Moua, who is a first year student at UC Berkeley, was selected to perform spoken word poetry about her fam-ily’s refugee experience. Moua in high school had written about the refugee experience and was one of the first students to take part in the 16 month Southeast Asian Story project.
When asked about her experi-ence performing in front of a na-tional gathering of diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander elected officials and community leaders Moua expressed she was
nervous and did not realize the scale and significance of the event at first. Previously, Moua had only performed in front of her classroom and at high school events. This was an exciting ex-perience for Moua because it was her first time out of state, first time flying on a plane and first time in Washington, D.C. The audience was impressed to see such a young Hmong American performed on a national stage. Since her perfor-mance Moua has been invited to write about her literacy journey in a forthcoming Scholastic Books anthology. Moua is one of four siblings in her family to attend UC Berkeley, her brother currently at-tends and her two older sisters are alumni. Moua is currently active in the Hmong Student Association at U.C. Berkeley and will serve as Education Coordinator this fall.
The “Stories of Home” exhibit from McLane High School Art Venture Academy featuring stories and artwork of Fresno Unified students was also on display at the Department of the Interior and four pieces were displayed in the White House.
Mai Thao, a senior from U.C. Berkeley had the opportunity to serve an internship in the White House Initiative on AAPI this past spring semester in Washing-ton D.C. Thao helped put on the AAPI Heritage Month Opening Ceremony and was instrumental in inviting the teachers and stu-dents from McLane High School to Washington D.C. Thao highly encourages other college students to do an internship in Washington D.C. The hands-on training and all the people you get to meet will be worth it. Two Hmong Americans have previously been appointed to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs. Most re-cently Doua Thor, who is the former Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) was appointed by President Obama in 2010. Thor currently serves as a Senior Advi-sor to the Commission. The other was Lee Pao Xiong, currently the Director of the Center for Hmong Studies at Concordia University in MN was appointed by President Clinton in 2000.
The hmong Tribune June 2014
PaGe 4 4759 e. oliVe aVe. #101 Fresno, ca 93702 oFFice (559) 709-5948 Facebook.com/thehmonGtribune
To Report News or submit articles: Call (559) 709-5948 | www.facebook.com/thehmongtribune | Email: [email protected] | www.TheHmongTribune.com
Want to advertise in the hmong tribune?Merced
New Year
Page 4
SacraMeNto
New Year
Page 5
The hmong Tribune
4759 e. olive ave. #101 FreSNo, ca 93702 oFFice (559) 453-9686 Facebook.coM/thehMoNgtribuNe [email protected]
hMoob Xov XvM
deceMber 2012
Pub dlawb
caliForNia’S hMoNg NewSPaPer
Hmong Mixed Martial Arts
Mania Invades Fres
no
The ABCs of H
mong
A new year hera
lds new ideas and
change. Mixed marti
al arts
is beco
m-
ing the choice of young men and
women over boxing and wrest
ling.
Yia “the B
ull” Mua w
as a kick
boxer
and before h
e fell t
o illness
he was
training for m
ixed martial a
rts fight-
ing. Fresn
o’s Hmong Intern
ational
New Year is
sponsoring a one o
f a
kind first ever H
mong Mixed Martial
Arts show. T
hey partnere
d up with
former UFC fighter
Jason Von Flue
to put the R
ising Sons o
f Calif
ornia
MMA event to
gether.
One the o
rga-
nizers, S
teve T
hao (and als
o Hmong
Tribune publisher)
found Hmong
fighters in Mich
igan, Minnesota,
Colorado and Calif
ornia to put on
a display of vario
us fighting disci-
plines for th
e Hmong co
mmunity to
see.
Cheng “Iron Legs” L
ee originally
hails from Des
Moines, Iowa,
but
was trai
ning in Minnesota
when
Thao contacted him. Lee
has a
strong back
ground in kickboxing
with power kick
s and str
iking. Lee
left M
innesota t
o Colorado to tra
in
for two months fo
r the R
ising Sons
of Calif
ornia event w
ith Sakomong-
kol Sitchuchoke, t
he five ti
me world
muay thai cham
pion from Thaila
nd.
Lee’s tra
ining partner
in Denver
is Longvie Lo. Lo also
is training
under Sitch
uchoke and has fi
ve years
of Braz
ilian Jujits
u training. H
is last
bout was a
knock out win.
Teng Ly hails from Sacr
amento
by way of France
and San Diego.
His fam
ily immigrate
d from Fran
ce
to the United
States an
d Ly lived in
Southern Calif
ornia for a
few year
s
when he was
a kick
boxer. He h
as
an impress
ive six knock outs a
s an
amateu
r fighter and briefl
y enter-
tained the id
ea of going to Thaila
nd
to further his fi
ghting study.
Jaysin Hang, a fly weig
ht from
Michigan was
scratch
ed from the
fight card due to
a hand an
d wrist
injury in mid December.
Peter Lo, a
welterweig
ht was s
cratch
ed from the
fight card due to
a throat i
nfection
that required
surgery
just last
week.
Lo hopes to show up to the ev
ent to
support the other fi
ghters.
Proto J is s
cheduled to
sing th
e
national
anthem alo
ng with some
other Hmong fighters
schedule f
or a
jujitsu tournam
ent.
Rising Sons o
f Calif
ornia will b
e
held at t
he Commerc
e Building in the
Fresno Fairg
rounds on Saturday De-
cember 2
9. Doors w
ill open at
3pm
and first bouts w
ill be a
t 4pm for a
three hour sh
ow.
SACRAMENTO, Calif
. -- At Susan
B.
Anthony Elementary
, Mr. V
ue’s kinderg
ar-
teners
sit on a
brightly colored
carpet a
s
they look up at him, re
peating so
unds of
the alphabet.
“Ahhh, aaay,
eeeh,”
he sings as the
children sing alo
ng. The sounds are not
in English. T
he school, l
ocated in
South
Sacram
ento, is home to
the only Hmong
dual-language
immersion program
on
the West
Coast — an
d the seco
nd in the
country after a
similar
program in St. P
aul,
Minnesota.
“The idea o
f the H
mong immersi
on pro-
gram is
so students w
ill beco
me bicu
ltural
and biliterate
in both English and Hmong,”
explains Lee
Yang (pronounced “Ya”)
,
the principal
and a former direc
tor of
Sacram
ento City Unified School Distr
ict’s
Multilingual
Literacy
Department,
who
spearhead
ed the program.
In the past
few year
s, language im
mer-
sion programs have sp
routed up acr
oss the
country, parti
cularly in
California,
where
the number near
ly doubled from 119 in
2000 to 233 in 2010, according to the C
ali-
fornia Departm
ent of Education. About
200 of these
programs ar
e in Spanish; th
e
rest are
in Mandarin
, Korea
n, Cantonese
,
Armenian, G
erman, Ita
lian and Jap
anese.
In 2011, Hmong was a
dded to the list.
But while
languages l
ike Mandarin
are
witnessing a r
apid rise in
global prest
ige,
the reward
s for st
udents who beco
me flu-
ent in Hmong may be le
ss tangible.
Since
the first
wave of L
ao Hmong refugees
ar-
rived in 1975, their
culture and histo
ry has
slowly receded, an
d with it, their
language.
Pres
erving the P
ast
“They know that they are
Hmong,” says
Melany Lo, a 1
st grad
e parent in
the Hmong
program, “b
ut they don’t e
ven know the
traditio
n or culture.”
It’s a
concern sh
ared
by many in the community who fea
r that
in future g
enerations th
eir histo
ry will be
forgotten.
According to cen
sus data, a whop-
ping 45 percent of H
mong Americans ar
e
under the a
ge of 17. Pare
nts and tea
chers
expressed co
ncerns th
at their
culture and
language were
slipping away from this
younger genera
tion.
For Vue’s students,
that’s where
the
learning begins.
On one wall
in his class
room is a la
rge,
colorful tapestr
y. The embroidere
d quilt,
or story clo
th, depicts th
e histo
ry of the
Hmong people inclu
ding their migrati
on
from Laos to the U
nited State
s. Handmade
dolls dress
ed in traditio
nal Hmong clo
th-
ing sit near
the doorway.
The Hmong originated
in northern
China and later migrate
d south, where
about 9 million Hmong (ca
lled “M
iao” in
Mandarin) st
ill resid
e. Over t
he centuries
,
they continued to move southward
, settlin
g
in Vietnam
, Laos, Thaila
nd and els
ewhere.
As a people,
they have survived genocid
e
and war. In the 1
960s and 70s, th
e Hmong
in Laos were
recruited
to fight in the C
IA’s
“secre
t wars”
against th
e Communists
dur-
ing the Vietn
am co
nflict. W
hen that effort
was lost,
many fled to neighboring Thai-
land and ended up in ref
ugee cam
ps there
.
The first
wave of Hmong ref
ugees to the
United State
s arrived in 1975, an
d the most
recent w
as in 2005. Today there
are more
than 260,000 Hmong Americans.
All of th
e students in
the immersi
on pro-
gram are
of Hmong herit
age. One in
five
English lea
rners in the d
istrict
are Hmong,
the second larg
est group afte
r Spanish
speakers.
The majo
rity are
second or th
ird
generation, born in the U
nited State
s. As
with large n
umbers of U
.S.-born Hispanic
students, most a
re also desig
nated English
Language Lear
ners, which
means th
ey are
not proficient in
English when enteri
ng the
program.
But for Vue an
d his fello
w teachers,
that
isn’t exactl
y a disad
vantage.
Classroom instru
ction in the program
starts w
ith 90 percent H
mong in kinder-
garten, an
d is base
d on the “90/10” m
odel
where English
is slowly ad
ded each year
until fourth grad
e, when the s
tudents are
taught 5
0 percent o
f the ti
me in Hmong
and 50 percent in
English. That m
eans th
at
in the lower g
rades,
subjects su
ch as math
and science
are als
o taught in
the Hmong
language.
On one autumn day,
students in Makae-
Photo by Andria Lo
Meet the Hmong M
MA fighters Friday, Dec. 2
8th
in front of the C
ommerce Buildin
g at 2pm.
www.stevethao.com
ABCs contin
ued on page 7
Cheng “Iron Le
gs” lee sh
ows off h
is WWC belt.
Hmong national
Farmers organization
Page 1 & 4
long lo wins
mma FigHt
Page 5
The hmong Tribune
4759 e. olive ave. #101 Fresno, Ca 93702 oFFiCe (559) 259-1271 FaCebook.Com/tHeHmongtribune [email protected]
Hmoob Xov Xvm
april 2013
pub Dlawb
CaliFornia’s Hmong newspaper
NHAF Brings Hmong Farm Issues to Fresno
Fresno Welcomes HND
FRESNO - The National Hmong
American Farmers organization held
their fourth annual National Farm
Conference on March 27, at the Fresno
Ramada Inn. Hmong farmers, govern-
ment agencies and farming activists
from around Fresno and the country
came to attend the conference filling
up the Ramada’s main ballroom.
The conference brought Hmong
farmers from as far away as North
Carolina, Minnesota and Washington
State to attend. ChuKou Thao, the ex-
ecutive director of the National Hmong
American Farmers, Inc., believes that
the spring offer the best time to attract
Hmong farmers to find tim
e to attend
this conference. The conference had
workshops on California state regula-
tions, marketing of farm products, vari-
ous government resources for farmers,
panel discussion on a variety of small
farming issues and even lifetime
awards to individuals for their dedica-
tion and advocacy to the Hmong small
farmer.
The highlight of the conference was
lunch hour which featured two keynote
speakers. The first
was May Kia Yang
who is a successful poultry farmer
from North Carolina and also on the
USDA (United States Department of
Agriculture) Farm Service Agency Ad-
visory Committee. The second was the
charismatic Shirley Sherrod.
Sherrod has dedicated her life to
the minority and rural small farmer
and is one of the early leaders in
the
civil rights m
ovement in America. Her
speech about African American farm-
ers in the South resonated among many
Hmong farmers who lived through
racial discrimination and large com-
mercial companies taking advantage of
uninformed small farmers w
ho didn’t
know where to get resources and infor-
mation to get the best prices and best
ways of selling their goods. Sherrod’s
inspiration and passion comes from her
father being killed by a white farmer.
Even though she had hoped to escape
the South and the racial discrimination
there her father’s death gave her pur-
pose to stay and make a change.
Fresno will be hosting the 16th Hmong
National Development conference from April
5 to April 7 at the Raddison Hotel. The HND
conference has a mission to bring together
community members, professionals, politi-
cians, scholars, youth, business owners and
more to network, dialogue, and celebrate the
community’s accomplishments. Over the
course of the three-day conference, various
events are held to build capacity, educate at-
tendees on Hmong issues, and discuss press-
ing issues in the Hmong community.
Nearly 800 people from all over the coun-
try along with a few international guests will
be attending the event. The conference rotates
around the country every two years. The con-
ference has been held in Denver, Sacramento,
Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Washington
D.C in the past twenty years.
The three major areas of emphasis are
education, health and economic development.
Some workshops examples include: Hmong
Language at the Crossroads presented by
Bee Vang-Moua, University of Minnesota;
Nor Pau Moua, Hmong Txuj Institute; Do-
mestic Violence & Sexual Assault in Our
Hmong Community presented by Mary Lee
(Valley Crisis Center) and Bao Yang (Mar-
jaree and Mason Centre) and Financial and
Management Assistance for For-Profit S
mall
Business Ventures presented by Blong Lee,
Fresno Community Development Fincancial
Institution; Dawn Golik, U.S. Small Business
Administration.
The theme of this year will be the Journey
Forward. For more information look up http://
www.hndinc.org.
NHAF continued on page 4
Hmong Woman
Wins FisHing Derby
Page 4
WorlD boxing
CHamp results
Page 6
The hmong Tribune4759 e. olive ave. #101 Fresno, Ca 93702 oFFiCe (559) 709-5948 FaCebook.Com/tHeHmongtribune [email protected]
Hmoob xov xvmapril 2014
pub DlaWb
CaliFornia’s Hmong neWspaper
Fresno Celebrates Asian Fest
New Kind of Fishing
FRESNO, Calif. – A large turn-out
came to Fresno City College to celebrate
the diversity of the Valley’s Asian cultures
on Saturday, April 5. Organizers expected
nearly two thousand to show up throughout
the day and it was busy from morning till
the end of the day at 4pm.
Asian Fest featured traditional music,
dancers, art and a wide variety of food.
From Hmong sausages to Korean kalbi to
award winning papaya the lines were long
but the weather was perfect.
Vendors lined the walkway inside the
Fresno City College campus. From anime
to bonsai trees you could buy or experience
something interesting and Asian. There
were activities for kids to draw or create
art. The event is organized by FCC’s
Asian-American faculty and staff. It aims
to educate the community about different
Asian cultures through performances and
demonstrations.
Joan Burgess, who lives in the local
neighborhood, commented that, “The
event is a fabulous event that helps all
of us celebrate all the beauty of different
cultures.” Burgess said she’ll always at-
tend Asian Fest as long as she lives in the
neighborhood.
Local television personality Margot
Kim emceed the event.
Fresno’s dance group Tseem Tub Ntxhais was featured at Asian Fest.
Fresno City College Instructor John Cho was instrumental in creating Asian Fest.
A fly fisherman on the San Joaquin River.
Hmong people love fishing. Families
go out together and fish for many variet-
ies, including bass, catfish, crappie and
other fish. On any given weekend on the
waterways and lakes of Central California,
you’ll find Hmong fishing on the banks
and more recently on their boats.
A long history of fish in the diet has
created a whole culture around fishing for
Hmong families. But what is this new kind
of fishing where the fisherman hovers the
line like a helicopter blade with the line
coming back and forth until then finally let
loose the lure and line to plop it in front
of a fish? Fly fishing is what it is called,
and it has caught the imagination of many
Hmong anglers across the country.
From the streams of Montana to the
rivers of Minnesota and the ones that flow
from the Sierras of Central California, fly
fishing has found some enthusiastic new
converts. Conventional fishing consists of
pole, hook, line and bait. This new sport
has new terminology and different kinds of
Fishing continued on page 5
Alex VAng(559) 473-3884
ChuCk lee(559) 978-8019
CAll
June 2014 The hmong Tribune
4759 e. oliVe aVe. #101 Fresno, ca 93702 oFFice (559) 709-5948 Facebook.com/thehmonGtribune PaGe 5
To Report News or submit articles: Call (559) 709-5948 | www.facebook.com/thehmongtribune | Email: [email protected] | www.TheHmongTribune.com
“Only you can determine your destiny and work for your goals. Only you can change your future and your
socio-economic situation. Your future begins today, not tomorrow.”
-Dr. Kou Yang
Congratulations to all 2014 graduates.Hmong Tribune would like to thank these graduates who submitted their information to our special feature.
Mai HangStockton, CAUniversity of California, BerkeleyBachelor of Arts, Sociology
Jerry Wang Yee HerFresno, CACalifornia State University, FresnoBachelor of Arts, Sociology
Song HerFresno, CACalifornia State University, FresnoBachelor of Arts, Liberal Studies
Mikie LeeFresno, CAUniversity of California, MercedBachelor of Arts, Psychology
Dena VangStockton, CAUniversity of the PacificBachelor of Arts, Sociology
Mai YengVangStockton, CA University of California, BerkeleyBachelor of Science, Integrative Biology
Mary YangFresno, CAUniversity of Southern CaliforniaMaster of Public Health & Master of Social Work
La VangAtwater, CASan Jose State UniversityBachelor of Science, Health Science
William Yang *Merced, CACalifornia State University, StanislausBA Criminal Justice
Louisa Xiong Vue *Modesto, CAUniversity of California, BerkeleyBachelor of Arts, American Studies
Xue Vee Yang Fresno, CA University of California San FranciscoDoctorate of Pharmacy
Julie VueFresno, CAUniversity of California, IrvineBachelor of Arts, Political Science
* See page 6 for student profiles
The hmong Tribune June 2014
PaGe 6 4759 e. oliVe aVe. #101 Fresno, ca 93702 oFFice (559) 709-5948 Facebook.com/thehmonGtribune
To Report News or submit articles: Call (559) 709-5948 | www.facebook.com/thehmongtribune | Email: [email protected] | www.TheHmongTribune.com
FRESNO – Fresno Unified is working to en-sure that students maintain good nutrition, even during the summer months. Free meals will be available to all youth ages 1 through 18 at more than 40 locations throughout the city beginning Tuesday, June 17. No registration, application or demonstration of financial need is required, but meals must be eaten on site. For further information, call the Food Services Department at (559) 457-6250. The program is federally funded and administered by the USDA’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services. The district served nearly 200,000 meals last summer.
Schools nationwide serve more than 5 bil-lion lunches annually, more than half of them to students eligible for free and reduced pricing. In Fresno Unified, more than 80% of Fresno Uni-fied students are eligible for free and reduced price meals.
FreeSummer
Meals Available for Fresno Children
Graduating Student Profiles
Edison High 540 E. California, 93706
6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Duncan High 4330 E. Garland, 93726
6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
McLane High 2727 N. Cedar, 93703 6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Roosevelt High 4250 E. Tulare 93702 6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Phoenix Secondary 2445 W. Dakota, 93705
6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Rata 1373 W. Mesa, 93711 6/17 – 7/15 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Cal State University, Fresno
5241 N. Maple, 93740 6/17 – 7/15 11:30 – 12:30 M-Thurs
J.E Young (Blackstone)
822 N. Abby,93701 6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
J.E Young (Millbrook) 3058 N. Millbrook,93703
6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Ramacher School 710 N. Hughes,93728 6/17 – 7/15 10:30 – 11:30 M-Fri
Adult Transition Program
3132 E. Fairmont,93726
6/17 – 7/15 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Calwa District Park 4545 E. Church,93725 6/16 – 8/14 11:30 – 12:30 M-Fri
AME Zion Church 1838 W. Kearney,93706
6/16 – 8/14 11:00 – 12:00 M-Fri
Lincoln Elementary 1100 Mono, 93706 6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Lowell Elementary 171 N. Poplar, 93701 6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Muir Elementary 410 E. Danette, 937282
6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Norseman Elementary
4636 E. Weldon, 93703
6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Powers-Ginsburg Elementary
110 E. Swift, 93704 6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Pyle Elementary 4140 N Augusta, 93726
6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Storey Elementary 5250 E. Church, 93725
6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Turner Elementary 5218 E. Clay, 93727 6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Webster Elementary 2600 E. Tyler, 93701 8/4/14 – 8/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Williams Elementary 525 W. Saginaw, 93705
6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Wolters Elementary 5174 N. First, 93710 6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Vang Pao Elementary 2323 E. McKenzie, 93701
6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Ahwahnee Middle 1127 E Escalon, 93710
6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Computech Middle 555 E. Belgravia, 93706
6/16/14 – 7/2/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Cooper Academy 2277 W. Bellaire, 93705
7/18/14 – 8/8/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Ft. Miller Middle 1302 E. Dakota, 93704
6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Tioga Middle 3232 E. Fairmont, 93726
6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Scandinavian Middle 3216 N. Sierra Vista, 93726
6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Tehipite Middle 630 N. Augusta, 93701
6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Terronez Middle 2300 S. Willow,93725 6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Wawona Middle 4524 N. Thorne, 93704
6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Kings Canyon Middle 5117 E. Tulare, 93727 6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Tenaya Middle 1239 W. Mesa, 93711 6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Cambridge High 1001 S. Chestnut, 93727
6/13/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Fresno High 1839 N. Echo, 93704 6/17 -7/1---7/8-7/22 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Fresno Unified School District Office of Communications
2309 Tulare Street ~ Fresno, CA 93721~ (559) 457-3733
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Micheline Golden [email protected] (559) 250-7687
June 16, 2014
MEDIA ADVISORY
Free Summer Meals Available for Fresno Children
FRESNO – Fresno Unified is working to ensure that students maintain good nutrition, even during the summer months. Free meals will be available to all youth ages 1 through 18 at more than 40 locations throughout the city beginning Tuesday, June 17. No registration, application or demonstration of financial need is required, but meals must be eaten on site. For further information, call the Food Services Department at (559) 457-6250. The program is federally funded and administered by the USDA’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services. The district served nearly 200,000 meals last summer.
Schools nationwide serve more than 5 billion lunches annually, more than half of them to students eligible for free and reduced pricing. In Fresno Unified, more than 80% of Fresno Unified students are eligible for free and reduced price meals.
SCHOOL NAME ADDRESS DATES OF SERVICE MEAL TIMES
Addicott Elementary 4784 E. Dayton, 93726
6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Anthony Elementary 1542 E. Webster, 93728
6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Birney Elementary 3034 E Cornell, 93703 6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Greenberg Elementary
5081 E. Lane, 93727 6/17/14 – 7/15/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Lawless Elementary 5255 N. Reese, 93722 6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Leavenworth Elementary
4420 E. Thomas, 93702
6/17/14 – 7/11/14 10:00 – 11:00 M-Fri
Louisa Xiong VueLike many other
low-income first gen-eration Hmong col-lege student, I faced many challenges and struggles in higher education. I struggle
to not only exist at one of the top public university in the world, but also as a hu-man being working everyday to negotiate my very existence and identity. Leaving home was in many ways a form of Ameri-canization for my entire family and I. We lived through a secret war but our greatest war has been to survive the dismantling
of our culture, history and family. The colonially imposed idea of an education as the ultimate savior of our futures neglected our lives as refugees seeking a refuge in our land of refuge. Having been tracked by those who “knew better” and being told throughout my life that I was incapable of making decisions for myself, my dreams barely survived my undergraduate career regardless of my own conscious strength and the support of many programs. Being immersed in the world renowned intel-lectual diversity at Cal, I quickly learned of the reality that my dreams, which carry the lives of so many, was not only greatly stunted but also psychologically killing me at the institutional level with few knew of
my suffering. Ultimately, the only resolution that saved me came from knowing about my history, struggles and life where born from generations of suffering and pain. This knowledge and the undying faith my loved ones and programs such as the Gates Millennium Scholars Scholarship Program gave to me life again from a depth of great darkness no words could ever express. And above all of my pain and suffering, I like to believe I have triumphed overan institution and a world designed to neglect people like myself. Further the truth is that it has only begun as there are many more roads to pave ahead for more than just myself. There has not been a day of my life where I have not felt fear or pain and for that very reason I refuse to leave behind a world where we have lost more than we have triumphed. I do it for myself, my family, my com-munity, my world, and most im-portantly the ones who have lost their lives seeking a world they believed could give their children more than even they could have ever imagined.
William Yang
I wanted to share some of his struggles to motivate cur-rent students. I started college in 2008 and I was enjoying the independence that comes with living away from home and was reckless with my financial aid. I struggled with school and my grades dropped pretty low. I was place on academic probation. Then Igave up and dropped out of college after Spring 2010.
I returned to live with his parents back at home and people started to label him as a failure. I felt like I had no direction, had no job, no life and no goals. I knew that I needed to mature and grow up a little bit. Later I became aware of the common issues that first generation and students of color and immigrants faced in college. I was inspired by see-ing the challenges many of these students strived to overcome. So I decided to go back to school at Merced Community College in 2011 and declared a major in Criminal Justice.
Now more focused and with the support of peers I improved in my classes. A year later Icomplet-ed my Associates degree and was able to transfer back to CSU Stan-islaus in Fall 2014. This Spring I was able to achieved straight A’s and made the Dean’s list. I had to find out the hard way but realized that failure brought out the best in me.
WAnt tO AdVeRtise inthe hmOng tRibune?
CAll Alex VAng (559) 473-3884 OR ChuCk lee (559) 978-8019
June 2014 The hmong Tribune
4759 e. oliVe aVe. #101 Fresno, ca 93702 oFFice (559) 709-5948 Facebook.com/thehmonGtribune PaGe 7
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Employment & Eligibility Specialist(Bilingual: Hmong)Butte County
Salary:$14.95 - $20.04 Hourly$1196.15 - $1602.95 Biweekly$2591.66 - $3473.06 Monthly$31099.95 - $41676.75 Annually
Opening date: 06/12/14Closing date: 07/13/14 05:00 PM
Summary: This is a HMONG bi-lingual recruitment only. Only apply if you speak and write HMONG.
Under general supervision, determines the eligibility of applicants and recipients of the Department Employment & Social Services (DESS) public assistance pro-grams through interactive interviews and fact gathering; provides guidance and work plans to resolve employment barri-ers.
FLSA: Non-Exempt
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:Essential Job Functions: Essential func-tions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following tasks, knowledge, skills and other characteristics. The list that follows is not intended as a comprehensive list; it is intended to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsi-bilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed, and may be required to perform additional, position-specific tasks.
• Interviews clients with complex barriers to employment and self-sufficiency to determine client eligibility for public as-sistance programs and services; manages employment and social services plans for clients.
• Reviews and analyzes client data to de-termine appropriate services under local, state and federal criteria; screens infor-mation for accuracy; requests required documents; verifies and validates data.
• Assists clients in accessing community
services; refers client to supportive services; counsels clients, initiates and monitors job search activities, and as-sists in the identification and removal of barriers to self-sufficiency and employ-ment; may recommend or perform skill testing services.
• Collects and reviews eligibility informa-tion and documentation to determine initial and continuing eligibility for aid programs; investigates claims and docu-ments actions.
• Explains social services rules and regulations to clients and apprises them of their rights, responsibilities and eligibility for public assistance programs and services; assists parties in the completion of forms; searches files and other documents for required and relevant information.
• Performs case management functions; organizes files; prepares and mails cor-respondence; reviews case information and status; updates database and assures accuracy and completion of application, declaration forms and computer input; generates and processes a variety of legal documents and other related ma-terials; compiles and analyzes statistics; works as part of an integrated case management team.
• Organizes caseload so that necessary case records and documents are processed and updated within specific time limits established by regulation and local policy.
• Completes registration/contractual process for enrollment into appropriate eligibility services; assesses client compliance to rules and regulations, and applies sanctions as required or directed.
• Resolves discrepancies by securing documentation, records and other con-firmation from other entities; evaluates potential for fraudulent situations and reports to supervisor as required.
• Approves and provides supportive services and ancillary payments.
• Inputs client application information and client statements into statewide auto-mated data system; reads and interprets computer-generated reports.
• Adheres to the standards of the Privacy Act of 1974, {U.S.C. § 552A} as amended; maintains and enforces all aspects of confidentiality of client information.
• Supports the relationship between Butte
County and the constituent population by demonstrating courteous and coop-erative behavior when interacting with clients, visitors, and other employees.
• Performs related duties as assigned.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
• High school diploma or equivalent GED certificate.
• One (1) year of work experience as an Eligibility Specialist OR two (2) years in customer or clerical services interview-ing or gathering information for business purposes.
• Valid State of California driver’s license may be required.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIRE-MENTS: • Work is performed in an office environ-
ment.
APPLICATIONS MAY BE FILED ON-LINE AT: http://www.buttecounty.net/personnel
3-A County Center Drive Oroville, CA 95965 530-538-7651
[email protected] Position #145344137 EMPLOYMENT & ELIGIBILITYSPECIALIST (BILINGUAL: HMONG) LG ——— ——— ——— ———————
Engagement and Data Coordinator
Job description2614 - 36th Street Sacramento, CA 95817T 916-699-0671 www.ubuntugreen.org Copyright 2010 Ubuntu Green
Engagement and Data Coordinator Organization: Ubuntu Green, www.ubuntugreen.org Location:Sacramento, CA Hours: Full Time 35-40 hours a week. Start Date: June/
July 2014
Organizational Description - Ubuntu Green is a 501c3 non-profit organization, committed to promoting healthy, sustain-able and equitable communities through advocacy, education, and community development and empowerment.
Job Description - The Engagement and Data Coordinator will coordinate our research and data and support our com-munity engagement, advocacy and policy work and other functions, as needed. The Data and Engagement Coordinator will report to the President and CEO. The Coordinator must be familiar with GIS, Google Earth/Maps, Microsoft Office/Outlook, Dropbox, and various social networking platforms.
Essential Functions: Research and Data Coordination Coordinates the use of data and research in all aspects of the organizations work, including the use of mapping and coordi-nation with organizational and university partners.
• Assist with trainings of residents, youth and community partners on how to use data and research for advocacy.
• Community Engagement Assist in establishing and maintaining an active and positive working relationships with community members, and local and regional nonprofit organizations.
• Participates in community outreach and engagement activities.
• Assist in planning of community events.• Policy and Advocacy Support
Monitors local, state and federal legisla-tion policy.
• Attends local and regional legislative/regulatory hearings.
• Qualifications B.A. in public administration, public policy, social work, political science, geography, community/economic devel-opment or related major.
• Experience and ability to work with diverse staff and populations.* Bilingual and Spanish, Hmong, or Vietnamese a plus.* Excellent communications, writing, management and interpersonal skills.* Motivated and independent worker.* Creative and flexible thinker.* Excellent computer skills.*
2614 - 36th Street Sacramento, CA 95817 T 916-699-0671 www.ubuntugreen.org
1-3 years of work experience.
History in working in one or more of the following areas: social justice, environ-mental justice, community development, economic development, gre·en movement, environments, or etc. Familiar with working online and with social networking.* Salary Range Starting salary will be $30,000 - $35,000 a year.
Send resume to [email protected].
Jobs
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