By NGUYEN NGOC BICH
NCVA

Nguyen Ngoc Bich, National Congress of Vietnamese Americans.

SPRINGFIELD, VA (March 22, 2012) — Whatever one may think about the Vietnam War, one of the virtues of American policy is that it is able to put things behind and move on.

This is a feature of the American temperament and an American divorce is always rather neat, very different from a Vietnamese situation where Nghĩa, Obligations, interferes with Love, Tình, when Love is no longer there.  It is cultural differences like these which separate a Vietnamese reading from an American reading of what has happened or is happening in Vietnam.

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 HONOLULU – Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. and Kaua’i County Film Commissioner Art Umezu were among the invited guests at a memorial reception Sunday at the Japanese Cultural Center in Honolulu.

The event commemorated the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last March.

In his remarks, Mayor Carvalho described how he felt when he visited Iwaki City last October to attend the Rejuvenation event, and also talked about Kaua’i’s newly formed sister-city relationship with Iwaki City.

The mayor said, “I was deeply touched by your boundless energy, and resilience, despite the challenges you face, and as your sister city, we stand ready to assist you in whatever way we can.”

Umezu, whose family roots lie in Fukushima, Japan talked about the connections Kaua’i has made with Iwaki City over the last 20 years, including: the student exchange program between Kaua’i Community College and Iwaki East Japan International University; hula and cultural exchange programs; and the exchange programs between the Kaua’i Marathon and the Iwaki Sunshine Marathon.

He noted, “It was a very special day when the highly esteemed Japanese kumu hula Kaleinani Hayakawa flew to Kaua’i 12 years ago and planted a ‘hula tree’ on the grounds of the Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall.”

Other distinguished guests at the commemorative event included: Gov. Neil Abercrombie; former Gov. George Ariyoshi; Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle; and Gen. Gary North, commander of the Pacific Air Forces.

The reception concluded with a 15-minute video presentation titled “Thank you from Japan”, and a presentation by exchange students from the Sendai Ikuei Gakuen Academy, where major damage occurred following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 22, 2012) — The Department of the Interior on Thursday announced that the National Park Service is awarding funding to help preserve and interpret the U.S. confinement sites where more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were detained during World War II.

The 17 grants, totaling nearly $2.9 million, are part of Interior’s ongoing efforts to capture and tell a more inclusive story of American history.

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WASHINGTON (March 16, 2012) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reached an agreement March 15, to allow votes on all three Asian Pacific American nominees pending on the Senate floor.

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Kathy Lim Ko, President & CEO, APIAHF

This week, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities from around the nation are celebrating the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), our country’s historic health care reform law.  The ACA was a significant achievement for our nation and a major step in ensuring that all Americans have access to quality, affordable care. Despite the fact that the ACA has already helped millions of individuals get more affordable health coverage – including young adults and individuals with pre-existing conditions – opponents have challenged the law on a number of fronts, including in the court room.

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By David K. Yoo

LOS ANGELES — The UCLA Asian American Studies Center, as an official U.S. Census Information Center, and as a co-partner with National Coalition for Asian Pacific Community Development, is pleased to provide this 2012 statistical portrait of the Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations produced by the US Census Bureau for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May 2012.

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AAP staff report

HARTFORD, CT. (March 10, 2012) — Three-time U.S. Olympic women’s hockey medalist and all-time NCAA women’s leading scorer Julie Chu, is now enshrined in the Connecticut Hall of Fame.

The honor came last Saturday with six other male players during a Hartford Whalers hockey game at the Sports & Entertainment complex, which houses the Hall of Fame. Chu is the first female to receive the honor with six men who played or worked in professional hockey.

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Washington, D.C. (March 2, 2012) — This past Tuesday, February 28, 2012, a Sikh American family from Sterling, Virginia received a letter containing death threats addressed to ‘Turban Family’.

The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund obtained a copy of the letter and is calling for a federal investigation into a hate crime. The text of the letter reads as follows:

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Hee Joo Yoon, Korean Resource Center in Los Angeles.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 27, 2012) — The White House honor Hee Joo Yoon Thursday in Los Angeles.

Ms. Yoon is one of eleven housing counselors and HUD-approved organizations being recognized as Champions of Change for their hard work, perseverance and dedication to their communities. She has been selected for outstanding commitment and achievement representative of the collective work of thousands of housing counselors across the United States.

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“The Descendants” author Kaui Hart Hemmings , left, is presented a proclamation from Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho at a pre-Academy Award event Thursday in Los Angeles. (Contribed photos)

LIHU‘E, Kaua‘i (Feb. 23, 2012) — Inspired by the artistic triumph of The Descendants in literature and film, Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr., on Thursday honored author Kaui Hart Hemmings at a special media reception hosted by the County of Kaua‘i and Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau in Los Angeles.

Mayor Carvalho presented Ms. Hemmings with a proclamation from the County of Kaua‘i recognizing the achievement of her best-selling novel that has been adapted into the critically acclaimed and award-winning film of the same title.

Mayor Carvalho commented, “This is such a beautiful story and authentically depicts life in Hawai‘i. We know that the film adaptation will not only generate more interest in Kaua‘i as a vacation destination, but it will promote greater understanding of our unique culture and experience.”

The Descendants is nominated for five Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (George Clooney), Best Director (Alexander Payne), Film Editing, and Adapted Screenplay, with the Oscars being presented February 26. The movie has already won the Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture and Best Actor, as well as the Writers Guild of America Award for Adapted Screenplay.

KVB hosted the reception for travel, entertainment and consumer media in California to promote Kaua‘i’s magnificent natural beauty, which is at the center of the movie’s storyline. Unspoiled Kipu Kai on the island’s south shore is shown as the huge parcel of spectacular oceanfront land being contemplated for sale by Matt King (George Clooney).

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